Yoga Mat and Towel Awards Announced by OutdoorGearLab.com

CHEYENNE, WY – OutdoorGearLab.com announced today the results of its 2013 Editors’ Choice awards for yoga mats and towels. Ten of the best mats and two towels were compared in extensive side-by side testing. The mats were evaluated in the following categories: Traction Dry, Traction Wet, Comfort, Durability, Portability, Environment/Health and Wash-ability.

The testing involved may months of practice both indoors and outdoors in both wet and dry conditions. View the complete yoga mat reviews.

The winners:
Jade Harmony Professional Yoga Mat – Winner of the Editors’ Choice award for 2013. According to Gear Editor Brian Blum, “There is no question that the Jade Harmony Professional deserves the Editor’s Choice award for best overall yoga mat. First and foremost was the fact that every person we spoke with that owned this mat absolutely adored it, and the three people we lent it to who were interested in buying a new mat all went out and purchased one after trying it once. The Jade Harmony is ideal for all styles of yoga, from gentle to rigorous. It is easy to take with you anywhere you go. The Harmony provides an excellent surface, both from the standpoint of feel on the hands, as well as from the perspective of grip in dry and wet conditions. On par with all of this, we couldn’t be more excited about giving our money to a company that has a clear focus on environmental conservation and social justice, both within and outside of the yoga community.”

Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat Review – Winner of the Top Pick award for 2013. This award is given to a product that excels in a specific application. In this case, it is the ideal mat for the traveling or urban yogi that practices non-heated yoga and sweats a little less than the average bear. According to Blum, “The Manduka PROlite is an excellent all-around yoga mat for those less prone to sweating and slipping. This yoga mat technology is eco-friendly, hygienic, provides excellent dry-traction, and is reasonably portable for the urban yogi. The Manduka PROlite is 3/16” thick, providing a great balance of stability and comfort, and is offered in three appropriate sizes: (71” x 24”), (79” x 24”), and (71” x 30”). At four pounds (the smallest version) it is lighter than the Jade Harmony Professional, and like its big brother (Manduka Black Mat PRO Yoga Mat) it is built to last forever (comes with a lifetime guarantee). “

Jade Microfiber Yoga Towel – Winner of a Top Pick award for 2013. This award goes to a product that is the best at a specific application. In this case, our favorite towel. According to Gear Editor Blum, “For a heated yoga practice where you plan to sweat, the Jade Microfiber Yoga Towel is a must-have accessory. Rated as our Top Pick product, and performing slightly better than the yogitoes Skidless Yoga Towel in our tests, the Jade towel is soft to the touch, yet somehow manages to hold you in place in both dry and wet conditions. We did not expect this product to perform as well as it has and were pleasantly surprised as it coupled well with almost every mat we tested, added very little weight and size for transport, and required very little maintenance.”

OutdoorGearLab LLC, headquartered in Cheyenne, Wyoming, is dedicated to creating the world’s best outdoor gear reviews. The company’s website is a free resource for people who love the outdoors and participate in activities such as hiking, climbing, backpacking, and camping. The company performs side-by-side testing of outdoor gear and publishes the results in comparative reviews. Each product is scored across a range of weighted categories, competing products are ranked, and awards are given to top performing products.

Media Contact: Chris McNamara – 307.509.0188 – outdoorgearlabpr@gmail.com