Seth Berkman is a fitness writer who has incorporated the test into his daily routine, such as wearing goggles while swimming and jumping rope while doing laundry.
A yoga mat should be comfortable and supportive, provide enough traction to prevent slipping, and be easy to clean and carry.
Since 2014, we have been practicing Downward Dog and Savasana on 49 yoga mats (plus one alternative mat). We have also used them for calisthenics, lugging them around New York City and working up a sweat.
We always recommend the JadeYoga Harmony Natural Rubber Mat for its durability, comfort, convenience, and portability. It is now our first choice. Like most rubber mats, it is more expensive than the mats you are likely to find at most big box and discount stores. Years of extensive testing have shown that it is worth the extra cost.
This natural rubber mat provides excellent suction for fingers and toes, preventing slipping, especially suitable for hot yoga. However, it has a strong smell that does not dissipate immediately.
This mat is thicker, has lots of padding, is grippy on one side and smoother on the other. It’s heavier than our favorite and can be difficult to carry.
This soft mat, made entirely of PVC, is a great buy because it is durable and 4 inches longer than the average cheap mat.
Most yoga mats are made of rubber, PVC, or TPE. Some are made of cork or other materials. All yoga mats vary in thickness and surface texture.
Yoga mats are difficult to recycle. Choosing a yoga mat that will last for several years is an eco-friendly approach.
This natural rubber mat provides excellent suction for fingers and toes, preventing slipping, especially suitable for hot yoga. However, it has a strong smell that does not dissipate immediately.
The JadeYoga Harmony Mat is made entirely of natural rubber, which is great at wicking away sweat and providing traction in sweaty conditions. It’s relatively thick at 4.75mm (0.187″) — 3mm to 3.25mm is generally considered thick for a first yoga mat — and has a spongy feel under the arms and feet, which our testers liked, though not all yogis. We found the mat’s traction helpful during non-yoga exercises, too. The Harmony Mat rolls up tighter and faster than most mats, but it has a strong rubber smell and contains latex. If you’re allergic to latex, consider our budget option, the Yoga Accessories 1/4″ Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat, or another non-rubber mat we like, the Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip Yoga Mat, which we review below.
This mat is thicker, has lots of padding, is grippy on one side and smoother on the other. It’s heavier than our favorite and can be difficult to carry.
Lululemon’s The Mat 5mm is a slightly thicker, much heavier, dual-sided mat made from natural and synthetic rubber, as well as polyurethane, polyester, and nylon, providing plenty of support for your hands, knees, and feet. One side is smooth but non-greasy, designed to improve grip. One downside to this mat is that it can be difficult to remove from exposed skin when you sweat, similar to removing a bandage. The softer side is similar to our chosen compound; it provides a firm grip, but is less sticky.
This soft mat, made entirely of PVC, is a great buy because it is durable and 4 inches longer than the average cheap mat.
In a world where foam mats are commonplace, Yoga Accessories offers an affordable option that offers great value for money. Not only is the Yoga Accessories 1/4″ Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat a third less than our other options, it’s also a whopping 6.2mm (0.25″) thick. Best of all, many of our testers have used this mat daily for years, and it provides good support for most workouts.
I’m a fitness writer at Wirecutter. I’ve been using yoga mats for a variety of workouts for over a decade, and I’m also the author of Wirecutter’s guide to running shoes and insoles.
Yoga mats can be used not only for downward dog or butterfly poses, but also for aerobics or aerobics, as the mats are shock-absorbing and slip-resistant. “We all have bony protrusions all over our bodies,” says Alicia Montalvo, a certified athletic trainer, injury epidemiologist, and professor at Arizona State University. “You need some kind of barrier that acts as a buffer.” A quality mat should also reduce the likelihood of slipping, increasing safety while practicing your favorite yoga or exercise routine.
To narrow down the yoga mat options on the market, we spent hours reading customer reviews, browsing online forums, and talking to several yoga instructors. We also aim to find yoga mats of varying prices, sizes, and materials. With so many yoga mats to choose from, ranging in price from $15 to $150, it can be difficult to determine the pros and cons of a quality yoga mat.
Along with senior Update writer and yoga instructor Sri Rain Stewart, I assembled 11 members of Wirecutter’s paid testing committee, including four regular yoga practitioners. They tried different positions on each mat, evaluating their overall experience and carefully weighing the following features:
Size: We rated each mat for portability and weight, especially when carrying it to and from class. We also noted the thickness and softness of the mat, as well as whether it rolled out easily and stayed flat.
Stickiness and Texture: Considering both dry and wet (sweaty hands and feet) conditions, we noted how well the body adhered to the surface and, in extreme cases, whether it would be painful to peel bare skin off the mat. We also checked whether the surface texture felt too slippery or too thin.
Durability: Wirecutter testers used several of our floor mats, including our top pick, regularly for years. We also looked at how quickly the new-mat smell disappeared, whether the mats collected an unusual amount of dirt and dust, and overall wear over time.
After eliminating several mat options, our professional yoga instructor and tester Jane Sato worked with Sri on the eight finalists to get a feel for each one. We also tested the mats in a hot yoga setting to see how they held up in humid temperatures. We then compared our notes with those of Sato’s paid testers.
While some people use yoga mats during Pilates, we haven’t tested mats designed specifically for Pilates, as they tend to be larger and thicker than most yoga mats. “You’re usually lying on your back or stomach during Pilates, so people need a little more padding underneath their mat,” says yoga instructor Leslie Hutchings.
How you clean and store your yoga mat can affect how long it will remain usable. All mats come with care instructions specific to the material they are made from, but as a general rule, your mat should be wiped down with a damp cloth and a household diluted vinegar solution or mild mat cleaner after each use, then allowed to dry completely before storing.
This natural rubber mat provides excellent suction for fingers and toes, preventing slipping, especially suitable for hot yoga. However, it has a strong smell that does not dissipate immediately.
Our testers have had good results with the JadeYoga Harmony All-Purpose, All-Rubber, Grippy Mat over the years. It’s an investment at more than $90, but several regular testers have used the mat for five years or more, so it’s worth the money (yoga instructor Meave Purcell says the mat should last about three years with regular use). Like most all-rubber mats, the Harmony Mat has a strong rubber smell at first and attracts dust, lint, and hair more easily than mats with a smoother texture.
This is the grippiest mat we’ve ever tested. Purcell, who has been a yoga instructor in New York City since 2017, says it’s important to choose a mat that’s not wobbly (or slippery) if you’re new to yoga. “A grippy surface prevents your body from doing things it shouldn’t do during different yoga poses,” she adds. The Harmony Mat’s soft texture will help you stay grounded as you master the basics and progress to more challenging poses. At 4.75mm thick, it’s slightly thinner than Lululemon’s The Mat 5mm, but it still feels softer than most mats, which are typically between 3mm and 3.25mm thick. “What I love most about this mat is its sturdiness and thin profile,” said one tester. “It allows you to be aware of your base and doesn’t hinder your movement.”
The mat is durable and lint-free. One tester and his partner have been using the Harmony Mats for almost a decade. “They’ve retained a barely noticeable amount of stretch over that time, but the grip and durability have remained the same,” said one tester, adding, “It’s like finding an old Edison bulb still burning in the basement of an old house—it’s shocking to suddenly find something so durable in this age of disposables.” Our yoga instructor, Jane Sato, who conducted the testing, saw no signs of nail wear and tried to scrape dirt off the mat but was unable to. Although the mat isn’t advertised as reversible, Sato was able to perform workouts on both sides with ease.
Ideal for hot yoga and other sweaty situations. People tend to sweat more during hot yoga, but the mat still feels sticky. Sato gave the Harmony Mat a “full 10” for hot yoga, noting that it doesn’t slip when you sweat. Some of our testers did other sweaty exercises on the mat (various calisthenics and high-intensity interval training) and didn’t experience any discomfort from having to “peel” their skin off the mat.
It zips up almost automatically for transport and storage. The Harmony Mat comes in 68-inch and 74-inch lengths. We tested the 68-inch version and found it to be very easy and quick to roll up, making it easy to store. Weighing less than 5 pounds, it’s compact when rolled up, making it easy to carry to and from classes for people of all abilities.
Cleaning this mat is relatively easy. JadeYoga claims that the mat can be cleaned by simply wiping it with water or a damp cloth, or using a mat cleaner sold separately. A company representative told us that “other cleaning methods may damage the natural rubber” and void the one-year warranty, adding that the mats should not be left to air dry. The basic design of the mat is a solid color.
It can be very unpleasant to smell at first. At first, it was hard to ignore the rubbery smell of the Harmony mat. A company representative recommends drying the mat in a well-ventilated area, but not outdoors or in direct sunlight.
If you prefer a smoother mat, it may take some time to get used to its comfort. One tester noticed that his yoga pants stuck to the mat a little.
If you have a latex allergy, you should not use the Harmony Mat or other rubber mats. If you are looking for a latex-free mat, consider a mat made of PVC or other non-rubber materials. Our budget option is made entirely of PVC.
This mat is thicker, has lots of padding, is grippy on one side and smoother on the other. It’s heavier than our favorite and can be difficult to carry.
Lululemon’s 5mm Yoga Mat is a versatile yoga mat that provides plenty of support for both regular and hot yoga classes. It’s a little thicker than our favorite and has a less pungent smell, but it’s harder to store and transport. We found that sweaty body parts often stuck to the surface, which picked up dirt more easily and showed more signs of wear than our favorite. It’s also the heaviest of our picks (and the larger The Big Mat 5mm is even heavier).
It’s very versatile and comes in two different textured surfaces. Lululemon’s mat has two sides: one is smoother and offers more grip, while the other side is made of a natural and synthetic rubber that we found offered a little less grip, but still didn’t cause too much slipping. The rubber side felt similar to the JadeYoga Harmony mat, although the material was less sticky and soft. One tester commented, “It didn’t catch on me, but I didn’t expect to slip on it.”
We found that the smooth side was ideal for gentler exercises, while the grippier side was better for more intense workouts. During hot yoga, sweat didn’t pool on the mat, which improved our stability. The rubber smell wasn’t as bad as the Harmony, but it still lingered for at least a week after first using it.
Provides excellent knee support. The Lululemon mat is slightly thicker (5mm) and heavier (over 5 pounds) than the Harmony mat, and is also 3 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the standard 68-inch mat; we felt the extra cushioning, especially when kneeling.
It’s durable and built to withstand harsh conditions. This mat will last for years to come. “I’ve driven it around the country, thrown it in the trunk of a car for days in 100-degree Austin weather, and dragged it across snowy Brooklyn sidewalks to class,” one tester said. “I’d say my mat is almost a decade old now, and it’s still in great condition.”
More susceptible to stains. This mat collects dust more easily than our top pick and is more susceptible to stains (some colors have a dark marble pattern on one side to hide these imperfections). One tester who used the mat for five years noticed color shifting. Lululemon recommends wiping the mat with a damp cloth and then letting it air dry.
It’s quite sticky when wet and doesn’t roll out as well as our favorite. NOTE: Sweaty skin will stick to this mat. This mat doesn’t have much memory when unrolled and has a lot of curl at the ends. A company representative told us that you should never roll the mat when wet, as this can cause the layers of the mat to peel or separate.
This soft mat, made entirely of PVC, is a great buy because it is durable and 4 inches longer than the average cheap mat.
Cheap yoga mats are widely available. But the Yoga Accessories 1/4-inch thick deluxe yoga mat is different. It’s more compressible than higher-density yoga mats, and the grip isn’t as good, but it provides enough traction and cushioning (it’s 6.2mm thick) for most workouts. It’s made entirely of PVC and is odorless. The mat measures 74 inches long, 6 inches longer than most standard yoga mats, making it suitable for taller people. It also comes in extra long and wide (84 x 36 inches), extra long (84 x 24 inches), and extra wide (72 x 36 inches).
This is a lightweight, easy-to-carry mat. Despite the mat’s length, it’s relatively lightweight at just 3.6 pounds. This mat doesn’t roll up as tightly as our favorite, but it also doesn’t unravel as much during transport. (Straps or other carrying devices should hold the mat securely in place.)
Best used in dry conditions. The mat is slightly sticky to the touch and works best on dry hands and feet; may be slightly slippery when wet.
It’s durable. Our testers didn’t notice any wear or fall out of the pads with daily use. One tester used the Yoga Accessories mat for two and a half years for yoga, high-intensity interval training, and other workouts. It’s easy to clean with soap and water. (Yoga Accessories sells a yoga mat cleaner called Vermont Soap on its website.)
It’s unlikely to be as durable as our other picks. And because this type of mat is made of PVC, it can be more difficult to handle. Gregory A. Keolean, co-director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems, said flexible PVC not only contains plasticizers, but “the heat that may be used during the recycling process can produce hydrochloric acid,” both of which make recycling difficult. “PVC is the most harmful plastic to the communities that make and dispose of it,” added Erica Schroeder, director of science at Toxic-Free Future. While our testers didn’t encounter any dangerous slips, some customers did find the mat slippery.