This mat provides excellent padding and traction for the exercises I do which include situps and kneeing on my basement concrete floor. It is also easy to clean and stow away. At 5/8", it is one of the thickest mats not for gymnastics or martial arts that I could find. Highly recommended. 5 stars

I wanted to get a super thick mat for my pilates class. My instructor always recommend the mat that has 5/8 thickness for pilates. Usually you pay around $60 for a 5/8 thick mat, but I found a true bargain here! It's thick which provides nice protection for my back, it's colorful, and it even comes with the straps! I am very happy with it. It's simply perfect!! 5 stars

I am a 55 year young woman who was encouraged by my personal trainer to take Pilates to strengthen my core and improve my balance. The mats provided at the gym were meant for Yoga, and while they kept me from slipping on the floor, doing any sort of exercise where we were required to lie on our sides just killed my hip joints. This thicker mat was a lifesaver. It was thick enough to cushion my hip joints as well as enable me to exercise barefooted, something I had great difficult doing due to massive amounts of foot surgery (don't you just love high heels?). I had read a review that the mat could only be rolled one direction because of the built in straps, thus creating a permanent curl. This was easily remedied by flipping the mat over when using it, and I had no problem with the mat slipping when being used on the opposite side. For me, it accomplished exactly what I wanted it to do - protected my bones while I got the exercise I needed. 5 stars

Overall, I'm very happy with this mat. At first, I wasn't sure I was going to like the mat because it had an unpleasant smell but the smell disappeared within a week or two. I also, initially, didn't like the fact that the mat was rolled so tightly that it wouldn't lay flat but I solved the problem the same way a previous reviewer did - just turned it over. 4 stars

The yoga studio where I take classes has a very hard floor and I have bunion problems. This mat is the solution. There is only one downside to this mat: standing one legged balancing sequences are alot harder with this mat. However, since I take 3 power classes a week and 4 ballet classes a week I like the challenge. The upside is you don't have to worry about putting a towel under your knee or anywhere because the mat is to thick. I did place a skidless towel on it and it does move around quite a bit so I would not recommend using a towel over this mat it just won't stay in place. I will take the not so bad with the overwhelming good with this super squishy mat. 5 stars