I purchased the original large drying mat when it was still branded Prepara (current ones appear branded "drydock"). It served me well, never having picked up smells and while dishes did not miraculously dry in half the time, they dried reasonably quickly and the mat itself air dried super fast after the dishes were removed.Wanting additional drying real estate I purchased the extra large, branded Prepara, thinking it would be a larger version of what I already had - well, not quite.The first thing I noticed is that the dark honeycombed drying portion of the extra large is actually *smaller* by about an inch or so than the extra large (the honeycombed portion is really what you are paying for and want).The stemware portion of the extra large is floppy and cheap and once the weight of the glass sits on the thin honeycomb film there will be no appreciable airflow. Further the very thin "towel portion" of this extension will accumulate runoff quickly and will dampen counter tops while slowing the drying of stemware or whatever else you put on it.Moving on to the main honeycombed portion there is no doubt that my counter top ended up much wetter than in the previous version I owned. Further, my dishes did not dry as completely as they did with the earlier version. This could be for any number of reasons but they all boil down to what I suspect is a cheapening of the product/materials.Lastly, whereas I've used the original for years without issue, after drying my dishes for several hours on this new mat I was greeted with a series of "dents" left by the dishes in the honeycomb surface - the dents did not disappear. Besides being a visual annoyance I wager that some of the wicking material was pinched also rendering it less effective. As more dents accumulate over time the product will likely perform progressively worse.I consider the extra large to be overpriced relative to what you get. The large version at 5 bucks or so less is a better deal assuming the "drydock" version of the large is of equivalent quality to what I already have. If extra real estate is needed I'd rather go the route of having two large mats than the extra large. Not recommended.I like its size, the only problem was the water would go through to the counter but I solved this by placing a kitchen clothe under the mat no problems. Here I am down the road a bit and a few runs through a washing machine, and now this product has fallen apart. The inside of this mat is made of some sort of plastic material and its now tangled inside it doesn't lay flat nor does it keep water from the counter. The plastic material is now turning into "nerdles" that get into the rest of my laundry, very disappointing. It takes a while for this product to completely air dry. It does not holding up to being washed. I have used it regularly for the last 7 months. If hung out to dry like the add suggests it will develop a musty odder and I am sure that the odder is caused by bacteria from the water trapped inside product. I think the concept is awesome, however, the product wont stand up to every day use or washing. If you want to spend your money and use the product less often then its for you but if you erroneously think it can be used every day you will be disappointed. I wont be buying a second Prepara Dry Dock Hygienic Dish MatI used to have a dish drainer taking up space on my counter or in one side of my sink. Then I moved to a towel, which would get stinky pretty quickly, and doesn't look nice. This is the answer! It's about the size of a dish towel, and I love that it folds up and can hang on a towel hook under the sink when I want to stow it. I throw pretty wet dishes on it, and so far I haven't had water get underneath it, and it never feels wet to the touch. No smell from it. And I love that the color is a muted grey, so it doesn't stand out on the counter. I want something minimalist that doesn't draw attention, does its job well and I can easily stow when not in use. This is perfect.These mats work well and absorb moisture like a champ. They can go into the washing machine but after a while lose their shape a little, but no big deal. I have been using them for years.Absolutely terrific! What a neat idea! The material stabilizes all of the dishes so that they don't slide around like on a conventional tea towel. It doesn't retain water and folds very neatly for a storage, or can be hanged with the help of the attached loop. I just love that I don't have to keep one of those unattractive dish racks out. Just place them, let them dry out, put everything away and your counter space is free again. Terrific for small NYC kitchens or for those who don't like the look of dish racks with constant dishes in them.I rarely write reviews but I've been so impressed by this that I had to. We've had this mat for two years, and used it continuously with only one washing, but it's never stunk. We used to have a normal drying rack which was a metal structure over a plastic bottom, but the plastic would always get slimy and gross unless you cleaned it regularly. Also, it was ugly. The Prepara dish mat is a lot more aesthetically pleasing, and requires minimal maintenance. I wish it came in larger sizes, but this is adequate for us (a 2-person household).This mat does exactly what it claims...it is thick and soft so it is safe for delicate glassware. I like that it stores on the dishwasher handle and keeps my counter decluttered. I've used it for a few days and it absorbs all the drain water and keeps the counter dry despite being fully loaded a few times. Very pleased with this little helper!I truly love this product but I had to refrain from giving 5 stars because it no longer comes in cute colors. I bought this one for my mom. I wish I could have gotten her a green one like mine.My dishwasher deals with the main loads but I use the sink for any bits and pieces that need a quick turn around. I chose not to have grooves cut into my granite worktop as they cannot be sloped and so they do not allow water to drain into my sink very successfully. This dish drying mat is an excellent alternative to use either on its own or with a small dish rack placed on top.This is good for putting your washing up on, but it's not good in that the mat retains all the wetness, so you then have to hang it out to dry - which is a bit of a nuisance.This is a great product. Works well on our glass sink drainer. It's easy to wash and keeps shape. So much better than a rack, especially if you have a dishwasher so don't need to stand plates up. Recommend this.Does the job and dries fast. I don't use it very often only when we have lots of hand washing.Brilliant could do with being a bit larger but overall does the job.