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The Best Yoga Mats of 2024

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Editor's Choice Product image of Lululemon The Mat 5mm
Best Overall

Lululemon The Mat 5mm

Check Price at Lululemon

The Lululemon mat provides a sturdy, non-slip base for yoga. Read More

Pros

  • Surface provides comfort without wobbling
  • Easy to wipe down
  • Rolls up well

Cons

  • Expensive
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Gaiam Premium Yoga Mat (6mm)
Best Value

Gaiam Premium Yoga Mat (6mm)

Check Price at Amazon

The Gaiam Premium mat has a grippy texture and comes in 25 colors and patterns but picks up dirt and dust easily. Read More

Pros

  • Grippy waffle texture
  • Comes in 25 colors and patterns

Cons

  • Picks up dirt and dust easily
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Liforme Yoga Mat
Best Upgrade

Liforme Yoga Mat

Check Price at Amazon

The Liforme mat cushions the joints and has markings to find alignment—but it's very expensive. Read More

Pros

  • Has markings to help with positioning
  • Comes with a carry bag
  • Non-slip surface

Cons

  • Expensive
4
Product image of Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Yoga Mat

Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Yoga Mat

Check Price at Amazon

The Hugger Mugger Para Mat feels soft to the touch but still resists slipping and sliding. Read More

Pros

  • Soft to the touch
  • Non-slip surface on one side and texture on the other
  • Well-cushioned

Cons

  • Heavy
5
Product image of Alo Warrior Mat

Alo Warrior Mat

Check Price at Alo

This mat has great non-slip qualities and feels great to the touch, but never lies fully flat. Read More

Pros

  • Most non-slip of all mats tested
  • Feels great to the touch

Cons

  • Never lies fully flat
  • Picks up debris from the floor
  • Expensive
  • Best Overall Lululemon The Mat 5mm
  • Best Value Gaiam Premium Yoga Mat (6mm)
  • Best Upgrade Liforme Yoga Mat
  • Related content
  • Other Yoga Mats We Tested
  • How We Tested Yoga Mats
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

Whether you’re new to yoga or a seasoned pro, a good yoga mat is essential to productive practice. If you’re constantly slipping out of your Downward-Facing Dog, you’re never going to convince yourself to get your Vinyasa on, be it for a yoga class in the studio or a home practice with a yoga app.

But having a great mat is useful beyond yoga, too. A trusty mat is fantastic for calisthenic exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, and planks, and a great place to sit and roll out your legs or back as you recover from other workouts.

That’s why we spent some time with a lot of popular mats, including the offerings from Alo, Manduka, Nike, and Hugger Mugger. After hours of testing, the Lululemon Reversible Mat (available at Lululemon) , with its durable, supportive surface, is our top pick. We also think the Gaiam Premium Mat (available at Amazon) is a solid choice for people who don’t want to spend as much. And if you’re looking for an extra luxe place to practice, we love the Liforme Yoga Mat (available at Liforme), which feels cushy and has markings to help you find proper alignment.

Left: Woman doing yoga on Lululemon mat in park. Right: Blue Lululemon mat and logo on grass.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

Lululemon's reversible mat aced each one of our tests.

Best Overall
Lululemon The Mat 5mm

This mat really convinced me to up my yoga game. The 71-inch long, 26-inch wide, and 5-millimeter (.2-inch) surface may seem hard at first, but it has just the right amount of softness to provide cushion under joints without any wobbling during balancing poses. (You can also get the “Big” version of the mat, which is a whopping 84 inches long and 28 inches wide.) It boasts a completely flat, non-skid polyurethane surface and a base made of textured natural rubber, ensuring a great grip on both sides. This smooth, sturdy top layer means it's great for hot yoga, too—a yoga towel doesn't slip around too much on the mat, even if a lot of sweat drips onto it. I can firmly plant my hands and feet on the mat while switching poses or trying to hold a plank. Because it’s so smooth, it’s easy to wipe down after a workout, though it takes some time to fully dry. And while the 5.24-pound weight can feel heavy, the mat rolls up well, which is great for portability.

If you do a lot of yoga or bodyweight workouts and want a barely there but still comfortable feel, you can’t do much better than this classic mat.

Pros

  • Surface provides comfort without wobbling

  • Easy to wipe down

  • Rolls up well

Cons

  • Expensive

Buy now at Lululemon
Left: woman practicing yoga on gaiam yoga mat. right: teal gaiam yoga mat on wooden floor.
Credit: Gaiam / Reviewed / Amanda Tarlton

The Gaiam mat's pretty colors and durable waffle texture make it a worthy choice.

Best Value
Gaiam Premium Yoga Mat (6mm)

This Gaiam PVC mat has a bumpy, waffle-like texture, which helps it provide a good grip no matter what side it’s on. At less than $30, it’s our best budget pick and just a fraction of the cost of many of the other mats on this list. Despite the cheaper price, it’s surprisingly good quality. I rarely found myself having to adjust my hands or feet thanks to the textured surface, which offers grippiness even when I’m sweaty. It also comes in 25 pretty patterns and colors, so there’s one for almost every preference. It’s also easy to roll up and tote around at 68 inches long, 24 inches wide, 6 millimeters (.24 inches) thick, and weighing just 2.95 pounds (one of the lightest mats we tested).

That said, although the mat is lightweight and easy to roll up, the same sticky surface that kept me in place also attracts dirt and dust easily. When I took my mat out after my first practice, it looked grimy.

Pros

  • Grippy waffle texture

  • Comes in 25 colors and patterns

Cons

  • Picks up dirt and dust easily

$29.54 from Amazon
Left: Woman practicing yoga on blue liforme yoga mat. Right: Purple Liforme yoga mat wooden floor.
Credit: Liforme / Reviewed / Amanda Tarlton

Liforme's alignment markers are a game changer for any yogi.

Best Upgrade
Liforme Yoga Mat

When I was a wee beginner yogi some 12 years ago, someone gave me the Liforme mat and it’s been my favorite—second only to the Lululemon mat—ever since. It’s made of natural rubber with a polyurethane surface and is well-cushioned with 4.2-millimeter (.17-inch) padding. You can use it on almost any surface and feel comfortably supported—I’ve even practiced on a gravel driveway and couldn’t feel the rocks underneath. Thanks to its rubber coating, I have never once slipped on the Liforme mat, even in the hottest of Bikram yoga classes. It also has line markings etched into its 72.8-inch long and 26.8-inch wide surface that help you get into proper alignment, whether you need to line your arch up to your heel in Warrior II or you want your hands properly placed in Downward Dog. While I don’t use these as much now that I’m a yoga instructor, they were incredibly helpful when I was a beginner and I still use them as a gut check from time to time. The Liforme mat, however, is the most expensive of all the mats we tested. So if you’re looking for a budget-friendly mat, this ain’t it.

Pros

  • Has markings to help with positioning

  • Comes with a carry bag

  • Non-slip surface

Cons

  • Expensive

Buy now at Amazon

Related content

Other Yoga Mats We Tested

Product image of Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Yoga Mat
Hugger Mugger Para Rubber Yoga Mat

If love at first touch is a thing, that’s what I experienced with the Hugger Mugger mat. The non-slip surface, which is made of natural rubber, is so soft that it feels like something I could easily fall asleep on. (In fact, I may have done just that a few times in Savasana, shhh). However, it still provides more than enough grip to keep you securely in place during a sweaty flow. The other side is textured if you’re someone who prefers that feeling, too. The 6-millimeter (.24-inch) padding is thicker than most and gives just enough cushion to make your practice comfortable without being too squishy that it’s hard to balance. It also comes in both regular (70 inches long) and an extra long (78 inches long) size for taller people.

The only downside to this mat is its heft. It weighs in at 6.6 pounds, the most of all we tested, This may not sound heavy, but definitely feels like a lot to carry home when your arms are tired after an hour of shoulder stands and Chaturangas.

Pros

  • Soft to the touch

  • Non-slip surface on one side and texture on the other

  • Well-cushioned

Cons

  • Heavy

Buy now at Amazon

$56.97 from Walmart
Product image of Alo Warrior Mat
Alo Warrior Mat

The polyurethane and rubber Alo Warrior mat performed very well in tests. It has an excellent non-slip surface that feels firm enough to provide ample support but doesn’t feel too rigid. That said, I couldn’t get it to lie fully flat—the ends retained curves from being rolled for storage. I also noticed that it sometimes got lumpy and deformed where I placed my hands. Plus, its rubber bottom is so sticky that it picks up debris from the floor. It’s 74 inches long, 26 inches wide, 4.2 millimeters (.17 inches) thick and weighs in at a hefty 6 pounds, so while it’s great for home practice, it may not be the best option for lugging to and from the studio.

Pros

  • Most non-slip of all mats tested

  • Feels great to the touch

Cons

  • Never lies fully flat

  • Picks up debris from the floor

  • Expensive

Buy now at Alo
Product image of Nike Mastery
Nike Mastery

The Nike yoga mat was the only mat that had zero odor when I opened it up. Made of a blend of rubber and “recycled materials,” the surface of the 5-millimeter (.2-inch) mat is sleek and smooth yet grippy. When I sweat on it, it didn’t stay damp for hours nor did it get smelly—even after multiple uses, the mat has remained odorless. I like that the reverse side of the mat—i.e., the side that you lay on the ground—isn’t sticky so it doesn’t pick up dirt and dust like some yoga mats are prone to. Fortunately, however, this doesn’t affect how well the mat stays in place during a flow. At 3.15 pounds, this mat is also one of the lighter ones that I tested so it’s a good option to carry to and from the studio. You can also get it in two lengths: standard, which is 71 inches long, and long, which is 79 inches long.

Still, despite its amazing functionality, I found myself missing some fun in the form of colors and patterns. The Mastery mat only comes in black and gray, so although it could work for people who like to keep it simple, it may not be the best option for yogis who like to practice on funky hues.

Pros

  • Lightweight

  • Soft and sweat-wicking surface

  • Odorless

Cons

  • Limited color range

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Jade Harmony Mat
Jade Harmony Mat

This natural rubber Jade Yoga mat is effective in that it prevents feet from slipping and feels sturdy. Another plus is that it offers more size options than most brands. You can get it in three lengths (68 inches, 71 inches, or 74 inches) and two widths (24 inches or 28 inches) and its standard size weighs about 5 pounds. But it's not very comfortable—its textured material feels tacky and rough, and, even though it’s a hair under 5 millimeters (.2 inches) thick, it doesn’t feel like it provides much padding. This material makes it tough to wipe down, too. My cleaning cloth kept rolling up on itself in a way that didn’t happen with the other mats.

Overall, this is a decent mat for someone who isn't looking for much cushion and just wants something to nail their hands and feet to the ground.

Pros

  • Effective at preventing slipping

  • Great mat for someone who doesn't like excess padding

Cons

  • Tough to clean

  • Not as comfortable as other mats

Buy now at JadeYoga

Buy now at Amazon

$91.99 from Target

$89.00 from Walmart
Product image of Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat
Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat

The PVC Manduka Pro mat felt nice at first, but it got slippery and less comfortable as time went on. As soon as I started sweating, it was difficult for me to maintain a grip. Its 71-inch length, 24-inch width, and 4.7-millimeter (.19-inch) thickness makes it weigh just about 4 pounds, so it's not too heavy. It’s portable and easy to roll up, but other than that, it's not anything special to use.

Pros

  • Feels great when you first start using it

  • Not too heavy

Cons

  • Grows slippery throughout practice

Buy now at Manduka

$108.00 from Amazon

$75.00 from Walmart
Product image of Everyday Yoga Mat (72 Inch 5mm)
Everyday Yoga Mat (72 Inch 5mm)

The 72- by 24-inch Everyday Yoga Mat is a bestseller at Yoga Outlet, but I wasn’t the biggest fan. It provides extra cushioning with its 5-millimeter (.2-inch) thickness and its waffle-textured PVC material allows some grip. However, the minute I started sweating, said grip went away. I was slipping and sliding throughout an entire hot yoga class—which is as dangerous as it is frustrating. The surface texture also irritated my skin after an hour of use. I found that it left little square indentations and chafed against my sweaty legs and hands. Not cool.

Pros

  • Comes in a lot of colors

  • Cushioned

Cons

  • Irritates skin after a while

  • Slippery when wet

Buy now at Yoga Outlet
Product image of YogaAccessories 1/4'' Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat
YogaAccessories 1/4'' Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat

This mat is soft enough to be comfortable for most people without being too soft to make balancing hard. It’s also roomy at 74 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 6 millimeters (.24 inches) thick, yet relatively lightweight at 3.4 pounds, which makes it easy to tote around. However, it's way too slippery to be any higher on our list—I lost my grip the moment I started perspiring. Hilariously, it also makes funny squeaking noises when handling with sweaty hands.

Pros

  • Soft and easy to tote around

Cons

  • Slippery and squeaky

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Aurorae Classic Thick Yoga Mat
Aurorae Classic Thick Yoga Mat

I wanted to love this 72-inch long, 24-inch wide, and 6-millimeter (.24-inch) mat made of Polymer Environmental Resin (PER, or a type of PVC), but it just didn’t perform as well as the others. It comes with a chalk-like rosin to keep you from slipping, but you have to keep reapplying it throughout your routines or risk sliding out of poses. Without it, it’s a little slippery. The brand also recomillimetersends washing the mat right when you receive it to help start breaking it in (and presumably make it less slippery), but it’s a complicated process. Aurorae recommends cleaning it with a soft brush and non oil-based detergent, then rinsing it thoroughly, then wrapping it in a towel, and hanging it out to dry (outside, if possible). It weighs 4 pounds, which makes it easier to carry around than some mats, but isn’t as light as others.

Pros

  • Comes with rosin that you apply to the mat to prevent slipping

Cons

  • Must consistently apply rosin throughout practice

  • Complicated cleaning instructions

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of AmazonBasics TPE Yoga Mat
AmazonBasics TPE Yoga Mat

As soon as I unpacked the AmazonBasics mat, I turned up my nose—literally. Although most yoga mats have an initial odor that usually fades after a couple of uses, the scent of this mat was abnormally strong. It reeked of a pool noodle or rubber dodgeball and the odor lingered for weeks. It’s about 7 millimeters thick, or .28 inches, which is thicker than most other mats. Some people may be drawn to this, but it didn’t offer many benefits for me. The TPE surface of the mat didn’t provide much grip and I found myself constantly having to readjust my stance. The 74- by 24-inch mat also curls up at the edges and doesn’t fully lie flat, which is a pain when you’re trying to focus on your poses and not trying to keep your mat down.

It comes with a mesh carry bag that makes toting it around convenient and hands-free.

Pros

  • Come with carry bag

Cons

  • Strong odor

  • Slippery surface

  • Curls up easily at the edges

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of AmazonBasics 1/2-Inch Extra Thick Exercise Mat
AmazonBasics 1/2-Inch Extra Thick Exercise Mat

This 74-inch long, 24-inch wide, and half-inch thick foam mat is thicker than you need for most yoga poses. That said, it’s pretty light at 2.5 pounds, and comes with its own carrying straps, which is perfect for bringing it to a yoga studio or park. I also found it surprisingly non-slippery and never lost my grip while using it.

There are a couple of downsides to contend with, though. This mat has a strong smell right out of the box, deformed a bit over the course of my practice, and doesn’t seem like it will last as long as the harder, more durable mats. However, the smell dissipates after a day or two and the lack of durability is totally fine if you reserve it for things like ab exercises and restorative yoga, not your everyday practice.

Pros

  • Effective non-slip surface

  • Cushy material protects joints from the ground

  • Comes with carrying straps

Cons

  • Strong smell when it comes out of the packaging

  • Not as durable as other mats

$20.28 from Amazon
Product image of BalanceFrom GoYoga
BalanceFrom GoYoga

The all-foam, half-inch thick BalanceFrom GoYoga mat is too soft and squishy to be effective for most yoga poses. Still, I enjoyed using it as it offered a lot of comfort while also holding my feet firm. It’s 71 inches long and 24 inches wide and weighs just under 2 pounds. It also comes with a carrying strap that makes it a suitable travel mat. However, it deforms fairly quickly, and I don’t think it will last very long before needing an upgrade.

Pros

  • Soft and squishy enough to protect joints

  • Keeps feet in place

Cons

  • Deforms quickly

$19.99 from Amazon

$19.99 from Walmart

How We Tested Yoga Mats

Woman working out on lululemon yoga mat.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

We tested each mat by trying them out for different exercises.

The Testers

I’m Amanda Tarlton, Reviewed’s style editor. I’m also a certified yoga instructor and spend about five days a week on the mat, either practicing on my own or teaching.

Before me, Reviewed contributor Bethany Kwoka evaluated yoga mats. She’s a former college athlete who turned to yoga a few years ago as a lower-impact way to work out. Bethany is also a big fan of at-home yoga practices, and often starts her days with bodyweight workouts and sun salutation routines on her mat. I also practice at home, but I’m more into studio classes, especially heated ones like Bikram or power yoga.

The Tests

For tests, we did a 20-minute yoga routine and a 20-minute calisthenics routine twice on each mat. We kept both routines simple and focused on common poses such as Warrior I, II, III, and Downward-Facing Dog, and exercises like push-ups, front and side planks, sit-ups, and leg lifts. I also took the mats I tested to hot power yoga to see how they held up to heat (and sweat).

During these routines, we took notes. We observed if hands and feet slipped, the floor was painful on the knees during low lunges or on forearms during planks, if the mat deformed over the course of a workout, and whether the surface helped or hindered routines. We also took stock of how easy it was to clean, if it was portable enough to take to a studio or gym, and if it seemed like it would last through years of use.

What You Should Know About Yoga Mats

folding back lululemon reversible mat.
Credit: Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser

The mat's material impacts how it works.

There are a few things you should know about yoga mats before deciding which one to pick up. The first is its material—most of the mats we tested are made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride), natural (or recycled) rubber, polyurethane, and/or TPE (thermoplastic elastomer). PVC is a type of vinyl, a man-made, non-renewable material. Most mats made of this material are sticky enough to prevent slipping, soft enough to offer some cushion, and very durable. Natural rubber is renewable, biodegradable, and also provides texture and traction—however, it may be a bit firmer feeling than PVC. Rubber mats can contain trace amounts of latex, too, so they may not be the best option for people with latex allergies. Polyurethane is a blend of plastics that can have a soft, foamy feel or a sleek, smooth one, and is often used as a supplement to mats made of natural rubber. You can also find mats made of TPE, or a blend of plastic and rubber. These mats usually aren’t as long-lasting as PVC or natural rubber mats, but are often lightweight and can sometimes be recycled. Mats made of cork, bamboo, or jute (a woven vegetable fiber) are also an option, but these aren’t as popular.

The size of your yoga mat is another consideration. A typical yoga mat is 68 inches long and 24 inches wide, though you can find some that are larger (we tested a few that extend to 74 inches long). However, unless you’re really tall, 68 inches is probably long enough for most people, and any added length often also makes mats heavier to carry

Finally, you’ll want to factor in the mat’s thickness. Most of the mats we tested are somewhere between 4 millimeters and 6 millimeters thick (or .16 to .24 inches), which we found to be the sweet spot for protecting joints and providing good feedback in poses. You can find mats that are thinner (usually about 3 millimeters, or .12 inches), which don’t provide as much cushion for the joints but are great for rolling up to travel. Other mats are made of thick foam (some up to 12 millimeters, or about half an inch) which may seem like a good option for sensitive joints. But these mats, while great for ab exercises, Pilates, and restorative yoga, aren’t ideal for more vigorous flows because the compression of the cushy material under hands or feet can interfere with balance.

Meet the testers

Bethany Kwoka

Bethany Kwoka

Contributor

Bethany is a freelance contributor for Reviewed. An avid home baker and aspiring home cook, she reviews and writes mostly about kitchen gadgets (with the occasional fitness review thrown in). Her specialty might be fancy desserts, but she's never met a batch-cooked dinner recipe she didn't like.

Outside of her work for Reviewed, Bethany is a content creator working on clean energy and climate change at a regional non-profit and runs a tabletop game at her local comic book shop.

See all of Bethany Kwoka's reviews
Amanda Oliver

Amanda Oliver

Contributor

Amanda is the former shopping editor at Reviewed.

See all of Amanda Oliver's reviews

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