YogaAccessories Extra Thick Deluxe vs Retrospec Solana 1/2": Which One Should You Buy?

YogaAccessories sells this mat on its depth. Extra thick is in the name, the brand’s page promises over 6 mm, and its Amazon description calls it one of the thickest mats on the market. Next to the Retrospec Solana 1/2″ it is the thin one: 6.2 mm of PVC against 12.7 mm of NBR foam.

Most of the rest lines up. Both brands list their mat at 72″ × 24″ and the list prices are $21.99 and $24.99. That leaves how much foam you want, and for once there is test data: GearLab found the YogaAccessories already too soft for secure balance. No outlet we trust has tested the Solana.

GearLab ranked the YogaAccessories 14th of 19, scoring it 56 overall: 6.5 for comfort and support, 4.5 for grip, 5 for materials and 6.5 for care and cleaning. The pros list reads affordable, cushy padding, lightweight and portable. The cons list reads slippery when wet, compresses over time, too soft for secure balance.

GearLab’s buying advice explains why that last one matters. A mat that is too squishy can let your foot roll in or out, spreading your weight unevenly and making your muscles compensate for an off-kilter base.

GearLab didn’t test the Solana, but the materials point one way. NBR is a softer foam than PVC, and the Solana has twice as much of it, so a single loaded foot sinks further and less evenly. In eagle or dancer pose, your ankle ends up doing more of the balancing.

Retrospec describes it differently. Its Amazon listing calls the Solana firm and says the half inch of cushioning helps your balance. Owners are more specific. In Amazon’s review summary they like the thickness for restorative sessions and long stretches, and balance never comes up.

Between two soft mats, then, the thinner one has the edge for standing work. If that is most of your practice, see the denser alternative we suggest at the end.

Move to the floor and the Solana’s extra depth becomes the reason to buy it. Long holds in tabletop, bridges with your weight on the tailbone, side-lying leg work on a hip bone: half an inch of foam spreads those loads over a hard floor far better than a quarter inch does.

YogaAccessories calls its own mat perfect for restorative poses, and owners back that up on wood floors. About 84% of the roughly 570 Amazon reviews that mention its thickness are positive, and the review summary singles out knee and tailbone relief. On carpet, that is enough padding for most people. On tile or concrete, the Solana is the one to buy.

In GearLab’s wet and dry grip ratings, the YogaAccessories got 5.5 dry and 4 wet, both in the bottom third. The sticky PVC holds dry palms in a cool room, but it can’t absorb sweat, and the grip complaints in its Amazon reviews describe a mat that turns slick as owners sweat.

The Solana’s complaints run differently. Its ribbed NBR does nothing for wet hands either, but Amazon’s summary of its reviews also singles out owners who report the mat sliding on the floor, so the whole thing can creep on smooth wood or tile. Floor slip isn’t a theme in YogaAccessories reviews. Neither belongs in a heated class.

YogaAccessories says its PVC is made without latex, phthalates or heavy metals. Retrospec makes the same three claims for the Solana’s NBR foam, so both suit a latex allergy. One oddity: the Solana’s Amazon description calls the material high-density TPE, which contradicts Retrospec’s own product page. We go with Retrospec.

Neither is odor-free out of the box. Retrospec says to air the Solana for a day or two, and Amazon’s summary of its reviews calls the odor extremely foul, with complaints far outnumbering the owners who say it’s fine. YogaAccessories owners split closer to evenly.

The Solana weighs 3 pounds to the YogaAccessories’ 3.6, so the thick mat is the easier one on a shoulder. Rolled size goes the other way. By rough geometry, 72 inches of half-inch foam can’t roll much tighter than about seven inches across, while the YogaAccessories closes to under five.

That is why Retrospec ships the Solana with a nylon carrying strap, since a standard mat bag won’t take it. YogaAccessories doesn’t list a strap anywhere, but its slimmer roll fits an ordinary bag.

YogaAccessories’ Amazon bullets call its mat extremely durable, and Retrospec says the Solana is built for everyday use at any intensity. The evidence is less kind to both.

Compression over time is one of GearLab’s three cons for the YogaAccessories, and it got 5 of 10 for materials. For the Solana, durability draws more complaints than anything else in Amazon’s review summary, including mats that tore after one use, and NBR foam stays dented where knees and heels land.

The cover on each is thin. Retrospec warrants defects for 6 months and accepts returns only on unused mats inside 30 days. YogaAccessories also refunds only unused mats within 30 days, and you pay the postage back. The limited lifetime warranty in its Amazon bullets appears nowhere on yogaaccessories.com.

List prices are $21.99 and $24.99. Buy the YogaAccessories direct from yogaaccessories.com, which sells it in 36 colorways at last count, all at one price, or check the YogaAccessories at Amazon. The Solana comes in 13 colorways at last count; check the Retrospec Solana at Amazon.

On Amazon, the Solana has about 9,300 ratings averaging 4.4 stars, and the YogaAccessories about 2,860 averaging 4.5. An inch-thick Solana costs $39.99, and our Solana 1″ vs Solana 1/2″ page covers who needs it.

For yoga with standing poses in it, buy the YogaAccessories. It has half the foam to balance on, grip that owners rate a bit better, a lower price and the only independent test of the pair. Go in knowing what GearLab found: it’s soft, it loses grip when your hands sweat, and it packs down with use.

For mat Pilates, stretching, physio or anything done kneeling on a hard floor, buy the Solana 1/2″. It is far kinder to knees and hips and comes with a strap. If balance poses make up most of your practice, skip both and read our IUGA vs YogaAccessories comparison. GearLab found the IUGA firm enough to support strength and balance poses, and named it its Best Value Upgrade.