Manduka eKO Long vs Lululemon The (Big) Mat: Which One Should You Buy?

Both of these exist because standard mats are too small for a lot of people. The eKO Long is 79″ × 26″ of textured natural rubber for $124. The Big Mat is 84″ × 28″ of polyurethane over FSC-certified rubber for $128. Both are 5 mm thick.

The Lululemon is the bigger mat and the Manduka is the better performer, which is roughly the whole page. GearLab ranked the eKO second of 19 with 87 points and the standard version of The Mat fourth with 81.

The Big Mat wins the measurement it was built for. Eighty-four inches by 28 covers about 15% more floor than 79 by 26, and the extra width is the part people notice: a wide stance keeps both hands on the mat rather than one on the floor.

The eKO Long is still generous, and 79 inches is enough for most people up to about six foot two. If you are taller than that, or broad, the Big Mat is the one that solves the problem. Manduka has no wider option in the eKO line.

GearLab measured the eKO at 10 out of 10 dry, the highest score in its field, and 7 wet. The rubber texture grips from the first unroll with nothing to break in.

The Lululemon surface tested at 6.5 dry and 4.5 wet, which is mid-pack. Its polyurethane face is meant to absorb sweat and get tackier as you warm up, and it does, but it starts from a lower baseline than the rubber. The textured rubber underside is offered as the drier alternative; most owners pick a side in the first week and stay there.

The Big Mat’s top layer takes moisture in, so in a warm room it improves rather than degrading, up to the point of saturation. The cost is drying and care: it wants a light wipe rather than a soaking, and GearLab scored The Mat 7 out of 10 for care and cleaning.

The eKO is closed-cell rubber, so nothing soaks in and sweat sits on the surface. That makes it easier to clean, and GearLab scored it 8, but in a genuinely hot class it is the more slippery of the two once palms are wet. Neither is the mat we would pick for hot yoga; the Manduka GRP Adapt 2.0 measured 8.5 wet.

GearLab gave the standard version of The Mat a perfect 10 for comfort and support, level with the Manduka PRO, and the eKO 9. Both are dense rather than soft, so knees are protected without the sinking feeling of foam.

The Big Mat is the same construction as the standard Mat in a larger cut, so nothing about the feel changes with the size. This is the row where these two are closest, and it is not where the decision gets made.

The eKO Long is 8 pounds and the Big Mat 7.1. Both roll into long, thick tubes that will not fit a standard mat bag, and neither is a mat you carry regularly.

If you need something in this size that travels, there is no good answer from either brand. The honest options are a lighter full-length mat, or a second mat that folds, which is what the Manduka PRO Travel is for.

Manduka gives the eKO line 30 days of returns and nothing after, since natural rubber is meant to wear and eventually break down. It also smells strongly for the first week or two and is not safe with a latex allergy. GearLab scored its materials 8 out of 10.

Lululemon covers mats under its Quality Promise, which has no stated term and is handled case by case. The mat’s weak point is documented by owners: the polyurethane face can go patchy or flake at the hands and feet after a year or two of daily practice, and it does not recover.

$124 against $128, which is close enough to ignore. Lululemon sells only through its own site and stores and rarely discounts; the eKO Long is on manduka.com and Amazon, where colorways drift below list. Check the eKO Long at Amazon before paying full price, which is the one place either mat gets cheaper.

Neither gives you much to choose from: the Big Mat comes in black at last count and the eKO Long in midnight only at last count.

Buy the Big Mat if the size is the point. Eighty-four by 28 inches is the most floor you can buy from a mainstream brand, the cushioning is top of the field, and it handles sweat better than the rubber does.

Buy the eKO Long if grip matters more than the last few inches. It is the more secure surface by a wide margin in testing, it is available at a discount on Amazon, and 79 inches covers most tall practitioners. Our Mat vs Big Mat page covers the Lululemon size decision on its own.