Gaiam Classic Print vs Gaiam Dry-Grip Long & Wide: Which One Should You Buy?

The Classic Print is the light end of Gaiam’s range: 4 mm of printed PVC, 68″ × 24″, 2.1 pounds, $24.98. The Long & Wide version of Gaiam’s Performance Dry-Grip measures 78″ × 26″, with 5 mm of coated PVC at 5 pounds, for $74.98.

That is exactly $50, and most of it pays for size. The rest buys a smoother surface and a firmer cushion. Both are latex-free PVC with Gaiam’s lifetime guarantee, and despite the label on the bigger one, neither suits a hot room.

The Classic Print’s 68 inches equals five foot eight. Any taller and lying flat leaves your head or heels off the end, while a long lunge or down dog sends a hand or foot past the edge. Plenty of people get used to a short mat, but it is a daily nuisance you can avoid.

Seventy eight inches is six foot six, which covers nearly everyone, and the two extra inches across help in wide-legged poses and for broad shoulders. Well under five foot eight, though, most of that extra material just sits on the floor, and the Classic Print fits you fine.

Four millimeters is thin for a yoga mat, and on hardwood or tile a kneeling knee finds the floor quickly. Thickness is the clearest complaint in Amazon’s review summary for the Classic Print, about 410 negative mentions to 184 positive.

GearLab only had the 68 inch Dry-Grip in its test, not this size. The two share the same 5 mm PVC and topcoat, so the results carry over, with the caveat that the smaller mat earned them. Its comfort and support score was 8, and GearLab said the cushion felt good on joints while staying firm enough to hold you up.

The thin mat has one thing going for it. Four millimeters of PVC barely compresses when you stand on one leg, so you feel planted, and some people like the floor contact.

Under its print, the Classic Print uses Gaiam’s traditional textured sticky finish, which grips dry skin by friction. The Dry-Grip’s coated top is smooth; GearLab described the standard model’s surface as silky-smooth and good for flows.

Gaiam markets both Dry-Grip sizes for hot yoga, yet the standard one posted a 6.5 dry grip score and a 3.5 wet one in GearLab’s test, second lowest of 19 mats. The Classic Print hasn’t been tested and makes no hot yoga claim on gaiam.com, and its sticky PVC doesn’t absorb sweat either.

Owners see it differently. In Amazon’s review summaries, Classic Print grip mentions run about 350 negative to 264 positive, while the Dry-Grip listing, pooled across both sizes, runs about 568 positive to 154 negative. So owners rate the coated surface well ahead, even though GearLab found it slick once soaked. On either mat, a hot class means a towel.

At 2.1 pounds, the Classic Print goes to a park or an office class without a second thought, and 4 mm rolls thin. gaiam.com lists no strap for it, though the Amazon title now includes an Easy-Cinch carrying strap.

The Long & Wide is five pounds by Gaiam’s spec. The standard Dry-Grip came in more than a pound over its listed weight on GearLab’s scale, so the bigger mat may run heavy too. It rolls into a 26 inch tall tube and suits a mat that mostly stays home.

People buy the Classic Print for its patterns, and Gaiam rotates them, so the one you like today may be gone next season. Design is its best-rated aspect on Amazon, about 317 positive mentions to 12 negative.

The Long & Wide comes in black only. Owners on its shared listing like the black-on-black embossed look, but there is no other choice at this size. The standard 68 inch Dry-Grip adds purple and blue.

This runs against the price tags. Durability mentions for the Classic Print lean positive in Amazon’s review summary, about 210 to 96, with the complaints centered on printed plastic peeling. On the Dry-Grip listing they lean the other way, about 102 positive to 283 negative, where owners describe the coating lifting off the base.

GearLab’s materials score for the standard Dry-Grip points the same way: 4 out of 10, level with the Jade Voyager for second from the bottom. GearLab also warns that the colored surface can transfer onto clothing and suggests a towel rub before the first session.

The lifetime guarantee on both has no published terms. We’d take it to mean defects and wouldn’t count on it for a mat that has simply worn out.

Gaiam’s care text is nearly identical for both. Expect a powerful odor at first, which Gaiam says is harmless, and let the mat air out flat for two to three days; after that, spot clean using cold water and mild detergent, and keep it out of prolonged sun, which fades PVC and makes it brittle. Classic Print owners notice the smell, with odor mentions running about 282 negative to 86 positive.

Returns won’t let you try either. Gaiam’s 30 day window covers only sealed, unused mats bought from gaiam.com, and Amazon purchases follow Amazon’s rules.

See the Classic Print on Amazon, where prints are often priced individually, and the Long & Wide listing. That second listing also sells the 68 inch mat and its bullets describe the smaller size, so check the listed dimensions say 78 by 26 before paying.

Want the Dry-Grip surface at the Classic Print’s size? Our standard Dry-Grip vs Classic Print page covers it. Want a cheap Gaiam with more length? The Amazon version of the Gaiam Essentials runs 72 inches and lists for less than the Classic Print.

The Classic Print is the pick at five foot eight and under, for a light mat in a pattern you like and a gentle, unheated practice. It covers the beginner basics for $24.98, as long as you can live with 4 mm under your knees.

The Long & Wide is the pick if you are tall, want a firmer and better cushioned surface, or find 24 inches cramped. Size is the reason to pay $50 more. Sweaty classes are not, and owner reviews suggest the smooth top wears out sooner than the printed one.