John Yeong reviews Decathlon's Fitness Floormat Tonemat Maxi Grip, and gives his take on whether it is a worthy investment for your home workouts or yoga classes
PHOTO: HANA BASIR, SPORTPLUS.SG
"Are home workouts still a thing?" you might ask.
With the recent re-opening of the economy and people returning to work in office, we have probably witnessed fitness gyms, yoga and pilates studios filling up for the first time in over two years.
In truth however, while there is plenty to be positive about for the sports and fitness industry, we are probably not quite back to being fully normal as we were in pre-Covid times, and data from studies by Sport Singapore seem to support that and suggest that most still prefer hybrid arrangements - be it when it comes to work or working out.
PHOTO: HANA BASIR, SPORTPLUS.SG
And since the pandemic has underlined the importance of personal hygiene, this is where having a personal exercise mat or yoga mat would come in handy - even if you were to workout less from home and spend your time exercising in a commercial gym or private studio.
I recently had the opportunity to try out Decathlon's Fitness Floormat Tonemat Maxi Grip at the Decathlon x COMO Shambhala International Yoga Day media preview event, in a class of lyengar yoga.
PHOTO: HANA BASIR, SPORTPLUS.SG
While the exercise mat can be used for a variety of workouts beyond yoga, I thought it was a good place to start. Without further ado, here are my thoughts:
We all know that good yoga mats should be comfortable and supportive, and provide sufficient grip to keep you from slipping, and is easy to clean and carry, and it is no different for exercise mats or fitness mats in general.
PHOTO: HANA BASIR, SPORTPLUS.SG
I am not a fan of foamy mats, and based on personal experience such mats tend to cut up pretty quickly when more intensive and explosive movements are done.
So the first impression of Decathlon's Fitness Floormat Tonemat Maxi Grip when it comes to material is a good one. I like the texture of the surface, and the smooth surface that does not compromise on grippiness.
In my mind, this gives me confidence in executing a variety of movements on the mat without the need to be extra careful not to slip even if I were to perspire and my hands get sweaty.
PHOTO: HANA BASIR, SPORTPLUS.SG
The good news is that this grippiness is not limited to just the surface on which my hands and knees made contact, but also extends to the mesh material beneath the mat, which I believe creates decent friction to prevent any slippage across a variety of different floor surfaces.
While I did not get to try out a full on burpee or more explosive movements such as box jumps or lateral hops in the yoga class, the mat did a great job across the various movements we did in class - from the downward-dog, to rope work against the wall in which we placed our full body weight at an angle against the floor. All this, without the mat giving way.
PHOTO: HANA BASIR, SPORTPLUS.SG
I like the mat for its supportive feel under hand, foot, and knee, its dual-textured sides, firm-yet-cushiony rubber construction, and its decent size given my height of 1.82m. I still found sufficient space to move around easily and pivot without stepping off the mat during my practice.
At 8mm in thickness, it is also not overly thick and easily packable. Fun fact, it comes with a dual-looped sling for you to easily slide your mat through to pack up and sling over your shoulder to bring out for your next workout or yoga class.
PHOTO: HANA BASIR, SPORTPLUS.SG
Is it an exercise mat that is worthy of investment then?
As I have not yet used the mat for an extended period of time or given it the durability test, I am unable to comment on durability.
However at just SGD $38, I would consider this a very affordable choice if you are someone who works out regularly and is looking for decent quality without breaking the bank.
The mat is far from being on the high end and may not be the top choice for serious yogis or fitness trainers, but having tried out a variety of yoga and exercise mats over the years, I would say it serves its purpose and is better than most mats on a budget.
PHOTO: HANA BASIR, SPORTPLUS.SG
While this also largely depends on personal preference, as choices and preferences may range from all-rubber to non-rubber or latex free mats, I personally like this mat enough to give it a 7 out of 10.
Find out more for yourself about the Fitness Floormat Tonemat Maxi Grip mat or other exercise mats by visiting this link here.
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