I am a big guy who loves his yoga practice! This mat is the best! Great grip for my feet, cushioning just right, too. I love the added 2" to the width and the added length that helps me keep on the mat in Savasana!
The "Like New" smell out of the wrapper seems to wear off quickly enough with use. A beautiful product with deep color and simple logo in the corner. My fellow yogi/yoginis are jealous!

Brian

Really like this mat!  The length and width allow me to freely move between postions and not be concerned with adjusting to stay on my mat.  The firmness is good for balance poses.  It could be a touch softer under my knees, but it's not painful.  Since it is firm, I can take standing poses without having to move onto the bare floor.

I'm a fairly good sized guy (6-0, 220), and can get pretty sweaty.  This mat does need to be broken-in, and I use rosin under my feet and hands to hold a non-slip Down Dog.  The first couple of outings without the rosin got a little slick.  The mat is very sticky on dry/damp skin, but when you're sweating droplets off your eyelashes, look-out!    

I'd rather have this mat, with it's closed cell construction, than a cheap mat that just soaks everything up.  I can towel it off quickly during my practice, and cleanse it when I get home.

Gotta let it air out unrolled for the first couple of weeks, all rubber products do have a smell.

After some online research, I decided on the Manduka Pro and I am so glad I did.  I have a very prominent spine and tailbone and always had pain and dificulty with any postures on my back or balancing on my sit bones.  That is all a thing of the past with my new mat.  I am 6 ft tall and really appreciate more room to work with the longer mat.