Wellness Origin HubThe best yoga mats for practising at home
Grip, cushioning and how a mat holds up after a year of floor work. Three mats for three kinds of home practice.
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Our picks at a glance
- Best overall: Manduka PRO Around $130 Check price
- Best grip: Liforme Yoga Pad Around $150 Check price
- Best budget: Gaiam Premium 6mm Around $35 Check price
A good mat is the only equipment yoga really needs. At home it also has to cope with hard floors, the occasional sweaty session and being rolled up every evening.
What to look for
- Grip: your hands should not slide in downward dog, even when they are warm.
- Thickness: 4 to 6 mm suits most people; thicker is kinder on knees, thinner is steadier for balance.
- Material: natural rubber grips best but is heavy and smells at first; PVC lasts longest; TPE is light and cheap.
Best overall: Manduka PRO
Around $130
A mat you buy once. Its dense cushioning protects knees on a hard floor without feeling unstable in standing poses.
What we like
- Dense, supportive cushioning
- Built to last for years
- Easy to wipe clean
Keep in mind
- Heavy to carry
- Slippery for the first few sessions until broken in
Best grip: Liforme Yoga Pad
Around $150
If your hands slip on every other mat, this is the one. The alignment marks printed on the surface are a real help when you practise without a teacher.
What we like
- Excellent grip from the first session
- Printed alignment marks help beginners
Keep in mind
- Expensive
- Surface marks easily
Photograph: Ivan Radic, CC BY 2.0
