Manduka eKO vs Retrospec Solana 1": Which One Should You Buy?

A full inch of foam is five times the thickness of the eKO, and the two products are aimed at different sessions. The eKO is Manduka’s natural rubber mat and finished second of 19 in GearLab’s 2026 test at 87 out of 100, with the best dry grip in the field. The Solana 1″ is a floor pad that sells extremely well because it is comfortable and cheap.

Prices are $114 and about $39.99. Both are around 72 inches long, and that is where the resemblance stops.

Soft NBR that deep compresses more under your heel than under the ball of your foot, so the surface tilts as you shift and your ankle spends the pose keeping it level. Tree and half moon become harder for reasons that have nothing to do with your balance improving.

Retrospec’s own listing leads with stretching, mat Pilates and somatic movement rather than yoga flows, which is an accurate description of the job it does well. The eKO does not deflect at all, and GearLab’s 9 out of 10 for comfort and support reflects that.

GearLab measured the eKO at 10 out of 10 for dry grip, the top result among 19 mats, and 7 out of 10 wet. Natural rubber is tacky by nature and Manduka adds real texture to it. Closed-cell means sweat sits on the surface, which is why the wet number lands mid-pack rather than at the top.

The Solana relies on moulded ribs. They hold a dry bare foot on a hard floor reasonably well, but the foam itself moves before the surface does, so what you feel is squirming rather than sliding. Once your palms are damp it offers very little.

If a hard floor is the thing stopping you practicing, an inch of foam solves that outright and no yoga mat comes close. Rehab work, core work on your back, seated practice, long stretching sessions: the Solana is more comfortable for all of it and costs $74 less.

If standing poses are part of your session, the better answer is a firm mat plus a knee pad, because you cannot add stability back to foam. That combination usually costs less than the difference between these two mats.

The eKO is natural rubber made in Taiwan, and the current version carries over 30% recycled content. GearLab rated its materials 8 out of 10. It is also not suitable for anyone with a latex allergy, which rules it out entirely for some people.

NBR is a synthetic nitrile rubber foam, the same material used in gym mats and camping pads. Light, cheap, extremely cushioned, and prone to permanent dents where weight sits. Retrospec lists the mat as free of latex, BPA, phthalates and heavy metals.

Manduka specs the eKO at 7 pounds and GearLab measured 6.3. It rolls tight, so it stores easily even though it is heavy. The Solana is 4 pounds with a nylon strap, but an inch-thick mat rolls into a fat cylinder that does not tuck behind a door.

If the eKO’s weight is the sticking point, Manduka’s eKO Superlite takes the same rubber down to a packable travel mat, with all the cushioning that implies.

The eKO’s rubber smell is strong out of the wrapper and takes about a fortnight of unrolled airing to settle. It is the most common complaint about the mat, and the reason its Amazon rating sits around 4.1 stars across roughly 700 ratings despite testing near the top of the field.

Retrospec asks buyers to unroll the Solana and air it for a day or two, and warns against submerging it when cleaning. Neither mat should be left in direct sun; UV is hard on rubber and harder on foam.

Manduka’s lifetime guarantee does not extend to the eKO line, which catches people out. The eKO gets a 30 day return window and nothing else. Retrospec covers manufacturing defects for six months, with 30 day returns on unused product.

If a long warranty matters to you, the Manduka mats that carry one are the PRO and PROlite, and our PRO vs eKO comparison covers that trade in detail.

List prices are $114 and $39.99, a gap of about $74. The Solana holds 4.5 stars across roughly 14,900 Amazon ratings, which is worth taking seriously as long as you read what people bought it for: knee comfort, home workouts and stretching rather than yoga sequences.

Three Solanas cost roughly one eKO, and you would work through several of them in the years a well-kept rubber mat lasts. That arithmetic only matters if you are doing the kind of practice the eKO is built for. If you are not, the cheaper mat is not a compromise, it is the right product.

Buy the Manduka eKO if you do yoga. It has the best dry grip GearLab measured, holds still under a standing foot, and is built well enough to earn 8 out of 10 for materials. Check the current price on the eKO at Amazon before you order.

Buy the Retrospec Solana 1″ if you want padding and your session happens on the ground. If you want some of both, Retrospec’s half inch version is the sensible middle of its own range.