Manduka eQua plus Towel Review

Last month I was called by a representative for Manduka yoga products. She told me that they had a new towel for hot yoga that they would like for me to try and write a review here for. Of course I immediately agreed because I LOVE Manduka and use Manduka products all the time, their black mat pro- long, is the foundation of my yoga practice. They say you can’t do yoga without breathing, and I can’t do yoga without my Manduka yoga rig! It goes everywhere I go!

I already use Manduka’s current and older model eQua towels it so I guess I am a pretty good candidate to compare the new one to the old ones. The towel came in the mail a few days later- it is the eQua plus. According to the tag this mat is supposed to be more grippy and stink proof. They say it’s more stink proof because it’s “infused with activated carbon which spreads and evaporates moisture.”  It also claims to be more echo–responsible- It has “natural coconut carbon for quick drying and odor management”. (coconut carbon?) I was sent the standard size which fits most yoga mats 72 inches long. As I mentioned a moment ago I use the long black mat so I will eventually need this in a long size for my mat. But I digress… I washed the mat before I used it in cold water and dried it in the dryer without fabric soft. This is my standard care of Manduka towels.

I teach and do HOT yoga- I have used this a few times in class and it is definitely grippier than the other.  I notice it more though when it’s wet. I loved the way that felt underneath my feet,  it was soft but I could tell that I wasn’t going anywhere. A little sweat and moisture on the towel makes it more available for traction, so I always sprinkle my yoga towel with a little bit of water when I get started practicing to give me some grip right away.  That’s all this towel needed to hold me. Regarding the stink proof claim- it’s too soon to tell. Odor really isn’t an issue for me. I wash my towels the same day that there used so they don’t in an opportunity to get stinky. Although, I imagine for someone that didn’t have a washer and dryer and didn’t access laundry facilities daily this might be an issue. Quick drying?  Certainly!  But I don’t really wanted to dry quickly in yoga class, and it doesn’t. It stays wet as long as I wanted to, and stayed grippy inspite of the gallons of sweat. I dry it in the dryer everyday so I can’t really judge if it dried faster in the dryer. But I can tell that if I were camping I would definitely take this with me. It dries very fast when hung up, and that can be helpful for the traveling yogi indeed!

The bottom line is, I love this mat! Once they come out with a long mat that covers my black mat Pro completely- like the old eQua towel I will buy several.

I recommend this yoga towel to you. Like all Manduka products, this is a super high quality beautifully made yoga towel and will last forever. Buy one! Buy two!