Rolling out your yoga mat can help you get in the right frame of mind for your practice, but it can also help you in many other ways.
The right mat can help you hold on to a pose even if you’re sweaty, give you a soft place to land when you jump forward or back and give you a clean place to do yoga.
Here are five of the best yoga mats on the market and some tips to help you choose the right one for your practice.
1. The Beachbody Core Comfort Mat
This yoga mat is an important part of any workout that you do on the floor. It has 1.5 cm of cushioning, so you can use it for yoga or other workouts where you want to give your body a little extra support.
It’s 24″ x 40″ and light and small, so you can take it with you and store it easily.
2. Hugger Mugger Cotton Yoga Rug
If you don’t want to use latex, you could try a yoga rug.
This colorful cotton rug brightens up your yoga space right away. It’s also strong, very absorbent, and easy to fold up so you can use it as a meditation pad.
3. Manduka Equa Eko Round Yoga Mat
Want more space to move around? This 59-inch round yoga mat is made of absorbent microfiber on top and natural rubber on the bottom. It can also be used as an exercise mat for cardio or strength training workouts.
Also, read this article on 8 meditation headbands that can help you calm your mind.
4. Gaiam Foldable Yoga Mat
This light, sticky Gaiam mat folds up into a small rectangle, which is great if you don’t have much room at home or want to bring your mat with you when you travel.
5. Jade Yoga Fusion Mat
It’s a bit of a splurge, but this extra-thick mat is great for Pilates, restorative yoga, and cross-training because it has a lot of cushioning.
Here are a few important things to think about when choosing a mat or rug
Thickness
There are different thicknesses of yoga mats, which usually range from 2mm to 12mm. Most people choose a thickness of 6mm, which is about 14 inches.
This is a good mix of cushioning and toughness.
Lightweight mats are great for traveling, but they don’t give your wrists and knees as much support.
If you practice often, you’ll also see wear and tear happen faster.
12mm mats can be a good choice if you need extra cushioning for your joints. People often use them for Pilates or plyometrics, but you might find them too soft for balance poses.
Material
You might first think of the standard rubber yoga mats, but you might want to think about a yoga rug instead, especially if you like to do yoga outside.
Yoga rugs don’t have as much padding as yoga mats, and if you use them on a hardwood floor, the fabric may move around. (You can keep it in place by putting it on top of a regular yoga mat made of rubber.)
But if you do yoga outside a lot or prefer a faster flow or hot yoga, a yoga rug can soak up sweat and make you less likely to slip.
Even better, many yoga rugs can be washed in a machine without losing their color or shape.
Grip
The grip is always important, especially if you sweat a lot when you do yoga. Some yoga mats, like those made of polyvinyl chloride, can be slippery when they are new.
Slipping is less likely if you use a mat made of a material that doesn’t slip, like natural rubber, or a woven yoga rug or blanket.
Shape and Size
Most yoga mats are between 68 and 71 inches long, but if you’re tall and want to do Warrior poses, you might want a longer mat.
Most yoga mats are rectangular, but if you use your mat for other workouts like HIIT, barre, or Pilates, a round mat may give you more options.
You get the same cushioning and grip from these mats, but you don’t have to stay in that narrow space.
Affordability
Some mats can cost more than $100, and some high-end designer mats can cost as much as $500.
The best yoga mat doesn’t have to be the most expensive one.
No matter how much money you have, look for a yoga mat that won’t slip and has the right amount of cushioning for the type of yoga you like.
Simple to clean
It’s not hard to clean a yoga mat. You can buy sprays to clean your yoga mat. Many of them have essential oils that smell good.
But most mats can be cleaned by mixing a few drops of dish soap with warm water, scrubbing gently, rinsing, and letting them dry in the sun.
