Grip

Grip describes how securely hands and feet stay put on a mat surface during a pose, and it depends far more on material than on price. Natural rubber and cork surfaces tend to grip best once they pick up a little moisture, while smooth PVC and TPE mats are grippy dry but can turn slick within minutes of sweating.

Texture matters as much as material. A mat with a slight surface pattern channels sweat away from contact points, while a perfectly flat surface lets moisture pool and slide. New mats often arrive with a manufacturing residue that makes them feel slicker than they will be after a few washes and practice sessions, so grip can genuinely improve with age rather than wear out.

The common confusion is blaming a mat for slipping that is actually caused by lotion, a fresh factory coating, or simply too much sweat for the room's ventilation. Wiping the mat down, using a mat towel for hot sessions, or switching to a cork or rubber surface for grip-critical practice usually solves the problem without replacing gear that was never the issue.