Everlast Folding Exercise Mat - Premium Yoga & Fitness Mat for Home Workouts, Travel & Gym - Non-Slip, Lightweight & Portable

That was my reaction when I opened the box. I bought the Everlast Folding Exercise Mat Level II, and this immediately struck me as quality.I have hardwood floors, and it gets rough especially on your lower back doing crunches and sit ups. I used to use a large faux fur rug that was folded into quarters to do my ab workouts and dumbbell flys so I knew adequate cushioning was definately my main concern, followed by durability, and overall a tool that was convenient functional and wasn't going to be a waste of money.First off cushioning. Now 1 and 5/8in bonded foam does not sound like much hell I looked over a few others and one was only 3/8 of an inch. The pictures alone really don't do it justice. Let me put it this way. Laid flat, extended the full 6ft, this mat is as thick and 2 packs of cigarettes, face down stacked on top of each other. Fold it in half and you double the amount of cushion. I did not expect it to be that thick. This is not my sisters yoga mat. Thank god!As for durability. This mat reminds me of the high school gym mats they used to stack in storage until we did sit ups for physical fitness testing, not to be confused with the wrestling mats the had the distinct rubbery bounce. I expect overtime that the edges or corners may crack just from age, moisture, and temperature change. Those are the edges where it's folded over and the seams run across. As for the seams themselves, its a nice double stitch all the way around and adequate single stitching to reinforce the fold. I can do jumping jacks on it, it distributes weight nicely. It also seems like it has some breathability because it doesn't disperse the trapped air when you put weight on one end. Unless my dog has a go at it or I personally stab it with a fork it was designed to take the abuse that it's supposed to. (My dog has torn up 4 leather couches already hence that example. lol)Finally the overall product. When it comes to being physically active I like simplicity. Free weights, a pull up bar, a bench press in the back yard, and now this mat. I can't stand bulky single purpose contraptions, I hate wasted space, and personally for me if i'm in the mood. BAM! Get it out. Get to work. Store it when I'm done. Functionality wise, my cousins can use it as a makeshift bed when they're drunk, and make unexpected visits. Worst case scenario rough day at work, I can prop it up against a wall and punch it. Or I can use it to do sit ups. It solves a problem, it serves a purpose. I'm satisfied. 5 Stars.P.S. As for the 50 dollar price tag... it's a small price to pay especially considering if you have minor to severe back pain.Padding is great for ab work, stretching and just about anything on the floor! I still use my original from 20 years ago and two newer ones. Super durable and I’m 6’3 and 186 lbsOf the many things I have purchased on Amazon, this mat really stands out. I just realized we bought it back in 2011 and it's only now starting to show wear at the corners. It has taken a beating over the years, used by adults and a lot of kids, and most recently, a back-up mattress to a portable crib - probably more comfortable and definitely easier to clean. I hope they keep selling this with the same quality.This is a fantastic work out mat for the home.This year I'm determined to get back into better fighting shape, and in doing so, I'm buying a lot of equipment that my old martial arts school had. We had Everlast mats all over the place, though they folded into three sections instead of two like this one. Still, it's the exact same mat aside from that aspect, and I'm glad Everlast continues to put out quality equipment.My home has hardwood floors, and I was previously using a thin rug from a certain Swedish furniture store to do basic exercises on, like stretching, leg lifts, situps and push ups. It got the job done, but wasn't that comfortable. This mat has the right padding and thickness that I needed, giving my body full support for everything I do on it. If it wasn't comfortable, I'd say so. This is an excellent mat for anyone who might not have a very big area in their home for whatever exercise they might need this for. Pilates, tumbling, gymnastics, martial arts, throwing, yoga...there's a lot this small mat can be used for. It's easy to clean up any marks, and storage is simple since it can be folded in half and tucked away in a closet or under the bed when it's not being used. The handles are sturdy, and unless you -try- to rip them off, they won't be falling off any time soon.It's funny how when I read that this mat was 'only' 1 5/8" thick, I was worried that it might not be enough. But as soon as I took it out of the shipping box, I knew it was perfect. This is a fantastic mat and I plan on buying more in the future. Hopefully a bigger version is released sometime. For the price this one sells for, you're getting an excellent deal, and I'd gladly pay two or three times as much for one two or three times as big!I was a little leery of the price, but these mats have definitely turned out to a solid purchase. I originally bought one as a workout mat for my husband. I can't say that it got TOO much use, but he didn't have any complaints.I later used it as a yoga mat while I was pregnant, because my regular mat just wasn't thick enough for my comfort level after a certain point. We have tile floors, so there isn't much give. This mat was extremely comfortable, which makes a huge difference when you're 30 pounds heavier than you're used to.Our final and current use is as a baby play mat. I searched everywhere for a mat that we could put on our floors that would provide a cushion for our 6 month old. She was sitting and rolling, but not crawling yet, so there was a lot of falling involved. All of the baby mats I found were the thickness of a yoga mat, and many of them either rolled up or were multiple pieces that came apart (like the puzzle mats). They were also expensive for what they were, in my opinion. So I pulled out this mat and plopped her down, and it worked like a charm. So well, in fact, that I quickly bought a second mat to give her more room. We've been using 2 mats side-by-side for a couple of months now, and it's been great.Pros:- Super thick and cushy- Folds up for easy storage - we lean ours against a wall behind some furniture, but you could also store them under a couch with no issues- Easy clean up (sweat, drool...it all wipes up easily)Cons- Price is a little high (but still worth it)Do not buy this version of this mat (model 9050) unless you want a weird slippery material that you will have no grip on.There is another version of this mat in a grey color sold at another retailer which does not have this issue at all.The Everlast company informed me that only the grey colored version is licensed for sale in Canada.There was also packaging material that left a sticky residue on the mat and would not clean off.I received this only a few days ago and so far, so good :) With not being able to go to the gym right now, this mat is doing the trick! It's easy to clean and quite firm. Perfect for working out at home ie. push-up, crunches, etc. I found it to be a bit pricey but, alot of the less expensive mats have delivery at the end of April!I'd suggest it if you're stuck and want to keep your workout routine going.I find yoga mats too thin for the physio therapy exercises I need to do, which bother my knees when moving around on the floor. This mat is thick enough, sturdy and of generous size, then folds up to lean against the wall when not in use. Recommended.Use it for anything requiring knee work or stretching. I find it slippery so work with it and another mat… However, I am self admitted over sensitive due to injuries. Like fact it has handles, stores easily and I can make it come and go.Pretty thick, cover is durable. Fit for purpose.I use this almost daily now - so happy with the purchase! Great for floor work, my tail bone doesn't hurt when I'm doing heavy core exercises which was my biggest issue from using just yoga mats folded.