Yoga Essentials: Top 10 Yoga Mats and 6 Key Factors to Choose the Best One for Your Practice

Yoga is something worth persisting in for a lifetime. It all starts with a yoga mat. If you want to do your job well, you must first sharpen your tools. A good yoga mat is the most important partner for yoga practitioners.

A good yoga mat must not only stabilize the body and prevent joints from being harmed by the oor, but also must have anti-slip properties and grip to reduce the risk of slipping hands and feet.

It can also allow the body to apply force in the correct part, allowing the exercise movements to be accurate and quickly entering the posture, while ensuring safety and comfort, making yoga exercises more eective with half the eort!

If you only look at the color or price when buying a yoga mat, you are likely to buy the wrong one. In addition to spending money on a wrong path, you will need to buy it again, and you may also get injured.

Dierent types of yoga Mats, practice venues, practice experience, etc., have dierent applicable yoga mats.

Next, we will take you through 6 key points on how to choose a yoga mats smartly, and select the top 10 popular and practical yoga mats to help you nd the yoga mats that best suits you!

Me and yoga mat

It has been more than ten years since I started to practice yoga. It was my rst time to buy a yoga mats. I had no idea about the quality of yoga mats. Of course, when purchasing, I only considered the price first. This is my rst yoga mats. , when doing yoga, the mat actually extended and was very unstable. Then I changed it to another one. The anti-slip between the mat and the ground was not enough, which was a bit dangerous. I changed it again. The surface of the mat had poor anti-slip… Just changed one to another.

If I were to go back to the past, I would denitely know how to choose rst, and would not waste money by exchanging one item for another.

Moreover, during this period of practice, you cannot concentrate very much, and there are even safety issues. In addition, the yoga mat is in contact with the skin for a long time. If the yoga mat is not made of good material, it may cause invisible physical harm.

Why you need a yoga mat

The yoga mats is a mat that is laid underneath when practicing yoga. The yoga mats has the eect of buering, stabilizing and protecting. For example, when kneeling on all fours, it can protect the knees from directly touching the hard oor and causing discomfort. Yoga mats can also be used The anti-slip eect of the mat prevents slipping, which may cause physical injury, and the yoga mat can make the practice more comfortable and precise. The yoga mats is an essential equipment for practicing yoga.

6 key points for choosing a yoga mat

1.Material

Material is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing a yoga mat, because the skin needs to be in contact with the surface of the mat for a long time. The selection of materials that do not add harmful ingredients, are environmentally friendly, comfortable, and tactile are all criteria for evaluating materials.

2.Size

(1) Length part

• Basically, you just need to pay attention to when lying at on the yoga mat. The length of the yoga mat should exceed your height and the width should be wider than your shoulders to avoid direct contact with the ground during practice.

• If you are a man or if you practice uid jumping, you can consider lengthening or widening specications.

• Extended yoga mats over 180cm are becoming more and more popular because they are not restricted by body shape and can be used by both men and women.

3.Weight

• The weight of the yoga mat itself is preferably above 1.5kg, unless portability is considered to avoid insucient grip and sliding.

• The weight will also vary depending on the material. In this case, please choose a product with solid material, which can fully adhere to the oor and will not be easily displaced due to changes in posture.
  

4.Anti-slip

Anti-skid includes:

• Non-slip between you and the yoga mat

• Anti-slip between yoga mat and ground

In order to ensure safety during exercise, the anti-slip eect is very critical. There is no need to worry about slipping, so you can feel the feeling of asana practice with your heart.

But yogis should not rely too much on the anti-slip properties of yoga mats and lose control of their postures and muscles.

• If you practice “ow yoga”, you need a mat with strong anti-slip. On the contrary, if you practice “yin yoga”, most of the time you sit on the ground, so anti-slip is not so important, and you need a softer mat.

• For example, if you practice “hot yoga”, because you are in a high-temperature environment, you need to choose a mat that can absorb a lot of sweat and is non-slip.

5.Carry

There are also many products on the market that come with special backpacks or straps. If the yoga mat you purchased does not come with it, it is recommended to purchase it separately to make it easier to carry.

If you are used to practicing yoga at home, there is no need to consider the issues of weight and portability. However, if you often travel, take it to classes, or do yoga on the road, you need to choose an easy-to-carry model that is light and does not take up space.

Although you still have to choose based on the type of yoga, it is recommended to choose a model with a thickness of less than 6mm and a weight of about 1kg. Although its stability and cushioning will be slightly worse, it is easy to carry and will not cause a burden. I believe it will be more durable.

6.Price

The price of yoga mats varies greatly due to dierent materials, designs, and brands. However, being expensive does not necessarily mean that they are good. Many products without brands are actually good, but you get what you pay for. An entry-level yoga mat priced below 600 yuan is not worth it. Suggested . If you are really worried about spending money, then choose a yoga mat from a well-known brand.

Featured Top 10 Most Popular Yoga Mats

When buying a yoga mat, don’t just look at the price. We practice yoga in the hope that we can be healthier physically and mentally. If we buy a cheap mat but use a toxic mat, it will cause harm to the body due to long-term contact, or a mat of poor quality will cause harm to our body. If you get hurt, the gain outweighs the loss.

Next, select yoga mats with dierent needs from the popularity rankings of various websites, delete yoga mats with unclear descriptions and poor quality, and select the top 10 most popular and practical yoga mats to help you choose the right one. Your own style!

1.【TAIMAT】Prophet Natural Rubber Yoga Mat

Features:

• Natural material, completely non-toxic and can be decomposed naturally

• It is not harmful to the skin and is made of environmentally friendly materials. It protects yourself and the earth.

• Provides support and stability, providing optimal cushioning and protection for wrists and ankles

• Due to the natural texture and open-pore structure of the surface, it has good anti-slip properties whether dry or wet.

• It can completely adhere to the oor and has strong tensile strength and grip. You don’t have to worry about the yoga mat shifting when you practice more dicult postures.

• The thickness is moderate, and it is convenient for both static and dynamic yoga.

• This normal size is 183cm, there is another extra large size 198cm

2.【Yoga Design Lab】Combo Yoga Mats-Tribal Blue environmentally friendly and fashionable yoga towel and mat in one

Features:

• The cutting-edge design of aesthetic and fashionable style allows the high taste of yoga to be fully revealed

• A fashionable and innovative combination of yoga towel and yoga mat.

• The upper layer is made of high-quality water-absorbent ber, and the bottom layer is made of natural tree rubber.

• Environmentally friendly, creative and high-quality yoga mat, non-slip and no need to worry about sliding

• Extra cushion pads provide super grip and extremely high stability

• It has high anti-slip power, so you don’t have to worry even if the surface becomes wet due to sweating.

• No harmful chemicals added and water-based pigments that do not fade

• Odorless, non-toxic, 100% recyclable, and made of biodegradable, environmentally friendly materials

• Exclusively designed strap makes it easier to carry when going out

• Suitable for yoga, hot yoga, Bikram, Pilates, meditation, etc.

3.【Clesign】Pro Yoga Mat yoga mat

Features:

• Clesign is popular around the world, a professional yoga brand that is friendly to people and the environment.

• Using natural rubber as the base of the yoga mat + an internationally certied American recycled tire company

• raw material mixed with carbon ber on the surface

• Its toughness is strong enough to become the most powerful non-toxic natural material yoga mat

• Using functional fabric made in Taiwan as the middle layer to accelerate the air ow inside the yoga mat

• Patented ergonomic chart tested by hundreds of European, Asian and American professional yogis; high-tech laser engraving ensures the engraving will last for many years

• It has amazing anti-slip and stability regardless of high sweat levels such as Ashtanga or hot yoga.

4.【HEAD】Natural cork yoga mat

Features:

• Cork is the bark of the cork oak, a purely natural material

• Lightweight, waterproof, good resilience

• 100% biodegradable and recyclable

• Made of natural rubber and cork, no chemicals added

• Soft on the outside but strong on the inside, tough and torn inside

• Double-layer anti-slip, the upper layer is made of wood ne ber, and the lower layer is made of NR with Z-line matrix pattern

• Good resilience eect

5.【Liforme】Lightweight yoga mat

Features:

• Hermes, known as the yoga mat

• Made for yogis who travel frequently, this lightweight mat

• Intelligent micro-engraved marks remind you of the correct position of your limbs at any time

• The mat is solid, deep and stable, with enhanced functions

• Made of high-quality non-toxic raw materials, does not contain PVC, and can be biodegraded within 1-5 years after burial.

6.【Fun Sport yoga】Happy Island High Eciency PU Leather Mindfulness Yoga Mat

Features:

• PU leather is highly anti-slip when wet, so you don’t have to worry if you sweat a lot.

• The limbs and the ground are synchronously prevented from slipping to improve safety.
• Auxiliary line design for orthopedic approach

• Specially designed for advanced yoga use to improve the stability of hands and feet

• High-eciency PU leather + environmentally friendly PER, both practical and aordable

• Anti-slip, stable and durable functions are comparable to those of international brands

7.【Comefree】 Featherweight TPE Folding Yoga Mat

Features:

• Can be folded, easy to store and carry

• TPE material, non-toxic and safe

• Three-dimensional embossing, good anti-slip eect

• Passed SGS inspection, made in Taiwan

8.【EASYOGA】Yoga ower mat

Features:

• Recommended by major domestic yoga centers

• Good resilience and sucient support

• The anti-slip eect is good, so you can do yoga with peace of mind

• Non-toxic, does not contain eight major metals

• Professional antibacterial treatment

9.【FunSport yoga】Little Secret Yoga Mat

Features:

• Double-sided anti-slip, solid material

• Can be biodegraded and does not cause environmental burden

• Made in Taiwan, reasonable price, durable quality

• REACH and ROHS environmental standards

• It complies with the Oeko-Tex baby article infant use level, so it will not harm the human body

10.[Adidas] Training professional thickened training mat

Features:

• Reduce motion cushioning force and protect joints

• Closed cell special structure technology design

• Combines soft touch and instant resilience

• 10mm thicker to protect joints more comprehensively

Read More: Understanding Low Back Pain and Yoga

Other uses for yoga mats

• Thick yoga mat can be used for muscle strength training
  Some exercises require a certain thickness of mat to protect the body and make them more comfortable. In this case, a yoga mat is very suitable, such as sit-ups.

• Replace imsy picnic Yoga mats
  A double yoga mat is a great alternative to a thin picnic mat. In addition to being soft and comfortable to the touch, it also saves money on using the picnic mat only a few times a year.

• Use as a oor mat for children to play on
  If you are worried about toxic additives in some crawling oor Yoga mats, you can use natural rubber yoga mats. In addition to being healthy and environmentally friendly, they also have a certain protective eect. It is also safe for children to lie on yoga mats.

• As a sleeping blanket for pets
  Little pets don’t like to sleep on the cold oor, so yoga mats serve as their comfortable sleeping blankets. I don’t know if any yogis who have pets have such experience. When the yoga mat is spread on the ground, they immediately go to take their seats, haha.

How to Clean and Care for a Yoga Mat

Each yoga mat is made of dierent materials, so there are dierent cleaning methods. Some solvents will destroy the material of the mat, and some will not. Most of them are recommended to be wiped with clean water. A few can be washed in a washing machine, but due to the composition of each yoga mat The ingredients and manufacturing processes are dierent. I would recommend not to read the cleaning methods provided on the Internet. It is best to follow the instructions of the product itself!

After cleaning, place it in a ventilated place to dry naturally. Do not expose it to the sun to avoid reducing the service life of the yoga mat. After natural drying, some materials are easy to curl. It is recommended to store it at and place it in a place where the sun cannot Direct sunlight, mainly shade .
Yoga mat recommendation

Other convenient yoga aids

If a worker wants to do his job well, he must rst sharpen his tools. It is very important to have good tools to do a good job, so as to achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Yoga aids not only allow the practice to focus more on the postures, achieve deeper stretches and exercises, but most importantly, protect oneself in a safe condition.

In yoga practice, yoga mats, yoga bricks and yoga ropes are the three most basic props. Do you already own them all?

In the following article, we will introduce the purchasing tips and recommended products of yoga bricks and yoga ropes, so that you can nd the most suitable assistive equipment for you!

in conclusion

When purchasing, just make sure to select the 6 key points of material, size, weight, anti-slip, portability, and price, and you will not waste your money. You can also choose the style that suits you from the recommended list of the top 10 popular and practical yoga mats. During a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh, you will also learn the importance of selecting the right yoga mat to enhance your practice, ensuring comfort, safety, and alignment throughout your journey.