IUGA PU Mat vs YogaAccessories Extra Thick Deluxe: Which One Should You Buy?

The IUGA lists at $66.99 and the YogaAccessories at $21.99, roughly a third of the price. Both went through GearLab’s March 2026 test of 19 mats. The IUGA came eighth with 75 out of 100 and picked up the Best Value Upgrade award, while the YogaAccessories came 14th with 56. GearLab’s bottom line pitches the cheaper one at beginners on a budget and credits its cushioning.

GearLab’s buying advice describes this exact step: for someone ready to move past a beginner mat without spending $100 or more, it names the IUGA. The IUGA won all four scored categories, and grip, worth 30% of the total, makes up the biggest share of the 19 point gap.

Every mat in GearLab’s test had a liter of water poured over it, roughly the sweat of a hot class, before the testers worked through a series of poses. The IUGA scored 7 wet and 8 dry. The YogaAccessories managed 4 wet and 5.5 dry, and only two of the 19 mats did worse once soaked. The IUGA’s polyurethane top pulls moisture in, while closed-cell PVC leaves it sitting under your palms.

Owners land in the same place. In Amazon’s review summary, 604 of the 703 IUGA reviews that mention grip are positive. For the YogaAccessories, 301 of 560 are negative, though some owners say their feet stay put as long as their skin is dry.

The YogaAccessories is thicker, 6.2 mm against 5, yet on GearLab’s comfort and support scale the IUGA got 8 and the YogaAccessories 6.5. Its testers pressed each mat onto a pen under a 40-pound cinder block, to mimic a joint bearing down, and favored mats that squash only a little of their depth.

On the YogaAccessories, GearLab found a pressed hand leaves a print that lingers, and it lists the mat’s softness as a drawback in balance poses. The IUGA, by GearLab’s account, has enough padding to protect knees on hard ground while staying firm under a single-leg balance.

Amazon’s review summary still credits the YogaAccessories with easing knee and tailbone pain on hardwood, and for yin or long kneeling holds a squashier pad can feel nicer.

The pricier mat is the lighter one: 2.1 pounds against 3.6, and GearLab’s scale agreed with both. A carrying strap comes in the IUGA’s box, and YogaAccessories doesn’t list one. Both are 72 inches long, so the only size gap is width, 26″ against 24″.

GearLab liked the IUGA’s cushion for its weight enough to make it one of the testers’ first picks for practice outdoors. The light build has a small cost: GearLab says heavy footwork can crease it a little down the center.

This result surprised us. GearLab’s own guide says closed-cell mats are easier to keep clean, yet the IUGA outscored the PVC mat on care and cleaning, 8 to 6.5. The category also counts portability, which helps a 2.1 pound mat, and GearLab found the IUGA cleaned up easily with mild soap and a cloth, even after a session outside.

The trade is drying time, a con in GearLab’s award writeup. Because moisture gets into the surface, GearLab adds that sweatier yogis may have to clean it more often, so leave it unrolled after class. The YogaAccessories wipes off and rolls up straight away.

Beneath the polyurethane is a layer of natural rubber, even though IUGA’s Amazon copy calls the mat latex-free a few words after mentioning tree rubber. A latex allergy is a reaction to natural rubber, so allergic buyers should pass. The YogaAccessories is PVC, and the brand states it is free from latex, heavy metals and phthalates.

IUGA says the mat is odor-free and holds SGS certification, while GearLab’s cons still mention a strong initial smell. Amazon odor mentions lean negative for both, 108 of 189 for the IUGA and 134 of 245 for the YogaAccessories, so air either one out for a few days.

The YogaAccessories fails by packing down. Compresses over time is on its GearLab cons list and it scored 5 for materials. The Amazon description promises a longer life than ordinary foam mats, which GearLab’s results don’t support.

The IUGA scored 7 for materials, and GearLab says they last longer than the price suggests, yet short lifespan still shows up among its cons. GearLab also warns the open-cell surface breaks down sooner on pavement or dirt. Amazon durability mentions split 89 positive to 78 negative, with reports of peeling edges and a worn middle, some within six months.

There is no warranty on either mat. Returns to IUGA are open for 45 days, but the shipping back is on you. YogaAccessories takes unused mats back within 30 days, also at your cost, and its Amazon listing promises a limited lifetime warranty that yogaaccessories.com never mentions.

GearLab pitches the IUGA at people who practice consistently once or twice a week but not every day. For daily use, or a mat meant to last five years, it points to the Manduka PRO or the Jade Harmony 2.0; our Manduka PRO vs IUGA page covers that jump.

The YogaAccessories suits a lighter schedule: a stretch a few times a month, a workout video, a spare for guests. Once you go to class weekly and your hands get damp, grip is what you’ll outgrow first.

The IUGA is $66.99 from theiuga.com in five colorways at last count. The YogaAccessories is $21.99 from yogaaccessories.com in 36 colorways at last count, with custom printing for studios. Check the IUGA and the YogaAccessories at Amazon on the same day, since prices there move.

Amazon ratings nearly match, 4.4 stars from about 2,900 for the IUGA and 4.5 from about 2,860. To stay near $30, see Gaiam Premium 6mm vs YogaAccessories, which covers GearLab’s Best First Yoga Mat.

Pick the IUGA for weekly classes, for any practice where you sweat, for carrying to a studio, or if 24 inches feels narrow. It kept its grip in GearLab’s wet test, it is the steadier mat for balance poses and it weighs 1.5 pounds less. Expect a few years of use, not a decade.

Pick the YogaAccessories if you are allergic to latex, if the mat will stay home for stretching and floor work, or if you need several mats or a particular color. It is soft and costs $21.99, and it will slide once your hands get damp.