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Whether you're new to yoga or just ready to upgrade the cheapo mat you impulse-bought before you were sold on this whole asana thing, the very best yoga mats are a major upgrade to your practice. Think of them as your safe harbor—the little plot of land that's all yours—no matter what happened in your day prior to getting yourself to yoga. So long as your mat stays grippy, the surface isn't sticky with debris and sweat, and it has just enough give to support your body weight, you've got a solid landing pad for nailing any posture.
Once your feet and hands are planted firmly on that squishy surface, all you've got to do is "follow your breath"—that's yoga speak for chill out and move a little—and you're more or less guaranteed to walk out feeling at least somewhat rejuvenated and at peace. While it can be a bit overwhelming to stay present amidst the sweaty, athleisure-clad chaos of a crowded yoga class, a modest investment in a good yoga mat can make all the difference. There are as many quality mats out there as there are classes, so it can be an equal challenge to find the one that’s right for you. To point you in the right direction, we tested a number of mats and consulted yoga teachers on their favorites, too. As a bonus, we’ve also included options for accessories that can round out your practice.
The Best Yoga Mats Shopping Guide
Feeling pressed about finding the right mat? Cut to the chase with this lineup of our top recommendations, according to us and a panel of experts:
- The Best All-Around Yoga Mat: Manduka Pro, $129
- The Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat: Jade Harmony, $85
- The Best Extra Large Yoga Mat for Tall Dudes: Manduka PRO Squared, $299
- The Best Extra Thick Yoga Mat for Home Workouts: Jade Fusion, $145
- The Best Woven Yoga Mat: Oko Living Herbal, $174
- The Best Cork Yoga Mat: 42 Birds “Robin”, $74
- The Best Yoga Mat for Beginners: Lifeforme Original, $150
- The Best Travel Yoga Mat: Manduka Eko Superlite, $49
- The Best Yoga Mat for Commuters: Jade Voyager, $43
- The Best Budget-Friendly Yoga Mat: Gaiam Fitness Mat, $25
What to consider when shopping for yoga mats
Your choice of a yoga mat will be dictated primarily by price point, since even a cheap $20 surface can give you a place to move through your flow. But if you're getting more serious about developing a practice, you should also consider the sustainability of the materials and which ones will provide the best grip for your sweaty hands.
Our top pick the Manduka Pro uses a polyvinyl chloride (or PVC) surface, for example, that's known for its grippy exterior. It’s a type of high-density plastic material that’s built for longevity (which is why Manduka mats are backed by a lifetime guarantee). On the flip side, PVC mats are less eco-friendly than ones sourced with tree-sourced rubber, a biodegradable material favored by manufacturers like Jade Yoga and Lululemon. Rubber mats break down faster than PVC, and if you have an allergy to latex, you should probably steer clear. Another potential downside: The offgassing for rubber mats can be pretty odious, enough to put certain yogis off the material altogether, but it’s all a matter of personal preference.
Kevin Lamb—a New York-based, Yoga Alliance-certified instructor who's been practicing for over 20 years—also suggests thinking about whether you'll be using your mat at home or rolling it up to tote to your nearest studio. A lighter-weight, foldable mat will be easier to carry-on to a plane or roll into a duffel bag, though it won't have the same support for your limbs as a thicker, heavier mat.
Lamb adds, “A lot of this is knowing how your body is inside your practice, what exercises you’d like the mat to support, the size of your home space to practice in, floor type (different mats will respond differently on wood or concrete floors than they would carpet), and whatever other atmospheric factors you are working with.” For anyone who wants to dabble, Lamb says it might be a good idea to visit local studios and gyms to get a feel for which in-house mats they prefer.
How we picked all of the mats below
In our own personal quest for the perfect floor companion, we vinyasa-ed on all shapes and sizes, comparing textures, sweat-wicking capabilities, weight, stickiness, and thickness to determine the best yoga mats for every kind of yogi, from the first-timer to the Level-3 veteran. We also tapped a handful of seasoned yogis for their mats and accessory recommendations to round out our favorites. Here, our top picks for the best yoga mats that are worth flowing on, in a range of sizes and styles.
The Best All-Around Yoga Mat: Manduka Pro
Now you may be thinking, Why would I spend more money on my yoga mat than the five-class pack at my studio? Well, we're here to tell you that the Manduka Pro will last you a lifetime—literally. It’s the preferred mat of many veteran yogis (including pretty much everyone we chatted to for this story) due to its superior grip and supportive six millimeter thickness for wrists and knees.
Lamb notes that he's practiced on many Mandukas over the years and can vouch for their longevity. “Each Manduka Pro is basically a tank: sturdy, durable, and weighs accordingly."
Justin Temple—co-founder and co-director of Baltimore Yoga Studies and a practitioner of yoga for the past 15 years—adds that the mat only gets better with age, too. “I practice Ashtanga yoga six days a week, which is a dynamic way to spend my mornings—and the Manduka Pro's thickness provides just the right amount of extra support,” Temple says.
One caveat: This thing is heavy (we're talking over-seven-pounds heavy). Another downside for sweaty-palmed folks, Lamb says, is that the mat can be something of a slip-and-slide if you're engaging in more rigorous practices. Temple suggests using a practice rug or non-skid towel on top in humid weather or during sweatier sessions, though if you feel the mat starting to lose its grip over time, you could also restore it with a little salt scrub. If that’s not doing the trick, Manduka offers a lifetime guarantee so you can trade yours in for a fresh one.
The Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat: Jade Harmony
Long a favorite of yogis and yoga instructors, Jade’s Harmony mat strikes the ideal balance between grip, support, and sweat absorption. Unlike other thick, squishy mats out there that can feel comfy underfoot for a winding-down savasana but can actually cause problems for your joints, the natural rubber on this yoga mat provides a solid base—with enough springiness and resistance to keep your wrists and ankles safe.
Other perks: Jade manufactures all of its mats in the U.S. and has vowed to plant a tree for every mat purchase (to date the company has surpassed more than two million trees). With a variety of lengths and colors to choose from, you also won't be stuck with the exact same mat as everyone else in class. Lamb—a long-time user of Jade mats for their sponginess, eco-friendly production, sweat absorption, and variety of widths/weights and colors—confirms that the Harmony mat is a “solid investment” for the price.
The Best Extra-Large Yoga Mat for Tall Dudes and Home Gyms: Manduka PRO Squared
Yes, holding downward-facing dog for 10 breaths is challenging, even for experienced yogis, but a downward-facing dog on a mat that is too small is even more challenging. Luckily, Manduka makes this extra-long, almost comically wide version of its Pro Mat that's perfect for tall guys, or for doing yoga in pairs. With nearly seven feet of real estate (compared to the standard six for most yoga mats), you can spread those limbs out comfortably without worrying about rolling off the mat. It also offers the same bona fides as the original Pro, including the dense six millimeter thickness, closed-cell material that keeps bacteria and moisture from seeping into the mat, and the enviable lifetime warranty. The only hangup? It weighs, uh, fully over 25 pounds, so it's not exactly the kind of mat you roll up for class. If you've got the square footage in your home gym for it, though, it is the perfect way to embrace the sprawl.
The Best Extra Thick Yoga Mat for Home Workouts: Jade Fusion
Even some of the squishiest yoga mats can be harsh on your joints and bones over time, which could be remedied by folding your mat over for extra cushioning under your knees, but this PVC-free mat is already almost twice as thick as Jade’s Harmony mat—no folding required—at nearly eight millimeters thick. With that thickness comes extra weight, so this 8.5-pounder mat won't be your top choice for a travel mat, but it's still endlessly supportive underfoot, whether you're planting your feet into a chair pose or digging into a side plank.
The Best Grippy Yoga Mat for All Kinds of Exercises: Lululemon Workout Mat
Lululemon has a huge following for its aesthetic-minded, reversible yoga mats and accessories, and we'd be remiss to not at least give them a nod here. We think Manduka still has an edge over the athleisure giant overall with its lifetime guarantee, but Lululemon recently released a thicker mat with a textured surface that's a great option if you're looking to buy one foundation for everything from pilates to HIIT to yoga. The rubbery top layer of the mat is designed to give you a better grip during precarious poses like a half-moon asana, while still remaining durable enough to hold up to the treads of your sneakers during jumping jacks and burpees. This one's also supposedly stain-resistant and uses a closed-cell design to keep sweat from soaking into its upper layers. But be warned that any of the brand's rubber mats are going to take a couple days to release their strong rubbery odor, so stick that sucker in a room with good ventilation and crank the air purifier up.
The Best Lightweight Travel Yoga Mat: Manduka Eko Superlite
If you're cool with slightly thinner mats, the Eko is a very popular alternative to Manduka's Pro Lite travel series. Wilson says he always travels with the Superlite for a couple reasons: “The natural rubber surface offers grippy contact. And it’s ultra-thin at 1.5 millimeters which means it can easily roll and even fold when you need to save space.” Just a head's up that the thin density is going to be tough on joints, but you can always double up with a towel or blanket on top if you need more cushion underneath your feet.
The Best Foldable Yoga Mat for Commuters: Jade Voyager
You don’t want to be that guy on the subway during rush hour, hurrying to make your evening class while your mat is sticking awkwardly out of your bag primed to get stuck in the closing doors or the turnstile or knock over a small child. For those on the go, Jade Yoga’s ultra-light, ultra-thin, foldable Voyager Mat is perfectly portable. Weighing just over one pound, it folds up to about the size of a yoga block, and easily fits inside totes, backpacks, and gym bags. It’s only 1.6 millimeters thick, so if you need a little more support, just throw it on top of a rental mat from the yoga studio and you’ll still get premium grip without the germs or the fuss of a sweat towel.
The Best Yoga Mat for Beginners: Lifeforme Original
For absolute yoga beginners, knowing where to plant your feet in a warrior one versus a warrior two pose can be challenging to master, especially in crowded classes where teachers are less inclined to offer hands-on adjustments. Just short of arranging private lessons, a mat like Liforme's can at least provide a helpful blueprint so you can measure out the distance between your hands and feet in a downward dog, for example, or set your alignment in any of the sun salutations. It doesn't come at a beginner price, for sure, but it might be worth it to get you up to speed during a fast-paced vinyasa class. For what it's worth, we prefer the markings on this mat to Lululemon's similar Take Form mat, which we found a little tougher to follow.
The Best Woven Yoga Mat: Oko Living Herbal
Whether you’re into Bikram or you just sweat a lot, it can be difficult to find a mat that gives you enough support without feeling like your hands might slip out from under you at any moment during downward dog. Laying a towel on top of your mat can sometimes do the trick, but can also be a hassle to fumble with throughout your practice. If this sounds like you, try out a woven mat instead. It's not only a stylish, easily portable choice for grounding down into your practice, but can also be helpful for gaining traction during a sweaty hot yoga class.
Najee Wilson—an ashtanga yoga practitioner at Brooklyn's Heal Haus—appreciates the look of Oko Living’s Herbal Mat for at-home yoga, and the feel-good knowledge that the woven material supports artisans and preserves an ancient craft. “It's hand-loomed from super soft cotton, which offers fantastic stability especially when you work up a sweat,” Wilson says. “The underside is coated in natural rubber which keeps the mat from slipping,” he adds, and it all rolls up into its own woven carrying bag.
The Best Cork Yoga Mat: 42 Birds “The Robin”
Some people prefer the sturdy, tactile feel of cork under their palms in a downward dog, and 42 Birds specializes in accessories and mats made from exactly that. Its five-millimeter “Robin” mat weighs in at just under two pounds, so it's a good combo of supportive and lightweight. Cork is also recyclable, which gives it an edge over PVC mats. The only downside is that these type of mats really need moisture to help you maintain a better grip, so give it a spritz of water before class so you don't topple out of a pose midway through.
The Best Budget-Friendly Yoga Mat: Gaiam Fitness Mat
Gaiam wouldn't be our first pick for yoga mats since its options tend to be less grippy than we'd like, and don't hold up as well over long periods of time. But for first-timers or people who want a thick yoga mat for all sorts of floor exercises, we'd recommend this 10 millimeter Fitness mat. It's even thicker than the Jade Fusion above for toggling between a variety of exercises comfortably—from running jacks to burpees to vinyasa poses—without pissing off the downstairs neighbors. Blessedly, it even includes its own carrying strap for toting it elsewhere, or just hanging it up after your latest sweat session.
Plus, 10 Yoga Accessories That We Like
When a teacher tells you to grab a block, it's not a slight against your immense yogic powers. Blocks are simply there to help you unlock a deeper, more supported expression of a pose. Cork blocks balance give and firmness in a way that supports you in your . And, maybe most importantly, they look a hell of a lot cooler.
Another alternative? These multipurpose curved balance blocks from Bala (makers of the Instagram-famous weighted bangles). They’re made from a dense foam that supports the curve of your spine if you're laying back on one to stretch out your chest muscles during a heart-opener exercise. Advanced yogis can even test their balance by resting their feet or hands on the flat ends and rocking on the curved edges.
No matter how sweat-resistant a mat may claim to be, there's always the option to top it off with an absorbent yoga towel that'll keep your feet extra dry as you transition from pose to pose. It's lightweight, compact, easy to clean, and extra portable for packing away on long-distance trips, or toting to the gym.
Chilling out in restorative yoga is an excellent way to restore your sense of calm after a stressful day, which is where a bolster (pretty much a long, dense yoga cushion) comes in handy. Lamb considers this Hugger Mugger option a “fantastic choice” for winding down during savasana. It can be used to
We also love the look of this new blacked-out bolster from Alo Yoga (that also doesn't scream “workout accessory!!” if you wanted to use it as extra lumbar support on your loveseat). It's filled with buckwheat hulls that give it a good heft, and a waxed canvas exterior that's easy to wipe down after you've been laying your sweaty back on it in restorative sessions.
Whether rolled out for a simple stretch or for dialing up the resistance on a restorative pose, you can reach even more zen with a strap doing some of the work for you. Lamb notes that there isn't a ton of variation in straps out there (they all do basically the same thing, with some variation in widths), so just make sure to get one that's easy to grip and resist for a bigger release in your muscles.
Or, consider Alo Yoga's two-fer of yoga accessory that combines the completely practical set-up of a carrying strap for your mat with decadent elastic panels. It'll help you stretch out those weary leg muscles after a yoga session heavy on lunges and warrior poses, then pack it all up when you're ready to take your yoga practice on the road.
“If we’re going for ultimate luxury, be sure to have a blanket that feels good on your skin to cover you while you're in savasana,” Lamb adds. “It’s a simple but huge boost to calming the nervous system and getting the most out of a (sometimes too short) resting period.” Great for your at-home practice and your home decor, a humble, Southwestern-inspired blanket always does the trick, whether it's laid over you in corpse pose or rolled underneath your hamstring in a challenging pigeon stretch. It can even stand in for a foam roller in desperate times when you're in the middle of a
“I’m such a firm believer in the goodness of an eye pillow I gift one to my private clients when we begin working together,” Lamb says. If you're inclined to get one of your own, this “peach skin” option comes gently weighted with buckwheat hulls.
