prana travel yoga mat

Prana   Sutra

Home > Gear > Travel Yoga Mats

7 Best Travel Yoga Mats For On-the-Go Practice

The YOGO Ultralite is our top pick for the best travel yoga mat for all types of travelers.

By PS EDITORS | Reviewed by GEERT MEIJER

Last Update: December 17, 2022

​ Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission if you purchase through our links. Read more here . 

Take your practice everywhere with mats designed for traveling yogis!

We put forward the best travel yoga mats in the current market

Our top picks include Manduka, Gaiam, Jade Yoga, and others

Also, check out the seven best eco-friendly yoga mats for a green practice

What's Covered:

The Best Travel Yoga Mats of 202 3

YOGO Ultralight Travel Yoga Mat

Hugger Mugger Tapas Travel Mat

Gaiam Foldable Travel Yoga Mat

Manduka eKO Travel Yoga Mat

YDL Travel Yoga Towel + Towel

Jade Travel Yoga Mat

Lieforme Travel Yoga Mat

How to Pick the Best Travel Yoga Mat

Can a yoga mat fit in a suitcase of carry-on luggage?

Can a yoga mat be folded?

Can you carry a yoga mat on a plane.

A mat is essential gear if you practice yoga while traveling. But every inch and ounce counts on the go or when you live out of a backpack. A standard mat can occupy a third of your suitcase, adding weight to your luggage. Not ideal!

“A regular yoga mat is designed for grip and comfort, not to pack down small. Conversely, a travel yoga mat is thin, light, and easy to carry around," says Geert Meijer, an Iyengar yoga instructor. "Travel yoga mats often have a foldable design, built-in straps, and other travel-friendly features to practice on the go ,” he adds.

Best Travel Yoga Mat: Short Answer

The YOGO Ultralite is sticky, lightweight, and smartly designed, making it our favorite travel yoga mat for 2023. Audition the Manduka eKO Superlite Travel Yoga Mat – it's budget-friendlier, but you forgo the built-in straps and carry handle.

We spoke to traveling yogis to decipher how to pick the best travel yoga mat. Their answer was it should be sticky, durable, supportive, and light. So, we found researched and tested top-rated mats on the market to find the best of the best. We also pooled our know-how into a buying guide you'll find below.

Here are the best travel yoga mats on the market, according to our research.

Best Travel Yogs Mats of 2023

BEST OVERALL:  Yogo Ultralight Foldable Travel Yoga Mat ($68) at Amazon  

BEST BUDGET:   Hugger Mugger Tapas Travel Yoga Mat ($25) at Amazon

​ BEST FOLDABLE:   Gaiam Foldable Travel Yoga Mat ($25) at Amazon

BEST LIGHTWEIGHT:   Manduka eKO Superlite Travel Mat ($49) at Amazon

BEST FOR HOT YOGA:  YDL Travel Yoga Mat+Towel ($70) at Amazon

BEST CUSHION:  Jade Travel Yoga Mat ($65) at Amazon

BEST PREMIUM:  Liforme Travel Yoga Mat ($191) at Amazon

1. Best Overall: YOGO Travel Yoga Mat

“The folding ingenuity makes this one of the best travel yoga mats we tested."

Natural Rubber Mat

Built-in carrying straps

Size: 68” x 24” 

1.5mm thickness

Weighs 2 lbs

Available in 2 colors

Designed for travelers and urbanites, the YOGO mat folds up to the size of a newspaper. It's lightweight, compact and features integrated straps and a carry handle . The mat fits in a purse or suitcase and can be strapped to a bike or motorcycle. You can wash and drip dry it, so it's easy to keep clean while traveling.

What we think: 

The Ultralight mat is made of natural rubber and free of harmful chemicals . It has an ultra-thin profile and sticky textured surface for superior grip. The travel mat turns into a 68-by-24-inch underlay when unfurled – the same as a standard yoga mat. It costs as much as other high-end equivalents but features a one of it's kind design with built-in carrying straps. There’s a larger version for taller yogis , too.

Unlike other mats we tried, the Ultralite had a superior dry grip and didn’t shift during practice. More importantly, the mat lies perfectly flat on uneven surfaces, tough it may lift up when it is breezy. The 1.5mm thickness isnt' first-rate cushioning but quite normal for a skinny fold-up mat. It's best to pair it with a microfiber towel for Hot Yoga or intense fitness workouts .

Reasons to Buy

Non-toxic natural rubber mat

Lightweight and foldable

Amazon Bestseller

Reasons to Skip

No color options

Not ideal for sensitive joints

RELATED: 7 Best Yoga Mat Straps, Carriers, and Slings (2022)

2. Best Budget:  Hugger Mugger Tapas Foldable Yoga Mat (Travel Version)

“The best lightweight yoga mat for travel if you are on a shoe-string budget."

PER travel mat

Size: 68” x 24”

3.18mm thick

Weighs 1.4lbs

Despite being the most cheaply priced, the Hugger Mugger Tapas Travel Yoga Mat scored well on all attributes , including grip, weight, durability, and value for money. For those reasons, it’s our best pick for yogis who don’t want to get spendy.

What we think:

This one is a PER yoga mat with a closed-cell and textured construction. The sticky surface provides a solid grip for your hands and feet while posing . The base is hextremely stable during intense flows, and the cushiony feel has you covered while you rest in Corpse Pose. It's 1/8 inches (3.18mm) thick, weighs 1.4 pounds, and can be rolled up or folded – treasured features to have in a travel companion.

Unfurled, the 68-by-24-inch size is roughly the same as a standard mat, so it should work for travelers of all shapes and sizes. Overall, the Hugger Mugger Tapas travel mat is an excellent underlay, though you should pair it with a towel if you sweat a lot. You can even lay a cotton rug atop the mat for Hot Yoga at home. If the PER material doesn't bother you, this mat  offers fantatic bang for your buck .

Inexpensive yoga mat

Sticky, textured surface

Works for all styles of yoga

Too thin for tender joints

Only available in 2 colors

RELATE D: 7 Best Yoga Wheels of 2023 | Top Picks with Reviews

3. Best Foldable:  Gaiam Travel Yoga Mat

"The best foldable yoga mat for travel and outdoor practice."

​Key Specs:

Non-toxic PVC mat

68” x 24”

2mm thickness

Weighs 1.82lbs

• Available in 6 colors

Even the most lightweight standard yoga mat resists folding, making it inconvenient to pack. On the other hand, this Gaiam mat folds into a 10” x 12” tile and can fit it in a laptop bag, carry-on, or suitcase. Since it just weighs two pounds, we tout it as the best foldable yoga mat for travellers and urbanites.

The Gaiam Travel Yoga Mat is a non-toxic PVC mat with a thin profile and folding design. It’s grippy, lightweight, and durable - important features for travel mats. In use, the mat has excellent stickiness, both front and back , and doesn’t move under your feet. It's fairly comfy and can be used without additional support.

The yoga mat is a perfect travel companion for weekend retreats, grassy fields, and sandy beaches. It’s easy to clean and carry , and it won’t add weight to your luggage. That said, it’s a PVC mat, not the best mat material for the planet. Also, the wet grip is slightly slippery, so pair it with a yoga towel for extra safety.

Sticky, durable travel mat

• Folds up compact

Variety of printed designs

Affordable, excellent value

Strong scent initially

Slippery when wet

Not eco-friendly

RELATED: 10 Best Yoga Mat Cleaners to Revive Your Mat and Practice

4. Best Lightweight:  Manduka eKO Superlite Travel Yoga Mat

“The best all-around travel yoga mat pound for pound, or so we think.”

Natural Rubber mat

Size: 71” x 24”

Weighs 2.2 lbs

Several color options

Thise Manduka travel mat had the best price-to-performance ratio among the travel yoga mats we tested . Weighing roughly 2 lbs, it's made of all-natural rubber (99% latex-free rubber) that's biodegradable, non-toxic, and free from harmful chemicals. The 2.2 lbs travel yoga mat can be rolled or folded, making it easy to travel with. 

The Manduka travel mat has a rubber top with a rippled texture for superior grip. Its closed-cell surface resists moisture and is easy to clean, but it can become slippery as sweat pools atop the mat. It's best to pack a mat towel if you practice Hot Yoga. The dimensions (71" x 24") are standard yoga but the mat is only 1.5mm thick. It'll lie flat on most surfaces but the corners can roll up occasionally.

In a nutshell, the Manduka eKO Superlite mat is a safe bet if you want a durable and high-performance travel mat for yoga . It has excellent reviews from buyers and is justifiably popular in the yoga community. If you want more cushion, audition the thicker-but-heavier Manduka PRO travel yoga mat .

Lightweight yoga travel mat

Folable, lightweight yoga travel

Grippy and durable

Easy to pack and clean

Faint rubber smell initially

Only 1.5mm thick

Related: The 10 Best Yoga Blankets for Warmth and Comfort (2022)

5. Best For Hot Yoga: Yoga Design Lab Travel Yoga Mat + Towel

“The best travel yoga mat for sun, sand, and intense Hot Yoga workouts.”

Microfiber and rubber

2-in-1 product

Size: 70” x 24”

Weighs 3.5lbs

The YDL travel mat + towel combines two of the most essential travel accessories. It’s a vailable in three thicknesses – 1.5, 3.5, and 5.5mm . We tested the thinnest version since we were hunting for the best travel mat for yoga. All variants are foldable and avaiable in vibrant designs printed with water-based inks.  

To be clear, this is one product – a towel bonded to a rubber mat. Tha mat has a PET microfiber top made of 15 plastic bottles and a non-Amazonian rubber base. It's 1.5mm thick, weighs 3.5 lbs, and comes with a carrying strap. The surface is soft and ultra-absorbent, and the rubber base grips the ground to provide superior stability. The mat scores top marks for grip, stability, and cushioning .

That said, this is not the most lightweight option in the current market, barely lighter than the YDL cork mat. But it’s unique because you don’t need to carry a mat and towel separately to class or while traveling. The prints are eye-catching and come with a no-fade guarantee . The yoga mat can be machine washed, although the manufacturer recommends hand-washing for a longer lifespan.

Soft top and sticky base

Excellent wet and dry grip

Ideal for Hot Yoga

Prints are gorgeous

Relatively heavy

RELATED:   7 Best Yoga Towels for Grip, Hygiene, and Slip-Free Sessions (2023)

6. Best Cushion: Jade Travel Yoga Mat

“The best travel yoga mat for supporting sensitive joints.”

Rubber yoga mat

Weighs 3.2 lbs

4 color options

Ultra-thin mats are light but not supportive on hard surfaces. Conversely, this 3mm travel yoga mat weighs 3 lbs, folds flat, and provides extra support for your bony bits. It won't weigh your suitcase down and won't let your joints down either . Moreover, the mat is available in 68" or 74” length, so its works for everyone.

This is an all-natural yoga mat made of premium toxin-free rubber. It’s lightweight, grippy, and well-cushioned but can fold up compact to fit in a backpack. The closed-cell construction makes it easy to clean, but you’ll need to add a towel over it for sweaty flows in tropical climates. 

The Jade travel yoga mat can handle the toughest practice with its ample cushion and superior traction. More importantly, the sticky surface provides excellent grip to prevent sliding when posing. Yogis will appreciate that it’s renewable and sustainable , and Jade gives back by planting a tree for every mat sold.

Free of harmful chemicals

Sticky surface, solid grip

Eco-friendly and renewable

Slightly heavy

Fishy smell initially

Not ideal for outdoor use

Related: 10 Best Yoga Mat Bags for Commutes, Biking, and Travel (2022)

7. Best Premium: Lieforme Travel Yoga Mat

“Premium and patented, this grab-and-go yoga mat is the best money can buy!”

Natural rubber mat

Size: 74.8” x 25.98”

Weighs 5lbs

• Available in 8 colors

Liforme is one of the top yoga mat brands, famed for making high-performance yoga mats for all skill levels and yoga styles . We've featured the travel version of the Liforme Original mat that retains the best features of the flagship product with a lighter footprint for portability. The yoga mat is 2mm thick, weighs 3.5lbs, and rolls up easily to carry around on your travels.

This travel yoga mat has 3 layers – a PU top, a rubber base, and a felt layer between the two that provides extra cushioning for your joints. It also features patented markers and lines that help maintain proper alignment. Additionally, it’s slightly longer and wider, makig it an excellent choice for for taller yogis.

The Lieforme yoga mat s cores an A on grip, durability, and design . Its alignment system lets you flow with accuracy and the stick top prevents slipping and sliding.  The rubber base is super stable and the patented surface material exhibits superior grip when dry or soaking wet. Yogis will also appreciate that it's  non-toxic, biodegradable, and ships with recyclable outer packaging . It costs a king's ransom, but the premium looks and performance justify its 3-figure price.

Patented top for superior grip

Excellent size for tall yogis

Alignment markers

Available in many colors

Final Verdict: Prana Sutra Picks

We recommend the YOGO Ultralight Foldable Travel Yoga Mat for its high performance and ingenious design. It's features built-in carry straps that make it ideal for ubranites, subway commuters, and all types of nomads.

The market-tested  Manduka eKO Superlite Travel Yoga Mat is lightweight, durable, supportive, eco-friendly, and reasonably priced. With high scores on all attributes, it's the best travel mat for yoga on the market.

Lastly, the Yoga Design Lab Travel Yoga Mat + Towel is our top pick for Hot Yoga, sweaty hands, and tropical weather. It features a printed microfiber surface with a rubber base and is available in 1.5, 3.5, and 5.5mm thicknesses.

Buying Advice: How to Pick the Best Yoga Travel Mat 

As always, we recommend investing in high-quality yoga equipment that suits your needs. You can only enjoy it for a long time if it meets your expectations and supports your practice. Here are five attributes to consider when you shop to ensure you get the best bang for your buck -

Travel yoga mats should be durable, easy to clean, and lightweight. Most of the products in this category are made of PVC, PER, Jute, and natural rubber. We recommend natural materials because they are good for your practice and the planet, but they come with an uptick in price.

Travel yoga mats should be 1.5mm to 4mm thick. A 1.5mm thin mat is the lightest but can feel like a napkin under you. Moreover, it won't like completely flat and the ends may lift up with the slightest breeze. A thicker mat will have better cushioning but more weight.

Portability

Weight is a key factor to consider when you pick travel yoga mats. Your best bet is something between 1 to 4 pounds as it will be easy to carry and won't weigh down your suitcase. You can also invest in a carrying strap to wear your mat cross-body while you travel or bike around.

Travel-friendly Features

Travel can mean different things to different people. You may need a travel yoga mat for a short weekend retreat, backpacking continents, or practicing in the park on a sunny day. The best fit for you should have features that support your needs and applications.

Cost-Value Ratio

The cost of a travel yoga mat ranges from $25 to $125. All options on our list give you the best bang for your buck, but the value is highly subjective. Generally speaking, we recommend buying top-rated products from reputable brands, preferably made of natural and eco-friendly materials. Frequent travelers should invest in a premium product that can withstand hectic traveling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a yoga mat fit in a suitcase or carry-on luggage.

A standard yoga mat can be rolled compact to fit in a suitcase, but it won't fit in carry-on luggage. You can look up specially designed travel yoga mats that can fold down to the size of a newspaper (10" x 12"). They can can be stored easily in a laptop bag or the outer pocket of carry-on luggage. 

You can only fold thin yoga mats designed specifically for traveling. Regular yoga mats resist folding and needed to be rolled up for storage. They may develop cracks or marks if you fold them instead of rolling.

Most airlines won't allow passengers to carry a standard yoga mat in their carry-on luggage and it needs to be checked in. You may carry a foldable travel mat if it fits your carry-on bag. However, the rules vary among airlines, so it's best to contact them beforehand to avoid confusion.

Our Review Process

We independently research, vet, and/or test yoga equipment for all of our reviews and buying guids. Our editorial team consults yoga influencers, instructors and fitness experts identify the best attributes to look for in a particular product.

In this articles, we researched more than a dozen travel yoga mats and read 1k+ reviews from other users. We listed seven different mats that work for any type of traveller, hoping you can leave with a definitive decision. ​

Other Buyer Guides

Best Acupressure Mats 2023: 9 Expert Picks + Useful Buying Advice

Best Meditation Gifts 2023: 35 Unique Presents for Those Who Meditate

Best Yoga Gifts 2023: 35 Price-Sorted Items For Yoga Lovers

8 Best Kundalini Books For Yoga Aspirants and Spiritual Seekers

7 Best Pranayama Breathing Apps for iPhone and iOS

10 Best Yoga Apps of 2022 | Free & Paid for Android and iOS

Announcements

New Arrivals From Backcountry   Shop Now

Free Standard Shipping for Orders Over $50   Learn More

Cart, contains 0 items

New Season, New Gear | Shop Men’s New Arrivals

• Rain & Wind Jackets
• Hoodies & Sweatshirts
• Fleece Jackets
• Trail Running
• Road Running
• Gloves & Mittens
• Blankets & Beach Towels
• Electronics

Mother’s Day Incoming! Show Her You Care With Top Gifts For Adventure Moms

• Jumpsuits & Overalls
• Everyday Bags
• Beach Bags & Totes
• Toddler Boys
• Toddler Girls
• Balaclavas & Neck Gaiters
• Backpacks & Bags
• Water Sports
• Hike & Camp

2024 Camp Guide: Your Destination For All Things Camp

2024 Hike Guide: Buyer’s Guide To Top Hike Gear & Apparel

• Hiking Clothing
• Hiking Footwear
• Backpacking Packs
• Technical Daypacks
• Hydration Packs
• Kid Carriers
• Water Bottles
• Trekking Poles
• Tents & Shelters
• Sleeping Bags
• Sleeping Pads
• Camp Chairs
• Camp Tables
• Stoves & Grills
• Pots & Pans
• Roof Racks & Accessories
• Rooftop Tents
• Batteries & Solar Power
• Water Storage & Purification
• Storage Solutions
• Off-Road Recovery

Buyer’s Guide To Top Trail & Enduro Gear

• Mountain Bikes
• Gravel & Cyclocross Bikes
• Kids' Bikes
• Mountain Bike Components
• Gravel & Cyclocross Components
• Road Components
• Triathlon / TT Bike Components
• Men's Bike Apparel
• Women's Bike Apparel
• Kids' Bike Apparel
• Mountain Bike Shoes
• Road Bike Shoes
• Flat Pedal Shoes
• Triathlon Shoes
• Mountain Bike Helmets
• Full Face Helmets
• Road Bike Helmets
• Commuter Helmets
• Knee & Shin Pads
• Arm & Elbow Pads
• Chest & Spine Protection
• Bike Maintenance
• Bike Storage & Transportation
• Bike Packs & Bags
• Trainers & Accessories
• Bike Lighting & Electronics
• Water Bottles & Cages
• Bike Trailers

Bags, Totes & More Ways To Haul It All

• Duffel Bags
• Rolling Bags
• Carry-On Luggage
• Travel Packs
• Camera Packs & Bags
• Fly Fishing Bags & Luggage
• Bike Travel Cases
• Surfboard Bags & Packs
• Ski Boot Bags
• Snowboard Boot Bags
• Snowboard Bags
• Water Filters & Purification
• Travel Pillows
• Power Converters

Basecamp By The Shore: Camp, SUP & Kayak Gear

• Recreational Kayaks
• Recreational Paddles
• Recreational PFDs
• Whitewater Kayaks
• Whitewater Paddles
• Whitewater PFDs
• Stand-Up Paddleboards
• Stand-Up Paddleboard Paddles
• Drysuits & Clothing
• Safety Gear
• Reels & Spools
• Wading Boots & Sandals
• Clothing & Accessories
• Packs & Vests
• Storage & Transport
• Shortboards
• Men's Wetsuits
• Women's Wetsuits
• Hoods, Booties & Gloves
• Men's Swimwear
• Women's Swimwear
• Traction Pads
• Wakeboard Bindings
• Wakeboard Boots
• Rope & Accessories
• Wake Surfboards
• Wakefoil Boards
• Wakesurf Accessories

Snowboard Guide

• Ski Clothing
• Alpine Skis
• Alpine Bindings
• Alpine Ski Boots
• Touring Skis
• Touring Bindings
• Touring Boots
• Cross-Country Skiing
• Snowboard Clothing
• Snowboard Bindings
• Snowboard Boots
• Splitboards
• Splitboard Bindings
• Splitboard Skins
• Avalanche Safety
• Winter Packs
• Tuning Accessories

Backcountry & Stoic New Arrivals

Exclusive To Backcountry

• Backcountry
• US Ski & Snowboard
• The North Face
• Helly Hansen
• Outdoor Research
• Black Diamond
• Mountain Hardwear
• See All Brands
• District Vision
• Western Rise
• DOD Outdoors

Gear Picks & Pro Tips For However You Get Out There

2024 Bike Guide: Buyer’s Guide To Top Trail & Enduro Gear

2024 Running Gear Guide: The Best Shoes, Apparel & Sports Bras

2024 Climb Guide: This Year’s Top Trad, Sport & Bouldering Gear

20% Off 1 Full-Price Item. Members, Use SPRING20 
At Checkout. Ends 4/30.

Featured Deals

• Latest Price Drops
• Winter Styles On Sale
• Deals Under $100
• Deals Under $50
• Stoic On Sale
• Smartwool On Sale
• Mountain Hardwear On Sale
• Outdoor Research On Sale
• Marmot On Sale
• Shop All Sale
• Women's Clothing
• Women's Footwear
• Women's Accessories
• Men's Clothing
• Men's Footwear
• Men's Accessories

What’s Up At The Goat

• Venture Beyond
• Backcountry Podcast
• Explore Articles
• Outervention
• The Nature Conservancy
• Greener Packaging
• Find A Store

Follow Along On Social

Travel Tips: How To Pack & Fly With Skis & Snowboards

Venture Beyond | Ep. 5 | Mind The Gap

BC Pod | Ep. 17 | The Shaun White Story

Members Get 20% Off 1 Full-Price Item

End Of Season Sale!

Up To 60% Off Winter Styles

$20 For Your Crew, $20 For You

Refer A Friend Now

.css-ryjapq{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;margin-bottom:var(--chakra-space-2);} .css-1g043sj{transition-property:var(--chakra-transition-property-common);transition-duration:var(--chakra-transition-duration-fast);transition-timing-function:var(--chakra-transition-easing-ease-out);cursor:pointer;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;outline:2px solid transparent;outline-offset:2px;color:var(--chakra-colors-btn-brand);font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-base);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-sm);font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-normal);}.css-1g043sj:hover,.css-1g043sj[data-hover]{color:var(--chakra-colors-btn-brand);-webkit-text-decoration:underline;text-decoration:underline;}.css-1g043sj:focus,.css-1g043sj[data-focus]{box-shadow:var(--chakra-shadows-outline);} prAna .css-1oyyk97{color:var(--chakra-colors-txt-primary);overflow-wrap:normal;font-family:var(--chakra-fonts-base);font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-xl);font-weight:var(--chakra-fontWeights-bold);} Nomad Travel Mat

Out of stock, hotel towel no more..

If you've ever tried maintaining a meditative state while doing yoga on a hotel towel, you probably ended up wasting quite a bit of time wishing for a decent mat to practice on. Next time, bring along the Prana Nomad Travel Mat; its light weight and low-profile 3mm thickness make it ideal for packing into your luggage, and it provides a non-toxic, anti-slip surface to hold fast to. The mat is made of an environmentally sensitive material that's PVC-, chlorine- and latex-free.

• Eco-friendly, non-toxic thermal plastic elastomer
• PVC free, chlorine free, latex free
• Anti-slip, textured surfaces on both sides
• Lightweight and low-profile
• Item #PRA001N

What do you think about this product?

Sorry, we don’t currently have any of those types of reviews for this product.

Need Expert Advice?

Our Gearheads Can Help

• EVERYDAY YOGA
• ON-DEMAND YOGA CLASSES

Your cart is empty

• MOTHER'S DAY
• FREE ONLINE CLASSES

Advertisement

• Health and fitness

The Best Yoga Mats

By Ingrid Skjong and Amy Roberts

A yoga mat should be comfortable and supportive, provide sufficient grip to keep you from slipping, and be no-fuss enough to clean and carry.

Our hatha and hot-yoga instructors Downward-Dogged, Ashtanga vinyasa-flowed, and Savasanaed on 38 top-rated yoga mats (and one mat alternative), and the one that came out on top is Lululemon’s The Mat 5mm . Its dual-textured sides, firm-yet-cushiony rubber construction, and ample size will have you covered, no matter what style of yoga you practice.

You don’t need to invest so much to get started with yoga: Our budget pick (for more than seven years running) costs well under half what our other picks do and has held up surprisingly well in long-term testing. We have recommendations for all-rubber and non-rubber, latex-free mats, too. Our travel mat pick folds to fit neatly in a suitcase.

Everything we recommend

Lululemon The Mat 5mm

The best yoga mat.

Your hands and feet won’t budge, and the 5 millimeters of natural rubber provide plenty of padding for knees. It’s available in a massive Big size too.

Buying Options

JadeYoga Harmony Mat

A natural rubber option.

Made of natural rubber, this mat feels like it suctions to your fingers and toes, and is especially good for hot yoga. But being rubber, it has that telltale odor, especially when new.

Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip Yoga Mat

A rubber-free mat.

This PVC mat offers comparable stickiness, support, and cushioning to our two top picks, but without the latex.

Budget pick

Yoga Accessories 1/4″ Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat

A bargain mat that holds up.

This squishy ¼-inch (6.2 millimeters) PVC mat is a bargain—because it lasts. It’s 4 inches longer than your average cheapie, too.

JadeYoga Voyager

A foldable mat for travel.

This rubber mat folds small but still provides excellent traction. Expect to sacrifice some cushioning for that portability, though.

What to consider

Most yoga mats are made of rubber, PVC, or TPE. Some are made of cork or other materials. All vary in thickness and surface texture.

Regular wipe-downs and occasional deep cleans will extend the life of your yoga mat.

Lululemon’s The Mat 5mm scored high marks on all nine attributes our professional testers rated, including stickiness, weight, thickness, durability, and overall feel. Lululemon’s mat has two sides: a smooth, “sticky” polyurethane side that makes your hands and feet adhere to the mat, and a spongy, synthetic and natural rubber “grippy” side that instead provides traction via a textured surface. This lets you dial in how much traction you need, whether you are doing hot yoga or restorative yoga, or are just someone who might sweat a lot. The 5-millimeter-thick natural rubber is supportive, so sensitive knees and elbows won’t sink through to the floor. It’s slightly oversize—3 inches longer and 2 inches wider than a standard mat—which gives you some breathing room but doesn’t take up tons of space in a cramped class or smaller room. If you need even more real estate, the (Big) Mat is literally the size of a door. These mats are on the heavy side, and the surface tends to show dust, dirt, and smudges that are hard to clean.

The JadeYoga Harmony Mat is made from 100% rubber, and this offers some advantages, because it absorbs a lot of moisture and helps maintain traction in sweaty situations—possibly too much for some people, as it can be hard to pivot your feet or slide your hands when flowing from one pose to another. It’s slightly thinner than our top pick at 3/16 inch (4¾ millimeters) thick, but it still provides a spongy-yet-supportive feel under hand, foot, and knee. It comes in four sizes, including the XW (extra-wide) line , but know that the bigger size you choose, the heavier it gets—and rubber isn’t light to start with. This mat has a strong rubber smell, at least for a while, which not everyone loves, and rubber also contains latex. If you have a latex allergy, try our rubber-free recommendation below.

If you have an allergy to latex or dislike the smell of rubber, consider the 5-millimeter-thick Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip Yoga Mat . It is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and has ample cushioning and firm support that pleased our joints and grounded our standing poses. The smooth top layer, meant to wick away moisture, kept our hands and feet locked in place while allowing freedom for transitions during a flow. The mat is relatively light at 4¼ pounds, roughly a pound lighter than our top pick—a consideration if you carry your mat often.

You don’t have to spend $50-plus for a quality mat. In a world where PVC foam mats are a dime a dozen, YogaAccessories has produced a low-cost option of value. Its PVC foam is a lofty ¼-inch (6.2 millimeters) thick, plus the mat is generously cut, extending 4 inches longer than the standard size, and available in more than a dozen vivid colors.

The thin, lightweight JadeYoga Voyager is the only travel mat we tested that folded compactly for packing, provided excellent traction during practice, and didn’t slip or shift on the floor. We found the traction of this rubber mat to be as good as that offered by our runner-up pick, also made by JadeYoga. This mat does have less cushioning than our other picks. But if you prefer a plusher feel, our yoga instructor testers found that the Voyager stayed as secure when used on carpet or atop another mat as it did on the floor.

The research

Why you should trust us, how we picked and tested, how our picks compare, our pick: lululemon the mat 5mm, runner-up: jadeyoga harmony mat, runner-up: gaiam performance dry-grip yoga mat, budget pick: yogaaccessories 1/4″ extra thick deluxe yoga mat, also great: jadeyoga voyager, care and maintenance, environmental and end-of-life issues, other good yoga mats, the competition.

To learn all we could about how to choose and care for a yoga mat, we interviewed yoga instructors, a sustainable manufacturing expert, a dermatologist, and a professor of microbiology and environmental sciences. We then recruited two accomplished yoga instructors, hatha/vinyasa specialist Juan Pablo Gomez and hot-yoga practitioner Arden Goll , to practice on and carefully evaluate yoga mats.

To narrow the enormous field (seriously: searching “yoga mats” on Amazon yields more than 2,000 results), we spent hours reading customer reviews. We also talked to the big-name manufacturers to learn what was new in their lines and to the founder of the online yoga platform YouAligned (formerly YogiApproved), to get a sense of both trendy and tried-and-true in yoga mat designs. In addition to testing mats that customers had reviewed well, we also aimed to find a wide variety of options in price, size, and material. (For this guide, we did not test mats designed specifically for Pilates or other exercise. These tend to be larger and, often, thicker than the yoga mats we review here.)

Next, our intrepid yoga instructors practiced on each mat, evaluating overall experience while carefully weighing each of the following nine attributes:

• size (rolled and unrolled)
• portability and weight (for carrying to and from class)
• stickiness (with dry versus sweaty hands and feet)
• thickness, squishiness, and support (adequate, too much, or too little?)
• surface texture and feel (on your skin and under hand and foot)
• ease of unrolling (and staying flat)
• odor (if one exists or goes away)
• attractiveness

Finally, after our pro yogis turned in their extensive notes, we practiced on each of the top picks to get a personal feel for what attributes made each mat worthy of our recommendation.

Lululemon The Mat 5mm aced our test for its impressive versatility. The mat has two sides—a “sticky” side and “grippy” side. Sticky means it actually sticks; grippy refers to traction, created by a texture. We’d love to tell you which to choose, but this is an eternal debate in yoga, and is based on how you practice—hot or not, sweaty or dry—and what feels best against your body.

The sticky side is made of smooth polyurethane and has a lot of traction, even in the very sweaty conditions of a hot-yoga class; our instructor said it was one of the only mats that didn’t require her to put down a towel once things got really drippy. The opposite “grippy” side is made of rubber and provided just as much traction, no matter the moisture conditions.

Getting the right padding in a yoga mat is a tricky balance. If it’s too squishy, pointy joints may sink too deep into it, and balancing on the surface becomes challenging because too much support is lost to the compression. Then again, if it’s too firm, you might as well practice directly on the floor. With a few exceptions, 5 millimeters (about ¼ inch) is fairly standard for yoga mats, and that’s exactly how padded the Lululemon mat is. The dual-material makeup does the job well, though we found the rubber side to be even kinder to the knees.

The Lululemon mat also comes in two sizes to accommodate different body types and preferences. Most people will be more than satisfied with the regular 71-by-26-inch mat, which is 3 inches longer and 2 inches wider than a standard mat. It has ample space to keep you in its confines during a vigorous flow. The Big version is a monster: It measures 84 inches (that’s 7 feet) long and 28 inches wide, which prompted one of Amy’s trainer friends—a 6-foot-2, 350-pound bodybuilder—to light up with glee and remark, “That’s the size of a door!”

Lululemon makes two lighter-weight versions of The Mat: The Mat 3mm and The Lightweight Mat (5 mm) for travel, both of which have the same extra-grippy surface area and dimensions (71 by 26 inches) as the regular mat. Both are lighter to carry, rolled up, to class—the trade-off being reduced cushioning.

One long-term tester, who has owned the mat for three years, appreciates its cushiony texture, which is still dense enough to help her feel “rooted.” Its surfaces earn praise, too: “Grip is my main priority, as I sweat a lot, and this mat stays grippy even as I drip sweat from my forehead.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Lululemon mats aren’t light to carry around—an issue if you’re walking or biking to class but less so if you practice at home. The regular size weighs just under 5¼ pounds, and the Big mat is over 7 pounds.

Being more than half rubber in composition, this mat had a faint smell, though not nearly as strong as that of the JadeYoga mat or the odiferous Hugger Mugger . In fact, by the time we got to practice on the Lululemon mat (after the yoga instructors had tested it), the scent had basically disappeared. One long-term tester enjoys the smell (“It makes the room feel more gymlike”) and loves the mat overall but has one quibble: She bought the mat in a light color and notes that “sweat really shows up on it.”

“The first time I used it, I thought something on my clothes must have stained it,” she says. Sweat outlines do fade completely as they dry, but she recommends buying a darker color if this is a concern. Note, though, that even a dark blue version we own tends to show sweat marks, which also eventually fade. (Even a wet ponytail left a stamp.)

A company spokesperson told us the mat should never be rolled up when wet—this can cause the mat’s layers to peel or separate. Proper care, including cleaning and allowing the mat to fully dry between uses (which may mean unrolling it at home after a class) is essential for its longevity.

For those who prefer a mat with only natural rubber, consider the grippy  JadeYoga Harmony Mat . The surface texture feels like a million tiny suction cups that glue to your skin at every contact point, which is particularly useful when attempting to hold any sort of balance-heavy pose—you definitely aren’t going to lose it because your foot or hand slipped. In fact, we sometimes found pivoting movements, say, from a high lunge to a Warrior 2, a bit of a challenge because of all the friction.

It also comes in four sizes. Just keep in mind that the bigger you go in area, the heavier the mat is to carry: The smallest is a reasonable 4½ pounds, and the largest is a getting-awkward 6½ pounds.

At 3/16 inch (4¾ millimeters) thick, the Harmony Mat has just enough cushion to pad, though it doesn’t feel quite as plush as the slightly thicker dual-material Lululemon mat. That said, with its durable material, the JadeYoga can be given a bath or even cleaned in a front-loader washer on gentle—just be prepared for a long drying time, as this puppy really sucks up water. In fact, it did nearly as good a job at absorbing sweat and wicking it away as the Lululemon, making it a great pick for heated classes, too. If you’d like additional cushioning (and don’t mind the heft it adds) and prefer an all-rubber mat, our testers liked JadeYoga’s 5/16-inch-thick (about 8 millimeters)  Fusion Mat .

As with any natural rubber product, there’s that smell; it was more pungent than the Lululemon’s but less than the Hugger Mugger’s , which really reeked. Because it’s a rubber mat, it also contains latex, so it’s not good for those with a latex allergy. (If you’re looking for a latex-free rubber mat, consider the Clever Yoga LiquidBalance Mat , which we also reviewed .)

Some people may find that the Harmony mat’s texture provides too much grip, hindering pivots and some sliding movements. In that case, we recommend the rubber Manduka eKO Mat 5mm .

Following our initial testing, several people (including a Wirecutter staffer) have noted that certain JadeYoga mats they purchased from late 2016 through 2017 wore out much more quickly than expected. Upon our inquiry, JadeYoga’s president, Dean Jerrehian, indicated that the company had experienced an uptick in premature wear complaints (from an estimated 1 in 2,500 mats to around 1 in 1,000) regarding mats manufactured between October 2016 and August 2017, during which time it had changed the mats’ fabrication in an effort to make them lighter (for the sake of portability). Since August 2017, the company has returned to its original formula, Jerrehian said. He pointed to the company’s one-year warranty , which covers premature wear. How long any all-rubber yoga mat will last depends on how you use (and clean ) it. “The average lifespan for our mats is about two to three years, but some people have them much longer and some replace them more frequently,” Jerrehian said. We’ve noticed some reviewers on the JadeYoga site reporting that their Harmony Mat has lasted for five, seven, even 11 years.

If you dislike the smell of rubber or are allergic to latex, look to a rubber-free mat. The Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip Yoga Mat , constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and free of latex, delivers a supportive, cushioned experience that rivals those of our top rubber picks.

The Performance Dry-Grip is nearly identical to our former latex-free runner-up pick, Gaiam’s Athletic Duramat, which is now discontinued. The Performance Dry-Grip has a glossy flower print on its surface and is slightly smaller than its predecessor—a standard 68 by 24 inches versus 78 by 26 inches. The mat is 3 inches shorter and 2 inches narrower than our top pick, though we didn’t feel cramped on it at all.

At 5 millimeters thick (the same as our top pick), the mat offers ample cushioning and firm support; our knees and elbows remained content even during prolonged planks and kneeling. We felt pleasantly grounded in standing poses, the mat providing enough cushion to root into, but adequate support to avoid a sinking feeling. Its smooth surface is built for a slip-less experience. The top layer, meant to wick away moisture, kept our hands and feet firmly in place, while allowing for freedom during transitions. We did not test the mat in a hot-yoga class, but we did spritz our hands with water to approximate a seriously sweaty session and didn’t slide.

The mat emits an odor in the beginning, which was noticeable on nose-to-mat postures like Child’s Pose and on our hands after use. The odor faded after a few days but didn’t disappear completely, particularly on the underside. The surface has a tendency to pick up lint and dust (rug fuzz from a shedding wool carpet glommed on to ours), but a quick wipe with a towel took care of it. We also noticed visible handprints and streaks after use, which waned eventually.

The mat is relatively light at 4¼ pounds—roughly a pound lighter than our top pick, the Lululemon The Mat 5mm. This might not seem like much. But if you plan to tote your mat from place to place, overall heft can make a difference.

The Performance Dry-Grip also comes in an “XL” size that’s 78 inches long and 26 inches wide.

The Yoga Accessories ¼″ Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat 's PVC foam is uncommonly lofty for its price, providing ¼ inch (6.2 millimeters) of material to support your body in any pose, and is made without those widely dreaded phthalates. Like many inexpensive mats, it compresses more than its denser, pricier cousins, but most people will find the support adequate.

More than adequate is its generous 74-inch length, a full 6 inches longer than some competitors, yet not so long that you’re taking up more than your fair share of floor space in class. Even with the extra size, it weighs an extremely portable 3.6 pounds.

The stickiness is fine under dry hands and feet, though particularly wobbly or sweaty yogis will definitely appreciate the sweat absorption of the rubber picks from Lululemon and JadeYoga. Our pro yogis also expressed concern about how durable this mat would be over time; being PVC, it shouldn’t be thrown away but instead recycled or upcycled .

One long-term tester, who chose a light color of this mat, has found that it can show dirt even after cleaning.

Unlike other folding travel mats we tested, the JadeYoga Voyager offers excellent traction. It didn’t slip or shift on the floor during our practice. At just 1/16 inch (about 1.6 millimeters) thick, the Voyager doesn’t offer much padding compared with our cushier picks. But that lack of cushioning also makes it easy to fold up and stash in either a backpack or carry-on suitcase.

Unfurled, the Voyager provides a full 68-by-24-inch natural-rubber practice area—the same as a standard mat (though smaller than the Lululemon The Mat). It’s as grippy under hand and foot as the Harmony , also made by JadeYoga (though not as grippy as our top pick from Lululemon ). It also didn’t shift, slide, or bunch up on the floor during our testing, unlike several of its competitors. At just 1½ pound, it’s also among the lightest mats we tested and is significantly lighter than all of our other picks. If you want more squish, you can place it on a carpet or atop a rental mat at the studio; we found that it didn’t slip on those surfaces any more than on a hard floor.

Both of our yoga instructors praised the Voyager highly for its portability and traction, selecting it as either their favorite or second-favorite travel mat. Depending on the style of yoga you practice or your preferences, though, you may need to make a few adjustments. Our hot yoga instructor noted that the rubber felt almost too grippy and somewhat coarse on her skin and she had to put down a towel to absorb sweat near the end of class. Still, she preferred it over most of the travel competitors, which could become slippery during a heated session.

How you clean and store your yoga mat will keep it in usable shape longer. All mats come with care instructions specific to the materials they’re made of, but generally you should wipe your mat clean after every few uses with a water-dampened cloth, a homemade diluted vinegar solution or a gentle mat wash, and then allow it to fully dry before storing.

In real-world terms, that means wiping and rolling up your mat after class, then laying it out to dry at home, possibly with another wipe-down on a second rollout. For spot cleaning stubborn stains and grime, try a mixture of dish soap and water. For deeper cleaning, consider soaking your mat in the bathtub.

Although you can wash most yoga mats in a machine, the stretching and tumbling can easily tear a PVC or non-rubber mat. Rubber mats typically fare better in the washer, but they suck up a ton of moisture and can take forever to dry.

Natural rubber and many plastic foams degrade when exposed to UV light. That means no drying wet mats in the sun or leaving them in a hot car, and possibly no al fresco classes; of our picks, JadeYoga and Gaiam specifically caution against prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Yoga mat materials can create a thicket of concerns for many yogis, and many companies that make yoga mats try to appeal to the environmentally sensitive nature of their audience. JadeYoga says it does not source the rubber for its mats from Amazon trees. Manduka previously accepted old mats (for a $10 fee on top of a new mat purchase) for downcycling.

As we note in our guide to foam rollers , purchasing a quality item that suits your goals and expectations is key to securing a tool you’ll ostensibly use (and enjoy) for a long time. Yoga mats follow suit.

Eric Wilmanns, principal and founder of Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, views the use of a product from a life-cycle perspective. “Yes, the majority of yoga mats, especially the ones made from a variety of materials, are not going to be composted, reused, or recycled,” he said. “But if they last significantly longer, they may end up having a lower impact.”

It can also be tricky to know exactly what you’re getting when it comes to a mat’s material. Wilmanns pointed out that chemicals added to polymers that are meant to add specific physical or cosmetic properties can be viewed as a supplier’s trade secrets and aren’t always revealed. “So even if a brand is told that the primary material is something that is okay, many of the additives are not disclosed and might have profound environmental or health implications,” he said. “I always use the analogy of adding bacon to a veggie burger.” ( Our runner-up rubber-free mat is considered 6P free, meaning it does not contain the six most-studied phthalates.)

Maintaining a sense of personal responsibility and sustainability in light of so many complicated factors can be hard, so if you want to use one of these mats but worry about the impact, focus on what happens to the mat when you’re done using it . Generally, that means finding a second use for it after it’s too worn out for yoga—perhaps as furniture cushioning, an anti-slip surface, or as portable seating, padding, or lining material.

The Clever Yoga LiquidBalance Mat is a generously sized (72.8 by 26.8 inches), latex-free rubber mat. Our hands and feet never slipped on its smooth, sticky, eco-polyurethane surface, and it doesn’t show sweat stains quite as much as our rubber-free pick does. (We tried the LiquidBalance in black; lighter colors may tell a different story.) It comes with a carrying bag, which is helpful considering it weighs a hefty 6½ pounds (1¼ pounds heavier than our top pick and 2 pounds heftier than our natural-rubber pick, the JadeYoga Harmony ). It typically costs around $45 more than the Harmony, and it might be worth that investment if an oversize, latex-free mat is what you’re after.

The rubber Manduka eKO Mat 5mm is plush and grippy with a subtly striped surface texture (reminiscent of tree bark) that performed well damp or dry in our tests. It also just felt good. The mat weighs 7 pounds—2½ pounds more than the JadeYoga Harmony Mat, our runner-up natural-rubber pick —and its 5-millimeter thickness (the Harmony Mat is about 4¾ millimeters) cushioned comfortably. The Manduka eKO Mat’s surface is smoother than that of the Harmony Mat, which is finely textured, so we didn’t get quite the locked-down feel the Harmony Mat provides. But it is confidently grippy and grounding. Made of non-Amazon harvested rubber , the mat gave off a fairly pungent odor in the beginning, and a week after opening it still smelled faintly. Manduka mats have displayed solid durability before: Ingrid owned the eKO Lite Yoga Mat 4mm for about four years; it held up well, save for some fraying at the edges and ultimately succumbing to her cat’s decision to use it as a litter box.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the mats we’ve considered. It includes models we’ve tested that are still available.

The Aurorae Yoga Classic Thick Yoga Mat , made of polymer environmental resin (PER) foam, had divided results. The hatha instructor was generally impressed with its cushiony padding and stickiness and particularly liked the included rosin bag, which helped him get his grip when his hands got sweaty. Our hot-yoga instructor agreed that the rosin helped, but only to a point—toward the end of class, she resorted to layering up with her yoga towel.

The rubber B Mat Everyday 4mm (no longer widely available) we tested had a grippy surface with a subtle texture that felt nice and locked our hands and feet in place, but it was almost too much of a good thing: Pivoting between poses (such as a high lunge to Warrior 2) proved tricky because our feet stuck. The company now offers 10mm and 2mm versions of this mat, which we haven’t tested.

The Clever Yoga Starter Mat is made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) foam and is a cushy ¼ inch thick and 72 by 25¼ inches. Though spacious and lightweight, it lacks a satisfying heft. We slipped a bit on the surface, particularly when it was damp, and despite the rippled texture on the back of the mat, it didn’t stay in place on the floor quite as well as others we tried. It also curled at the ends a bit when unrolled and had the same tendency as the Toplus Yoga Mat Classic ¼-Inch to unspool when rolled up and stored standing or flat.

Gaiam’s Premium 2-Color Yoga Mat and Reversible Yoga Mat are similar: Both are 6 millimeters thick and more squishy and soft than supportive. Each has a textured, softly nubby surface that lets fingers and toes grip easily. The stickiness is there, though at times it feels like literal stickiness—as if a faint coating of something were on the mat (though it’s most likely just the PVC material). These mats are fine for the price, particularly if you prefer a softer, textured surface to a slick, no-slip top layer.

HalfMoon Yoga’s Mighty Mat had fans among readers who commented on a previous version of this guide, so we gave it a go. Both yoga instructors were only mildly impressed by it, finding the mat difficult to unroll and the surface just okay for practice.

We tested the Hugger Mugger Para Mat , which did well in a previous review, when we learned that a new XLXW version measuring 28 inches wide and 78 inches long was launching. Though our yogis enjoyed practicing on the extremely grippy, luxuriously thick (¼ inch or 6.2 millimeters) natural-rubber mat, they found it very heavy to haul around (nearly 10 pounds) and extremely pungent (our hot-yoga instructor described it as smelling like a tire factory, which even bothered her neighbor in class).

The Kulae tpECOmat Ultra mat is made of a TPE material with an extra-plush 8-millimeter (5/16-inch) thickness. The hatha instructor and Amy were big fans of the lightweight yet densely cushioned material, which Amy particularly enjoyed in restorative yoga practice during long-held floor poses. Our hot yoga instructor found it slippery and commented that the material stretched a bit underfoot. Its thickness makes this mat a bit unwieldy to carry when rolled up, despite its 4-pound weight.

The Liforme Yoga Mat has a dual-layered polyurethane and rubber makeup and helpful alignment markings (so you know where to place hands and feet)—and a high price. (The Liforme’s price is almost double that of our similarly fabricated top pick .) Both of our yoga-instructor testers really liked the mat for its stickiness in both hatha and hot yoga, its relatively lightweight construction, and the handy bag it comes in. They really had no complaints, though they pointed out that its thickness of less than 4.8 millimeters (3/16 inch) might not offer enough cushion for some people. Still, for all its “great presentation,” neither tester said they would pay the sticker price.

The Maiya Yoga Mat is generously sized (73 by 25½ inches) and latex free with a slightly textured surface. At 5 millimeters thick, it feels plush and supportive, but in our testing it was slippery. On one of our first days of use, we weren’t able to hold a downward dog without our hands sliding distractingly. (Damp hands slid even more.) The company’s website says grip will improve over time, which may be true—we just haven’t gotten there yet. The mat comes in three pretty prints, and Maiya mats are, according to the company’s website, “the only Indian-American created luxury, designer performance yoga mats.” At $148, they are meant to be a long-term investment, and the company is focused on ethical and environmentally friendly business practices.

The Manduka Pro and the thinner ProLite polyurethane mats have legions of fans who praise them for their durability, which the company backs with a lifetime guarantee. The lingering problem in our testers’ minds: The surface requires extensive breaking in before it’s sticky. The company recognizes this issue and suggests giving these mats a scrub with salt and water “to speed things up a little” while breaking them in.

Nuprava’s The Unity Mat , a reversible, dual-layer mat, is natural rubber on one side and microfiber suede on the other. Meant to absorb sweat during hot yoga practices, the microfiber suede is soft, and it held our hands and feet pretty well. When we reversed the mat, the rubber felt fine, but the mat slid and shifted. At 2 millimeters thick, it’s a hair thicker (0.4 millimeters) than our travel choice; it also weighs 3.3 pounds and is machine washable.

The natural rubber Rumi Sun Yoga Mat takes an interesting approach to grip: The mat has a cotton-fiber-blend fabric mesh set into its surface, which provides some texture. We ultimately found the mat to be almost too rough. Its surface provided a decent amount of grip during both dry and sweaty conditions, but this is not a sticky mat (we experienced some slipping). The Sun Yoga Mat is noticeably dense and at 4.3 mm thick (0.7 mm and 1.9 mm thinner than the Lululemon and Yoga Accessories mats we recommend, respectively) it feels less cushioned than our picks. There was a strong rubber odor when we first unrolled this mat, which stuck around for several days.

Our testers found the Sugamat , made of recycled wetsuits, too coarse for comfort.

The Toplus Yoga Mat Classic ¼-Inch is another cushiony ¼-incher made of a TPE material. Though cushiony and comfortable for floor poses, it didn’t roll out quite flat for us and felt like it stretched a bit during certain poses like Warrior 2. It has an almost sueded texture and a fairly grippy surface, and though it’s exceptionally light, it doesn’t feel substantial. In our experience, when we rolled it for storage, it tended to unspool just enough to be bothersome.

The dual-layer Yoga Design Lab Combo Yoga Mat is a towel-fused rubber mat that’s designed specifically for hot yoga—you can even machine-wash it. However, both yoga instructors struggled with its lack of stickiness when dry and wet.

Yoga Hustle’s The Mat , made of natural rubber with a polyurethane top layer similar to that of our top pick , is 2 inches longer and 3 inches wider. But it’s slightly thinner (4.5 millimeters) and about $40 more expensive. It didn’t stand out as markedly better, though the oversize dimensions gave us a bit more room.

Travel mats

Gaiam makes two nearly identical versions of its PVC travel mat, the Foldable 2mm and the On-The-Go (currently unavailable), the latter of which has integrated carrying straps. Both fold down nicely, and the straps seemed like a good idea—until we realized they were affixed to the mat and got in the way of practice. Our hot yoga instructor complained about the PVC being very slick and “actually had to stop using [the mat] 20 minutes in.”

Lululemon’s The Lightweight Mat 5mm  has the same smooth but grippy texture that our yoga instructors loved on the brand’s The Mat 5mm . At just 1.5 millimeters it’s significantly thinner, which makes it much lighter to carry but also far less cushioned. Unfortunately, it can’t be folded easily—its rolled length of 26 inches is too long to fit inside most backpacks or carry-on suitcases.

The Khataland YoFoMat is bulky (it takes up twice the space of similar mats), cheap feeling (even though it isn’t cheap), and slick to the touch. Neither yoga instructor wanted to test it, and Amy agreed it wasn’t worth their time.

The natural rubber Manduka eKO SuperLite got great reviews from our instructors for its portability. Weighing just 2 pounds, it’s nearly as light as the JadeYoga Voyager, but it doesn’t fold down quite as compactly. Unfortunately, our yogis didn’t agree on the quality of its traction—it satisfied our hatha instructor but had the hot-yoga instructor complaining about slippage from the get-go.

The microfiber top surface of the Toplus 1/16 Inch Travel Yoga Mat has a nice feel, and the mat comes in a tidy plastic sleeve for storage. But our hatha instructor was not impressed with the traction; and though our hot yoga instructor thought it was decent on her trial run, she preferred the JadeYoga Voyager.

We also considered YogaPaws , a set of padded gloves and socks that could easily be the most portable mat-replacement option for traveling yogis. Unfortunately, neither yoga instructor nor Amy much liked practicing in them. Even the thinner version feels thick under your hands and feet, and the socks have a tendency to shift around as you practice.

This article was edited by Tacy Vence and Kalee Thompson.

Meet your guides

Ingrid Skjong

Ingrid Skjong is a supervising editor on the appliance team, focusing on the likes of ranges, refrigerators, dryers, and dishwashers. She previously covered fitness for Wirecutter and has been an editor and writer at various lifestyle magazines. She is an avid runner and lives in New York City.

Amy Roberts

Amy Roberts is a certified personal trainer (NASM-CPT), a running coach (USATF Level 1), and a regionally competitive runner. She also served as a staff writer for the Good Housekeeping Institute for nearly five years, working closely with the engineers and other scientists to interpret product test results.

Further reading

Wirecutter’s 100 Most Popular Picks of 2021

by Wirecutter Staff

These useful things were the most-purchased Wirecutter picks in 2021.

How to Breathe New Life Into Your Old Yoga Mat

by Amy Roberts

Yoga mats are rarely recycled. Repurposing an old mat is one way to keep it out of the waste stream for longer.

How to Clean a Yoga Mat

by Ingrid Skjong

Here’s how to keep your mat fresh, clean, and primed for your practice.

After a Mat, These Cork Blocks Are the Yoga Props Worth Investing In

by Sri Rain Stewart

After testing nine sets of top-rated yoga blocks in all manner of poses, we’ve determined that Manduka Cork Yoga Blocks are the ones to get.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

• Apparel and Gear
• Workout Gear
• Fitness Accessories

The Best Yoga Mats for Hot Yoga, According to Actual Yoga Instructors

Because it’s yoga, not a slip and slide.

Shannon M. Bauer is a Senior Commerce Editor for Dotdash Meredith's Beauty & Style Group. She joined the Shape team in 2022 and works with a team of talented freelance writers to create expert- and research-driven product roundups. Shannon has seven years of experience writing, editing, and producing beauty and wellness content for top print and digital publications. Shannon was previously a Beauty Editor at Parents, Parents Latina, and Shape print magazines.

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Our top picks
• What to Know

Why Trust Shape

Shape / Alli Waataja

As any yogi knows, finding a grippy, nonslip yoga mat is half the battle of doing hot yoga . After all, slipping and sliding around is no way to achieve those asanas with ease. But tracking down the best yoga mat for hot yoga can be tough if you haven’t tested it out in class yet. That’s why it’s wise to look for certain features before you make a purchase.

Veronica Najera , Director of Education at YogaSix , agrees and says that the mat you use for a hot class is key to enhance the experience. “When you pick the right yoga mat for the kind of yoga you are practicing, you are setting yourself up for success,” she explains. “All yoga mats are not the same grip , and quality of the materials used will have an impact on how you feel when you flow .” Through our rigorous research process , we’ve rounded up the best yoga mat for hot yoga options you can buy.

Best Yoga Mat for Hot Yoga Overall

Manduka grp adapt yoga mat.

Why We Like It: Both the top layer and the bottom layer offer the ultimate in traction. 

It’s Worth Noting: With that Satin Grip™ top layer, it can feel smooth at first and takes a little while to break in until it reaches its full grippy potential.

Length: 71” or 79"

If you've taken a class at a Y7 Studio, you understand that the studio knows a thing or two about hot yoga. So, the fact that they specifically use Manduka mats at their locations means that they're definitely worth the investment. "They are lightweight, superior quality, and have the best cushion for support when you're flowing hard," says Lauren Roxborough , former chief marketing officer for Y7 Studio .

Most Versatile Yoga Mat for Hot Yoga

Lululemon the mat 5mm.

Why We Like It: The rubber base provides bonus cushioning. 

It’s Worth Noting: This mat contains latex, which could be a bummer for those with a latex allergy.

Length: 71” 

What makes this one of the best hot yoga mats out there? The dual-textured sides of this mat provide versatility for whichever type of yoga you practice. The smooth side helps hands and feet adhere to the mat and the grippy side provides traction. It's 3 inches longer and 2 inches wider than a traditional yoga mat, providing you more space to flow. This mat also features an antimicrobial coating to prevent mold and mildew from growing after being in a warm environment such as a hot yoga studio or heated area at home — a major bonus.

Easiest Hot Yoga Mat to Clean

Jade yoga harmony yoga mat.

Why We Like It: It comes in a variety of cool hues to choose from. 

It’s Worth Noting: Since it’s made of natural rubber, the smell might be a bit strong at first for those with sensitive noses.

Length: 68” or 74”

Another NYC studio that knows hot yoga is Lyons Den Power Yoga . "This is our choice because it's unmovable, eco-friendly, and durable," says Bethany Lyons , the founder and CEO of Lyons Den. She also likes that the mat is easy to clean and maintain — important to keep in mind for your own mat post-hot yoga. Bonus: Jade Yoga plants a tree for every mat sold.

Best Long Yoga Mat for Hot Yoga

Hugger mugger tapas original yoga mat.

Why We Like It: If you don’t love using super-thick mats, this one is a thinner alternative that still prevents slippage. 

It’s Worth Noting: The brand recommends washing the mat before using for maximum traction. 

Length: 68”, 74”, or 80” 

Available in three different lengths for long-legged yogis, this yoga mat is a great choice for hot yoga because of its sticky surface. It’s actually marketed as the “first sticky yoga mat.” The super-grippy underside locks onto the floor, preventing the mat from slipping during your transition from upward facing dog into plank pose .

Best Yoga Mat for Extra-Sweaty Hot Yoga

Sugarmat printed yoga mat.

Why We Like It: These yoga mats are available in two different thicknesses (3mm and 5mm) if you prefer a thinner or thicker feel. 

It’s Worth Noting: These mats can cost upwards of $118, so they are on the pricier side.

Length: 73” 

Sugarmat's synthetic suede-topped mats are like a yoga towel and your cushiest mat rolled into one — great news, considering their patterns are too pretty to cover up. They also offer travel-sized versions of their insider-favorite yoga mats. And they’re eco-friendly to boot.

Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat for Hot Yoga

Prana verde yoga mat.

Why We Like It: This mat will retain its shape even after being used time and time again thanks to a shape-retaining scrim, or inner fabric, made from organic cotton. 

It’s Worth Noting: Some reviewers note that the mat feels a bit too heavy. 

Length: 72”

Known for its sustainable materials, this yoga mat is eco-friendly and made with nontoxic production methods. The mat is lightweight with a good grip because of its two-sided textured surface. The closed-cell construction prevents sweat and germs from being absorbed into the mat, so it won't smell even after your sweatiest class.

Best Yoga Mat for Hot Yoga In-Studio

Alo yoga air mat.

Why We Like It: With a thin profile, it’s so easy to roll up and take with you on adventures. 

It’s Worth Noting: It has to be rolled just right — the brand recommends always rolling with the top of the mat side facing out, since rolling in the opposite direction can damage the surface.

Length: 74” 

This hot yoga mat is perfect for studio hoppers as it's a travel-friendly version of Alo's popular Warrior Mat . The chic black mat has a nonslip rubber backing and dry-wicking surface to keep your grip when wet or dry. It’s also anti-odor, so you won’t stink up your luggage on your trip back home.

Best Hot Yoga Mat for Good Form

Liforme original yoga mat.

Why We Like It: Between the grip and alignment markers, this mat will keep you sturdy and even improve your practice. 

It’s Worth Noting: As the most expensive mat on our list, this mat isn’t particularly kind to budgets.

Length: 72” 

The extensive features make this hot yoga mat worth the splurge. These colorful mats use "GripForMe" technology, which stays grippy even when wet. Plus, they have an extra layer of cushion. Great for beginners and master yogis alike, markers are etched on the mat to help you double-check alignment while moving through poses. For easy transport, this hot yoga mat also comes with a yoga mat bag.

Best Hot Yoga Mat for Bikram

Life energy ekosmart non-slip yoga mat.

Why We Like It: This mat will give you bang for your buck, with high-quality grippiness that doesn’t break the bank. 

It’s Worth Noting: At 68” long, it’s a bit on the shorter side, so keep this in mind if you’re tall.

Length: 68” 

Ideal for Bikram yoga classes, this mat features a textured surface — ideal for when your hands and feet become sweaty. The mantra printed onto the mat can help you get into a calming headspace (but, TBH, these not-so-zen thoughts you have in hot yoga class are definitely more realistic). The fabrication keeps odors and smells from remaining on the mat post-class.

Best Hot Yoga Towel

Manduka yogitoes yoga towel.

Yogitoes Manduka

Why We Like It: So many cool patterns to choose from! 

It’s Worth Noting: In general, a yoga mat towel may not provide the exact same level of grip as a well-made mat.

Length: 71”

A yoga towel is essential because it can turn any mat into the best hot yoga mat. Spread it over any mat to absorb sweat and prevent the dreaded slipping hands. Y7 Studio uses Yogitoes towels at its studios because they don't bunch and provide a no-slip grip, says Roxborough.

What to Know About Yoga Mats for Hot Yoga

• Material: Najera says while there are several materials used in yoga mats, like natural or recycled rubber, polyurethane, PVC, thermoplastic, cork, jute, or cotton, the ones that work best for the hot room are the ones made of eco-polyurethane with a non-absorbent barrier layer to allow the sweat and moisture to evaporate from the top surface, providing the most grippy, comfortable, and hygienic solution. 
• Thickness: “ Yoga mats have different thicknesses,” Najera says. “If you are looking for more stability to improve your balance and you have happy joints, I totally recommend going for a thinner mat for a hot class, anything between 3-5mm. It will be faster to dry and won't accumulate smells after properly cleaning. But if you have tender joints, it's okay to sacrifice balance for support. Pick a mat that is 5-6mm (over that and it'll be very thick and hard to move around).” Anything thicker than that would be better used as a Pilates mat .
• Top Layer: Najera says that the top of a mat that will be used in a hot class is very important. She advises, “Look for one that has the top layer designed to keep traction and minimize the slippage and provide support.” 

Shelby Deering is a freelance health and lifestyle writer who has been working full-time as a freelance writer for a decade. After earning her master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she worked as a magazine editor for nearly seven years. Since then, she has written on health topics widely ranging from general health to running advice, contributing to print outlets and websites including USA Today, Prevention, Runner’s World, Healthline, Good Housekeeping, HealthCentral, and more. Also, as someone who has taken HIIT hot classes for almost a decade, she knows how transformative a mat with the right grip can be. This piece also contains interviews with industry professionals along with mats that have received high ratings and have been vetted by other Shape writers.

• Phone: +90 (212) 875 19 08
• E-Mail: [email protected]

• Company Profile
• Company Policy
• Mission and Vision
• Certificates
• Aluminium Windows
• Aluminium Doors
• Aluminium Sliding Elements
• Aluminium Curtain Walls
• Aluminium Skylight Elements
• Aluminium Frames for Safety and Security
• Aluminium Conservatories
• Metal Panel Sheet Claddings
• Aluminium Entrance Frames
• Glass Structures
• Complementary Items
• Lightweight Steel Structures
• Human Resources OPEN

Metropolis Office & Shopping Center

Sheremetyevo airport, new georgian parliament building, be ready to view the world from our frame.

Our Projects

New airport, tobolsk, russia.

In progress

Rumyantsevo Home City Residential, Russia

200 East 20th Street, USA

St Pancras Campus, London, United Kingdom

Central Bank of Iraq

Poklonnaya 9, Moscow, Russia

Dar Es Salaam Station, Tanzania

Msk Symphony 34 Residential, Moscow, Russia

Morogoro Station,Tanzania

Multifunctional Medical Center, St. Petersburg, Russia

Setun (JK Hide), Moscow, Russia

Donbass Arena, Donetsk, Ukraine

ЖК FORIVER, Moscow, Russia

AFI PARK, Moscow, Russia

Paveletskaya Plaza, Moscow, Russia

Upside Berlin, Germany

Nobu Hotel London Portman Square, London, United Kingdom

Perrymount Road, London, United Kingdom

Nusr-ET Restaurant, Knightsbridge, London, United Kingdom

Istanbul Grand Airport, Turkey

New Georgian Parliament Building, Georgia

Anthill Residence, Istanbul, Turkey

Arcus III Office Center, Moscow, Russia

168-176 Shoreditch High Street, London, United Kingdom

Apex House, London, United Kingdom

Addlestone Town Centre, London, United Kingdom

Dream Island, Moscow, Russia

Skolkovo Business Center ‘Gallery’, Moscow, Russia

Cisco IT Skolkovo, Moscow, Russia

Studio Stage ‘Mosfilm’, Moscow, Russia

Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow, Russia

Varobevskoe Housing, Moscow, Russia

Tushino Housing, Moscow, Russia

Yasniy Housing, Moscow, Russia

One Trinity Place (2nd Phase), St. Petersburg, Russia

Trinity Place, St. Petersburg, Russia

Action 44, Moscow, Russia

White Gardens, Moscow, Russia

I’m Moscow, Russia

Metropolis Office & Shopping Center, Moscow, Russia

Mayak Housing, Moscow, Russia

Dostoyanie Housing

Nasledie Housing 1

Nasledie Housing 2

Nasledie Housing 3

Life Botanic Garden Residential Complex

K2 Business Park, Moscow, Russia

Prisma Business Center

V-House Housing

Kuntsevo Office Complex

House of Justice

Algoritm Business Center, Moscow, Russia

Demidov Business Center

Rublevo Park Housing

Novopetrovskaya Shopping Center

Shopping-entertainement Complex ‘Kaleidoskop’

Barrikadnaya Bank Building

Beyoglu Loft

Radisson Blu, Istanbul

Sutluce Office

Information Center, Istanbul

Please verify you are a human

Access to this page has been denied because we believe you are using automation tools to browse the website.

This may happen as a result of the following:

• Javascript is disabled or blocked by an extension (ad blockers for example)
• Your browser does not support cookies

Please make sure that Javascript and cookies are enabled on your browser and that you are not blocking them from loading.

Reference ID: 5e755315-065a-11ef-b45e-e565be0e2ecf

Powered by PerimeterX , Inc.

Victor Mukhin

• Scientific Program

Title : Active carbons as nanoporous materials for solving of environmental problems

However, up to now, the main carriers of catalytic additives have been mineral sorbents: silica gels, alumogels. This is obviously due to the fact that they consist of pure homogeneous components SiO2 and Al2O3, respectively. It is generally known that impurities, especially the ash elements, are catalytic poisons that reduce the effectiveness of the catalyst. Therefore, carbon sorbents with 5-15% by weight of ash elements in their composition are not used in the above mentioned technologies. However, in such an important field as a gas-mask technique, carbon sorbents (active carbons) are carriers of catalytic additives, providing effective protection of a person against any types of potent poisonous substances (PPS). In ESPE “JSC "Neorganika" there has been developed the technology of unique ashless spherical carbon carrier-catalysts by the method of liquid forming of furfural copolymers with subsequent gas-vapor activation, brand PAC. Active carbons PAC have 100% qualitative characteristics of the three main properties of carbon sorbents: strength - 100%, the proportion of sorbing pores in the pore space – 100%, purity - 100% (ash content is close to zero). A particularly outstanding feature of active PAC carbons is their uniquely high mechanical compressive strength of 740 ± 40 MPa, which is 3-7 times larger than that of  such materials as granite, quartzite, electric coal, and is comparable to the value for cast iron - 400-1000 MPa. This allows the PAC to operate under severe conditions in moving and fluidized beds.  Obviously, it is time to actively develop catalysts based on PAC sorbents for oil refining, petrochemicals, gas processing and various technologies of organic synthesis.

Victor M. Mukhin was born in 1946 in the town of Orsk, Russia. In 1970 he graduated the Technological Institute in Leningrad. Victor M. Mukhin was directed to work to the scientific-industrial organization "Neorganika" (Elektrostal, Moscow region) where he is working during 47 years, at present as the head of the laboratory of carbon sorbents.     Victor M. Mukhin defended a Ph. D. thesis and a doctoral thesis at the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (in 1979 and 1997 accordingly). Professor of Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia. Scientific interests: production, investigation and application of active carbons, technological and ecological carbon-adsorptive processes, environmental protection, production of ecologically clean food.