Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip vs B Mat Strong: Which One Should You Buy?

The Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip is 5 mm of PVC under a topcoat Gaiam says wicks moisture, 68″ × 24″, at $69.98. Gaiam calls it its best-selling mat and a no-slip mat ideal for hot yoga. The B Mat Strong is 6 mm of tacky rubber, 71″ × 26″, at $144, and b, halfmoon says it keeps you stable as you sweat.

Only one of those claims has been tested, and it didn’t hold up. The other rests on a review of the Strong’s thinner sibling. Beyond grip, the $74.02 gap comes down to cushion, size, latex and how each surface wears.

GearLab soaks every mat in its roundup with a liter of water, about what a person sheds in a hot class, then works through poses. The Dry-Grip scored 6.5 of 10 dry and 3.5 wet, second from the bottom of that table; only the Primasole Foldable did worse. Its scored grip category came in at 5, and slippery when wet made its cons list.

Owners are much kinder. Amazon’s review summary counts 568 positive grip mentions against 154 negative and says buyers find the grip holds when they’re sweaty. For a heated room, we’d still go by the soak test.

GearLab has never tested the Strong. Its 2023 review covered the 4 mm B Mat Everyday, sold then under the B Yoga name, and found traction that held wet or dry, even with a hand sitting in a puddle of sweat. That review pointed anyone wanting more padding to the thicker versions, and the Strong uses the same rubber.

Reviews on b, halfmoon’s site point the same way. One buyer finds it comfortable and effective for hot yoga, and a reviewer with very dry hands says it let them give up the gloves they had been practicing in. The roundup and that review are more than two years apart, so we don’t set their scores side by side.

The gloves reviewer names two trade-offs: a wipe-down after every session, and jumps that need your feet clear of the mat so they don’t grab. GearLab saw something similar on the Everyday. Some testers felt stuck sliding between poses, and the review warns light sweaters that it may be too grippy for gliding Ashtanga or vinyasa.

The Dry-Grip goes the other way. GearLab describes a silky-smooth surface that isn’t the grippiest sticky mat but is a lovely choice for a stretch practice. In a cool room with a flowing practice, that smoothness may suit you better than rubber that grabs.

Cushion is the Dry-Grip’s best category. GearLab scored its comfort and support 8 of 10 and called the cushion ideal: good on the joints, firm enough for support, and planted on the floor.

The Strong adds a millimeter, and b, halfmoon recommends it for higher intensity practice or a little extra support. GearLab found the 4 mm Everyday’s rubber dense and springy, giving slightly and rebounding fast. Both are firm enough for standing work, and the Strong puts a little more between your knees and the floor.

The Strong is three inches longer and two wider than the Dry-Grip. If you like the Gaiam but not its size, the Dry-Grip Long and Wide is 78″ × 26″ for $74.98, just $5 more, though GearLab tested only the standard size. b, halfmoon makes an 85″ × 26″ Strong Long.

Gaiam lists the Dry-Grip at 4.25 pounds, but GearLab’s sample weighed 5.4. b, halfmoon lists the Strong at 5. Nobody has weighed a Strong independently, but going by GearLab’s scale, the Gaiam may not be the lighter carry it looks like on paper.

GearLab put not very durable first among the Dry-Grip’s cons and scored its materials 4 of 10. Amazon owners agree, with 283 of 385 durability mentions negative, and the review summary mentions the top layer separating from the base.

The B Mat’s weak spot shows up in GearLab’s Everyday review, whose market research found the surface peeling where hands and feet land, with the grip fading after it. b, halfmoon covers the Strong for a year, but not for sun damage, dirt, stains or normal wear, and hand and foot marks count as normal wear. It expects its mats to last two years or more. Gaiam’s lifetime guarantee has no published terms, so we’d count on it for manufacturing faults rather than wear.

GearLab says the Dry-Grip’s surface dye can rub off and suggests buffing it with a towel before first use; stains easily and ink can stain clothing at first are both on its cons list. Gaiam calls the new-mat smell strong but harmless and suggests airing it for two to three days, and 81 of 127 odor mentions on Amazon are negative.

b, halfmoon’s only prep is to keep the mat in its box until you’re ready to practice, which it says prevents oxidation, and GearLab found the Everyday’s rubber smell gone after two days. The Strong is rubber, so it’s out with a latex allergy. Gaiam sells the Dry-Grip as rubber-free, latex-free and 6P free.

Check the Dry-Grip at Amazon, where its 4.2 stars from about 2,560 ratings are pooled with the Long and Wide. The Strong is $144 at us.bhalfmoon.com in seven colorways at last count. b, halfmoon doesn’t sell it through Amazon, and its own store shows 4.9 stars across 254 reviews.

Neither is easy to try and send back. b, halfmoon refunds only mats that haven’t left their packaging, within 30 days and never on sale items, and Gaiam’s own returns cover only unopened, unused gaiam.com orders. For the 4 mm B Mat against this Gaiam, see our Dry-Grip vs B Mat Everyday page.

Buy the B Mat Strong if you sweat through classes, hot or not, and want the surface with the better record under wet hands, on a bigger, slightly thicker mat. Accept latex, a cleaning routine, feet that catch unless you lift them, and $74.02 more.

Buy the Dry-Grip if your room is cool, you like a smooth surface for stretching and flow, or you need a latex-free mat with a lifetime guarantee for under $70. Ignore the hot yoga line on the box, and look at the Long and Wide if 68 inches is short for you.