Hugger Mugger Earth Elements vs Gaiam Premium Reversible: Which One Should You Buy?

Both of these can be used either side up. Gaiam prints a different design on each face of the Premium Reversible, and Hugger Mugger’s Amazon listing calls the Earth Elements reversible, with owners pointing out a different color on each side. Both are latex-free, 24 inches wide, and neither absorbs sweat.

GearLab tested both for its March 2026 roundup and put 16 points between them. The Earth Elements placed ninth of 19 with 70; the Reversible landed 15th with 54. At $83 against $39.98, the choice is whether the better-scoring mat is worth $43.02 more than Gaiam’s prints.

The Earth Elements won every scored category, leading 7 to 6 on comfort and support, 6 to 4 on grip, 7 to 5 on materials and 9 to 7 on care. Its pros run to plush comfort, decent grip, light weight and no-hassle cleaning. The Reversible’s two pros are its beautiful patterns and the way it rolls out nice and flat.

GearLab’s one-line verdicts follow from that. For the Reversible, that means inexpensive and striking to look at, but light on grip and padding for someone who practices often. For the Earth Elements, it means a budget pick for shoppers who want soft cushioning, textured grip for dry hands and an easy carry.

On paper the Reversible is the thicker mat, 6 mm to 5, and Gaiam’s Amazon listing sells it on extra thick comfort and support for knees, wrists and back. GearLab still listed poor cushion among its cons. The Earth Elements’ first listed pro is plush comfort, and GearLab found it especially comfortable for seated postures and yin.

Owners are kinder to the Gaiam than GearLab was. Amazon’s review summary counts 226 positive cushioning comments out of 258, and 434 of 513 on thickness. The Earth Elements’ numbers are positive too, on a sample of under twenty reviews.

The softness has a downside. Squishy for balance postures sits on the Earth Elements’ cons list, so in standing sequences neither mat is the firm, planted surface a denser rubber or PVC mat would give you.

GearLab rates grip two ways, and only one of them covers both mats. Its scored grip category, which feeds the total, gives the Earth Elements 6 and the Reversible 4, one of the lowest marks of the 19. Its separate wet and dry table scores the Reversible 5 for both, but has no row for the Hugger Mugger, so it can’t settle this pair.

Both mats’ cons mention wet hands: mediocre wet grip on the Earth Elements, slippery when wet on the Reversible. Owners are split on the Gaiam, 293 positive out of 544 grip mentions, and friendlier to the Earth Elements, 16 of 22. Neither surface soaks up sweat.

Can stain clothing is on GearLab’s list of cons for the Reversible, and with a print on both faces there is ink on whichever side you use. Old or dark clothes make sense for the first few sessions.

Gaiam’s own care text warns of a very strong odor from its printed mats when new, calls it harmless, and wants the mat aired for two to three days. Owners back that up: only 102 of 553 odor mentions are positive, and Amazon’s summary says owners describe it as reeking of chemicals. Six of the Earth Elements’ eight odor mentions are positive.

The Earth Elements is 72 inches long against the Reversible’s 68. At 68 inches, anyone much past five foot eight will have a head or heels off the end in savasana.

Hugger Mugger lists 2.4 pounds and Gaiam 3.3; GearLab weighed 2.2 and 3.2. Neither is heavy, though the lighter one is the easier daily carry to a class.

The Earth Elements’ 9 tied for the best care score of the 19. Hugger Mugger asks for a wash before first use, then mat wash or diluted dish soap and a hang to dry. GearLab notes it wipes clean easily, even after an outdoor session.

Gaiam asks only for spot cleaning (cold water, a damp cloth and mild detergent) and says to dry it flat. Both brands warn about sun: Gaiam says long exposure fades the mat and leaves it brittle, and Hugger Mugger says sunlight degrades its TPE.

The Reversible’s Amazon listing calls it 7P-free PVC and names the seven phthalates left out; gaiam.com says only that it is latex-free. The Earth Elements is TPE, which Hugger Mugger describes as latex-free and recyclable.

GearLab scored materials 7 for the Earth Elements and 5 for the Reversible. Its method says high-performing mats that last through years of practice score higher than recyclable materials that fall apart in six months, so the gap is mostly about expected wear. Even so, durability concerns made the Earth Elements’ cons list.

The Reversible lists at $39.98 in ten printed designs at last count, Purple Illusion and Lunar Wave among them. Check the Premium Reversible at Amazon. It comes with Gaiam’s lifetime guarantee. Gaiam hasn’t published what that covers, so a mat that has simply gone flat may not qualify. The Earth Elements is $83 at huggermugger.com in four colorways, or check the Earth Elements at Amazon. It has no warranty, and direct returns need an unused mat within 30 days.

Gaiam’s plain Premium 6mm, $29.98 at list, scored 62 at GearLab and won Best First Yoga Mat. Our Earth Elements vs Gaiam Premium 6mm page sets it against this Hugger Mugger.

Get the Earth Elements if you practice regularly and want the better mat. It outscored the Reversible in all four of GearLab’s categories, it’s four inches longer and nearly a pound lighter, and it has no ink to rub off and far fewer smell complaints. It will feel squishy on one leg and slide once you sweat.

Get the Premium Reversible if you love one of its prints enough that it gets you practicing more, you’re under five foot eight, or a lifetime guarantee and a $40 price matter more than grip. Air it out first and don’t expect much from it in a sweaty class.