Hugger Mugger Earth Elements vs Retrospec Solana 1": Which One Should You Buy?

GearLab’s testers singled out the Hugger Mugger Earth Elements for seated postures, yin and meditation, and ranked it ninth of 19 mats in its March 2026 roundup with 70 points. Retrospec pitches the Solana 1″ at mat Pilates, somatic stretching and floor workouts. So many people weighing these two want the same thing: a soft place to spend an hour low to the ground.

The Earth Elements is 5 mm of closed-cell TPE at 2.4 pounds, for $83. The Solana is 25.4 mm of NBR foam at 4 pounds, for $39.99. Both measure 72″ × 24″ and neither contains latex, so the $43.01 gap comes down to how much padding you want and whether you’ll ever carry the mat anywhere.

On depth alone the Solana wins easily. An inch of foam keeps a knee or tailbone well clear of tile, and owners love it for that. Amazon’s review summary counts 919 happy thickness mentions out of 1,092, and 255 of 260 on knee support.

GearLab scored the Earth Elements’ comfort and support at 7 and led its pros with plush comfort. That is generous for a yoga mat, at the top of the three to five millimeter range GearLab recommends for most people, and still about a fifth of the Solana’s depth. On carpet the gap shrinks. On a hard floor with sore knees, the inch wins.

GearLab rated the Earth Elements’ stability for balance as moderate and counts squishy for balance postures as a con. An Amazon reviewer puts it more generously: enough padding under the knees, and steady enough once they stand up.

An inch of NBR is another matter. Retrospec’s listing calls the Solana firm and promises comfort and balance, but Amazon’s summary rates its stability as mixed, 140 positive out of 235 mentions. One owner says it isn’t stable enough for yoga and is way too soft and squishy. Under one loaded foot the foam compresses unevenly, which is the last thing you want in a one-legged balance.

GearLab gave the Earth Elements a 6 for grip, calling it decent but mediocre when wet, and printed no separate wet or dry figure. Owners mostly like it dry. Sixteen of the 22 traction mentions on Amazon are positive, and the review summary cites one owner whose hands and feet stay in position.

Retrospec gives the Solana a ribbed surface it calls slip-resistant, and nobody independent has scored it. One owner holds poses without slipping but says their feet sometimes squeak.

Neither foam absorbs sweat. GearLab’s guide explains that closed-cell mats repel liquid, so in a hot class sweat pools on top and the surface turns slippery. GearLab’s Best Value Upgrade is the better tool for sweaty practice; see our IUGA vs Earth Elements comparison.

The Earth Elements weighed 2.2 pounds on GearLab’s scale, and its Amazon bullets call it perfect for travel. GearLab’s care and cleaning score also rates portability, and the Earth Elements tied for the top mark there with a 9.

The Solana’s 4 pounds isn’t the issue. Rolled, an inch of foam makes a bundle several times the girth of a 5 mm mat, and Retrospec includes a nylon strap to hold that roll together. One owner who never takes theirs anywhere keeps it hung on a door and says it lies nice and flat when it comes down.

Hugger Mugger wants the Earth Elements washed before first use, then cleaned with mat wash or one part mild dish soap to twenty of water and hung to dry. Hugger Mugger also warns that sun and heat can break the TPE down, so don’t leave it in a hot car.

Retrospec’s routine is similar: gentle soap and water, a wipe, hang it up, never submerge it. It says a new Solana may give off a harmless odor and suggests giving it a day or two unrolled, though one owner noticed no smell whatsoever.

Durability is the Solana’s weakest review topic. Only 167 of 521 durability mentions in Amazon’s summary are positive, and many others describe foam that tears easily; one owner says theirs ripped on first use, barefoot. Soft NBR also flattens for good in the spots you kneel on most.

GearLab’s cons for the Earth Elements include durability concerns, and owners on Amazon split evenly, three reviews each way. One mat started peeling within a year of moderate use, while another owner calls theirs quite durable through anything from weekly practice to six sessions a week.

Retrospec covers defects for 6 months and accepts direct returns only on unused mats, within 30 days. Hugger Mugger offers no mat warranty, and its 30-day returns are likewise for unused mats bought direct. Amazon orders follow Amazon’s policy.

Retrospec says the Solana contains no phthalates, heavy metals or latex, and its Amazon title adds BPA. Hugger Mugger lists the Earth Elements’ TPE as latex-free and recyclable, made in Taiwan. Either is safe with a latex allergy. GearLab scored the Earth Elements 7 for materials; nobody has scored the Solana.

The Earth Elements lists at $83 at huggermugger.com in four colorways, Sand Oasis and Teal Onyx among them; also check the Earth Elements at Amazon. The Solana 1″ lists at $39.99 in 13 colorways at last count, so check the Solana 1″ at Amazon for your color.

Both hold 4.5 stars on Amazon, the Solana from about 15,000 ratings and the Earth Elements from about 100. If an inch sounds like too much, the $24.99 half-inch Solana sits in between, and our Earth Elements vs Solana 1/2″ page covers it.

Buy the Solana 1″ if the mat never leaves home and padding is the point: yin, restorative holds, mat Pilates or physio on a hard floor. It gives far more cushion for about half the money. Expect it to wobble under one foot and to fail by tearing.

Buy the Earth Elements if you want something soft that still works as a yoga mat, carried to class and wiped clean in a minute. It is lighter, slimmer and independently tested. Plan on a towel for sweaty sessions, and remember that no warranty covers it.