The Best Yoga Mats

This Old House Reviews Team

Yoga mats can be used for in-person yoga classes or at-home workouts. Read our review to learn about our top recommendations for the best yoga mats on Amazon.

Yoga mats make doing yoga easier and more comfortable, as they provide a layer of cushioning and grip between your body and the floor. To help you select the mat that’s right for you, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best yoga mats on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.

1 Best for hot yoga
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08YDD7CP3

Iodoo Cork Yoga Mat

What We Like: This mat has a cork surface and a non-toxic rubber underside. The two materials create a non-slip, tear-resistant, sweat-absorbing, quick-drying, and aesthetically pleasing mat. While the mat is great for hot yoga, it also works well for a variety of other yoga and pilates exercises.



2 Best grip
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D7ZJXKQ

Yogi Bare Paws Yoga Mat

What We Like: This yoga mat is made with naturally sourced closed-cell rubber to resist bacteria growth and maximize friction. Both ends of the mat have square rubber designs printed on them, giving you more grip for your hands and feet. This mat is also easy to clean with just lemon juice and warm water on a cloth.



3 Thickest material
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LP0U5X0

Amazon Basics Yoga Mat

What We Like: This mat has a thickness of half an inch, giving you more padding for kneeling, sitting, and lying. The mat comes in seven colors for a customizable appearance and includes a shoulder strap for easy transportation to your yoga class. The product is also made with foam that’s soft and easy to fold.



4 Best for beginners
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078XJ4JPK

Heathyoga Non-Slip Yoga Mat

What We Like: This yoga mat has detailed markings on its top, bottom, left side, right side, and center, helping beginners determine where they need to place their hands and feet. The mat also has a double-layer design that prevents slipping. Plus, it comes with a carrying strap.



5 Most lightweight
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078DZ9BRD

IUGA Yoga Mat

What We Like: The manufacturer of this yoga mat consulted yoga instructors and other yoga enthusiasts to create this high-quality product. The mat is guaranteed to be toxin-free, odorless, tear-resistant, and lightweight. It also has a reversible design that maintains traction on both sides.



 

Buyer’s Guide

Your yoga mat should meet the needs of your favorite yoga exercises. Here are four factors to consider when making a selection. 

Material

The material of a yoga mat can have a great impact on its liquid absorption, traction, ease of transportation, and more. Individuals who participate in hot yoga should look for mats that are made with cork, as this material absorbs sweat easily. Those who use yoga mats for their daily at-home workouts should look for a mat made with thicker material, such as foam or rubber, for more cushion.

Size

The size of a yoga mat can determine whether or not you have enough space to stretch and exercise without touching the floor. Most mats are between 70 and 75 inches long and 25 and 30 inches wide.

Grip

Choose a mat that has two textured surfaces. This prevents the underside of the mat from sliding across the floor and your body from slipping off the mat’s surface.

Design

Yoga mats typically come in solid colors. Some also have patterns, such as mandalas, printed on them for more design. You can also find mats with alignment lines, which help you position yourself more accurately during poses.

 

 

Frequently Asked Questions

 

How do I clean my yoga mat?

Most yoga mats must be hand-washed with soap and water, although some require other ingredients, such as lemon juice or vinegar. Simply wipe your mat with your solution of choice, and let it air dry. Don’t place your mat in a washing machine, as this can cause it to flake and tear. 

Can I wear sneakers when I’m using my mat?

Most yoga mat companies suggest that you don’t wear sneakers because they can leave permanent marks. 

Can yoga mats with more cushion make me lose my balance?

Yes. Yoga mats with more cushion can cause instability during some yoga poses. More advanced yogis should opt for a mat with a moderate amount of cushion to keep this from happening. 

 

Why Trust The This Old House Reviews Team

This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations. 

We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.

 

The This Old House Reviews Team provides overviews of select products that are top-selling on Amazon and/or popular in consumer searches. Our team evaluates the products based on industry research, consumer reviews, pricing data, hands-on testing in select cases, and other objective criteria unique to a given product line. Unless otherwise noted, these product reviews are intended to help inform buying decisions for DIY or other non-pro users only. Editor’s picks are made by members of the This Old House Reviews Team.

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