Looking for the perfect yoga mat but don’t know where to start? In this review, we compare 19 yoga mats to help you choose the best one for your practice. We’ve spent over 200 hours comparing and testing different yoga mats side by side in the studio, at home, while traveling, hiking, and at the beach. Whether you need a lightweight travel mat, a non-slip mat for Vinyasa Flow yoga, or a cushion to protect your knees, we’ll help you find the perfect yoga companion.
Our testers’ favorite mat was the Manduka PRO. It offers excellent cushioning, reliable traction, and an ultra-long lifespan, making it a favorite among teachers. For students on a budget, the eco-friendly Iuga anti-slip mat is a better choice. The Iuga is portable and cushioned, and the materials used are on par with more expensive products.
You don’t need much equipment to practice yoga on a mat. But if you need 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 to help loosen up tight fascia and muscles. And if you’re looking for something comfortable, check out our recommended sports bras and yoga pants.
The PRO weighs in at 7.5 pounds. “You might have to do more yoga to reduce the fatigue of carrying it across town,” joked one tester. Some of our testers were so dedicated that they were willing to fly with it anywhere. However, if you frequently carry your yoga mat long distances, there are other excellent lightweight options in our testing lineup, like the 2.2-pound Earth Elements Hugger Mugger or the 2.1-pound Iuga Eco Friendly Non Slip. Our other gripe with the PRO is that it gets slippery when wet, so hot yoga fans may want to pair it with a towel (Manduka makes a towel just the right size to fit the PRO). Overall, the Manduka PRO is our favorite pick for stability and comfort, and a tried-and-true favorite among many yoga teachers.
After testing the Iuga Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat in a variety of conditions for months, we found it to be very durable. However, this open-cell yoga mat may not last as long as other award-winning waterproof mats. With proper care, the Iuga yoga mat can last for years. Although highly absorbent, it does absorb sweat easily and needs to be dried regularly to remain breathable. If you prefer a yoga mat that is easy to maintain over time, consider a closed-cell yoga mat like the Manduka eKO. However, if you are 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 padding is thin; one of our testers needed extra knee pads while practicing yoga on the granite slabs of Yosemite and had to roll 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.
The mat has an open-cell structure, absorbs sweat well, and has good elasticity. It typically lasts more than five years, but it’s not as durable as other models we tested. Another issue is that the absorbent surfaces can soak up oil and dirt, making it more susceptible to stains. Choosing a darker color will make a big difference in how fresh it feels over time. We highly recommend against getting a dotted pattern, as it creates an optical illusion that left many testers feeling dizzy. The mat rolls up easily for easy portability; however, at less than 6 pounds, it can be a bit heavy to carry or bike to class. If you’re looking for a lighter, more portable option, the ultra-light Jade Voyager might be a better option. Either way, The Mat is a great choice for a studio or home yoga mat. Overall, we think this mat is great for just about any exercise, especially if you like to try out different exercise styles.
In terms of grip, the B Yoga Mat excels. However, this may also hinder some yoga practices. If you prefer faster practices like Ashtanga yoga or flowing vinyasa classes that require sliding transitions, you may find this mat too grippy. Our testers typically slide on their toes, but they found that they had to step rather than slide to get into poses, which made the movement less fluid. So if you don’t like excessive friction, this grip may impact 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 for you, the B Yoga Mat will help you perform many poses with stability. Finally, potential buyers should be aware that it’s not as durable as other models we tested, like the Manduka PRO, and the surface is more prone to wrinkling and staining if not stored properly. While the B Mat Everyday isn’t ideal for a flowing vinyasa practice, it’s definitely ideal if you plan to move slowly and want a mat with good traction, making it a popular choice for hot yoga.
The Liforme is very comfortable and provides enough cushioning for most poses. However, if you need a mat with more support, you may want to 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 scratches 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 conditions. Its balanced features make it a great mat to use at home or as a carry-on for travel. Add in intuitive alignment guides and a gecko-like grip, and you have a supportive yoga mat that can inspire you to take a deeper, self-guided exploration of proprioception and healthy posture wherever you are.
In our testing, we found the Yoloha Unity’s traction to be impressive, but it takes a while to achieve optimal grip. If you’re practicing dry, the mat’s surface can be slippery. While you can carry a spray bottle to help with this, even that’s a bit of a hassle. When it comes to texture, the surface is grainier than most yoga mats, and our testers had mixed feelings about the feel, with one even describing it as “like a wet beach.” Considering its excellent grip and stability, this cork mat is one of the more expensive options we tested. Part of the cost is due to its eco-friendly materials and manufacturing process—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 more budget-friendly choice that uses sustainably harvested rubber trees. Overall, the Unity is a great choice for anyone looking for a cork mat that can effectively wipe off sweaty hands, has an antimicrobial surface, and provides solid stability. Plus, Yoholo has partnered with EcoCart to make every mat purchased carbon neutral.
To find the best yoga mats, we asked yoga teachers, yoga therapists, and experienced practitioners what kind of yoga mats they needed to support their practice. Our search for the best options began with extensive market research. We reviewed more than 60 models and selected the most promising ones for a series of tests. Our testers then evaluated each mat over two months of intensive training. For the current product line, we consulted more than 15 yoga teachers about their years of experience with high-quality yoga mats. Our testers then spent more than 200 hours practicing on the mats in both dry and wet conditions, noting how each mat cushioned pressure on joints, provided stability for balance, and resisted slipping. We also documented each mat’s durability and ease of care. A final factor considered was the eco-friendliness of the mats’ materials and manufacturing process.
Our professional testers have collectively logged thousands of hours on these mats. Our primary yoga mat tester was Kate Pitts, a dedicated Ashtanga yoga practitioner with five years of yoga teaching experience. Kate first began teaching yoga while working as a ranger on a remote hiking trip at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, when sleeping mats were the alternative to yoga mats. Now her bones have enjoyed the comfort of a cozy pillow. She loves the outdoors and appreciates how her practice connects her to nature and the deep ecology that supports her community. Kate teaches Mysore Ashtanga Yoga, Yoga Nidra, and Yin Yoga, and has ongoing training in yoga therapy.
In the information age, too many choices can lead to choice overload. There are many types of yoga mats on the market today, even more than there are traditional types of yoga. They range from cheap yoga mats that you can buy at big box stores to expensive professional yoga mats that are carefully crafted by yoga teachers. Choosing a yoga mat depends on your body type, preferences, and the style of yoga you practice. We offer a wide variety of yoga mats and provide detailed recommendations based on years of experience to help you choose the right one. We look at pricing in the yoga mat market, factors to consider 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. Yoga mats are high quality and great value, so we looked for products that combine affordability with great performance. There are plenty of inexpensive yoga mats on the market, but that’s not all. However, cheap yoga mats often lack cushioning or traction, which can make your practice less comfortable. On the contrary, some models come at a high price, and we feel it’s our responsibility to confirm whether the quality matches the price or whether we’re paying for the brand. If you’re looking for a product that offers both high performance and a low price, then you need to compare price and performance.
While Manduka yoga mats are more expensive, they can last for over a decade with minimal wear and tear, even with teachers doing intense daily practice, especially the Manduka PRO. For us, it’s worth it. The eco-friendly Iuga Non-Slip Yoga Mat combines the perfect balance of cushioning, traction, and portability—all at a very reasonable price. Whether you’re just starting out or taking classes, this yoga mat is a practical purchase for you.
Some yoga mats are great and inexpensive 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 square, portable mat. It’s a great mat if you don’t want to wear out your expensive everyday yoga mat. This mat might not be suitable for an urban yoga studio, but when you’re outdoors or traveling, it’s perfect.
Comfort and support are perhaps the most important factors to consider when choosing a yoga mat. The best yoga mats should not be too soft or too hard, but should provide the “right” balance. We looked for pads that would effectively cushion the impact of a variety of challenging surfaces and be durable enough to help you maintain balance, stability, and prevent hyperextension of your joints.
Just a few cycles of cat-cow breathing will allow you to feel the thigh bone pressing down through the knee joint. If your yoga mat does not have enough cushioning, pain or discomfort will spread due to the strong contact with the ground. You will need a yoga mat with a protective layer that will cushion and withstand the impact. If you can see the marks of your feet when standing on your yoga mat, then it is too soft and not suitable for daily practice, as the mat will stick tightly to the floor.
In our tests, we simulated how a shock-absorbing mat would perform when a human skeleton compresses the mat against the shaft of a pen (like the head of a fist) under the weight of a 40-pound cinder block. Less compressed mats are denser and more resilient, creating a protective barrier between your bones and the hard floor. Mats without protection would sag under the weight of your body and melt into the hard floor.
The Manduka PRO is one of the most supportive pillows we tested. We spoke to a yoga therapist who uses the pillow in rehabilitation therapy for patients recovering from injuries or terminal illnesses, such as cancer. The pillow provides both protection and reliable postural balance, providing the necessary support for physical therapy and exercise.
The Lululemon mat is also 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 settle 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 padding is a little firmer than the PRO.
Despite being one of the lightest off-road mats we’ve tested, the Iuga Eco Friendly boasts high-performance cushioning that’s thick enough to protect your knees on hard floors and durable enough to withstand power and balance poses. We also appreciate the thick, springy 4mm Prana Verde pad, which provides excellent bounce.
The Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip provides excellent cushioning. It provides excellent joint support and keeps your feet firmly on the ground without moving. While it’s not the most grippy sticky mat, it’s still a good choice 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.
While the Liforme Original pillow is a little thinner than other highly rated options, it offers a great balance of cushioning and firmness, and is a good weight for travel. One of the Liforme’s innovative features is the alignment grid, which helps you develop healthy posture and correct left-right imbalances in your body.
If you need a yoga mat that is extra long and wide, we recommend the Alo Yoga Warrior Yoga Mat. 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 don’t collapse forward or sideways as you shift your weight onto your hands. The same goes for upright balance poses. A cushion that’s too soft can cause your feet to roll inward or outward, which will distribute your weight unevenly and force your upper chain muscles to compensate for the uneven ground. The Yoloha Unity Cork mat is very durable and one of the most stable mats we tested.
However, if you are primarily using it for restorative or Yin yoga practices, a soft mat may be a good choice. The Earth Elements Hugger Mugger Cushion contains more foam to provide the necessary stability while still maintaining balance, making it ideal for seated practices, Yin yoga, and sound baths.
Slipping on your yoga mat or letting a block fall out from underneath it can seriously disrupt your flow state. For many people, grip isn’t just about the yoga mat; grip is a skill that improves as you learn to control your body. Different levels of yoga mat grip are appropriate for different types of practice and experience.
Because yoga mats can perform differently depending on their environment, we tested each mat’s grip on both dry and wet surfaces side by side. We offer a variety of grip options so you can choose the one that best suits your body type and preferences.
The B Mat Everyday provides excellent traction right out of the box. It’s hard to believe that a yoga mat can be so sticky that it leaves no residue on your hands after a workout. Because the B Mat is so sticky, it can be very difficult to glide, jump, or roll on your toes without getting stuck. We also really liked the striped tension lines on the top of the Manduka eKO and Prana Verde, especially during dry-grip, heat-free workouts. We found that these tension cords provided good friction for balance and handstand exercises.
The Lululemon yoga mat is great for almost all types of yoga, providing incredible grip on both dry and wet surfaces. This yoga mat is very absorbent and absorbs sweat quickly, and it takes a lot of sweat to build up moisture on the surface. Even when the mat was completely wet, we felt great suction as we moved our arms and legs across it.
This yoga mat can be used on both sides. The polyurethane top layer wicks away moisture and provides a secure grip for sweaty activities like hot yoga. The natural rubber bottom layer provides a textured grip for more challenging moves. You can experiment with different grips to find one that allows your hands and feet to fully contact the ground and feels comfortable.
The Liforme Original looks as smooth as a glass castle, but sticks to the window like a gecko. The surface is etched with calibration lines and is slightly textured so you can feel it without straining your eyes. This is a great sticky mat for beginners to help them develop good posture and proprioception.
If you prefer a sticky yoga mat, the Iuga Eco Friendly is also a great choice for those who like to sweat. Its unique soft surface remains non-slip while still being comfortable to glide on. It is lighter, the only downside is that it can dent a little in the middle if you have heavy legs.
The Manduka PRO has a textured surface, making it ideal for inversions and handstands. It strikes a great balance between stickiness and slipperiness, making it ideal for dynamic movements or Ashtanga yoga. It gets slipperier when wet, so it may be a better option for hot yoga. The PRO mat is also very dense, with circular patterns on the underside that stick to the floor. This mat won’t fold when you tiptoe, and it won’t shift when you bounce, swing, or roll over. We tested how easily mats glide on different surfaces, and the PRO was one of the firmest. The Alo Warrior Mat, Jade Harmony, Lululemon The Mat, and Manduka eKO are also notable favorites.
Some yoga mats are best used when damp. The Yoloha Unity Yoga Mat provides the best grip with a little moisture. This yoga mat is very slippery when dry, so we recommend spritzing it with water at the beginning of your practice to improve grip. The surface of the mat does not absorb water, so it is a good idea to have a towel handy in case you start to sweat. The underside of the mat has a pattern that provides good grip in most cases, but may be slightly 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 any cushioning for your bones. Some people cleverly use them as yoga mat pads instead of towels to maintain a hygienic grip while heading to the yoga studio.
Our goal is to find a yoga mat that lasts. Many companies tout their “green credentials,” claiming to use non-toxic manufacturing materials and zero-waste factories. While we appreciate companies that prioritize sustainability, the greenest choice is often to “reduce” rather than “reuse” and “recycle.” A high-quality yoga mat that can withstand years of practice will be valued higher than a recycled material that will fall apart in six months.
Our testing team practiced on each yoga mat at least a dozen times and noted any signs of wear. We conducted extensive market research to evaluate the durability of yoga mats among different users. When choosing the winners, we consulted more than fifteen yoga teachers to get their opinions on the durability of yoga mats over the years.
The Manduka PRO is a thick and durable yoga mat. Its closed-cell structure effectively blocks moisture, sweat, and dirt from penetrating. The PRO is made of Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certified PVC. PVC is known for its tear resistance, so this yoga mat will last a long time. We interviewed several teachers who are still practicing with professionals ranging in age from 5 to 20 years, and they all said their yoga mats are still in perfect condition.
As for rubber mats, they wear out faster than PVC mats. Typical wear marks on rubber pads are marks from the friction of hands and feet on the parallel rails. The Manduka eKO does not come with the lifetime warranty that the company offers for the heavy-duty PRO model. This is intentional because the eKO is made of biodegradable natural rubber. We interviewed several practitioners who found success after 3-6 years of intense daily Ashtanga practice on the eKO.
After a period of testing, the Yoloha Unity Cork showed no signs of breaking or wearing out. One yoga teacher noted that if the mat is protected from heat and rolled up with the cork side out, it can last more than five years before it starts to wear out.
The Liforme Original Yoga Mat is durable and travel-friendly — we put it in the overhead bin on the plane right after security and it barely creased or wrinkled. Lululemon’s The Mat has a relatively long lifespan among rubber mats. We’ve spoken to some practitioners who’ve been doing it for 5-6 years and have seen only minor 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 survived the airport overhead bins without any damage and is still in great condition after numerous outdoor trips. Its unique mesh design means it weighs less than 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? Is it easy to paint? Will it have any odors? How often should it be cleaned? Does it require a deep clean? Can the mat be easily rolled up for storage? Pads that only require wiping with a cleaning solution typically score higher. Mats that have a shelf life, detailed care instructions, or are prone to collecting dust/hair score lower. We then looked first at portability, light weight, and then ease of carrying the mat around town. 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 paired 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, mats can harbor bacteria, germs, and odors, which is unhygienic. Liforme Original is an innovative design that avoids this problem common with open-cell mats. The absorbent top layer wicks away sweat, while the waterproof middle layer acts as a moisture barrier, helping to wick away sweat and preventing bodily fluids from soaking into the deeper layers of the pad. Liforme has the absorbent properties of open-cell mats without the need for extensive cleaning, making it one of the easiest mats to clean and maintain while traveling.
Cleaning a yoga mat involves two steps: regular surface cleaning and occasional deep cleaning. To clean the surface, most manufacturers recommend simply wiping it 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 classic example of a closed-cell mat, which only requires a light spray and wipe after each yoga session. If the mat is dirtier than usual, spray the surface again lightly and let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe and allow the mat to air dry completely. Another closed-cell mat, the Hugger Mugger Earth Elements, is easy to clean even after outdoor yoga sessions.
Deep cleaning involves rinsing the mat in the shower, soaking it in the bathtub like a scuba tank, or hosing it down in the backyard. Allow the mat to air dry completely before storing it. There is no quick and easy way to deep clean. If you find this too difficult, consider PVC or cork mats, which are easy to maintain. 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 rinsing required, and it leaves a fresh scent after each wash. However, we found the towel to be a little slippery both wet and dry, which is more than you might expect from a hot yoga mat.