Retrospec Solana 1" vs Gruper TPE 6mm: Which One Should You Buy?

The Retrospec Solana 1″ lists at $39.99 and the Gruper at $27.99. When we checked, Amazon had them fourth and fifth among its best-selling yoga mats. That is roughly where the resemblance ends. The Solana is an inch of NBR foam weighing 4 pounds. The Gruper is 6 mm of two-layer TPE and weighs 2.6.

So the extra $12 goes to a mat that suits fewer routines. If most of your sessions happen kneeling, lying down or lowering yourself onto a hard floor, the Solana is built for that. For a general yoga routine the Gruper fits better. The review tallies and the return terms below fill in the rest.

This is where the Solana earns its price. Amazon’s review summary tags 260 reviews as mentioning knee support, and 255 of them are positive, which is about as one-sided as those tallies get. Owners say it cushions hands, knees and elbows well enough that floor workouts stop hurting, and the summary mentions people using it for accessible yoga, where getting down to the floor and back up is part of the challenge.

The Gruper is not a hard mat. Its owners credit the 6 mm with protecting knees and backs, and 422 of the 448 reviews tagged for comfort are positive. On a carpeted floor that is plenty. On tile or concrete, or with joints that already complain, you are getting less than a quarter of the Solana’s depth, and you will notice.

Retrospec’s Amazon bullets call the Solana a firm 1-inch mat and put comfort and balance in the same heading. Owners are split on the balance part. Amazon tags 235 reviews for stability, 140 positive and 95 negative, and the negative ones say it is hard to balance on in standing poses.

That fits the material. Foam this deep keeps compressing under one foot carrying all your weight, so tree pose becomes ankle work. The Gruper’s TPE yields a few millimeters and springs back, and one owner calls it cushioned and still firm at the same time. If your routine includes sun salutations or anything on one leg, pick the Gruper.

Retrospec’s listing says the Solana’s foam holds up to everyday use at any intensity. Amazon tags 521 reviews of the 1″ for durability, and 354 of them are negative against 167 positive. The complaints are about tearing, with owners saying the foam rips when they shift positions. The foam also dents for good where knees and heels press hardest, and a full inch shows those hollows clearly.

Gruper’s listing says the bonded construction resists tearing and stretching out of shape. Nobody has tested that. What Gruper does spell out is the limit: the mat is for bare feet only, and sneakers or a pet can rip it. Neither mat suits a workout in shoes.

Both listings promise a carry strap. On the Solana 1″, Amazon tags 239 reviews for the strap and 161 of them are negative, most saying there wasn’t one in the box. That leaves you with an inch-thick roll and nothing to hold it by.

The Gruper comes with a strap and a storage bag, and owners single out the bag for making it easy to take anywhere. Six millimeters of TPE rolls into a slim tube that slides into an ordinary mat bag, which a full inch of foam never will. And it weighs less, 2.6 pounds against 4.

Gruper owners disagree about the top surface. Some find the grip excellent, others say their hands slide. They agree more about the underside, which owners say keeps the mat in place, and that is the job of its corrugated bottom.

The Solana 1″ summary doesn’t cover grip at all. Owners write about the cushion, not the ribs, and Retrospec says those ribs keep you steady. Neither top absorbs anything, so both get slick once your palms are damp, and a heated class is out for both. If sweat is your problem, our IUGA vs Gruper comparison looks at a sweat-absorbing polyurethane mat.

Gruper’s listing also offers this mat at 8 mm and 3.1 pounds, which sits between these two for cushion and keeps the TPE spring. Retrospec’s other Solana is half an inch thick at $24.99 and 3 pounds, the one to consider if you like foam but stand for part of your routine. Our Solana 1/2″ vs Gruper page covers that pairing.

Amazon’s Gruper page also flags a newer model: an extra-wide Gruper at 72″ × 32″ with alignment marks, on its own listing with about 475 ratings. It is a different mat, and everything here refers to the original 24-inch one.

List prices are $39.99 and $27.99. When we checked, both listings shipped from and were sold by Amazon, so Amazon’s return policy applies to either. Colorways are priced separately, so compare the Solana 1″ at Amazon and the Gruper at Amazon in the color you want. The Solana comes in 13 colorways at last count; the Gruper in eight colorways at last count, most of them two-tone.

You can also buy the Solana direct from retrospec.com. Retrospec’s warranty covers manufacturing defects for six months on mats bought new from Retrospec or an authorized retailer. Its direct returns are strict: 30 days, unused and in the original packaging, a 50% restocking fee on anything used, and $18 off the refund if you use its return label. Gruper publishes no warranty.

Choose the Gruper if you do yoga, or any routine that has you standing, stepping or balancing. It costs $12 less, weighs 1.4 pounds less, comes with a bag, and gives your feet a surface that holds still. Nothing backs it beyond Amazon’s return window, and it gets slippery when your hands sweat.

Choose the Solana 1″ if the mat is for your joints: floor exercise on tile, rehab, stretching, or gentle practice spent kneeling and lying down. Buy it knowing that most of its durability reviews are negative and the strap may not be in the box.