These Are the Mats Yoga Instructors Think You Should Be Using — No Matter Your Level

If I’ve learned thing complete nan past 5 years of practicing yoga, it’s that a bully mat tin make aliases break your practice. And not each yoga mats are made nan aforesaid aliases consciousness nan same. 

Durability, portability, sweat-resistance, smell-resistance, grip, and thickness are nan cardinal elements erstwhile uncovering your perfect mat. So, to thief you debar scrolling done seemingly endless pages of products, I turned to New York City-based instructors whose classes and studios I’ve attended. These experts thatch a wide assortment of yoga styles, from modified Ashtanga to heated Vinyasa, and they shared their apical recommendations, each available astatine Amazon, Lululemon, and more.

Keep reference for six of nan champion yoga mats that are presently connected nan market, according to yoga instructors. Namaste, yogis!

The Best Yoga Mats, According to Yoga Instructors

• Trending: Lululemon The Mat, $98; lululemon.com
• JadeYoga Jade Harmony Yoga Mat, $100; amazon.com
• Lowest Price: Gaiam Classic Yoga Mat, $18; amazon.com
• Manduka GRP Adapt Yoga Mat, $94; amazon.com
• Liforme Original Yoga Mat, $155; amazon.com
• Manduka Prolite Yoga Mat, $108; amazon.com

Lululemon The Mat

According to Corepower coach and triathlete Drew Crowley, yoga provides “a abstraction successful our lives wherever we tin fto our joyousness flow, fto our higher selves travel successful and return over,” and Lululemon’s mat champion helps her scope specified serenity.

It feels sturdy underfoot, has ample cushion, and its grippy apical furniture absorbs a decent magnitude of moisture during sweaty flows and cardio bursts of jumping jacks and precocious knees.

Although it’s connected nan heavier side, nan rubber guidelines is perfect for those who mightiness beryllium successful musculus betterment aliases nursing an injury. Drew's prime among nan colors is nan pastel pink, which reminds her of “sunsets successful Nantucket.”

JadeYoga Jade Harmony Yoga Mat

Three floors up successful an East Village townhouse, you’ll find Alex Schatzberg’s studio, New Vibe Yoga. Here, he teaches a modified type of Ashtanga, which is accessible to each levels, and nan Harmony Mat has been his apical prime since 2007. 

He explained that during move practices, it’s particularly useful, arsenic nan mat’s porous creation absorbs moisture alternatively of letting it “pool connected top.” Further, it provides traction to mitigate immoderate slipping aliases sliding during rotations aliases downward dog. So overmuch so, you won’t person to furniture it pinch a mat towel. 

It’s besides made of a non-toxic, earthy rubber, which Schatzberg values since it saves users from “absorbing everlastingly chemicals into your skin.” He does pass yogis not to fto nan mat cook successful nan sun, arsenic it’ll barren retired and suffer its grip. 

Gaiam Classic Yoga Mat

I first met Adair successful nan early 2000s erstwhile we were kids successful Florida, and immoderate 20 years later, she happened to beryllium my yoga coach astatine a Manhattan location of nan music-based Y7 Studio. Her recommendation, nan Gaiam Classic Yoga Mat (which is nan slightest costly connected our database astatine nether $20), excels successful affordability and durability. 

“You don’t request a $200 mat to do yoga,” Adair explains. She’s utilized hers exclusively for nan past 2 years positive during her 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training, and it’s held up pinch insignificant wear. Plus, nan mat is lightweight, which makes it easy to rotation up and recreation with. Bonus: It comes successful a wide assortment of colorful patterns.

Manduka GRP Adapt Yoga Mat

For nan past 10 years, Anna Ciambrone has specialized successful group fittingness from yoga to reformer pilates and barre. These days, you’ll find her astatine nan infrared-heated Fuze House workplace aliases luxury Equinox gym starring hardcore mat pilates classes, and she’s been loyal to 1 mat: nan Adapt by Manduka. 

Top trading points for Ciambrone are that it doesn’t clasp smell aft repeated usage and its thickness provides an other spot of cushion, which she appreciates arsenic she navigates a history of backmost injuries. Plus, nary request for a mat towel, nan 2 grip layers activity overtime for you. 

“Even successful nan hottest classes, I’ve ne'er felt for illustration I’m sliding off,” she shares. 

Liforme Original Yoga Mat

At nan Humming Puppy studio, its serene exemplary draws devoted regulars and managing teachers, for illustration Jen Carlin. And successful her opinion, thing compares to nan Liforme Original Yoga Mat. 

The creation stands retired courtesy of ingrained alignment markers, which guideline your hands and feet erstwhile mounting up poses. Carlin enjoys that these lines “give you a meditative focus” during your practice. It’s besides a spot longer and wider than your run-of-the-mill mat, which gives yogis room to play and research much freely. Its biodegradable rubber guidelines and patented grip aboveground supply a non-slip surface, which comes successful useful during vigorous sessions.

Manduka Prolite Yoga Mat

The apical mat prime for Samantha Scupp, nan laminitis and proprietor of nan Brooklyn-based, infrared-heated Heatwise yoga studio, is people nan mat she provides for each students astatine Heatwise. Reasons being, its thickness offers added comfortableness to “anyone pinch associated issues, bad knees — I’m 1 of those people,” she explains. 

Additionally, nan Manduka Prolite Mat allows for semipermanent usage because nan mat utilizes a closed-cell technology, which quickly absorbs moisture and has antimicrobial properties. Even better, Scupp shared that Manduka really offers a life guarantee connected their mats, arsenic agelong arsenic you don’t change them successful immoderate way.