Want to find the perfect yoga mat but don’t know where to start? In this review, we compare 19 models to help you choose the best yoga mat for your practice. We’ve spent over 200 hours comparing and testing different styles of yoga mats side by side in the studio, at home, while traveling, hiking, and at the beach. Whether you need a lightweight mat for travel, a non-slip mat for sweaty Vinyasa classes, or something to protect your knees, we’ll help you find the perfect companion for your practice.
Our testers’ favorite mat was the Manduka PRO. A favorite among teachers, it offers excellent cushioning, reliable traction, and durability. For those on a budget, the eco-friendly Iuga anti-slip mat is a better choice. The Iuga is portable and cushioned, and its materials are comparable to more expensive mats.
You don’t need a lot of equipment to just get on your mat and get a workout in. But if you’re looking for some extra support, you might want to consider yoga blocks to help you build strength, improve your posture, or improve your flexibility. We’ve rounded up the best massage guns for releasing tight fascia and muscles, and if you’re looking for comfortable workout gear, check out our recommendations for sports bras and yoga pants.
The PRO weighs in at 7.5 pounds, which is quite heavy. “You might have to do a little more yoga to ease the drudgery of moving it around town,” joked one tester. Some of our testers were so dedicated, they’d fly it anywhere. However, our test lineup also includes other excellent lightweight options, like the 2.2-pound Earth Elements Hugger Mugger or the 2.1-pound Iuga Eco Friendly Non Slip, if you frequently take your mat with you on long trips. Another downside to the PRO is that it gets slipperier when wet, so hot yoga enthusiasts may want to pair it with a towel (Manduka makes a towel just the right size for the PRO). Overall, the Manduka PRO is one of our favorite options for stability and comfort, and a tried-and-true favorite among many yoga teachers.
After testing the Iuga Eco Mat in a variety of conditions for months, we found it to be very durable. However, this open-cell pad may not last as long as other award-winning waterproof products. With proper care, Iuga pads can last for years. While this mat is moisture-wicking, it also absorbs sweat, so it needs to be dried regularly to stay fresh. If you prefer an option that’s easier to maintain in the long run, you might want to consider a closed-cell option like the Manduka eKO. However, if you’re looking for a versatile yoga mat at an affordable price, this mat is a great choice for yoga enthusiasts of all levels.
The Primasole is a budget option that can be used outdoors, but it doesn’t have the same features as other, pricier models we tested. If you’re looking for a mat for home workouts, check out our other award-winning picks that offer joint comfort, stability, and superior traction, like Lululemon The Mat. The Primasole’s soft padding is thin; one of our testers needed extra knee pads while practicing yoga on the granite slabs of Yosemite, so she rolled up her shirt. The Primasole is made of PVC, which also isn’t the most eco-friendly material. If you’re looking for a more eco-friendly option, consider a mat like the Liforme Original, which is designed to biodegrade in landfills. While the Primasole doesn’t provide the same traction and comfort as a traditional rolled mat like the Prana Verde, we still enjoyed using it for yoga in the park or on hikes.
For an open-cell mat, The Mat has a good resilience. They typically last more than five years, but they’re not as durable as other models we tested. Another concern is that the absorbent top layer will soak up oil and dirt, making it susceptible to stains. Choosing a darker color can make a big difference in how fresh it looks over time. We highly recommend against the polka dot pattern, as it creates an optical illusion that left many of our testers feeling dizzy. The mat rolls up easily for easy portability. However, at just under 6 pounds, it can be a bit heavy to carry or bike to class. If you’re looking for a lighter, travel-friendly option, you might want to consider the ultralight Jade Voyager. Either way, The Mat is a great choice for both studio and home yoga. In conclusion, we think this model is great for almost any exercise, especially if you like to try different exercise styles.
In terms of grip, the B pad stands out. However, it may also hinder some yoga practices. If you prefer faster practices like Ashtanga or flowing Vinyasa classes that involve sliding transitions, you may find this mat too grippy. Our testers, who typically slide on their toes, found that they had to step into the position rather than slide into it, which took away from the smoothness of the movement. So if you don’t like excessive friction, this may hinder your practice. If you’re looking for a less grippy surface for a smoother ride, the Gaiam Premium 6mm is a good choice. That said, if stability is a priority, the B pad will help you lock in many poses. Finally, potential buyers should be aware that this model isn’t as durable as other models we’ve tested, like the Manduka PRO, and its finish may wrinkle and stain more easily if not stored properly. While the B Mat Everyday isn’t ideal for flowing vinyasa, if you plan to move slowly and want a more relaxed feel, it’s a great choice that will win the hearts of hot yoga enthusiasts.
The Liforme is very comfortable, and the cushioning is sufficient for most poses. However, if you need a more supportive pad, consider a mat with thicker cushioning, like the Manduka PRO. The extra half-millimeter of thickness provides a good balance between cushioning and support. The Liforme is durable enough to withstand scrapes and dents, but after a few years of intense daily practice, it will wear down and eventually lose its stickiness. Liforme uses eco-friendly materials and designs its mats to biodegrade within one to five years in typical landfill settings. Its balanced features make it a great fit for home use or carry-on luggage for travel. Add in intuitive alignment guides and a gecko-shaped handle, and you have a supportive yoga mat that can inspire deeper self-exploration of proprioception and healthy posture wherever you are.
During testing, we found that the Yoloha Unity offers excellent traction, but it takes a while to achieve the best grip. If you’re practicing on a dry mat, you may find that the surface is slippery. This can be alleviated by carrying a spray bottle, but even that can be a hassle. When it comes to texture, the surface is rougher than most yoga mats, and our testers had mixed feelings about how it felt on their skin, with one tester describing it as “like a wet beach.” Given its incredible grip and resilience, this cork mat is one of the more expensive options we tested. Part of the cost is due to the eco-friendly materials and manufacturing—it’s one of the most affordable mats on the planet. If you’re looking for a cheaper option, the Manduka eKO SuperLite is a cheaper alternative that uses sustainably harvested rubber trees. Overall, the Unity is a good choice for those looking for a cork model that provides friction, an antimicrobial surface, and reliable stability for sweaty hands. Plus, Yoholo has partnered with EcoCart to make every mat purchased carbon neutral.
To find the best yoga mats, we asked yoga teachers, therapists, and long-time practitioners what qualities they look for in a yoga mat to support their practice. In our search for the best options, we first conducted extensive market research. We reviewed more than 60 models and selected the most promising ones for a series of tests. Then, our testers evaluated each mat over two months of intensive training. To determine the current lineup, we consulted more than 15 yoga teachers about their years of experience working with top athletes. Our testers then spent more than 200 hours practicing on the mats in both dry and wet conditions, noting how each mat cushions joints, provides stability for balance, and provides non-slip traction. We also document each mat’s durability and ease of care. The final factor considered was the eco-friendliness of the materials and manufacturing process.
Collectively, our professional testers have logged thousands of hours of yoga practice on these mats. Our primary yoga mat tester is Kate Pitts, a dedicated Ashtanga yoga practitioner and yoga teacher for five years. Kate taught her first yoga classes while working as a ranger for wilderness backpackers at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, where sleeping mats were an alternative to yoga mats. Now her body felt the luxury of a soft cushion. She loves practicing yoga outdoors and values ​​how her practice connects her to nature and the deep ecology that supports her community. Kate teaches Ashtanga Mysore, Yoga Nidra, and Yin Yoga and continues to study yoga therapy.
In the information age, too many choices can lead to choice overload, and there are more than just traditional yoga mats on the market today. From cheap ones that you can buy at big box stores to expensive professional mats made by yoga teachers, choosing a yoga mat depends on your body type, preferences, and the style of yoga you practice. We’ve featured yoga mats and provided detailed information based on decades of practice to help you choose the right one. We’ve discussed pricing in the yoga mat market, what to look for when shopping for a good deal, and how different models performed during our testing.
While we don’t factor in price when ranking the yoga mats we test, we do recognize that it’s important to buy a product that’s worth the money. High-quality yoga mats are high-quality, so we look for products that combine affordability with superior performance. There are plenty of cheap yoga mats on the market, but that’s not all. However, cheap yoga mats often lack cushioning or traction, which can impact your body’s comfort. Conversely, some models come with a high price tag, and we feel compelled to ask whether the quality matches the price or whether we’re paying for a badge. If you’re looking for the best of both worlds (high performance and low cost), you’ll have to compare price and performance.
Despite the higher price tag, Manduka mats can last for over a decade with virtually no signs of wear, even with intense daily practice, especially the Manduka PRO. For us, it was worth the extra money. The eco-friendly Iuga Anti-Slip Mat provides the perfect balance of cushioning, dry traction, and portability at a reasonable price. It’s a comfortable mat to use when starting out in yoga or to take with you to class.
Some yoga mats are cheap not because they work well, but because they fit the lifestyles of different yoga enthusiasts. The Primasole Folding Yoga Mat is cheaper than most yoga mats and folds into a portable square mat. It’s a great yoga mat if you don’t want to wear out your expensive everyday yoga mat. This yoga mat isn’t ideal for an urban studio, but it’s great for practicing outdoors or while traveling.
Comfort and support are arguably the most important factors when choosing a yoga mat. The best yoga mats should not be too soft or too hard, but should provide the “right” balance. We are looking for protective cushioning that is durable enough to withstand challenging surfaces, but also provides balance, stability, and prevents hyperextension of the joints.
Just a few breaths in cat-cow pose and you will feel your thigh bone pressing down through your knee joint. If your yoga mat is not soft enough, pain or discomfort will radiate from intense contact with the ground. You need a mat with a protective barrier that cushions and supports the impact. If you can see your footprints when you stand on the mat, it is too soft for daily practice as it will press into the floor.
In our tests, we simulated the pad’s behavior when a human bone is pressed against a handle (like a knuckle) under the weight of a 40-pound cinder block. Low-grip mats are denser and more resilient, creating a protective barrier between your bones and the hard floor. An unprotected mat will buckle under your weight, digging into the hard floor.
The Manduka PRO is one of the most supportive pillows we’ve ever tested. We spoke with a yoga therapist who uses the PRO when working with patients recovering from injuries or terminal illnesses, such as cancer. The pillow is protective yet firm, balancing your posture and providing the support you need during therapy and exercise.
The Lululemon mat is one of our most comfortable mats. One of the amazing things about this mat is how soft it is; it feels nice and smooth as you slide into a pose. The Manduka eKO has just the right amount of comfort and support for most people. The standard thickness is 5mm, and the pads are a little firmer than the PRO.
Despite being one of the lightest off-road mats we’ve tested, the Iuga Eco Friendly has high-performance cushioning that’s thick enough to protect your knees on hard floors and durable enough to support power and balance poses. We also appreciate the thick, durable 4mm Prana Verde pads, which have a great bounce back.
The level of cushioning on the Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip is perfect. It’s gentle on your joints, securely supported, and doesn’t slide around on the floor. While it’s not the most grippy sticky mat, it’s great for recovery exercises.
The B Mat Everyday provides moderate cushioning for your knees and elbows while remaining firm enough to prevent hyperextension or wrist strain during handstand or sun salutation workouts.
Although the Liforme Original pillows are slightly thinner than other high-end models, they provide an excellent balance between softness and firmness, while still having the perfect amount of weight. Liforme’s innovative feature is the alignment grid, which helps you master a healthy structural form and correct left-right imbalances.
If you want a yoga mat that’s extra long and wide, we like the Alo Yoga Warrior. It measures 73.5 x 26 inches, which is 2 inches wider and 5 inches longer than a standard yoga mat. It provides comfortable cushioning for your joints, but is a little thin for dynamic spinal rotation.
A firm mat helps with handstands because your wrists aren’t compressed forward or sideways when you’re holding the weights. The same goes for standing upright. A pad that’s too soft can cause your feet to roll inward or outward, which will distribute your weight unevenly and force your muscles along your chain to compensate for the unbalanced base. The Yoloha Unity Cork mat is very durable and one of the most stable we tested.
However, if you’re primarily using it for restorative or Yin yoga practice, a soft mat may be a good choice. The Earth Elements Hugger Mugger foam pad provides the stability you need for balance, but is still comfortable enough for seated poses, Yin yoga, and sound baths.
Slipping on your mat or having a block slide out from under you are great ways to disrupt your flow state. For many people, traction is not just about the mat, but a skill that improves as you learn to control your body. Different levels of yoga mat traction are appropriate for different types of practice and experience.
Because yoga mats perform differently in different conditions, in our tests we evaluated each mat’s grip on dry and wet surfaces, comparing them side by side. We offer a variety of grip options so you can decide which grip best suits your body and the type of yoga you prefer.
The grip of the B Mat Everyday was impressive right out of the box. It’s hard to believe that a yoga mat can be so sticky and not leave marks on your hands after a workout. Because the B Mat is so sticky, it can be difficult to step, jump, or roll over your toes without getting your foot caught. We also appreciate the tiger stripe leashes on the Manduka eKO and Prana Verde, especially for dry, unheated fishing. We found that they provided good friction for balance and handstand exercises.
The Lululemon yoga mat is great for almost all types of yoga, providing excellent grip on both dry and wet surfaces. Yoga mats are highly absorbent and quickly absorb sweat, and it takes a lot of sweat to create moisture on the surface. Even when the yoga mat was completely wet, we still felt great absorption when we placed our hands and feet on it.
The mat is also double-sided. The polyurethane top layer wicks away moisture and provides traction during sweaty activities like hot yoga. The natural rubber outsole provides textured grip for more challenging moves. You can try using a grip that feels comfortable when your hands and feet touch the ground.
The Liforme Original may look as smooth as a glass castle, but it sticks to the floor like a gecko to a window. The alignment lines are etched into the surface and lightly textured so you can feel them without looking. For beginners, this is a great sticky mat for learning posture and proprioception.
If you prefer a sticky mat, the Iuga Eco Friendly is also a favorite among sweaty yogis. Its unique soft surface is non-slip but still provides comfort when sliding. It’s lighter, so the only downside is that it can dent a little in the middle if you have heavy feet.
The Manduka PRO has a textured surface that our fingers enjoyed using for handstands and headstands. It offers a great balance of stickiness and slipperiness, making it ideal for dynamic movements or Ashtanga yoga. It gets slipperier when wet, so hot yoga may be a better option. The PRO is also thick, with circular ridges on the underside that suction to the floor. This mat won’t break when you roll around on your toes, or shift when you jump, swing, or flip. We tested how easily the mat glides across a variety of surfaces, and the PRO has one of the sturdiest bases around. The Alo Warrior Mat, Jade Harmony, Lululemon The Mat, and Manduka eKO also have excellent traction.
Some yoga mats are best used when wet. The Yoloha Unity optimizes traction in situations where there is at least some moisture. This mat is very slippery when dry, so we recommend spritzing it with water at the beginning of your practice to improve traction. The surface of the mat does not absorb water, so it is useful to have a towel handy if you start to sweat. The mat has a patterned bottom that provides good traction in most cases, but may be a little slippery on smoother surfaces like hardwood.
The Manduka eKO SuperLite and Jade Voyager are very grippy travel mats, but they’re thinner than a cardboard box. This paper-thin travel mat tends to wrinkle on smooth floors when used alone, and it doesn’t provide much cushioning for your bones. Some people creatively use them as pads under their yoga mats instead of towels to ensure hygiene while traveling to the studio.
Our goal is to find a yoga mat that lasts. Many companies tout their “green credentials,” claiming they use non-toxic manufacturing materials and are zero-waste factories. While we appreciate companies that prioritize sustainability, the greenest option is often to choose “reduce” over “reuse” and “recycle.” High-quality mats can last for years, outperforming recycled materials that decompose within six months.
Our testing team practiced on each yoga mat at least a dozen times, noting any signs of wear. We conducted extensive market research to understand the durability of the mats for different users. To select the winners, we asked more than 15 yoga teachers what they thought about the durability of yoga mats over the years.
The Manduka PRO is a thick and durable mat. The closed cell design protects against moisture, sweat and dust. The PRO is made of 100% Oeko-Tex certified PVC. As we all know, PVC does not tear, so this mat is durable. We spoke to several teachers who are still teaching their students aged 5 to 20, and they all told us that their mats still look perfect.
As for rubber mats, they deteriorate faster than PVC. The typical wear pattern of rubber pads is parallel marks left by hands and feet rubbing against the surface. The Manduka eKO does not have a lifetime warranty, while the company does offer a lifetime warranty on the heavy-duty PRO model. This is intentional because the eKO is made from natural tree rubber, which is biodegradable. We interviewed several practitioners who used the mat for 3-6 years for daily intensive Ashtanga practice before discarding it.
After our testing, the Yoloha Unity Cork showed very little sign of breakage or wear. One yoga teacher noted that if you protect the mat from heat and roll it up with the cork side out, it can last more than five years without wearing out.
The Liforme Original is great for travel—we got it through security and into the overhead bins on an airplane, and it was difficult to dent or wrinkle. The rubber backing of Lululemon’s The Mat has a relatively long lifespan. We surveyed practitioners who had been using the mat regularly for 5-6 years and noted only moderate wear and loss of traction in the hot spots of their feet and hands.
Also worth mentioning is the Iuga Eco Friendly, which we found to be very easy to carry. It was not damaged in airport overhead bins and remained in excellent condition after numerous outdoor sessions. Thanks to its unique mesh material structure, it weighs half as much as other rubber mats we tested.
To calculate this score, we considered how easy it is to clean, maintain, and portability each mat. Does the mat attract dust or pet hair? Does it get dirty easily? Will it leave any odors? How often should it be cleaned? Does it require a deep clean? Is the mat easy to roll up and store? Pads that only require a wipe down with a cleaning solution tend to score higher. Mats that require a break-in period, detailed care instructions, or are prone to collecting dust/hair score lower. We then looked first at portability, light weight, and then how comfortable it is to carry around town on your shoulders. We looked at which mats are best for home use and which are best for taking with you between classes or on trips.
Deeply absorbent pads keep surfaces dry longer and help wick away sweat, especially when combined with a high-friction surface material. The downside is that all the sweat and moisture will collect at the bottom of the pad, making it difficult to clean. If not thoroughly cleaned, pads can harbor bacteria, germs, and odors, which is unhygienic. Liforme Original is an innovative design that solves this common problem associated with open-cell pads. The absorbent top layer wicks away sweat, while the waterproof middle layer acts as a moisture barrier, simultaneously wicking away sweat and preventing bodily fluids from saturating the deeper layers of the pad. Liforme has the absorbent properties of open-cell pads without the need for extensive cleaning, making it one of the easiest to clean and low-maintenance pads to use while traveling.
When cleaning your yoga mat, there are two things to focus on: regular surface cleaning and occasional deep cleaning. To clean the surface, most manufacturers recommend simply wiping it down with water or a cleaning spray after each session to remove any remaining sweat and oil. This helps prevent sweat from building up inside the mat and causing odor. The Manduka PRO is a great example of a closed mat that only requires a light spray and wipe after each yoga session. If your mat is dirtier than usual, apply a little more spray, lightly coat the surface, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe it down and let it air dry completely. Another closed mat, the Earth Elements Hugger Mugger, is easy to wipe down even after outdoor yoga sessions.
Deep cleaning involves rinsing the rug in the shower, soaking it in the bathtub like a scuba tank, or hosing it down in the backyard. It’s important to let the rug air dry completely before storing it. There’s no quick and easy way to do a deep clean. If that sounds like too much work, consider using low-maintenance PVC or cork rugs. Yoloha Unity is antimicrobial: just spray, wipe, and air dry.
The Yoga Design Lab Combo is a unique towel and mat combo that you can throw straight into the washing machine after use and then hang to dry. No scrubbing or hosing required, and it smells fresh after every wash. However, we found the towel to be a little slipperier, both wet and dry, than you’d expect from a mat designed for hot yoga.