Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat review: a supportive mat for spacious poses

The Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat sits at a premium price but if you value impressive grip quality when searching for the best yoga mat then we believe this is a worthy contender.

This mat feels really spacious for practicing yoga on and Yogi Bare have managed to combine support, style, and thickness all into one mat, using eco-friendly natural rubber. When you purchase a Wild Paws mat a tree is planted - a win-win if you ask us. 

To help you decide if this is the ideal yoga mat for you we have tested and reviewed it in-depth and can tell you all about our thoughts on the design, performance, care requirements, and user verdicts below.

Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Matt: price & features

The Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat is available for $104.95/£74.95 and admittedly this does sound a little steep for a yoga mat. However, as soon as I pulled the mat out from its packaging I did get a great sense of quality from this mat. It’s certainly a substantial weight, which will satisfy anyone who doesn’t like light and flimsier mats that stay curled up on the ends after unrolling. 

It’s a thick, 4mm thick, and very well-cushioned mat weighing in at 5.5lbs/ 2.5kg. It’s heavier to transport around with you than other options such as the Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat but won’t be an issue for anyone who completes their yoga practice at home. It also provides generous amounts of space to freely move around on - measuring at 180 x 66 cm.

Made from 100% natural PU rubber this mat is made from fully sustainable materials, is biodegradable and recyclable. Plus, it features an extra firm perforated rubber over the top ensuring you can confidently plant your feet on a non-slip surface throughout your practice.

Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat: design

I tested out the green Yogi Bare Wild Paws mat but it also comes in black, grey, red, and ocean blue. Each end of the mat features a subtle, yet eye-catching Aztec print sandwiched in between rows of small trees and birds. It’s neither too masculine nor feminine in appearance.

Not only is the aesthetic of this Yogi Bare mat really funky in both its color and design but it includes a line in the center of the mat design that helps with body alignment and positioning during yoga. This is rarely included on a yoga mat so kudos to Yogi Bare for thinking up this.

Regarding grip quality, the clue is on the name and in testing, this mat lives up to its ‘extreme grip’ title. The addition of an extra firm perforated rubber over the top of this mat is great for avoiding slips when your hands or feet get a bit clammy during an intense session of yoga. I haven’t tried hot yoga before, but if I do, this is the mat I’ll be using

Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat: performance

The 5.5lbs/2.5kg weight isn’t a deal-breaker for me but I had made plans after taking this mat to a yoga class one day and it was a tad heavy to transport around for long. Looking at the weight more holistically, this makes it a good level of thickness to support safe practice and increase feelings of comfort.

I found when leaning deep into moves like a crescent lunge that my joints were supported by the padded mat beneath me. It was also suitable for practicing headstands on, something I haven’t mastered yet but should hopefully progress faster using this Yogi Bare mat. While it’s thick, it isn’t too thick but still cushioned enough to perform a HIIT workout without feeling the harsh impact.

It’s also worth pointing out how much I enjoyed how spacious this mat is. It made me feel a lot freer to slip up during my yoga practice and I really benefited from the generous space available when yoga instructors typically ask you to ‘explore your mat’ or ‘spread out across your full mat’.

Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat: care

My first few uses on this mat did involve a fairly strong rubbery odor but this wore off the more I had it rolled out. It might be wise to leave it rolled out for 24 hours when you first receive it to air out the initial scent.

The color of each Wild Paws mat is made from plant-based dyes and this never transferred onto my clothing or skin. The durable rubber surface does collect a lot of dust and debris on it and I noticed some of the make-up I was wearing during one session left a stain on the mat. However, I followed Yogi Bare’s cleaning guidelines, which simply involved wiping my mat down with some lemon juice diluted in warm water, and this did the job. It’s a good idea to regularly wipe down your mat anyway, just like you would after using a mat provided in any yoga class you may attend.

Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat: user reviews

People have left reviews for this mat on both the Yogi Bare website and on Amazon and overall the Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat gets a good rep. One woman left a comment saying that ‘After a solid first use I am very pleased with the non-slip grip, my hands didn't move at all even when I pushed deeper into my down dog which puts a lot of horizontal force into the mat’. Another user agreed, sharing how the grip of this mat helps them remain more focussed during yoga now.

Over on the Yogi Bare website reviewers had other parts of the design to praise such as the ‘lovely thickness’ and one comment about the depth of the mat being a ‘good balance between stability and cushioning’.

However, some negative comments were left. One reviewer on Amazon didn’t feel this was a non-slip mat and someone else agreed saying they found their mat was losing its grip with time.

Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat: verdict

Yogi Bare Wild Paws Natural Rubber Extreme Grip Yoga Mat is a top-performing yoga mat thanks to its spacious, supportive and grippy features. Its eco-friendly materials don’t slack on quality, both beginner and experienced yogis will feel safe and secure transitioning into yoga poses on this mat.

It’s slightly heavy for carrying around but this shouldn't be an issue for people who simply practice yoga at home or for those who only have a short journey to yoga class. This mat is pricier than your average budget yoga mat but you get what you pay for. I’d recommend buying this if you already, or plan to, regularly practice yoga, or use this for multi-activities such as HIIT workouts and Pilates - this way you will really get your money's worth out of this extreme grip yoga mat.

Also consider

YOGA-MAD WARRIOR YOGA MAT II

On a budget? The Yoga-Mad Warrior Yoga Mat II is available for just $21.28/£15.99. This is a significantly cheaper option so this does mean the material won’t be as sturdy or have that premium feel that the Yogi Bare Wild Paws mat offers. However, it’s super light (2.4lbs/1.1kg) to transport around and still offers sufficient grip during each practice. 

Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat

The Sweaty Betty Super Grip Yoga Mat is another eco-friendly yoga mat to keep your eye on and can be bought for $88/ £65. This mat offers the same level of thickness as the Yogi Bare mat but is half the weight. It also offers awesome grip but beware if you have an allergy to latex as it’s made from natural latex.