Struggling to Pick the Best Yoga Mat – Need Some Real Advice

So I’ve recently started taking yoga a bit more seriously (been doing it at home for a couple of months now), and I’ve realized my old mat just isn’t cutting it anymore. It slips around a lot, and honestly my knees hurt after longer sessions.

I thought choosing a new yoga mat would be easy, but the options are endless. Some say go thick for support, others say thinner mats give better balance, and then there’s the whole eco-friendly vs. PVC thing that confused me even more.

I’ve been checking out a few that keep popping up in different forums and blogs like Yoga Journal, Verywell Fit, and even some Reddit threads. Two that I’m seriously considering are:

1. Manduka PRO (heard it’s super durable and good for joint support)
(https://amzn.to/47Ff3sm)

2. Liforme Mat (people rave about the grip and alignment markings)
(https://amzn.to/45zfEZS)

Both look really solid, but I don’t want to regret the choice after spending that much money. For those of you who practice regularly, which one do you think actually holds up better over time? Or maybe there’s another one you swear by that I’ve missed?