Okay, so I was on the hunt for a new yoga mat a while back. My old one was, let’s just say, well-loved and falling apart. I started looking around online and kept seeing these terms: closed-cell and open-cell. Honestly, at first, I kinda thought it was just fancy talk to sell mats.
My First Attempt: The Closed-Cell Route
I figured I’d just grab one and see. I ended up getting a closed-cell mat first. Seemed pretty standard. When I unrolled it, the first thing I noticed was the surface. It felt smooth, kind of dense, almost like it wouldn’t let anything soak in.
So, I started using it for my regular practice. Here’s what I found:
- Sweat situation: It definitely didn’t absorb sweat. Like, at all. Water or sweat would just bead up on top.
- Cleaning: This was super easy. Because nothing soaked in, I could just wipe it down with a damp cloth after practice, and boom, clean. No lingering smells.
- Feel: It felt quite firm under my hands and feet. Gave a stable surface.
- Grip: Grip was okay when I was dry. But, I gotta admit, once I started sweating a bit, especially in faster flows, things got a little slippery. My hands would start sliding in downward dog.
Switching Gears: Trying Open-Cell
That slipperiness when sweaty got me thinking. Maybe there was something to this ‘cell’ stuff after all. I decided to bite the bullet and ordered an open-cell mat to compare.
Totally different vibe right out of the box. The surface felt slightly more textured, maybe a bit more porous? It felt softer, more cushiony than the closed-cell one.
Putting it to the test:
- Sweat situation: This was the big difference. This mat drank moisture. As I started sweating, the grip actually seemed to get better. It absorbed the sweat, so no puddles on the mat.
- Feel: Definitely softer, more give to it. Felt nice on the joints.
- Grip: Fantastic grip, especially during sweaty sessions. No slipping, even when I was really working hard.
- Cleaning: Okay, here’s the trade-off. Because it absorbs moisture, it also absorbs oils and dirt more easily. Cleaning wasn’t just a quick wipe-down. It needed more attention, like a proper wash sometimes, and definitely needed to air out properly to avoid getting funky.
So, What’s the Lowdown From My Experience?
After using both for a while, it became pretty clear. It wasn’t just marketing jargon.
The closed-cell mat is like a sealed surface. Great if you don’t sweat a ton, practice in cooler environments, or if super easy cleaning is your top priority. It’s durable and doesn’t hold onto smells easily. But, it can get slippery when wet.
The open-cell mat acts more like a sponge. It offers amazing grip, especially if you sweat a lot or do hot yoga. It feels softer underfoot. But, you absolutely have to be more diligent about cleaning it, otherwise, it can start to hold onto odors or bacteria because it absorbs everything.
For me, doing a mix of practices, I actually found myself preferring the open-cell for grip during more intense sessions, despite the extra cleaning hassle. But if I’m doing a very gentle, non-sweaty practice, the easy cleanup of the closed-cell is sometimes tempting. It really just boils down to what you need most from your mat: easy maintenance or superior grip when sweaty.
