10 Best Yoga Mats (Review) in 2021

How We Chose Our Selection of Yoga Mats

Brand - There are a lot of yoga mat brands, seriously. This means we had to wade through a lot of poor imitations of famous and well-known brands before settling on the ones we were sure we could trust. To do this, we identified brands that had a good online following, a reputable online store, and also those that gave us a good feeling about them with detailed product descriptions and just superb, trustworthy looking products for sale.

Quality - We only want to present to you the highest quality products available. This was a huge focus when searching for the right yoga mat that ticked all the boxes of long-lasting, comfortable, stylish, and thick, but not too thick. This quality is crucial to ensuring you find the right mat for you and are satisfied with the results once it arrives.

Durability - You want everything you buy to last as long as possible. With yoga mats, it’s important that the mat doesn’t start falling apart after only a few sessions. It should be able to cope sufficiently with different styles of yoga and survive cleaning whether you complete a deep clean or a simple wipe down.

If the mat doubles as a workout mat, then you need them to be even more durable to ensure they can withstand the rigors of more intense workouts.

Reviews - As much as we wanted to get down to yoga, we don’t have the time. Instead, we looked at reviews from yoga experts who gave us a treasure trove of useful information that directed us towards the best options to present to you. They gave us insight into what we need to look for in yoga mats to identify a quality product and what features we should avoid at all costs.

Price - Don’t go breaking the bank on your first yoga mat, partly because there’s no need for beginners and also because you don’t even know if you like it yet. If this isn’t your first yoga rodeo (yodeo?) then you’ve perhaps graduated from basic mats and are looking for something a little more advanced.

We believe we’ve found a wide range of prices covering all budgets and needs for yoga mats, and we trust you know what you're after, just remember to be sensible.

Features To Look For In Yoga Mats

Support - The best yoga mat for you will require the right level of thickness to adequately support your activity. This will ensure you are comfortable enough to complete the session and prevent injuries or aches on parts of the body where the pressure is applied.

However, there is such a thing as too much thickness, as this can affect your balance more severely than a mat with too little thickness. You need to find the right balance between not enough, too much, and just right to perfect your yoga session.

Too much thickness also makes the mat too bulky to roll up and carry comfortably from your home to your class, which could become a nuisance after a while. Slim mats are easier to fit into yoga bags or carry, but they won’t always offer you the support, so choose wisely.

Grip - As we all know, yoga involves a lot of staying still until you switch over to the next one, so you need to find a mat that provides sufficient grip that ensures you stay in place for the duration, otherwise your poses will not have the desired effect.

Size - Anything that’s the wrong size is awkward, and the same goes for yoga mats. If you want maximum comfort and freedom of movement, invest in a yoga mat which is large enough to allow you to lie flat without your head of feet tipping over the ends. The rule of thumb is to buy a mat that is six inches taller than you or more.

For some poses, this size isn’t crucial, but you may find you’ll struggle with others if your mat isn’t big enough to accommodate you.

Surface Texture - The kind of yoga you do can affect the surface texture you need to look for. Rigorous yoga requires a sticky mat whereas hot yoga or Bikram requires natural rubber and similar eco-friendly materials. If your specialty is slow-paced yoga, then comfortable, cozy cotton is the pick for you.

Maintenance - Proper mat maintenance is crucial for eliminating the chance for bacteria to grow on your yoga mat. To ensure this doesn’t happen, you must clean your mat after every session following the guidelines provided by the manufacturer.

Some lucky mats are constructed using antibacterial materials but that doesn’t mean you can neglect to care for it, and while it may not need as much maintenance, still give it a quick wipe down when needed.

If you want to be extra careful, there are plenty of yoga supplies designed purely to help you clean your mat sufficiently, without worrying about messing up and ruining the mat after the first use.

You should also check that there’s no aesthetic damage, as this could affect your grip and stability, plus, no one likes a battered-looking mat, especially not one you’ve already paid a lot of money for.

Price - Unsurprisingly, yoga mats come with a wide range of prices so consider if you will get your money’s worth from it before you buy. If you’re just starting out, then it’s perhaps best you look to one of the cheaper options in case you’re not a fan. You may also want to consider what kind of yoga you do (or plan to do) as this could affect the type of mat you purchase and as a result, the price.

This price will also depend on the material used to construct it. Certain materials will cost more, especially as they shift closer towards premium manufacturing and materials such as eco-friendly methods as opposed to mass-produced plastic.

You may not want or need an expensive mat right now, but you might in the future, so keep that in mind.

Types of Yoga Mats

If you think you can get away with any kind of yoga mat, you’re wrong. Here is the different yoga mat you’re likely to find, with a bit of information about what they do.

Sticky - These guys come with a texture that keeps it secure on the ground and prevents allows you to hold your pose without slipping over. They are the most common types of a yoga mat and therefore often the least expensive.

Natural Rubber - Made of non-toxic and eco-friendly materials, these mats are ideal for the growing focus on sustainability. They offer excellent anti-slip resistance and are both biodegradable and recyclable. You’ll also find them very comfortable because of their sufficient cushioning features.

Jute - Arguably, the most eco-friendly mat type available, Jute yoga mats are made from(wait for it) Jute fibers, which you can find in Southeast Asia. It’s a remarkably breathable material, and is ideal for a variety of yoga types, but is possibly the best yoga mat for hot yoga.

Travel - These mats are thinner than your average options you’ll find at the studio purely because they need to be lightweight and compact enough to take with you as you travel the world. While effective, their slim design could impact comfort when completing your routine on hard ground like hostel floors. They’re also not recommended to use in everyday life after your travels finish.

Yoga Mat FAQ

Q: What is a Yoga Mat?

A: A yoga mat is a mat specifically designed for yoga. They are not like your typical mats you might find at the front door, but instead padded, (mostly) comfortable products that are lightweight and which you can roll up to carry them to and from your yoga class.

The top yoga mats will provide proper support, grip, and comfort, while also being lightweight, durable, and easy to clean.

If you do not yet have a yoga mat, you may survive using a fitness mat when at home, although you typically won’t need to take this to your class, as they’ll have in-house mats that everybody can use. These may not be clean, though.

Q: How Thick Should Be a Yoga Mat?

A: The thickness of your yoga mat will vary depending on the yoga you’re doing and what sort of support you need. The most popular mats are a quarter inch as this is both durable and cushioning.

Thinner options include the one-eighth and one-sixteenth-inch thickness, which are ideal for travelers and are lightweight enough to fit in just about any yoga bag. They don’t offer the same amount of support but are cheaper than quarter-inch mats. Anyone who has bad knees should avoid these though as it will only end in tears.

If you’re down with the thickness, then invest in a half-inch thick yoga mat, which is great for pilates and comfort, but may be too bulky to carry around as it’s unlikely to fit in your carry bag.

However, you should be careful not to purchase a mat that is too thick, as this can affect your stability and balance because of over-cushioning, causing you to sink into the material.

Q: What Does “PVC-free” Mean?

A: A PVC-free mat is a yoga mat that has been manufactured without PVC. While most cheap mats used PVC a lot in the past, it seems this practice is dying out. You’ll still probably find these cheap PVC yoga mats at supermarkets, but any serious, responsible brand will want to sell you a PVC-free, eco yoga mat.

Q: What Are Yoga Mats Made Of?

A: There are a variety of materials used to construct yoga mats, and each one will serve a different purpose, provide different support, and come at a different price.

Cheaper, older yoga mats use a mixture of PVC (otherwise known as vinyl), but as yoga has become more popular and attracted a certainly responsible facet of society, there has been a push to craft mats using sustainable materials. This includes natural rubber, which helps craft an eco-friendly yoga mat, and Jute.

Other mats, particularly those used in slower-paced yoga, are made from cotton or hemp, which is more durable than natural rubber, while Plastic Elastomer is one of the most interesting yoga mat innovations available. This material is just as eco-friendly as others, provides sufficient traction, and is ideal for yogis with natural allergies.

Q: How Do You Clean a Yoga Mat?

A: Different yoga mats come with different care, cleaning, and maintenance suggestions which you can find on your yoga mat. A general rule, though, is to use a damp cloth or sponge to wipe away sweat or dirt to prevent germs and bacteria thriving on your little island of calm.

Do not use abrasion-heavy cleaning products such as steel wool, as this can damage the surface and affect your routine. There are also yoga mat specific cleaning products available if you want to go above and beyond in your maintenance.

Q: Are Yoga Mat Towels Necessary?

A: Yoga accessories, such as yoga towels are not necessary in all cases but may be useful to you. More intense practices, such as hot yoga, are primed for a towel as a handy piece of yoga equipment as they can absorb sweat without ruining your mat while still offering traction.

Sources:

1. Study Shows More Men are Doing Yoga - DOYOUYOGA
2. Types of Yoga Mats - DOYOUYOGA
3. How to Choose a Yoga Mat - WikiHow