travel yoga pilates mat

5 Best Travel and Compact Yoga Mats [2024 Update]

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​ Want to turn your yoga practice into a more adventurous one? If so, take it on the road with the best travel yoga mat!

Many people are now practicing yoga while traveling. It brings double happiness—you get to see the beauty of the world while enjoying calmness, peace, and relaxation.

But if you have tried to take your regular yoga mat with you while traveling, you know it takes up too much space in your luggage and can't be folded properly.

Just like when you're doing your regular yoga practice at home, you need to be fully prepared with the right kind of materials in order to practice yoga while you are traveling. You need a travel yoga mat that you can take anywhere you go.

In this post, we have compiled the five best travel yoga mats for you. They are lightweight, compact, durable, and foldable—everything you need to take your yoga practice on the road.

But before we introduce the top products, we would first like to share with you the benefits of practicing yoga while you travel, and how it can make you a happier , healthier human.

Furthermore, we will discuss the things you need to check and consider before finally purchasing the travel yoga mat of your choice.

Don't have time to read the entire review?

If you're a busy person who doesn't have time to read this entire review, we've simplified everything. Here is a table to show you a quick rating of the best travel yoga mats.

Table of Contents

Benefits of Yoga While Traveling

Yoga alone can already make you happier and healthier. But how does doing it while traveling make it even more beneficial?

It provides relief from neck and back pain.

Traveling for extended hours can cause your whole body (especially your neck and back) to feel tired and painful.

Practicing yoga will relax and strengthen your muscles to reduce the discomfort you feel while traveling. Learning to move in ways that help realign your posture while traveling will help release any tension and encourage more functional movement patterns.

Even if you can just practice yoga for a few minutes each day while you're on the road, it can help you increase your awareness of your body, allowing you to notice where you’re holding tension and possibly have imbalances.

Heightens senses and awareness.

When coupled with meditation , yoga can elevate your sense of perception. It allows you to feel and appreciate the beauty of everything that’s around you.

Imagine being on a backpacking trip or traveling abroad and being able to appreciate the beauty of the scenery around you even more than you normally would.

Yoga is largely a sensory practice that will allow you to experience your travels with all five of your senses. If your mind can stay quiet and attentive during your yoga practice, then the impact of yoga will occur much faster.

Alleviates anxiety and stress levels.

Yoga is a powerful practice because it focuses on your mind, body, and soul.

Regardless of what your anxiety looks like—whether it's temporary or constant—yoga can help you manage it. Stress is a natural experience that is attached to your fight-or-flight system.

As stress-related adrenaline pours into your body, you tense up. However, practicing yoga initiates the release of more GABA hormones in your body, which is the hormone that induces calm and relaxation .

In the same manner, yoga can also lower the production of cortisol (stress hormone) to manage your stress levels . Yoga can also enhance your mood and overall sense of well-being.

Gets rid of sleepless nights.

Travelers often experience jet lag, which can lead to insomnia. But when you practice yoga, you can improve the quality and quantity of your sleep .

Doing certain yoga poses can impact your nervous system and balance your hormones, helping to normalize your sleep cycle. It has even been hypothesized that, on average, for every minute you practice yoga, you need one less minute of sleep.

One of the most important things you need in a travel mat is its durability. The overall quality of the mat is also important.

Boosts energy and immunity levels.

The Huffington Post reports that yoga helps combat the signs of over-fatigue by increasing your energy levels. Likewise, it can support your overall health by boosting your immune system.

Yoga is one of the rare physical activities that improve your overall wellness (meaning both physically and mentally) without creating an imbalance. Yoga connects your mind, body, and surrounding environment, which helps you optimize your energy.

Practicing yoga also improves blood circulation, which helps nourish your organs, tissues, and cells, ensuring you remain healthy. This is especially important while you travel because airplanes are known to circulate germs!

Increases physical strength and endurance.

Practicing yoga develops the stamina and power of your muscles.

As you practice holding your poses, you can gain muscle strength using your own body weight. And, because you usually hold a yoga pose and repeat it throughout your workout, it adds another dimension to your strength.

By holding your poses longer, increasing your number of repetitions, and trying out new poses, yoga will become more challenging and therefore more beneficial. If you are a traveler, you need the strength to last longer on the road.

It improves mental clarity and sharpness.

Mind and body awareness is the ultimate goal of yoga. For most people, our inner thoughts and feelings don't get the attention they need because life has never-ending distractions.

However, spending time doing yoga is one of the best ways to center yourself and focus on the present. Traveling requires you to be mentally alert of your surroundings all the time.

Now that you know why you should practice yoga while traveling, let's look at some things you should keep in mind when shopping for the best yoga mat for your needs.

Considerations When Choosing the Best Travel Yoga Mat

The most important thing you need in a travel yoga mat is durability . Because this is a mat that will take a beating while going through airports and in and out of hotels, you need for it to be able to stand up to the elements.

This means that strength and sustainability are both important in order for your yoga mat to be able to keep up with your travels. It would be best to find one that is made out of natural rubber—one that is sustainable, yet still comfortable.

The overall quality of the mat is also important, which will certainly factor into its durability. You don’t want to sacrifice the quality of your mat in order to meet some other important requirements, such as portability .

Since you are traveling, you probably want to choose a travel yoga mat that is thin, lightweight, and easy to fold. You probably also want to be able to easily pack it in your backpack or suitcase. However, it is important to remember that it still has to be made out of the finest materials to withstand travel.

While the price might be the first thing that you look at, it should be the last thing you consider. Your comfort should be prioritized over the expense of your travel yoga mat. That being said, there are many travel yoga mats out there that are comfy while also being affordable!

Now, let's look at the details of some of the best options on the market so you can decide which one best fits.

The 5 Best Travel Yoga Mats That Are Lightweight and Compact

1. manduka eko superlite yoga and pilates travel mat.

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This is the best overall travel yoga mat for being portable, durable, foldable, and affordable. It is made out of natural rubber, making it an elegant yet firm yoga mat that offers superior grip.

This thin mat is only two pounds, so it won't weigh you down on the road. It does not compromise on size and offers full-sized measurements of 68″ long and 24″ wide. But because the mat is only 1.5 mm thick, it leaves out all of the extra weight.

This mat also won't take up much space in your luggage because, unlike most yoga mats that roll up, this one is designed differently, allowing users to fold it up like a piece of paper. This makes this the best travel yoga mat for backpacking. You can even fold it and stick it into the area where your computer usually goes in your bag.

Because this travel mat is made with incredibly detailed construction, it is extremely durable. Its natural-grip rubber has a closed-cell structure, allowing it to be used daily and still hold up for years. It is sticky and slip-free, which leads some users to practice yoga on this mat even when they are not traveling.

• Great for people who are traveling light.
• Very durable.
• Materials are natural, eco-friendly, and biodegradable.
• Because it is thin, it is not very soft.
• A bit expensive.
• Some users report a strong rubber smell.

2. Gaiam Yoga Mat for All Types of Yoga

This reversible, non-slip mat is the best travel option for any fitness routine. It provides users with a stable, sticky surface for yoga practice, whether you are using it at home or on the go. This mat offers the safety and comfort that users need to maintain proper alignment and poses.

The reversible design will suit any mood and help you maintain your motivation and focus. While these mats are thick and durable, they are still lightweight, allowing for easy travel.

The extra-thick cushioning makes this the best yoga mat for bad knees or joints, as it supports you throughout any yoga or fitness routine. This mat measures 68″ x 24″ x 6mm thick.

• Has a textured, sticky, non-slip material for superior traction and grip.
• It comes with a downloadable yoga workout.
• It offers an extensive number of designs, which are all reversible.
• Stains easily.
• It cannot be folded up.
• The initial smell is quite strong.

3. TOPLUS Travel Yoga Mat

TOPLUS offers this travel mat that is designed to give maximum traction instead of cushioning, making it the best travel yoga mat for traveling in hot places.

In fact, it is prepared with natural suede, so the more sweat that is absorbed into the mat, the more non-slip it becomes, making it suitable for hot yoga.

Because this mat is so thin, it is great for travel, as well as for those who want to have closer contact with the ground. It is made of eco-friendly, natural rubber that is supportive and non-slip on both sides.

Some people use this mat on top of another mat if they want to have a yoga session with an adherent mat, but also want to add more cushioning.

The suede material is eco-friendly and non-toxic on both sides. It is ideal for soft yoga because it gives priority to comfort, so your ankles, joints, and knees are protected, even while you're in upside-down positions.

This mat is only 1/16 inches thick, allowing it to be folded and easily stored in your luggage or carry-on bag. It is lightweight and easy to carry, so you can take it anywhere.

This travel mat is free of heavy chemicals, metals, PVC, and other potentially hazardous synthetic materials. It offers an exceptional grip and an open-cell construction, so the strength remains optimal with a lot of use.

• Thin and easy to fold.
• This is a washable travel yoga mat.
• It comes with a travel bag.
• It does not offer cushioning.
• Some find this mat to be slippery.
• Difficult to get in and out of the travel bag.

4. Yoga Design Lab Combo Yoga Mat

This travel yoga mat is a great travel companion because it has a two-in-one purpose. It’s a yoga mat and towel in one, so you don't need to bring both to your yoga practice.

The top layer is a microfiber material and the bottom is made from natural tree rubber. Because this mat was designed specifically with hot practice in mind, it becomes sticky once it is wet.

This mat is lightweight and compact, making it perfect for traveling. The straps that come with it are great to use and adjust if you are biking or hiking. The rubber bottom sticks well to the floor so this mat will not move as you are transitioning in and out of poses. It is also long enough for taller users to have enough space to use it.

Because this mat can also be used as a towel, it is perfect for hot yoga. However, it is a light mat, which means that it offers less padding. It is not as comfortable as a typical yoga mat that has more cushioning.

• Machine washable.
• Works as a towel and yoga mat at the same time.
• Comes with a carrying strap.
• May be slippery unless it is a bit wet.

5. Jade Travel Yoga Mat

This is the best travel mat for resilience and grip. It offers a little cushioning while staying light for traveling yogis. This mat is made from a dense, natural rubber, which makes up a little bit for its lack of thickness. It also comes in different colors and is made out of sustainable materials, making it perfect for anyone's style.

It's offered in two sizes—a 68″ and 74″ length, both with a 24″ width. It is built to fit well into a suitcase and offers superior traction. Because it has a sticky surface, it is easy to hold onto in most conditions without being worried about slipping.

When it comes to weight, this mat is only around three pounds, so it is pretty light to take with you on the go.

• It is three mm thick, which gives solid support while staying lightweight.
• It has an extra sticky surface, so it is easy to maintain your grip.
• It comes in a variety of colors.
• Too heavy for backpacking.
• Because it does not fold up, it is not great for small bags.
• Has a slight rubbery odor.

Final Thoughts on the Best Travel Yoga Mats

All these top products are the best travel yoga mats available on the market today. The positive reviews and high ratings of customers from different platforms can attest to that.

However, our winner for today is the Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga and Pilates Travel Mat   for possessing all the desired qualities of a lightweight and compact travel yoga mat.

And if you're looking for other products to help you build a mindfulness habit, check out these articles:

• 14 Best Gifts for Meditation Lovers
• 9 Best Folding & Portable Meditation Benches
• 9 Best Stress Relief Gifts

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Better Balance Abroad with these Top Travel Yoga Mats

December 9, 2021 By //  by  Matt Thomas

For traveling yogis who take care of their minds, bodies, and spirit on-the-road, one of the biggest challenges is finding the right yoga mat to bring. When traveling, you want your bag to be as compact as possible, and most of the time, traditional PVC mats are not that travel-friendly.

Regular yoga mats also take a much bigger space, and there are some that you can’t fold in your suitcase. For travel-friendly yoga mats, we will be looking for three main factors: portability, comfort, and sustainability.

Best Rated Eco-Friendly Travel Yoga Mats

In this list, we’re going to go over the best travel yoga mats you can bring anywhere. In addition to yoga, these mats make a great surface for Pilates, mediation, simple stretching and even can double as a slim sleeping pad if crashing at a friend’s place or camping.

La Vida Nomad is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Here are the top yoga mats for travel , in no particular order:

Manduka eKO Superlite Travel Yoga & Pilates Mat

The eKO Superlite Travel Yoga and Pilates Mat is the latest iteration of the product. The company has been in existence longer than the newer brands on the list. Over the years, Manduka have improved their yoga mats based on the feedback and suggestions of their most loyal customers.

Comfort:  It’s a narrower version with 1.5mm thickness to help you find that perfect grip during your yoga poses. The surface texture is comparable to an orange peel, so there’s a dimpled feel.

Sustainability:  One of the biggest challenges in bringing your yoga travel mat is finding a clean floor to do your practice. The eKO Mat is made from sustainably harvested tree rubber, so it’s easy to clean. Manduka has its own Mat Restore Spray to keep your eKO Lite clean after your trip.

• Brand: Manduka
• Model: eKO Superlite Yoga Travel Mat
• Size: 2.2 lbs; 71″ x 24″; 1.5mm thick

JadeYoga Voyager Yoga

Made of natural rubber and eco-friendly, JadeYoga is popular with frequent travelers. The brand has impressive scores on durability and comfort. These come in four colors, and if you’re buying a new one, it’s easier to break in than the afforementioned Manduka eKO.

Sustainability:  As yogis, we want to make sure that the products we’re using are not harmful to the environment. Since JadeYoga is run by a former lawyer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the company is quite strict when it comes to following a sustainable production line. The mats are made in the U.S., and they also dedicate one tree planted for every mat they sell.

• Brand: JadeYoga
• Model: Voyager Yoga Mat
• Size: 1.5 lbs; 68″L; 1/16” thick

YOGO Ultralight

For those who prefer a zen, minimalist feel YOGO is the best company for you. Their folding design is great for travel. The company is quite new, but they’ve aced it with its flagship Ultralight Travel Mat. These guys understand what it takes for a yoga mat to be travel-friendly.

Comfort:  The travel mat is quite slim, but it has a matte, rug-type texture that helps when you’re sweating during your practice.

Sustainability:  The mat is made of natural tree rubber, cotton, and natural texture additives. The company is also passionate about tree planting, so each purchase of the mat helps their tree-planting project in Africa!

• Brand: YOGO
• Model: Ultralight Travel Yoga Mat
• Size: 2.1 lbs; 1.5mm thick

Gaiam Yoga Mat

Made of light-weight rubber, this mat easily folds like a cotton shirt. Despite its minimal size, its no-slip feature has become popular to travel yogis all over the world. The Gaiam brand makes a myriad of fitness gear, from yoga mats and apparel, to foam rollers and balancing boards.

Comfort:  One of the best features of the Gaiam Mat is the grip. Whether you’re practicing on a hardwood floor, tiles, or carpet, the mat will give you enough support during your practice. Just note that since it’s very light, if you’re in an airy location, the ends may be lifted by the wind pretty easily.

Sustainability:  Gaiam Mats do not have ample information about the products on their site. The mats are made from plastic PVC, and one reviewer noted receiving it with a thin, oily film. The company cleared that this is usually the residue left during manufacturing, and customers can clean it with any detergent.

• Brand: Gaiam
• Model: Yoga Mat Folding Travel Mat
• Size: 1 lb; 68″L x 24″W; 2mm thick

Toplus Travel Yoga Mat

Affordability is the best selling point of the Toplus Travel Yoga Mat. It has fashionable colors and a grip that’s on par with the best on the market. The Toplus brand specializes in yoga mats, featuring these four popular models: Basic, Travel, Kids and Suede, among others.

Comfort:  The Toplus Travel Yoga Mat is very easy to break-in. It’s durable and lightweight. The company also offers a 1-year durability guarantee. At the same time, it’s sweat absorbent and waterproof. Wash it with soap and water.

Sustainability:  The Toplus is made in India, and they use eco-friendly materials that do not include PVC or plastics. The company also has a dedicated team researching the impact of yoga on human physiology and psychology.

• Brand: Toplus
• Model: Travel Yoga Mat
• Size: 1.5mm thick

Liforme Travel Yoga Mat

This is an internationally acclaimed yoga mat that’s been supported by popular teachers in the yoga world. The Liforme brand is also a pioneer of alignment mats. Liforme Yoga Mats have this iconic alignment design that helps yogis find a perfect balance during practice.

Comfort:  This performance mat has the revolutionary “GripForMe” material, which is noted to be the “grippiest Yoga mat material currently available on earth.” It stays grippy even during your sweat-heavy practice.

Sustainability:  The Liforme Travel Mats are PVC-free and are biodegradable in 1-5 years “in normal landfill conditions.” These are also made with non-toxic materials so it’s safe for your body and the earth. The company has a 360° sustainability mantra, so they implement a fully recyclable packaging.

• Brand: Liforme
• Size: 3.5 lbs; 2mm thick

Yoga Design Lab

Yoga Design Lab probably has the most exciting designs on this list. They have a unique gradient feature for their mats. Though YDL focuses on aesthetic, they also make sure that the mats are flexible for travel and various types of exercises. YDL Travel Mats can also be used for barre, pilates, light weight training, and Bikram.

Comfort:  The travel mat has a natural tree rubber base so it helps you get that no-slip function. The top is made of microfiber that’s why it absorbs sweat pretty quickly. Its towel-like texture feels so soft so there’s no obstructive feel during your practice.

Sustainability:  You will love YDL when it comes to sustainability. It’s one of the very few yoga mats in the market that’s machine-wash friendly. If your mat gets dusty, you can easily toss it in your washing machine and it’ll feel brand new again. Its microfiber top is also made of recycled plastic bottles, so there’s another high-five to mother nature. Lastly, the company supports Urban Youth Yoga Programs in Africa.

• Brand: Yoga Design Lab
• Model: Travel Mat
• Size: 2.4 lbs; 70″L x 24″W; 1mm thick

Khataland YoFoMat

Khataland is breaking new grounds when it comes to bringing a new level of soft texture to yoga mats. For a towel-like weight and feel, pick Khataland YoFoMat for your next adventure.

Comfort:  Because of its patented design, you can use the mat for both yoga practice and meditation. It’s also great for high-performance practices because of its non-skid, non-sticky, and slip-resistant features.

Sustainability:  Khatalan’s products are exclusively engineered with durable, recyclable, and waste-reducing materials.

• Brand: Khataland
• Model: YoFoMat
• Size: 2.7 lbs; 72″L; 4mm thick

About Matt Thomas

Matt is an avid writer, explorer and magic maker, who loves to showcase this wild, wondrous world. Join him at Uncover Vietnam and Uncover Colorado for a local look at these captivating destinations.

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Travel Yoga Mat - TPE Foldable Mat for Yoga, Pilates, and Exercise

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Conveniently   foldable   design for easy   travel   and storage

6mm thickness   provides a soft and cushioned surface for comfortable workouts

Made with high-density TPE material for enhanced durability and longevity

Waterproof and easy to clean, ensuring hygiene and hassle-free maintenance

Non-slip surface   offers stability and grip, keeping you secure during your yoga or exercise sessions

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• Health and fitness

The Best Yoga Mats

By Ingrid Skjong and Amy Roberts

A yoga mat should be comfortable and supportive, provide sufficient grip to keep you from slipping, and be no-fuss enough to clean and carry.

Our hatha and hot-yoga instructors Downward-Dogged, Ashtanga vinyasa-flowed, and Savasanaed on 38 top-rated yoga mats (and one mat alternative), and the one that came out on top is Lululemon’s The Mat 5mm . Its dual-textured sides, firm-yet-cushiony rubber construction, and ample size will have you covered, no matter what style of yoga you practice.

You don’t need to invest so much to get started with yoga: Our budget pick (for more than seven years running) costs well under half what our other picks do and has held up surprisingly well in long-term testing. We have recommendations for all-rubber and non-rubber, latex-free mats, too. Our travel mat pick folds to fit neatly in a suitcase.

Everything we recommend

Lululemon The Mat 5mm

The best yoga mat.

Your hands and feet won’t budge, and the 5 millimeters of natural rubber provide plenty of padding for knees. It’s available in a massive Big size too.

Buying Options

JadeYoga Harmony Mat

A natural rubber option.

Made of natural rubber, this mat feels like it suctions to your fingers and toes, and is especially good for hot yoga. But being rubber, it has that telltale odor, especially when new.

Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip Yoga Mat

A rubber-free mat.

This PVC mat offers comparable stickiness, support, and cushioning to our two top picks, but without the latex.

(limited colors)

Budget pick

Yoga Accessories 1/4″ Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat

A bargain mat that holds up.

This squishy ¼-inch (6.2 millimeters) PVC mat is a bargain—because it lasts. It’s 4 inches longer than your average cheapie, too.

JadeYoga Voyager

A foldable mat for travel.

This rubber mat folds small but still provides excellent traction. Expect to sacrifice some cushioning for that portability, though.

What to consider

Most yoga mats are made of rubber, PVC, or TPE. Some are made of cork or other materials. All vary in thickness and surface texture.

Regular wipe-downs and occasional deep cleans will extend the life of your yoga mat.

Lululemon’s The Mat 5mm scored high marks on all nine attributes our professional testers rated, including stickiness, weight, thickness, durability, and overall feel. Lululemon’s mat has two sides: a smooth, “sticky” polyurethane side that makes your hands and feet adhere to the mat, and a spongy, synthetic and natural rubber “grippy” side that instead provides traction via a textured surface. This lets you dial in how much traction you need, whether you are doing hot yoga or restorative yoga, or are just someone who might sweat a lot. The 5-millimeter-thick natural rubber is supportive, so sensitive knees and elbows won’t sink through to the floor. It’s slightly oversize—3 inches longer and 2 inches wider than a standard mat—which gives you some breathing room but doesn’t take up tons of space in a cramped class or smaller room. If you need even more real estate, the (Big) Mat is literally the size of a door. These mats are on the heavy side, and the surface tends to show dust, dirt, and smudges that are hard to clean.

The JadeYoga Harmony Mat is made from 100% rubber, and this offers some advantages, because it absorbs a lot of moisture and helps maintain traction in sweaty situations—possibly too much for some people, as it can be hard to pivot your feet or slide your hands when flowing from one pose to another. It’s slightly thinner than our top pick at 3/16 inch (4¾ millimeters) thick, but it still provides a spongy-yet-supportive feel under hand, foot, and knee. It comes in four sizes, including the XW (extra-wide) line , but know that the bigger size you choose, the heavier it gets—and rubber isn’t light to start with. This mat has a strong rubber smell, at least for a while, which not everyone loves, and rubber also contains latex. If you have a latex allergy, try our rubber-free recommendation below.

If you have an allergy to latex or dislike the smell of rubber, consider the 5-millimeter-thick Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip Yoga Mat . It is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and has ample cushioning and firm support that pleased our joints and grounded our standing poses. The smooth top layer, meant to wick away moisture, kept our hands and feet locked in place while allowing freedom for transitions during a flow. The mat is relatively light at 4¼ pounds, roughly a pound lighter than our top pick—a consideration if you carry your mat often.

You don’t have to spend $50-plus for a quality mat. In a world where PVC foam mats are a dime a dozen, YogaAccessories has produced a low-cost option of value. Its PVC foam is a lofty ¼-inch (6.2 millimeters) thick, plus the mat is generously cut, extending 4 inches longer than the standard size, and available in more than a dozen vivid colors.

The thin, lightweight JadeYoga Voyager is the only travel mat we tested that folded compactly for packing, provided excellent traction during practice, and didn’t slip or shift on the floor. We found the traction of this rubber mat to be as good as that offered by our runner-up pick, also made by JadeYoga. This mat does have less cushioning than our other picks. But if you prefer a plusher feel, our yoga instructor testers found that the Voyager stayed as secure when used on carpet or atop another mat as it did on the floor.

The research

Why you should trust us, how we picked and tested, how our picks compare, our pick: lululemon the mat 5mm, runner-up: jadeyoga harmony mat, runner-up: gaiam performance dry-grip yoga mat, budget pick: yogaaccessories 1/4″ extra thick deluxe yoga mat, also great: jadeyoga voyager, care and maintenance, environmental and end-of-life issues, other good yoga mats, the competition.

To learn all we could about how to choose and care for a yoga mat, we interviewed yoga instructors, a sustainable manufacturing expert, a dermatologist, and a professor of microbiology and environmental sciences. We then recruited two accomplished yoga instructors, hatha/vinyasa specialist Juan Pablo Gomez and hot-yoga practitioner Arden Goll , to practice on and carefully evaluate yoga mats.

To narrow the enormous field (seriously: searching “yoga mats” on Amazon yields more than 2,000 results), we spent hours reading customer reviews. We also talked to the big-name manufacturers to learn what was new in their lines and to the founder of the online yoga platform YouAligned (formerly YogiApproved), to get a sense of both trendy and tried-and-true in yoga mat designs. In addition to testing mats that customers had reviewed well, we also aimed to find a wide variety of options in price, size, and material. (For this guide, we did not test mats designed specifically for Pilates or other exercise. These tend to be larger and, often, thicker than the yoga mats we review here.)

Next, our intrepid yoga instructors practiced on each mat, evaluating overall experience while carefully weighing each of the following nine attributes:

• size (rolled and unrolled)
• portability and weight (for carrying to and from class)
• stickiness (with dry versus sweaty hands and feet)
• thickness, squishiness, and support (adequate, too much, or too little?)
• surface texture and feel (on your skin and under hand and foot)
• ease of unrolling (and staying flat)
• odor (if one exists or goes away)
• attractiveness

Finally, after our pro yogis turned in their extensive notes, we practiced on each of the top picks to get a personal feel for what attributes made each mat worthy of our recommendation.

Lululemon The Mat 5mm aced our test for its impressive versatility. The mat has two sides—a “sticky” side and “grippy” side. Sticky means it actually sticks; grippy refers to traction, created by a texture. We’d love to tell you which to choose, but this is an eternal debate in yoga, and is based on how you practice—hot or not, sweaty or dry—and what feels best against your body.

The sticky side is made of smooth polyurethane and has a lot of traction, even in the very sweaty conditions of a hot-yoga class; our instructor said it was one of the only mats that didn’t require her to put down a towel once things got really drippy. The opposite “grippy” side is made of rubber and provided just as much traction, no matter the moisture conditions.

Getting the right padding in a yoga mat is a tricky balance. If it’s too squishy, pointy joints may sink too deep into it, and balancing on the surface becomes challenging because too much support is lost to the compression. Then again, if it’s too firm, you might as well practice directly on the floor. With a few exceptions, 5 millimeters (about ¼ inch) is fairly standard for yoga mats, and that’s exactly how padded the Lululemon mat is. The dual-material makeup does the job well, though we found the rubber side to be even kinder to the knees.

The Lululemon mat also comes in two sizes to accommodate different body types and preferences. Most people will be more than satisfied with the regular 71-by-26-inch mat, which is 3 inches longer and 2 inches wider than a standard mat. It has ample space to keep you in its confines during a vigorous flow. The Big version is a monster: It measures 84 inches (that’s 7 feet) long and 28 inches wide, which prompted one of Amy’s trainer friends—a 6-foot-2, 350-pound bodybuilder—to light up with glee and remark, “That’s the size of a door!”

Lululemon makes two lighter-weight versions of The Mat: The Mat 3mm and The Lightweight Mat (5 mm) for travel, both of which have the same extra-grippy surface area and dimensions (71 by 26 inches) as the regular mat. Both are lighter to carry, rolled up, to class—the trade-off being reduced cushioning.

One long-term tester, who has owned the mat for three years, appreciates its cushiony texture, which is still dense enough to help her feel “rooted.” Its surfaces earn praise, too: “Grip is my main priority, as I sweat a lot, and this mat stays grippy even as I drip sweat from my forehead.”

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The Lululemon mats aren’t light to carry around—an issue if you’re walking or biking to class but less so if you practice at home. The regular size weighs just under 5¼ pounds, and the Big mat is over 7 pounds.

Being more than half rubber in composition, this mat had a faint smell, though not nearly as strong as that of the JadeYoga mat or the odiferous Hugger Mugger . In fact, by the time we got to practice on the Lululemon mat (after the yoga instructors had tested it), the scent had basically disappeared. One long-term tester enjoys the smell (“It makes the room feel more gymlike”) and loves the mat overall but has one quibble: She bought the mat in a light color and notes that “sweat really shows up on it.”

“The first time I used it, I thought something on my clothes must have stained it,” she says. Sweat outlines do fade completely as they dry, but she recommends buying a darker color if this is a concern. Note, though, that even a dark blue version we own tends to show sweat marks, which also eventually fade. (Even a wet ponytail left a stamp.)

A company spokesperson told us the mat should never be rolled up when wet—this can cause the mat’s layers to peel or separate. Proper care, including cleaning and allowing the mat to fully dry between uses (which may mean unrolling it at home after a class) is essential for its longevity.

For those who prefer a mat with only natural rubber, consider the grippy  JadeYoga Harmony Mat . The surface texture feels like a million tiny suction cups that glue to your skin at every contact point, which is particularly useful when attempting to hold any sort of balance-heavy pose—you definitely aren’t going to lose it because your foot or hand slipped. In fact, we sometimes found pivoting movements, say, from a high lunge to a Warrior 2, a bit of a challenge because of all the friction.

It also comes in four sizes. Just keep in mind that the bigger you go in area, the heavier the mat is to carry: The smallest is a reasonable 4½ pounds, and the largest is a getting-awkward 6½ pounds.

At 3/16 inch (4¾ millimeters) thick, the Harmony Mat has just enough cushion to pad, though it doesn’t feel quite as plush as the slightly thicker dual-material Lululemon mat. That said, with its durable material, the JadeYoga can be given a bath or even cleaned in a front-loader washer on gentle—just be prepared for a long drying time, as this puppy really sucks up water. In fact, it did nearly as good a job at absorbing sweat and wicking it away as the Lululemon, making it a great pick for heated classes, too. If you’d like additional cushioning (and don’t mind the heft it adds) and prefer an all-rubber mat, our testers liked JadeYoga’s 5/16-inch-thick (about 8 millimeters)  Fusion Mat .

As with any natural rubber product, there’s that smell; it was more pungent than the Lululemon’s but less than the Hugger Mugger’s , which really reeked. Because it’s a rubber mat, it also contains latex, so it’s not good for those with a latex allergy. (If you’re looking for a latex-free rubber mat, consider the Clever Yoga LiquidBalance Mat , which we also reviewed .)

Some people may find that the Harmony mat’s texture provides too much grip, hindering pivots and some sliding movements. In that case, we recommend the rubber Manduka eKO Mat 5mm .

Following our initial testing, several people (including a Wirecutter staffer) have noted that certain JadeYoga mats they purchased from late 2016 through 2017 wore out much more quickly than expected. Upon our inquiry, JadeYoga’s president, Dean Jerrehian, indicated that the company had experienced an uptick in premature wear complaints (from an estimated 1 in 2,500 mats to around 1 in 1,000) regarding mats manufactured between October 2016 and August 2017, during which time it had changed the mats’ fabrication in an effort to make them lighter (for the sake of portability). Since August 2017, the company has returned to its original formula, Jerrehian said. He pointed to the company’s one-year warranty , which covers premature wear. How long any all-rubber yoga mat will last depends on how you use (and clean ) it. “The average lifespan for our mats is about two to three years, but some people have them much longer and some replace them more frequently,” Jerrehian said. We’ve noticed some reviewers on the JadeYoga site reporting that their Harmony Mat has lasted for five, seven, even 11 years.

If you dislike the smell of rubber or are allergic to latex, look to a rubber-free mat. The Gaiam Performance Dry-Grip Yoga Mat , constructed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and free of latex, delivers a supportive, cushioned experience that rivals those of our top rubber picks.

The Performance Dry-Grip is nearly identical to our former latex-free runner-up pick, Gaiam’s Athletic Duramat, which is now discontinued. The Performance Dry-Grip has a glossy flower print on its surface and is slightly smaller than its predecessor—a standard 68 by 24 inches versus 78 by 26 inches. The mat is 3 inches shorter and 2 inches narrower than our top pick, though we didn’t feel cramped on it at all.

At 5 millimeters thick (the same as our top pick), the mat offers ample cushioning and firm support; our knees and elbows remained content even during prolonged planks and kneeling. We felt pleasantly grounded in standing poses, the mat providing enough cushion to root into, but adequate support to avoid a sinking feeling. Its smooth surface is built for a slip-less experience. The top layer, meant to wick away moisture, kept our hands and feet firmly in place, while allowing for freedom during transitions. We did not test the mat in a hot-yoga class, but we did spritz our hands with water to approximate a seriously sweaty session and didn’t slide.

The mat emits an odor in the beginning, which was noticeable on nose-to-mat postures like Child’s Pose and on our hands after use. The odor faded after a few days but didn’t disappear completely, particularly on the underside. The surface has a tendency to pick up lint and dust (rug fuzz from a shedding wool carpet glommed on to ours), but a quick wipe with a towel took care of it. We also noticed visible handprints and streaks after use, which waned eventually.

The mat is relatively light at 4¼ pounds—roughly a pound lighter than our top pick, the Lululemon The Mat 5mm. This might not seem like much. But if you plan to tote your mat from place to place, overall heft can make a difference.

The Performance Dry-Grip also comes in an “XL” size that’s 78 inches long and 26 inches wide.

The Yoga Accessories ¼″ Extra Thick Deluxe Yoga Mat 's PVC foam is uncommonly lofty for its price, providing ¼ inch (6.2 millimeters) of material to support your body in any pose, and is made without those widely dreaded phthalates. Like many inexpensive mats, it compresses more than its denser, pricier cousins, but most people will find the support adequate.

More than adequate is its generous 74-inch length, a full 6 inches longer than some competitors, yet not so long that you’re taking up more than your fair share of floor space in class. Even with the extra size, it weighs an extremely portable 3.6 pounds.

The stickiness is fine under dry hands and feet, though particularly wobbly or sweaty yogis will definitely appreciate the sweat absorption of the rubber picks from Lululemon and JadeYoga. Our pro yogis also expressed concern about how durable this mat would be over time; being PVC, it shouldn’t be thrown away but instead recycled or upcycled .

One long-term tester, who chose a light color of this mat, has found that it can show dirt even after cleaning.

Unlike other folding travel mats we tested, the JadeYoga Voyager offers excellent traction. It didn’t slip or shift on the floor during our practice. At just 1/16 inch (about 1.6 millimeters) thick, the Voyager doesn’t offer much padding compared with our cushier picks. But that lack of cushioning also makes it easy to fold up and stash in either a backpack or carry-on suitcase.

Unfurled, the Voyager provides a full 68-by-24-inch natural-rubber practice area—the same as a standard mat (though smaller than the Lululemon The Mat). It’s as grippy under hand and foot as the Harmony , also made by JadeYoga (though not as grippy as our top pick from Lululemon ). It also didn’t shift, slide, or bunch up on the floor during our testing, unlike several of its competitors. At just 1½ pound, it’s also among the lightest mats we tested and is significantly lighter than all of our other picks. If you want more squish, you can place it on a carpet or atop a rental mat at the studio; we found that it didn’t slip on those surfaces any more than on a hard floor.

Both of our yoga instructors praised the Voyager highly for its portability and traction, selecting it as either their favorite or second-favorite travel mat. Depending on the style of yoga you practice or your preferences, though, you may need to make a few adjustments. Our hot yoga instructor noted that the rubber felt almost too grippy and somewhat coarse on her skin and she had to put down a towel to absorb sweat near the end of class. Still, she preferred it over most of the travel competitors, which could become slippery during a heated session.

How you clean and store your yoga mat will keep it in usable shape longer. All mats come with care instructions specific to the materials they’re made of, but generally you should wipe your mat clean after every few uses with a water-dampened cloth, a homemade diluted vinegar solution or a gentle mat wash, and then allow it to fully dry before storing.

In real-world terms, that means wiping and rolling up your mat after class, then laying it out to dry at home, possibly with another wipe-down on a second rollout. For spot cleaning stubborn stains and grime, try a mixture of dish soap and water. For deeper cleaning, consider soaking your mat in the bathtub.

Although you can wash most yoga mats in a machine, the stretching and tumbling can easily tear a PVC or non-rubber mat. Rubber mats typically fare better in the washer, but they suck up a ton of moisture and can take forever to dry.

Natural rubber and many plastic foams degrade when exposed to UV light. That means no drying wet mats in the sun or leaving them in a hot car, and possibly no al fresco classes; of our picks, JadeYoga and Gaiam specifically caution against prolonged exposure to sunlight.

Yoga mat materials can create a thicket of concerns for many yogis, and many companies that make yoga mats try to appeal to the environmentally sensitive nature of their audience. JadeYoga says it does not source the rubber for its mats from Amazon trees. Manduka previously accepted old mats (for a $10 fee on top of a new mat purchase) for downcycling.

As we note in our guide to foam rollers , purchasing a quality item that suits your goals and expectations is key to securing a tool you’ll ostensibly use (and enjoy) for a long time. Yoga mats follow suit.

Eric Wilmanns, principal and founder of Brown and Wilmanns Environmental, views the use of a product from a life-cycle perspective. “Yes, the majority of yoga mats, especially the ones made from a variety of materials, are not going to be composted, reused, or recycled,” he said. “But if they last significantly longer, they may end up having a lower impact.”

It can also be tricky to know exactly what you’re getting when it comes to a mat’s material. Wilmanns pointed out that chemicals added to polymers that are meant to add specific physical or cosmetic properties can be viewed as a supplier’s trade secrets and aren’t always revealed. “So even if a brand is told that the primary material is something that is okay, many of the additives are not disclosed and might have profound environmental or health implications,” he said. “I always use the analogy of adding bacon to a veggie burger.” ( Our runner-up rubber-free mat is considered 6P free, meaning it does not contain the six most-studied phthalates.)

Maintaining a sense of personal responsibility and sustainability in light of so many complicated factors can be hard, so if you want to use one of these mats but worry about the impact, focus on what happens to the mat when you’re done using it . Generally, that means finding a second use for it after it’s too worn out for yoga—perhaps as furniture cushioning, an anti-slip surface, or as portable seating, padding, or lining material.

The Clever Yoga LiquidBalance Mat is a generously sized (72.8 by 26.8 inches), latex-free rubber mat. Our hands and feet never slipped on its smooth, sticky, eco-polyurethane surface, and it doesn’t show sweat stains quite as much as our rubber-free pick does. (We tried the LiquidBalance in black; lighter colors may tell a different story.) It comes with a carrying bag, which is helpful considering it weighs a hefty 6½ pounds (1¼ pounds heavier than our top pick and 2 pounds heftier than our natural-rubber pick, the JadeYoga Harmony ). It typically costs around $45 more than the Harmony, and it might be worth that investment if an oversize, latex-free mat is what you’re after.

The rubber Manduka eKO Mat 5mm is plush and grippy with a subtly striped surface texture (reminiscent of tree bark) that performed well damp or dry in our tests. It also just felt good. The mat weighs 7 pounds—2½ pounds more than the JadeYoga Harmony Mat, our runner-up natural-rubber pick —and its 5-millimeter thickness (the Harmony Mat is about 4¾ millimeters) cushioned comfortably. The Manduka eKO Mat’s surface is smoother than that of the Harmony Mat, which is finely textured, so we didn’t get quite the locked-down feel the Harmony Mat provides. But it is confidently grippy and grounding. Made of non-Amazon harvested rubber , the mat gave off a fairly pungent odor in the beginning, and a week after opening it still smelled faintly. Manduka mats have displayed solid durability before: Ingrid owned the eKO Lite Yoga Mat 4mm for about four years; it held up well, save for some fraying at the edges and ultimately succumbing to her cat’s decision to use it as a litter box.

This is not a comprehensive list of all the mats we’ve considered. It includes models we’ve tested that are still available.

The Aurorae Yoga Classic Thick Yoga Mat , made of polymer environmental resin (PER) foam, had divided results. The hatha instructor was generally impressed with its cushiony padding and stickiness and particularly liked the included rosin bag, which helped him get his grip when his hands got sweaty. Our hot-yoga instructor agreed that the rosin helped, but only to a point—toward the end of class, she resorted to layering up with her yoga towel.

The rubber B Mat Everyday 4mm (no longer widely available) we tested had a grippy surface with a subtle texture that felt nice and locked our hands and feet in place, but it was almost too much of a good thing: Pivoting between poses (such as a high lunge to Warrior 2) proved tricky because our feet stuck. The company now offers 10mm and 2mm versions of this mat, which we haven’t tested.

The Clever Yoga Starter Mat is made of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) foam and is a cushy ¼ inch thick and 72 by 25¼ inches. Though spacious and lightweight, it lacks a satisfying heft. We slipped a bit on the surface, particularly when it was damp, and despite the rippled texture on the back of the mat, it didn’t stay in place on the floor quite as well as others we tried. It also curled at the ends a bit when unrolled and had the same tendency as the Toplus Yoga Mat Classic ¼-Inch to unspool when rolled up and stored standing or flat.

Gaiam’s Premium 2-Color Yoga Mat and Reversible Yoga Mat are similar: Both are 6 millimeters thick and more squishy and soft than supportive. Each has a textured, softly nubby surface that lets fingers and toes grip easily. The stickiness is there, though at times it feels like literal stickiness—as if a faint coating of something were on the mat (though it’s most likely just the PVC material). These mats are fine for the price, particularly if you prefer a softer, textured surface to a slick, no-slip top layer.

HalfMoon Yoga’s Mighty Mat had fans among readers who commented on a previous version of this guide, so we gave it a go. Both yoga instructors were only mildly impressed by it, finding the mat difficult to unroll and the surface just okay for practice.

We tested the Hugger Mugger Para Mat , which did well in a previous review, when we learned that a new XLXW version measuring 28 inches wide and 78 inches long was launching. Though our yogis enjoyed practicing on the extremely grippy, luxuriously thick (¼ inch or 6.2 millimeters) natural-rubber mat, they found it very heavy to haul around (nearly 10 pounds) and extremely pungent (our hot-yoga instructor described it as smelling like a tire factory, which even bothered her neighbor in class).

The Kulae tpECOmat Ultra mat is made of a TPE material with an extra-plush 8-millimeter (5/16-inch) thickness. The hatha instructor and Amy were big fans of the lightweight yet densely cushioned material, which Amy particularly enjoyed in restorative yoga practice during long-held floor poses. Our hot yoga instructor found it slippery and commented that the material stretched a bit underfoot. Its thickness makes this mat a bit unwieldy to carry when rolled up, despite its 4-pound weight.

The Liforme Yoga Mat has a dual-layered polyurethane and rubber makeup and helpful alignment markings (so you know where to place hands and feet)—and a high price. (The Liforme’s price is almost double that of our similarly fabricated top pick .) Both of our yoga-instructor testers really liked the mat for its stickiness in both hatha and hot yoga, its relatively lightweight construction, and the handy bag it comes in. They really had no complaints, though they pointed out that its thickness of less than 4.8 millimeters (3/16 inch) might not offer enough cushion for some people. Still, for all its “great presentation,” neither tester said they would pay the sticker price.

The Maiya Yoga Mat is generously sized (73 by 25½ inches) and latex free with a slightly textured surface. At 5 millimeters thick, it feels plush and supportive, but in our testing it was slippery. On one of our first days of use, we weren’t able to hold a downward dog without our hands sliding distractingly. (Damp hands slid even more.) The company’s website says grip will improve over time, which may be true—we just haven’t gotten there yet. The mat comes in three pretty prints, and Maiya mats are, according to the company’s website, “the only Indian-American created luxury, designer performance yoga mats.” At $148, they are meant to be a long-term investment, and the company is focused on ethical and environmentally friendly business practices.

The Manduka Pro and the thinner ProLite polyurethane mats have legions of fans who praise them for their durability, which the company backs with a lifetime guarantee. The lingering problem in our testers’ minds: The surface requires extensive breaking in before it’s sticky. The company recognizes this issue and suggests giving these mats a scrub with salt and water “to speed things up a little” while breaking them in.

Nuprava’s The Unity Mat , a reversible, dual-layer mat, is natural rubber on one side and microfiber suede on the other. Meant to absorb sweat during hot yoga practices, the microfiber suede is soft, and it held our hands and feet pretty well. When we reversed the mat, the rubber felt fine, but the mat slid and shifted. At 2 millimeters thick, it’s a hair thicker (0.4 millimeters) than our travel choice; it also weighs 3.3 pounds and is machine washable.

The natural rubber Rumi Sun Yoga Mat takes an interesting approach to grip: The mat has a cotton-fiber-blend fabric mesh set into its surface, which provides some texture. We ultimately found the mat to be almost too rough. Its surface provided a decent amount of grip during both dry and sweaty conditions, but this is not a sticky mat (we experienced some slipping). The Sun Yoga Mat is noticeably dense and at 4.3 mm thick (0.7 mm and 1.9 mm thinner than the Lululemon and Yoga Accessories mats we recommend, respectively) it feels less cushioned than our picks. There was a strong rubber odor when we first unrolled this mat, which stuck around for several days.

Our testers found the Sugamat , made of recycled wetsuits, too coarse for comfort.

The Toplus Yoga Mat Classic ¼-Inch is another cushiony ¼-incher made of a TPE material. Though cushiony and comfortable for floor poses, it didn’t roll out quite flat for us and felt like it stretched a bit during certain poses like Warrior 2. It has an almost sueded texture and a fairly grippy surface, and though it’s exceptionally light, it doesn’t feel substantial. In our experience, when we rolled it for storage, it tended to unspool just enough to be bothersome.

The dual-layer Yoga Design Lab Combo Yoga Mat is a towel-fused rubber mat that’s designed specifically for hot yoga—you can even machine-wash it. However, both yoga instructors struggled with its lack of stickiness when dry and wet.

Yoga Hustle’s The Mat , made of natural rubber with a polyurethane top layer similar to that of our top pick , is 2 inches longer and 3 inches wider. But it’s slightly thinner (4.5 millimeters) and about $40 more expensive. It didn’t stand out as markedly better, though the oversize dimensions gave us a bit more room.

Travel mats

Gaiam makes two nearly identical versions of its PVC travel mat, the Foldable 2mm and the On-The-Go (currently unavailable), the latter of which has integrated carrying straps. Both fold down nicely, and the straps seemed like a good idea—until we realized they were affixed to the mat and got in the way of practice. Our hot yoga instructor complained about the PVC being very slick and “actually had to stop using [the mat] 20 minutes in.”

Lululemon’s The Lightweight Mat 5mm  has the same smooth but grippy texture that our yoga instructors loved on the brand’s The Mat 5mm . At just 1.5 millimeters it’s significantly thinner, which makes it much lighter to carry but also far less cushioned. Unfortunately, it can’t be folded easily—its rolled length of 26 inches is too long to fit inside most backpacks or carry-on suitcases.

The Khataland YoFoMat is bulky (it takes up twice the space of similar mats), cheap feeling (even though it isn’t cheap), and slick to the touch. Neither yoga instructor wanted to test it, and Amy agreed it wasn’t worth their time.

The natural rubber Manduka eKO SuperLite got great reviews from our instructors for its portability. Weighing just 2 pounds, it’s nearly as light as the JadeYoga Voyager, but it doesn’t fold down quite as compactly. Unfortunately, our yogis didn’t agree on the quality of its traction—it satisfied our hatha instructor but had the hot-yoga instructor complaining about slippage from the get-go.

The microfiber top surface of the Toplus 1/16 Inch Travel Yoga Mat has a nice feel, and the mat comes in a tidy plastic sleeve for storage. But our hatha instructor was not impressed with the traction; and though our hot yoga instructor thought it was decent on her trial run, she preferred the JadeYoga Voyager.

We also considered YogaPaws , a set of padded gloves and socks that could easily be the most portable mat-replacement option for traveling yogis. Unfortunately, neither yoga instructor nor Amy much liked practicing in them. Even the thinner version feels thick under your hands and feet, and the socks have a tendency to shift around as you practice.

This article was edited by Tacy Vence and Kalee Thompson.

Meet your guides

Ingrid Skjong

Ingrid Skjong is a supervising editor on the appliance team, focusing on the likes of ranges, refrigerators, dryers, and dishwashers. She previously covered fitness for Wirecutter and has been an editor and writer at various lifestyle magazines. She is an avid runner and lives in New York City.

Amy Roberts

Amy Roberts is a certified personal trainer (NASM-CPT), a running coach (USATF Level 1), and a regionally competitive runner. She also served as a staff writer for the Good Housekeeping Institute for nearly five years, working closely with the engineers and other scientists to interpret product test results.

Further reading

How to Breathe New Life Into Your Old Yoga Mat

by Amy Roberts

Yoga mats are rarely recycled. Repurposing an old mat is one way to keep it out of the waste stream for longer.

How to Clean a Yoga Mat

by Ingrid Skjong

Here’s how to keep your mat fresh, clean, and primed for your practice.

After a Mat, These Cork Blocks Are the Yoga Props Worth Investing In

by Sri Rain Stewart

After testing nine sets of top-rated yoga blocks in all manner of poses, we’ve determined that Manduka Cork Yoga Blocks are the ones to get.

9 Clever Uses for Yoga Blocks

by Katie Okamoto

Yoga blocks aren’t just for yoga. There are tons of interesting ways to repurpose them.

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• Travel Products
• Activity + Adventure
• Sports + Leisure

The Best Portable Exercise Equipment That'll Fit in Your Carry-on

These compact fitness powerhouses will help you stay active on your next trip.

In This Article

• Our Top Picks

Our Testing Process

• Tips For Buying
• Why Trust T+L

Travel + Leisure / Brian Kopinski

Going on a trip but want to stick to your fitness goals? No sweat. Portable exercise equipment — everything from resistance bands and foldable yoga mats to weighted vests — allows you to get in a good workout wherever you are.

These travel-friendly items will easily fit inside a carry-on without breaking size or weight restrictions , and yet they strengthen and tone your muscles just as well as (sometimes even better than) full-size equipment you’d find in a regular gym.

To help you determine which products are worth the weight, we researched and tested a list of portable exercise equipment, specifically looking for compact options that will work well for travel. We also incorporated several options that we’ve personally tested, including a travel yoga mat, a yoga towel, resistance bands, and a massage gun. We evaluated the equipment on several attributes, such as portability, performance, absorbency, and comfort. We’ve continued to use these items since testing wrapped to determine if their performance remains strong (read more about our testing process below).

Once you get to your destination, you’ll have no problem finding room to do the space-efficient exercises. Here are our picks for small but mighty items worthy of a purchase, from massage guns to ab equipment for serious muscle growth.

Best Travel Yoga Mat

Aeromat elite yoga pilates mat.

• Design 4.5 /5
• Comfort 5 /5
• Portability 5 /5

This cushioned yoga mat offers luxe features at an inexpensive price.

We noticed a slight rubber smell during testing, which might bother sensitive noses.

If you’re a yogi who’s often on the move, a travel yoga mat is essential to keep up your yoga practice and the Aeromat Elite Yoga / Pilates Mat fits the bill. During our tests, the sticky polyvinyl chloride fabric ensured that no sweaty feet or palms went sliding. And the built-in mesh has anti-stretch capability so the yoga mat moved with us as we flowed into different poses.

This yoga mat exceeded our cushioning needs by defying the notion that travel yoga mats are notoriously thin. It comes in two sizes: 5 millimeters and 6 millimeters, both of which offer ample comfort for sore joints or knees. Traveling yogis have the option of purchasing the mat with a harness or without. We recommend getting the harness since it makes it easy to sling around your shoulder if you don’t want to sacrifice valuable luggage space. The lightweight mat comes in several calming colors, such as sea glass green, dusty rose, and chai.

The Details: 3.6 pounds︱23.9 x 4.8 x 4.4 inches

Travel + Leisure / Cindy Erskin

Best Yoga Towel

Lululemon the towel.

• Absorbency 5 /5
• Design 5 /5

The strong grip keeps your body rooted to the mat so you’re free to flow from one pose to the next.

The edges could be more tailored to prevent fraying.

Yoga may be a relaxing activity, but that doesn’t mean you won’t work up a sweat. This Lululemon yoga towel with microfiber fabric prevents your mat from becoming a slip-and-slide. If you need more grip, such as during a restorative yoga class, simply spray more water overtop. When we added a decent amount of water to it, we did feel moisture seeping through, but it quickly dissipated into the material. We also didn’t experience any bunching.

The towel overlaps a standard size mat, so you can use it on larger mats or as a towel for your post-workout shower. When it’s time to pack it up, fold it into a tiny square or roll it like a yoga mat. After practice, we cleaned it in the washing machine and were pleased to discover that there were no signs of wear-and-tear or piling. The microfiber fabric remains baby-soft, perfect for laying on during Savasana. Yogis have three stylish colors to choose from: black, hail, or velvet dust.

The Details: 26 x 71 inches

Best Resistance Bands

Chareada resistance bands set.

• Quality 4.5 /5
• Versatility 5 /5
• Ease of Use 5 /5
• Grip 4.5 /5

The resistance tube and loop bands are durable enough to prevent breaks or rebound snaps.

The grips provide a no-slip hold, but certain hand positions can cause tenderness.

For a strength training workout that’s lightweight, portable, and doesn’t incur a monthly gym fee, don’t resist the pull of this resistance band set. The 23-pack combo pulls on the heartstrings of any fitness lover since it has high-quality stackable tube resistance bands and loop bands that provide up to 150 pounds and 40 pounds of weight, respectively.

We traveled with the kit for two weekends and loved the portability of being able to throw it in our bag and get a workout from wherever. We did everything from basic arm curls to fly exercises that work the back and pectoral muscles. The kit also comes with dual-sided sliders, door anchor weights, ankle straps, and an adjustable skipping rope for even more versatility. Within a week, we were already seeing noticeable definition in our arms and shoulders. We loved how much tighter our upper body felt from them after testing.

The Details: Silicone | ‎13.7 x 9.7 x 3.8 inches

Best Massage Gun

Therabody theragun mini.

• Effectiveness 5 /5
• Comfort 4.5 /5
• Stall Force 5 /5

It offers Bluetooth connectivity so you can access a library of workouts on the Therabody app even when you’re far from home.

The small size makes it difficult to target large areas, such as the back.

Small but powerful: that’s the best way to describe the Theragun Mini 2nd Generation. The ultra-light massage gun more than makes up for the previous version’s issues in size and portability by being 20 percent lighter and 30 percent smaller. Simply throw it into a gym bag or your luggage for on-the-spot muscle recovery via three powerful speeds and three attachments.

We liked how the ergonomic triangle shape and grip fit nicely into our palms during our tests. The portable size is best-suited to handle the needs of smaller muscle groups, such as the calves, hamstrings, arms, and forearms. And while it doesn’t go quite as deep into the muscle as the company’s larger versions, we were able to relax sore muscles once we pressed down hard enough during testing. Stall force never derailed our recovery. The device has 120-minute battery life, so you can probably leave the charging cable at home if you’re going away on a short trip. We appreciated the carrying case, which keeps the good vibes going by protecting your device.

The Details: 1.5 pounds | 7.9 x 5.9 x 2 inches

Best Yoga Block

Manduka cork yoga block.

The lightweight block takes up no more space than a toiletry bag.

Cork is more likely to stain than foam.

A Manduka block makes your on-the-go yoga setup even more effective. It’s made from coarse-grain cork, which is super compact and lightweight compared to wood, foam, and coarse-grain cork. The non-slip material keeps you stable and secure as it props you up and makes it easier to move deeper into poses. Consider it the ying to your yoga mat’s yang.

The Details: 2 pounds | 4 x 6 x 9 inches

Best for Abs

Vinsguir ab roller.

• Assembly 5 /5
• Ease of Use 4 /5
• Quality/Comfort 4 /5
• Versatility 3.5 /5
• Value 4.5 /5

It has a thick base to keep your body balanced.

The handle isn’t as steady as similar options.

When crunches aren’t doing it for you, try this ab roller to strengthen your core. It tones the abdominal muscles by rolling your body into a plank and back. With a wheel that is 3.2 inches thick, this ab roller keeps you balanced and stable, and you can throw it in any carry-on or bag. There’s also a comfy knee pad to keep you rolling comfortably for years to come.

The Details: 1.4 pounds | 6.5 x 12 inches

Best for Weight Training

Bala bangles.

• Ease of Use 4.9 /5
• Fit/Comfort 5 /5
• Versatility 4.5 /5

They add an extra challenge to whatever workout you have going on that day.

One to two pounds of weight resistance may not be challenging enough for some.

For workout equipment that moves with you, you can’t go wrong with these Bala Bangles. Featured on Shark Tank, they’re as stylish as they are durable, made with only the highest-quality recycled steel and wrapped in baby-soft silicone. Don’t be surprised if people confuse them for actual bracelets!

The design is unisex and one-size-fits-all, so there’s something for everyone. Customize the bracelet to your personal style and fitness goals with the large selection of colors and choice of one to two pounds of weight resistance. Then, strap them on, and enjoy the extra challenge.

The Details: 1 to 2 pounds | 13.5 x 3.5 x .75 inches per bangle

Best for Leg Day

Vaunn folding pedal exerciser.

 Amazon

• Ease of Setup 4.5 /5
• Performance 3.5 /5
• Features 4 /5

This pedal exercise is an easy way to get your legs moving.

Some users find the pedal strap to be too big.

Friends never let friends skip leg day, so allow us to introduce you to the Vaunn Medical Folding Pedal Exerciser. It only weighs 5.4 pounds ( much easier to transport than an actual exercise bike), and the design is compact enough to fit under most desks and tables. You can easily combine it with your daily activities, such as work meetings and TV-watching, or use it when you have time to kill at the airport.

The base is sturdy enough to prevent wobbling, so don’t be afraid to amp things up with the resistance knob. Since no tools are required, assembly is quick and easy, and the quick-release folding mechanism makes it simple to store everything between sweat sessions.

The Details: 5.4 pounds | 11.2 x 15.2 x 18.2 inches

Best for Total Body

Trx all-in-one suspension training fitness system.

This suspension training tool can be modified to fit every fitness level and can provide a thorough workout without the use of weights or dumbbells.

You have to pay for access to the TRX Training Club app after the 30-day free trial ends.

TRX (Total-Body Resistance Exercise) is a popular name in the world of fitness, and you don’t even have to go to an actual gym to use the equipment, or have access to a trainer. This highly-rated portable workout system uses the tried-and-true suspension training straps to provide you with a total body workout — no weights or dumbbells required. It’s lightweight at under two pounds, and it takes up hardly any space in a suitcase.

The whole kit is an incredible value that can be used in even the most modestly sized hotel rooms. It comes equipped with a door anchor, a suspension anchor, and a mesh bag to take with you on the go. Since TRX exercises require some guidance, the kit comes with a 35-page workout guide for routine ideas, and you can download the TRX Training Club app for a free 30-day trial of coach-led workouts.

The Details: 1.7 pounds | In package: 12.2 x 8.7 x 8.5 inches; Out of package: 53 x 1.5 x 6 inches

Best Portable Home Gym

Oyo personal gym.

It requires almost no space to use.

The 25 pounds of resistance may be too little for some people.

This portable home gym is out of this world — literally. It’s made with SpiraFlex resistance technology, which was invented by Paul Francis to help NASA astronauts get fit on the International Space Station. With durable nylon-coated stainless steel cables and polymer construction, this total-body system is built to last. It provides 25 pounds of resistance in each hand for a killer workout, yet the entire system only weighs two pounds. You’ll also receive access to workout videos that were created by OYO fitness director Nick Bolton (although the app isn’t highly rated). To top it all off, you’ll enjoy peace of mind with a three-year warranty.

The Details: 2 pounds | 26 x 7 x 3 inches

Best Weighted Vest

Omorpho g-vest+.

Whether you’re walking, hiking, or doing CrossFit, this vest amps up your workouts.

They only come in two sizes per gender.

When it comes to a weighted vest, you want a product that adds resistance without making your carry-on unwieldy. Another must-have: It has to fit like a compression shirt without the restriction of a compression shirt. This design from Omorpho checks all the boxes.

Available in five colors, the G-Vest+ cinches at your sides and has adjustable shoulder straps so you can find the perfectly snug fit. The weight of the five-pound women’s version and the 10-pound men’s version are equally distributed around your torso so you have full range of motion with an extra bit of challenge. It’s made of a super-soft neoprene and includes a back panel for ventilation. Connect to the Omorpho app to be led through high-intensity, do-anywhere workouts.

The Details: Up to 10 pounds

The Travel + Leisure team took part in testing a total of 69 portable workout items in our New York City testing lab. By incorporating them into our workout routines, we assessed several attributes across the board, such as quality, portability, and durability. Since no item is alike, we chose specific attributes to apply for each. For example, we evaluated Lululemon The Towel’s grip and absorbency during our yoga practice and paid special attention to the stall force rating of the Theragun Mini 2nd Generation.

Since portability is an important factor while traveling, we packed up the most compact fitness items to take them home and on trips. In the end, only products with the highest ratings and portable sizes were selected for the tested portion of this roundup. In addition to our tested items, we also included researched options in this roundup.

Tips for Buying Portable Fitness Gear

Consider workout facilities and opportunities at your destination.

Many hotels provide guests with a gym and/or swimming pool. Check to see if your destination has a fitness room or fitness classes available to avoid trying to fit unnecessary items in limited suitcase space. If you’re planning to do activities like jogging or power walking during your travels, make sure a safe route is available, and map it out ahead of time. Consider the level of activity that may already be a part of your journey. For example, you might not want to lug weights for your legs on a ski vacation.

Have a packing plan

Preparation is key when it comes to a fitness packing plan. Before adding fitness equipment to your cart, think about what bags you plan to take and whether you’ll have room for everyday essentials along with your gear. If using a foam roller after working out is key to your fitness routine, then consider purchasing a more travel-friendly version. After use, be sure to clean the items before packing to avoid dirt and bacteria spreading. Finally, pack fragile fitness equipment securely with packing tape or a box, and whenever you can, choose items that come with a carrying case for easier transport.

Factor in both weight and size

Of course, you’ll want to choose exercise equipment that fits inside your carry-on to avoid checked bag fees, but don’t forget that weight is also a factor. On most airlines, bags are considered overweight if they exceed 50 pounds, and they are subject to fees usually starting around $50. Moreover, even if your equipment doesn’t exceed weight limits, dense items can make suitcases inconvenient and uncomfortable to maneuver.

Frequently Asked Questions

Exercise doesn’t have to be left off the itinerary just because you’re traveling. Try any one (or all) of these activities to stay active:

• Use the hotel’s amenities, such as the gym or pool
• Take advantage of fitness apps for quick in-room workouts 
• Go for a walk and explore ( a smartwatch can track your daily steps)
• Try walking meetings 
• Do calf raises while waiting in line 
• Book a local fitness class near your hotel or vacation rental 
• Go for a bike ride (many cities offer bike rentals)
• Stretch after a long day of travel 
• Use your body weight (lunges, sit-ups, squats, and planks are all good options)

Yes, you’re allowed to travel with workout supplements (pre-workout, protein powder, vitamins, etc.) in either your carry-on or packed luggage. These are classified as “Protein or Energy Powders” by U.S. Transportation Security Administration. It’s recommended that protein or energy powders larger than 12 ounces be packed in your checked bag in a clear bag or the original packaging.

If you don’t have access to a washing machine, do a quick rinse with soap or travel laundry detergent. Afterward, allow the clothes to dry outside or around your hotel room.

To prevent your workout clothes from stinking up your luggage, pack some scented dryer sheets and store sweaty workout clothes away from dry items, such as in a bag or protective organizer . There are also plenty of duffel and weekender bags that offer a separate compartment for sneakers or dirty clothes.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Sarah Kester is a writer and editor who has covered everything from lifestyle to health and fitness for over a decade. Her work has been published in Healthline , Tracy Anderson Magazine , Verywell Health , and more. For this roundup, Sarah relied on our in-house testing insights, researched the best portable exercise equipment on the market, and combed through dozens of customer reviews.

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Collection: Folding Yoga Mats for Travel

Don't let travelling disrupt your yoga flow. Our collection of travel mats are lightweight, easily transported, and perfect for travelling to and from yoga classes and retreats. Our curated collection is hand-picked by our wellness experts to offer a selection of beautiful and convenient mats with both rolling and foldable options. For those who seek adventure and new experiences, a folding yoga mat is a practical choice. Taking up minimal space and weight in your luggage, a folding travel mat can be the perfect companion when exploring new areas as you'll be ready to practice your asanas anywhere, anytime.

Get ready to see the world with no need to reduce your practise, whether it be a morning flow to start your day or a meditation session to unwind, your travel yoga mat will be with you whenever you need it. Available in a wide range of colours and patterns to suit your preferences, discover eco-conscious travel yoga mats from brands such as Jade Yoga, Yoga Design Lab, & more.

Folding Yoga Mats for Travel

A foldable yoga mat is a travel essential for any yoga practitioner. Wherever your adventures take you, be ready to practise whenever you need it. Whether it be a mindful meditation session listening to the sounds of the rainforest, or a hot yoga session by sunnier shores, our convenient travel yoga mats are designed to support you on your journey. Our collection features mats that can be rolled or folded into a compact size, pair with a carry case or strap to make transporting it even easier. For more travel essentials and to keep your mat protected, discover our extensive range of mat accessories includin g  yoga kit carry ba gs &  mat cleaner s. Available in a variety of colourways and styles so that you can curate a kit that is perfect for you.

What to use as a yoga mat when travelling? A travel yoga mat is the best thing to use when travelling. With a wide range of both lightweight and foldable mats available, you can keep up with your practice even whilst on the road. Yoga travel mats are compact enough to fit in your luggage, but durable and sturdy to keep you supported during your yoga flow.

How to fold a travel yoga mat? Traditionally, yoga mats are rolled up. This can cause inconvenience when travelling, instead you could opt for a folding yoga mat which can be folded into a more compact shape. To do this, fold your mat in halves until you reach a size that will fit into your suitcase or bag, this works best with thinner mats.

How to clean a travel yoga mat? To clean a travel yoga mat, we recommend using a gentle cleansing spray and wiping down with a damp cloth. For tough stains you can use a soft and gentle brush in circular motions. Some yoga travel mats are more like mat towels, and can be placed into the washing machine on a gentle cycle. However, you should always check the care instructions of your mat before placing in the washing machine. Additionally, you should ensure that your mat is laid flat to dry before rolling it up, and store it out of direct sunlight.

Is a lightweight yoga mat best for travel? A lightweight mat is great for travelling. If space is not an issue, you may wish to choose a lightweight mat over a foldable mat, as they may offer further support. Many yoga practitioners prefer a lightweight yoga mat when travelling rather than a standard mat, as this allows the mat to be taken to outdoor locations more easily, such as the beach or forest. Lightweight mats can be more easily carried, and some are also foldable so can be tucked away in a backpack or tote bag for convenience.

What is better, a rubber or PVC yoga mat? Which material is best depends on both your personal preference and the type of yoga you practice. For example, PVC mats are more sticky and have a good grip but only when they are dry. For hot yoga, they would need to be supplemented with a yoga towel mat or replaced with a rubber or jute mat may be best. However, rubber mats are usually heavier than other types of material so if you are planning to transport your mat, you might wish to opt for a lighter material.

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10 Best Travel Yoga Mats On Amazon, Based On User Reviews

So you can om on the go.

Thankfully, there's a simple solution: a travel yoga mat. Most travel yoga mats are designed to fold up into a small, flat square and are made of lightweight, super-thin materials , meaning they don't add much weight to your carryon. That said, not all travel yoga mats are designed equal, and if you're looking to pack the best one for your next retreat or trip, there are a few elements to consider in a contender.

Does it offer no-slip grip that's oh-so important for hot yoga classes or outdoor asana practices in a tropical climate? Is it easy to clean ? What about durability? All of these things are important factors to think about before buying a travel yoga mat, and thankfully you have a options that tick all these boxes. Depending on your practice and preference, many travel mats are designed to withstand serious sweat and some can even be washed in the washing machine.

Keep reading to find the top-rated travel mats on Amazon, based on customer reviews. (Many cost under $50 and take up as much space as a book!). Plus, what the users who love them have to say about each.

TOPLUS Travel Yoga Mat

This mat is super thin (only 1/16th of an inch thick) and comes with a convenient carrying case, making it easy to pack and tote around. 

Average Rating: 4.5 

Number of Reviews: 266

Reviewer Rave: "The suede side actually absorbs moisture, so even if you're amazingly out of shape and sweat like it's 500° while doing a plank, you won't slip around on this mat. The rubber side keeps the mat in place on the floor. Easy to clean and ready to pack up and travel with. This is an all-around great yoga mat."

Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga and Pilates Travel Mat

Weighing in at just over 2 pounds, the mat is light enough to pack in a carryon or luggage without being cumbersome. 

Average Rating: 4

Number of Reviews: 588

Reviewer Rave: "I'm a flight attendant and want to be able to work out in my hotel room. The mat is extremely lightweight, easy to clean, easy to fold up into nothing, and great quality. I like that it is thin but has a lot of grip to it! I would highly recommend this for anyone that travels often but doesn't want to sacrifice workout days when on the road or to resort to using a towel for your workout."

Gaiam Foldable Yoga Mat

You can fold this yoga mat into a 10" by 12" square making it great for when you've got limited space. Plus, it only weighs one pound. Boom! 

Number of Reviews: 375

Reviewer Rave: "I haven't travelled a single time without this mat since I bought it. It is so convenient to be able to pull out my own mat to studios when I'm on the road, and to be able to practice in hotel rooms, or at friends' homes on overnight stays. The mat isn't sticky to the level of some of the specialty mats you'll see out there (like the Gaiam roll-up models), but is definitely a good grip. I've used it on hardwood floors, carpet, and on the deck of a ship—it's great."

SKL Travel Yoga Mat

If you're on a budget and want a versatile yoga mat, this one from SKL is a great option. At just under $30, you get an extra-long mat with a grippy, suede-like cover (great for absorbing sweat) and a carrying case. Plus, the mat is machine washable.

Average Rating: 4.5

Number of Reviews: 53

Reviewer Rave: "I really like this yoga mat! It's super long (7 feet) so it's great for all the long lunges and even lying outstretched. It's slip resistant bottom is great for hardwoods."

Jade Yoga Travel Yoga Mat

Jade Yoga's travel mat is made with sustainable materials and comes in two different sizes (68 or 74 in). It's also ideal if you want a bit more cushion since it's ⅛-inch thick, yet still weighs less than 3 lbs. 

Number of Reviews : 259

Reviewer Rave: "I wanted something small that I could roll up tightly to take on a trip with me, and this fit the bill perfectly. The amount of grip this mat has makes practicing easy. This is the stickiest mat I've used, compared to my Manduka mat and cork mat."

YOGO Ultralight Travel Yoga Mat

If one of your main concerns when it comes to a yoga mat is cleanliness, this one comes with a strap specially designed to help you wash and hang-dry it from a shower rod or other hook.

Number of Reviews: 74

Reviewer Rave: "I own at least a dozen yoga mats, literally, and have purchased several compact, folding, and travel mats. These YOGO mats are now my go-to mats. They have great grip, are very well designed and durable, are eco-friendly and made of plant-based materials, are easy to clean (they don't absorb water, and you just rinse and hang in the shower with the built-in straps/loops), are very compact (they'll literally fit in a large purse or under your car's seat), and are very reasonably priced."

Yogaer Travel Yoga Towel Mat

To make yoga mats super-portable and lightweight, you typically have to sacrifice added cushion in exchange for convenience. Not with this mat from Yogaer, which comes with a removable cushion that you can use as a knee pad or wherever you need extra support. 

Average Ranking: 4.5

Number of Reviews: 29

Reviewer Rave: "It's one of those things that I didn't know I needed, but I do. I love that they thought of the added cushioned knee pad, which can be used for variable padding as needed depending on where you are and what you're doing."

June & Juniper Travel Yoga Mat

Want a travel mat that's as aesthetically pleasing as it is functional? The June and Juniper Travel Yoga Mat comes in three different amazing prints. Plus, you get some extra accessories like a strap and a knee pad as bonuses.

Number of Reviews:  53

Reviewer Rave: "I took the mat to my yoga class and people around me kept checking it out and commenting, wanting to know where I got it from. I can't stop staring at it; it's beautiful!"

Clever Yoga Hot Yoga Mat

The last thing you want when you get home from a vacay is to open your suitcase to find a smelly, gross mat. Good news–this one has a waterproof layer that helps prevent bacteria from growing. Even better you can toss it in the washing machine to give it a deep clean.

Number of Reviews:  73

Reviewer Rave: "I travel a lot and cringe at the idea of using a stinky studio mat. Problem solved! This travel mat has a super-nice, non-slip texture, and it fits perfectly right on top of a studio mat. I’ve washed this gem a few times and it’s come out of the washer and dryer looking brand new!"

KUYOU Non-Slip Travel Yoga Mat

This mat from KUYOU is easy to fold and carry with a convenient carrying case and strap. Not to mention that the mat itself is printed with body alignment lines designed to help you stay in proper form and guide you in your practice. 

Number of Reviews: 22

Reviewer Rave: "The colors are so vibrant and beautiful and the thickness of the mat is very comfortable. It's cushy while still providing sufficient support, and beautiful to look at while practicing. It's comfortable on the knees in certain poses, yet it's not too thick to throw off my balance on some one-legged poses."

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Best travel yoga mats for flows on the go

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The ancient art of yoga has endured since its origins in India approximately 5,000 years ago, becoming a widely taught and practised activity in contemporary society and wellness-orientated groups to this day.

With its three main tenets focusing on breathing, flexibility and strength, the movement elicited by yogic practices simultaneously allows us to pause and reflect, while flowing through core-engaging movements assisted by the power of our own breath. In teaching us to harness the power of our body’s natural movements and the basic functions which help us to survive, students of yoga learn to be at one with the natural world.

Yoga provides a firm, solid foothold to help boost us into a wellness-focused life, which prioritises mental health and positive movement above all else – it just takes a little bit of practice. Yet despite yoga’s unwavering popularity over the centuries, many beginners find that the activity is often at odds with their modern, fast-paced life.

Rather than waking up extra early to get a sun salutation in, it suits the vast majority of 9-to-5ers far more to run to the office instead. Similarly, many office-dwellers would prefer to take a speedy 20-minute gym break during lunch, during which they’ll likely burn far more calories than they would in a 90-minute yoga class.

However, attempting to turn yoga into a means to lose weight or putting your physical endurance to the test is missing the point entirely. Yoga is all about intuitive movement, so much so that flows and salutations can be learned and rehearsed like dance routines, so they’ll come as naturally as breathing.

As such, you don’t need a studio or instructor to flow while you’re away from home. After a few classes and a little bit of practice, you’ll feel mightily confident on your own – and if you’re still not quite there, you can of course pop on a gentle guiding YouTube video from one of your favourite online instructors (ours is Adrienne, of course).

Whether you’re camping, hiking, travelling or enjoying a relaxing beach holiday, you’ll be surprised by how incomplete your day starts to feel without even a few minutes of stretching, breathing and movement. When you’re on the move, it’s therefore always a brilliant idea to take a portable, travel yoga mat with you.

We’ve rounded up a selection of the best travel yoga mats to help elevate your practice even when you’re not on home soil.

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Mikkoa Travel Yoga Mat – Finding Nirvana

Foldable, compact and lightweight, Mikkoa’s travel yoga mat is one of the best on the market for a myriad of reasons. Not only will you gain access to free online yoga classes once you make your purchase, but you’ll also be able to use this durable yoga mat on the go for years to come without the need for a replacement.

When unfolded, the sweat-absorbent and supportive microfibre mat measures 183 x 66cm and folds neatly into a 24 x 14cm rectangle – thereby taking up approximately one-third of the space of a regular yoga mat. The best part? This yoga mat is entirely machine washable. That’s right, no more wiping down with cloths and disinfectant after every single use.

Sustainable Non-Slip Jute Travel Yoga Mat

Another brilliantly compact option, this jute travel yoga mat from Complete Unity Yoga is just 2mm thick. Despite its incredibly grippy surface, yogis will be pleased to discover that the mat itself has been crafted solely from durable, non-toxic and eco-friendly materials.

The manufacturing process itself is also proudly zero-waste, and your mat will be delivered in zero-plastic FSC-certified packaging. Suitable for whatever type of yoga you go for – even in the hottest environments – Complete Yoga Unity stands by its grip guarantee, making this portable mat perfect for yoga retreats abroad.

Viavito Travel Yoga Mat

Designed to fit in even the smallest of tote bags, this grippy non-stick yoga mat has been fabricated from a durable and waterproof PVC which is nevertheless free from phthalates and horrible chemical odours. Thanks to the handy slightly perforated design, this yoga mat folds easily from a 61 x 173cm mat into a 31 x 25cm rectangle for the utmost portability.

Liforme Cosmic Moon Travel Yoga Mat

Though on the more expensive side, this luxurious and beautifully designed yoga mat from Liforme is not likely to leave your side any time soon. While lightweight and wonderfully portable thanks to the inclusion of a bag strap with your order, this yoga mat also functions as a top-of-the-range piece of kit to use during practices and classes at home as well as abroad. Made from PVC-free and biodegradable materials, you can be sure you’re protecting the planet as well as your mind by purchasing a mat from this B-Corp-certified yoga brand.

Manduka eKO SuperLite Travel Yoga Mat

Available in a plethora of calming gradients and solid hues, Manduka’s SuperLite travel yoga mat is a no-nonsense piece of apparatus to add to your yoga arsenal, especially if you travel a lot. With two options for size – standard and large – you’ll find that both are able to fold neatly into a tote, travel bag or suitcase. Plus, you can use it on top of your regular mat during normal practices for extra support and grip, whether you tend to move on hardwood floors or ultra-plush carpets.

Foldable Cork Non-Slip Yoga Mat

Eco-friendly and entirely slip-proof thanks to its cork surface, this yoga mat by Eke features a beautiful lotus design in the centre of the mat and a line down the middle to help focus your practice while improving your balance with every session. We also love the fact that this value-for-money option comes with a yoga mat for extra portability.

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The Best Yoga Mats for Every Type of Practice in 2024

By Sara Coughlin , Nikhita Mahtani , and Jessica Kasparian

You’ll know you’ve found the best yoga mat for your practice when it keeps you so steady and comfortable on your feet that you barely notice it. Whether you prefer classes at home or at a local studio, a mat will be the backbone of your routine—so we asked fitness experts how to choose a great one.

Best Yoga Mat Overall: Manduka Pro Yoga Mat Best for Hot Yoga: Yoga Design Lab Combo Mat Best for Versatility: Lululemon The Mat Best for Asana Yoga: Alo Yoga Chakra Warrior Mat Best Budget-Friendly Pick: BalanceFrom GoYoga All-Purpose Exercise Yoga Mat Best for Taller and Bigger Bodies: JadeYoga XW Fusion Best for Beginners: Halfmoon Essential Yoga Mat Best for Heavy Sweaters: Yoga Strong Yoga Mat Best for Home Use: Bala The Play Mat Best for Pilates: All in Motion Premium Fitness Mat

How to choose the right yoga mat

A thicker mat is ideal if you’re practicing on hardwood or primarily using it for floor poses and stretching. With enough supportive cushioning, you can focus on your yoga practice rather than on any uncomfortable pressure points. On the other hand, some people may find it easier to balance and flow more dynamically on a thinner mat (typically under four millimeters). “Listen to your body: A thicker mat might feel way more comfortable for your sensitive knees, or you might find that you’re sinking too much and need something flatter,” Annie Moves , a registered yoga instructor at Alo Moves , tells SELF.

Most standard yoga mats are 71 or 72 inches long, but you can find options that are both shorter (68 inches) and longer (80 inches). If you’re on the taller side, it may be worth seeking out a longer mat that’ll accommodate your body, since many yoga poses involve a wide stance (think warrior II, downward dog, and goddess pose).

If you sweat a lot or frequently go to hot yoga classes, using a mat with a nonslip surface can help keep you from sliding around. Those made with open-celled materials like polyurethane foam are particularly absorbent, which should help remove excess moisture and reduce the risk of slipping. (Of course, you’ll still want to regularly clean your mat to prevent bacteria buildup.) Bringing a yoga towel is another way to avoid practicing in sweat puddles.

There are also textured yoga mats, which feature grippy nubs along the top that can give you more stability. “You can also get mats with dual surfaces, featuring a smooth surface on one side and textured grip on the other,” Chelsea Jackson Roberts , a yoga instructor at Peloton in NYC, tells SELF. If you practice both hot, fast-paced yoga and slow, flow yoga, a versatile option like that might be your best choice.

A thinner, lightweight mat is a great option if you often take your mat on the go because it can pack away easily. Thinner mats should be able to fit in carrying straps, roll up into your yoga-mat carrier , or even fold down into compact squares.

The best yoga mats

We’ve highlighted the best yoga mats for all types of practices and bodies, whether you’re a relative beginner who’s just getting used to the postures or a seasoned yogi . We included budget-friendly bestsellers along with top picks from yoga instructors and fitness pros. And once you find a mat that works for you, consider adding yoga blocks and other helpful props to your practice.

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Pro Yoga Mat

Best Yoga Mat Overall: This ultradense yoga mat was recommended by a ton of the instructors we reached out to, and the reason was pretty clear: It’s the ultimate mat for comfort and extra cushioning. Holly Perkins , CSCS, calls it the Rolls Royce of yoga mats: “I love that it feels so substantial and does not move on the floor—it stays stuck! It’s thicker than most yoga mats, so it’s [also] great for strength exercises, but not so thick that your feet stick in and are unstable.” Jackie Skinner , a yoga instructor in NYC, and Jake Panasevich , a yoga instructor and health-science journalist in Philadelphia, also love the Pro mat’s thickness and stability. They both point out that it’s on the heavier side, though, so it might not be the best choice for commuting.

Size: 71 x 26 (85 x 26) in Thickness: 6 mm Weight: 7.5 lbs Available colors: 7

• Made of closed-cell material, which helps prevent sweat and moisture from soaking into the mat
• Does not move when on the floor
• Thicker than most yoga mats, but also suited for strength training exercises
• Hard to transport due to added bulk
• Surface may feel too soft for faster yoga flows

Yoga Design Lab

Best for Hot Yoga: “The Yoga Design Lab mat is a yoga towel and mat in one,” Heidi Kristoffer , founder of CrossFlow Yoga and creator of CrossFlowX in NYC, tells SELF, referring to this mat’s absorbent microfiber top layer. The rubber base also provides stability during your flow. “It’s the best surface for yoga imaginable—the perfect amount of grip without restricting movement,” Kristoffer says. “Bonus: You will never have to worry about remembering a towel for a sweaty or heated class with this mat.”

Size: 70 x 24 inches Thickness: 5.6 millimeters Weight: 5 pounds Available colors: 11

• Absorbent top layer for sweaty practices
• Nonslip and heavy grip
• Hand-wash only
• Many reviewers say it’s a bit too thin

Best for Versatility: Lululemon’s rubber yoga mat is reversible, with a smooth side and a grippier textured one. Panasevich got several years of use—including indoor and outdoor classes—out of his own Lululemon mat, and he’s quick to recommend it to anyone who practices regularly: “This is my favorite yoga mat that I recommend to all my students. It provides strong grippage so you don’t slide and sufficient padding,” he tells SELF. “It’s plenty big for those with broader shoulders and taller folks, yet not awkwardly bulky.”

Size: 71 x 26 inches Thickness: 5 millimeters Weight: 5 pounds Available colors: 6

• Reversible style with smooth surface and a textured grip
• No carrying strap

Chakra Warrior Mat

Best for Asana Yoga: Kylan Fischer , founder of Bendy Babes and a yoga instructor in Sunset Beach, California, recommends this rubber mat for its helpful design: It has an asana grid etched into it, so you can check your alignment throughout class. “It provides a nonslip surface, which means if I take a sweaty hot yoga class I don’t need to worry about slipping around on my mat,” she says. For those who prefer solid colors, Alo makes a version of the Warrior Mat without the etchings, and it’s just as supportive and durable.

Size: 74 x 26 inches Thickness: 5 millimeters Weight: 8 pounds Available colors: 1

• Contains etchings to check your alignment
• Middle-of-the-road thickness, making it great for most users
• Hard to transport due to heavy weight

Signature Fitness

All Purpose Anti-Tear Yoga Mat

Best Budget-Friendly Pick: With over 60,000 five-star reviews, this mat is a top seller on Amazon. Its positive customer feedback and lower price tag inspired Kelley Green , a certified yoga instructor in NYC, to give BalanceFrom’s exercise mat a try: “The reviews did not let me down,” she tells SELF. “This mat has a great grip, so I’m not slipping or sliding if I work up a sweat while transitioning through yoga poses.” Plus, the mat’s thickness is great for beginners and will make any pose comfortable on a hard floor.

Size: 71 x 24 inches Thickness: 12.7 millimeters Weight: 2 pounds Available colors: 7

• Less pricey than other options
• Easy to clean with soap and water
• Reviewers say it can curl up slightly on one end

XW Fusion Yoga Mat

Best for Taller and Bigger Bodies: Award-winning yoga instructor, author of Every Body Yoga , and founder of The Underbelly , Jessamyn Stanley , previously told SELF that the extra-long XW Fusion mat from JadeYoga was her go-to mat for regular practice: “It’s expensive but worth every penny,” she said. As the brand’s widest, thickest, and longest mat, it’s designed to fit and support folks with larger and taller bodies.

Size: 80 x 28 inches Thickness: 8 millimeters Weight: 9 pounds Available colors: 1

• Longer and thicker than most other mats
• Powerful grip so you don’t slip
• Bulky to transport

Essential Studio Yoga Mat

Best for Beginners: Kelly Colleen, director of programming for YYoga , likes this 4-millimeter-thick mat from Halfmoon for yoga beginners . Its textured surface helps users grip more easily and it’s durable without weighing too much. Size: 72 x 24 inches Thickness: 4 millimeters Weight: 3 pounds Available colors: 2

• Grippy surface
• Lightweight, yet durable
• Not sweat-resistant
• Might not be thick enough for those who need extra cushioning

Yoga Strong

Coachella Luxe Pro Mat

Best for Heavy Sweaters: Sarah Larson Levey , founder and CEO of Y7 Studio , points to Yoga Strong’s sweat-absorbent, anti-slip mat as a recent favorite. “It has a microfiber suede top layer, which makes it perfect for hot yoga classes,” she tells SELF. “Oh, and the best part: It’s machine washable.” Having an easy way to clean your yoga mat is always a bonus. Size: 73 x 25 inches Thickness: 5 millimeters Weight: 7 pounds Available colors: 8

• Machine washable for easy cleaning

The Play Mat

Best for Home Use: The curved top of the Bala Play Mat stands out from more traditional rectangular options. It also provides plenty of grip for every dynamic pose you might want to try. It’s on the heavier side, so we recommend keeping it at home—thankfully, it’s pretty enough to leave out. Size: 71 x 26.5 inches Thickness: 5 millimeters Weight: 8 pounds Available colors: 4

• Great grip to prevent sliding
• Reviewers say the top layer stains easily with sweat

All in Motion

Premium Fitness Mat

Best for Pilates: If you’re not a huge yoga person but still need a mat for workouts like Pilates, consider the All In Motion Premium Fitness Mat. It’s made specifically for floor-based workouts, with extra cushioning (15 milliliters) for sensitive joints. The textured surface provides enough stability for many exercises, but the mat’s probably too thick for balance-focused movements. The included carrying strap makes it easy to tote around too. Size: 72 x 24 inches Thickness: 15 millimeters Weight: 3 pounds Available colors: 3

• Great cushioning
• Comes with a carrying strap
• Too thick to keep you stable during balance-based exercises

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Pilates Advice and Strategies

Kristin McGee is a certified personal trainer and currently teaches yoga and meditation for Peloton. She is also certified in Pilates by the National Association of Sports Medicine.

Nick Blackmer is a librarian, fact checker, and researcher with more than 20 years of experience in consumer-oriented health and wellness content.

Pilates is a form of low-impact exercise similar to yoga. It involves performing exercises on a mat or on a machine (known as a reformer) to improve strength, posture, and flexibility. The repetitive moves in Pilates use resistance or bodyweight and focus on core engagement with the goal of helping the body to move with greater efficiency.

Pilates classes are a fun way to mix up your exercise routine. Many people use Pilates as a rehabilitation tool to relieve hip and back pain. Here’s what to expect as you delve into the world of Pilates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yoga and Pilates are often confused, but they are different forms of exercise. Both are low-impact and involve some stretching, and both seek to improve flexibility and strength. Pilates classes tend to use more equipment than yoga classes, and yoga involves holding poses or positions for longer.

Pilates has many benefits. Many Pilates classes help to strengthen the core, which can improve posture and alleviate lower back pain. It can also help improve muscle strength and flexibility.

What to wear to a Pilates class depends on the type of Pilates. Floor or mat Pilates classes require similar clothing to yoga classes. It’s recommended to wear form-fitting clothing that doesn’t get in the way of any movements. Reformer or megaformer Pilates classes also require form-fitting clothing that won’t get caught in the machine, but you may also need to wear grip socks. These are usually required to prevent you from slipping when using the machine. Grip gloves are usually optional.

The Pilates reformer is the main machine used in Pilates classes (some classes use the megaformer). The machine uses springs to add resistance to exercises. Most exercises are performed while lying down on the machine. The machine has straps for the hands and feet. When you pull on the straps, the main part of the machine—called the carriage—moves away from the starting position to stretch out the muscles.

Not all Pilates classes or workouts require equipment or machines. Some portion or all of a Pilates class may be done on the floor on a yoga mat. This is called mat Pilates. It uses bodyweight instead of resistance from the machine. Mat Pilates can also include smaller pieces of equipment, such as a Pilates ring, springboard, or sitting box.

Many exercises in Pilates aim to increase core strength or the muscular strength of the torso. In Pilates, the core is sometimes called the deep core or powerhouse. Your Pilates instructor may remind you to engage your core throughout the class.

Extension and flexion are opposites, but they’re terms you may need to learn to get the most out of a Pilates workout. When you flex, you bring your arm or leg towards yourself. This decreases the angle between two bones. Think of flexing your arm or foot. When you extend, you open up a joint. Think of extending your arms towards the sky.

In a Pilates class, you may hear the instruction to “tuck” which simply means to tuck your pelvis. Learning how to position your pelvis is a key part of any Pilates class. When you tuck your pelvis, you protect your lower back by engaging your deep core muscles.

Grip socks are usually required for most Pilates reformer or megaformer classes. They aren’t needed for mat Pilates classes. These socks are used for safety reasons and prevent you from slipping while using the Pilates machine.

Postural alignment helps encourage proper posture when standing or sitting. During a Pilates class, you may work on your posture by ensuring your spine, head, and limbs are properly aligned.

Explore Pilates Advice and Strategies

More in fitness.

Byrnes K, Wu PJ, Whillier S. Is Pilates an effective rehabilitation tool? A systematic review .  J Bodyw Mov Ther . 2018;22(1):192-202. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2017.04.008

Forget sit-ups — this Pilates ring ab workout carves your core in just 5 moves

I t doesn’t matter whether you enjoy Pilates or yoga, learning how to use a Pilates ring during ab workouts could have massive benefits for your core muscles. 

“The magic circle,” as it’s also known, could help activate and strengthen your abs during exercises using one piece of compact, lightweight equipment. The best part is that you don’t need the gym or heavy weights for this ab workout, just your Pilates ring, one of the best yoga mats and these bodyweight ab exercises.

Here are the benefits of Pilates rings and five ways to fire up your abs in under 20 minutes from anywhere, whether you’re home for the holidays or traveling on vacation. 

What are the 5 Pilates ring ab exercises to strengthen your core?

These five beginner Pilates ring exercises fire up 360-degree core activation, helping you target more muscles than just your abs, like the obliques and deeper core muscles responsible for posture and stabilization. 

The Magic Circle Ab Series, created by Jeni DelPozo, doesn’t specify reps or sets, so we’ve created a short 15-minute workout to follow. Remember to work at your current ability and scale reps and sets if necessary. If you’re returning to exercise from an injury or pregnancy, always seek medical consultation before beginning a new exercise routine. 

Here are the Pilates ring ab exercises:

1. Pilates ring single-leg stretch

Start on your back with your knees bent and legs raised from the mat. Press your Pilates ring against your left thigh, then extend your right leg away from you while engaging your abs and pushing against the ring. Return your right leg to the starting position and complete reps on one side before switching sides.

2. Pilates ring single-leg lower lift

Stay on your back with your knees bent, legs lifted away from the floor, and the Pilates ring pressed against your left thigh. Engage your stomach, then raise and lower your right leg with control. Complete reps on one side before moving to the other.

3. Pilates ring leg raises

Stay lying on your back and place the Pilates ring between your thighs or just above your ankles. Press against the ring to engage your legs, then squeeze your stomach, lift your upper back away from the mat and place your hands behind your head. Pull your shoulder blades together, then drive your legs up and down with control to perform your leg raises.

4. Scissors

Set the Pilates ring against your left shin just above the ankle and press your right palm against the other side, extending both legs into the air and lifting your upper back away from the mat. Keep your right arm straight above you and hold the position. With control, raise and lower your leg while pressing your back into the floor. Switch sides. Here's how to do scissor kicks in more detail to help level up your technique.

5. Crisscross

Lay on your back and place your Pilates ring against your right thigh with your right leg bent in the air. Simultaneously position your left elbow against the opposite side, holding the ring over your stomach. Lift your upper back, engage your core and extend your left leg into the air with pointed toes. From this starting position, try to crush your circle using your elbow and knee using a pulsing motion. Switch sides. 

5-move 15-minute Pilates ring ab workout to try from your yoga mat

Watch the video above to keep your form in check and learn how to do each Pilates ab exercise properly. Keep your stomach braced and movement controlled without arching your lower back away from the mat or putting pressure through your lower back. 

Work for 50 seconds, switching sides after 25 seconds for single-sided exercises. Rest for 10 seconds, then move to the next exercise and complete 3 rounds. 

Add rounds for a more intense ab workout. If you’d prefer not to switch sides halfway through, perform a round on your left side, then one on your right and mix it up on the last round. 

Pilates rings are easy-to-access pieces of resistance equipment made from rubber. They have small cushions on either side and can be placed between your hands, arms, or legs to help activate every major muscle group and your smaller stabilizer muscles (which can be harder to fire up) by giving them something to contract against. The same applies to yoga blocks, although they have less give, which is why this yoga block ab workout is also worth trying if you're traveling or short on equipment.

Using one regularly could help you build strength and muscle tone across your whole body, including your arms, shoulders, back, core, chest, thighs and glutes, also building balance, stability, flexibility and mobility. We recommend engaging in some form of resistance-based training several times a week for best results for your abs. 

Firmly squeezing your Pilates ring inwards or pushing outward against the inner side can help muscles work harder. You could add a Pilates ring to any bodyweight workout, ab routine, or warm-up to help ramp up the intensity. During this workout, practice squeezing as many muscles as possible and press against the Pilates ring at all times, and remember to breathe deeply toward your belly rather than your chest.

More from Tom's Guide

• Forget running, it only takes five exercises to sculpt your lower body and abs
• I did Pilates for a month, here's what happened to my body
• Here's what an hour of yoga can do for your body