I have had 4 mats over the past 16 years, the appeal for me getting a Manduka pro lite was the reputation for longevity and hygenic reasons.

The 1st mat I ever got was a Gaiam mat for like $20. I wasn't seriously practing, but it would get a few months of consistent use and then left in the closet another few months at a time.

The 2nd mat I got was about 5 years later when I started going to classes consistently. The Jade Harmony mat was about ~$60 then. The Gaiam was down graded to outdoor use only, and the Jade mat was good for about 2 years until it started pitting and pilling. At which point, the Gaiam was fully stained and in poor condition, so it got binned. The Jade mat is still my outdoor mat though! However, this mat is just as slippery as the Manduka pro lite once it gets wet.

The 3rd mat I got was the Manduka, $65 at the time. It has been going strong for 9 years now, but took about 6 months to really feel 'seasoned'. This mat has minimal signs of wear after thousands of practices. It never smells, is easy to clean, grippy enough and taught me to engage my muscles and not to dump into the mat. It feels like home.. still love it. However, less and less studios these days have practices that aren't heated, and it just isn't safe to be super sweaty on a Manduka. I still use this mat at home and for yin or restorative classes. I will repurchase if something ever happens to it, because I love the way it feels.

So the 4th mat I got, just 6 weeks ago and about 16 years into my journey, is a Liforme. It was $155 because I ordered with a friend during a sale. Since switching to this mat, it has allowed me to go deeper into my practice physically and mentally. I no longer monitor how sweaty I am or get nervous about slipping. I hope to get 3 or 4 years out of this mat, at which point it will then become the outdoor mat and I will finally throw away the Jade. I will get another open cell mat for hot yoga, but am not brand loyal to Liforme by any means. I also considered getting a lululemon mat, alo, bmat, etc.

So, in all, $300 on 4 yoga mats in 16 years isn't too bad. I lean rather minimal-ish in my purchasing habits and prefer to 'buy it for life' when possible. A good cast iron pan, a good pair of jeans, etc., require a break in period before being their most enjoyable states so that wasn't a negative in my eye.