Gaiam Premium Reversible vs Yoga Design Lab Combo: Which One Should You Buy?

Both of these get bought partly for the print. The Gaiam Premium Reversible is $39.98 of latex-free PVC, 6 mm thick, printed with a different pattern on each side, and you can practice on either. The Yoga Design Lab Combo is $117, a patterned microfiber towel laminated to a rubber mat, 3.5 mm thick.

The Combo costs $77.02 more, nearly three times as much. GearLab tested both for its 2026 roundup, and its results make that premium hard to justify unless you want the one thing the Gaiam can’t do, which is go through a washing machine.

GearLab gave the Reversible 54 points, good for 15th of 19, and the Combo 52, two places lower. Across the four weighted categories they tied on three: comfort and support 6, grip 4 and materials 5.

Care and cleaning was the lone split: the Gaiam got 7, the Combo 6, which looks backward for a mat you can launder. GearLab rates portability in that same category, though, and its scale put the Reversible at 3.2 pounds and the Combo at 4.6.

GearLab’s separate wet and dry table splits them slightly. After a liter of water, the Reversible scored 5 wet, mid-table among the 18 mats in that chart, and the Combo 4. Dry, the Reversible scored 5 and the Combo 4, and both of those sit near the bottom.

That’s an awkward result for a mat marketed for hot yoga on the strength of a moisture-activated towel top. GearLab wrote that the Combo’s grip was slicker than it had hoped for. Slippery when wet is on the Reversible’s cons list too, so neither is a hot yoga mat.

Owners of both disagree among themselves. One Reversible owner finds it slippery in a sweaty practice, while another uses it five or six times a week without slipping. A Combo owner on Amazon calls it perfect for hot yoga or any time your hands or feet start sliding.

The Reversible is 2.5 mm thicker, yet both scored 6 for comfort and support, and poor cushion is one of the Reversible’s listed cons. GearLab’s buying guide says density can matter more than thickness, and soft PVC foam isn’t dense.

One Reversible owner loves the two designs but says it isn’t very thick on a hard surface. Combo owners on Amazon are happy with the cushioning, 28 of 29 mentions positive. A 5.5 mm Combo exists for $131 if you want more under you; Gaiam sells the Reversible in a single size.

Gaiam prints both faces of the Reversible and offers ten designs at last count, and its Amazon review summary is almost entirely positive on looks, 927 of 959 design mentions. The catch is on GearLab’s cons list: the printed surface can stain clothing.

The Combo comes in 19 printed designs in the 3.5mm at last count, and its prints use water-based inks on a recycled PET towel. The towel collecting lint is another GearLab con.

According to Gaiam, a new printed mat smells very strongly, though harmlessly, when it comes out of the wrapper, and should be left open to air for two to three days. Odor draws more negative mentions than anything else in the Reversible’s Amazon reviews, and one owner says visitors were still asking about a toxic smell a month later.

Smell isn’t a theme in the Combo’s review summary, and one owner says it didn’t smell like some new mats. Yoga Design Lab lets you machine wash it on a gentle setting, with mild soap and no center agitator, while recommending hand washing to make it last. GearLab found each wash left it smelling fresh.

Gaiam’s instructions for the Reversible are spot cleaning with its mat wash, or a damp cloth and cold water with mild detergent, then drying it flat. Gaiam also warns that long sun exposure can leave it faded and brittle.

The Reversible is 68″ × 24″ and 3.3 pounds. The Combo is 70″ × 24″ and 4.9 pounds, with narrow on its GearLab cons list.

The Combo ships with a carry strap. Gaiam’s own page doesn’t list a strap, though the Reversible’s Amazon listing title now mentions one. There’s also a $146 Combo XL, which was sold out when we checked.

The Reversible’s PVC contains no latex, so it’s the pick for a latex allergy; the Combo’s base is natural tree rubber. Gaiam’s lifetime guarantee comes without published terms, and we’d expect it to cover manufacturing defects, not a mat worn thin. gaiam.com takes back only unopened, unused mats within 30 days.

The Combo comes with no warranty at all, and its return window is 30 days from delivery, only for a mat that hasn’t been used. Durability mentions in the Reversible’s Amazon reviews run 222 positive to 102 negative, and one owner saw the surface begin to tear after a few weeks.

The Reversible lists at $39.98; check the Reversible at Amazon (roughly 15,600 ratings, 4.6 stars on average). The Combo lists at $117, and Amazon’s price for the Combo is worth a look before you pay that.

For less money still, Gaiam’s Premium 6mm lists at $29.98 and earned GearLab’s Best First Yoga Mat award with a 62. Our Premium 6mm vs Combo page sets it against the same towel mat.

Get the Reversible if you want a printed mat without spending much. GearLab scored it slightly higher than the Combo, it’s lighter and latex-free, and it costs $77.02 less. Air it out first, and have a towel ready for sweaty sessions.

Get the Combo if machine washing is what you’re paying for, or you prefer a fabric surface and one of its prints. Don’t buy it for grip; it scored below the Gaiam in GearLab’s dry and wet grip tests.