One caveat: This thing is heavy (we’re talking over-seven-pounds heavy). Another downside for sweaty-palmed folks, Lamb says, is that the mat can be something of a slip-and-slide if you’re engaging in more rigorous practices. Temple suggests using a practice rug or non-skid towel on top in humid weather or during sweatier sessions, though if you feel the mat starting to lose its grip over time, you could also restore it with a little salt scrub. If that’s not doing the trick, Manduka offers a lifetime guarantee so you can trade yours in for a fresh one.
The Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Mat: Jade Harmony
Long a favorite of yogis and yoga instructors, Jade’s Harmony mat strikes the ideal balance between grip, support, and sweat absorption. Unlike other thick, squishy mats out there that can feel comfy underfoot for a winding-down savasana but can actually cause problems for your joints, the natural rubber on this yoga mat provides a solid base—with enough springiness and resistance to keep your wrists and ankles safe.
Other perks: Jade manufactures all of its mats in the U.S. and has vowed to plant a tree for every mat purchase (to date the company has surpassed more than two million trees). With a variety of lengths and colors to choose from, you also won’t be stuck with the exact same mat as everyone else in class. Lamb—a long-time user of Jade mats for their sponginess, eco-friendly production, sweat absorption, and variety of widths/weights and colors—confirms that the Harmony mat is a “solid investment” for the price.
The Best Extra-Large Yoga Mat for Tall Dudes and Home Gyms: Manduka PRO Squared
Yes, holding downward-facing dog for 10 breaths is challenging, even for experienced yogis, but a downward-facing dog on a mat that is too small is even more challenging. Luckily, Manduka makes this extra-long, almost comically wide version of its Pro Mat that’s perfect for tall guys, or for doing yoga in pairs. With nearly seven feet of real estate (compared to the standard six for most yoga mats), you can spread those limbs out comfortably without worrying about rolling off the mat. It also offers the same bona fides as the original Pro, including the dense six millimeter thickness, closed-cell material that keeps bacteria and moisture from seeping into the mat, and the enviable lifetime warranty. The only hangup? It weighs, uh, fully over 25 pounds, so it’s not exactly the kind of mat you roll up for class. If you’ve got the square footage in your home gym for it, though, it is the perfect way to embrace the sprawl.
The Best Extra Thick Yoga Mat for Home Workouts: Jade Fusion
Even some of the squishiest yoga mats can be harsh on your joints and bones over time, which could be remedied by folding your mat over for extra cushioning under your knees, but this PVC-free mat is already almost twice as thick as Jade’s Harmony mat—no folding required—at nearly eight millimeters thick. With that thickness comes extra weight, so this 8.5-pounder mat won’t be your top choice for a travel mat, but it’s still endlessly supportive underfoot, whether you’re planting your feet into a chair pose or digging into a side plank.
The Best Grippy Yoga Mat for All Kinds of Exercises: Lululemon Workout Mat
Lululemon has a huge following for its aesthetic-minded, reversible yoga mats and accessories, and we’d be remiss to not at least give them a nod here. We think Manduka still has an edge over the athleisure giant overall with its lifetime guarantee, but Lululemon recently released a thicker mat with a textured surface that’s a great option if you’re looking to buy one foundation for everything from pilates to HIIT to yoga. The rubbery top layer of the mat is designed to give you a better grip during precarious poses like a half-moon asana, while still remaining durable enough to hold up to the treads of your sneakers during jumping jacks and burpees. This one’s also supposedly stain-resistant and uses a closed-cell design to keep sweat from soaking into its upper layers. But be warned that any of the brand’s rubber mats are going to take a couple days to release their strong rubbery odor, so stick that sucker in a room with good ventilation and crank the air purifier up.
The Best Lightweight Travel Yoga Mat: Manduka Eko Superlite
If you’re cool with slightly thinner mats, the Eko is a very popular alternative to Manduka’s Pro Lite travel series. Wilson says he always travels with the Superlite for a couple reasons: “The natural rubber surface offers grippy contact. And it’s ultra-thin at 1.5 millimeters which means it can easily roll and even fold when you need to save space.” Just a head’s up that the thin density is going to be tough on joints, but you can always double up with a towel or blanket on top if you need more cushion underneath your feet.
The Best Foldable Yoga Mat for Commuters: Jade Voyager
You don’t want to be that guy on the subway during rush hour, hurrying to make your evening class while your mat is sticking awkwardly out of your bag primed to get stuck in the closing doors or the turnstile or knock over a small child. For those on the go, Jade Yoga’s ultra-light, ultra-thin, foldable Voyager Mat is perfectly portable. Weighing just over one pound, it folds up to about the size of a yoga block, and easily fits inside totes, backpacks, and gym bags. It’s only 1.6 millimeters thick, so if you need a little more support, just throw it on top of a rental mat from the yoga studio and you’ll still get premium grip without the germs or the fuss of a sweat towel.
The Best Yoga Mat for Beginners: Lifeforme Original
For absolute yoga beginners, knowing where to plant your feet in a warrior one versus a warrior two pose can be challenging to master, especially in crowded classes where teachers are less inclined to offer hands-on adjustments. Just short of arranging private lessons, a mat like Liforme’s can at least provide a helpful blueprint so you can measure out the distance between your hands and feet in a downward dog, for example, or set your alignment in any of the sun salutations. It doesn’t come at a beginner price, for sure, but it might be worth it to get you up to speed during a fast-paced vinyasa class. For what it’s worth, we prefer the markings on this mat to Lululemon’s similar Take Form mat, which we found a little tougher to follow.
The Best Woven Yoga Mat: Oko Living Herbal
Whether you’re into Bikram or you just sweat a lot, it can be difficult to find a mat that gives you enough support without feeling like your hands might slip out from under you at any moment during downward dog. Laying a towel on top of your mat can sometimes do the trick, but can also be a hassle to fumble with throughout your practice. If this sounds like you, try out a woven mat instead. It’s not only a stylish, easily portable choice for grounding down into your practice, but can also be helpful for gaining traction during a sweaty hot yoga class.
Read the full article here
