The Best Yoga Mat Reviews
Practicing yoga is considered food for both the body and the soul. It is one of the most physically active forms of meditation, with more benefits than you can imagine. Not only does it allow one to find actual balance and keeps the body active without stressing it too much, but it’s also something that can be practiced at any age and with minimal investment.
| Rank | Product | Highlights |
| #1 |  Gaiam Yoga Mat
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| #2 |  BalanceFrom GoYoga Mat
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| #3 |  Gaiam Kids Yoga Mat
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| #4 |  Manduka PRO Yoga Mat
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| #5 |  Ewedoos Yoga Mat
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Benefits of Yoga Mats
A yoga mat isn’t a must-have, but it does mage practicing yoga better and easier, mostly because:
- Practicing pretty much any type of sports directly on the floor without the proper gear is generally a bad idea. That’s because they are typically cold and dirty, and you don’t want to be exposed to any of those things. Yoga is about being comfortable while you stretch and about keeping your body warm and preventing that heat from being transferred to the floor. Yoga mats can help prevent that, not to mention that you’ll be working out on a clean surface.
- Yoga mats can help protect you from injuries. A yoga mat will provide you with enough cushioning to make holding different poses more comfortable.
- With a yoga mat, you will get a better grip. Imagine having sweaty hands that slip when you try different positions because the floor itself is slippery as well. A yoga mat can absorb sweat and prevent your hands and feet from slipping, thus keeping you even more safe from potential injuries.
- A yoga mat can help improve your balance and stability. This, of course, depends on your skill level and the thickness of the mat as well. Make sure that you look into mats for beginners at first, so you will find it easier to maintain a pose without losing balance.
You might want to read: Best Yoga Pillows
Top 5 Yoga Mats
Moving on, let’s dig deeper into the world of yoga mats by reviewing 5 solid products that are bound to entice at least some of you into the joy of mat-shopping.
Gaiam Yoga Mat
Specs:
- Dimensions: 68 x 24 inches
- Thickness: 6 mm
- Materials: PVC
Best overall
Gaiam is a brand very well known for making good yoga mats at decent prices. You can choose from a variety of different colors and models, and all of them have really amazing prints that are making a fashion statement, aside from providing you with a clean and safe place to practice yoga.
It comes with a non-stick surface that prevents you from slipping when you practice yoga, but also prevents the mat itself from sliding across what could be a rather slippery floor. It measures 68 x 24 inches and has a total thickness of 6 mm. One of the most interesting parts is that you get a free downloadable yoga class with the purchase of every mat.
Pros:
- 19 designs.
- Reversible design.
- Non-toxic PVC.
- Free yoga class.
- Non-slip surface.
Cons:
- Strong off-gassing.
Who Should Buy This?
The Gaiam yoga mat provides an amazing balance between price and quality, being a great purchase for people who want a product that offers decent features for a good price.
BalanceFrom GoYoga Mat
Specs:
- Dimensions: 24 x 71 inches
- Thickness: ½ inches
- Materials: HD foam
Bargain buy
In terms of really affordable yoga mats, we have the BalanceFrom GoYoga one, which does a good job of providing you with a clean and supportive spot for all your yoga poses. It measures 71 x 24 inches and is ½ inches thick, which should be a great start for beginners that don’t want to invest too much in a yoga mat until they become more aware of their needs.
The mat is a double-side product that offers a cushioning foam surface with anti-slip construction to prevent any potential injuries due to sweaty hands. While the mat does exceed in comfort and comes at a really good price, it’s not the most durable option that money can buy, since foam mats do tend to flatten out really fast.
Pros:
- Easy to clean surface.
- Comfortable foam construction.
- Adjustable velcro strap.
- Extra-long.
- Anti-slip construction.
Cons:
- Not very durable.
Who Should Buy This?
The BalanceFrom GoYoga Mat is designed for beginners who are looking to understand more about yoga before they invest in a more expensive product, but also for everyone just looking for a basic and comfortable yoga mat whilst trying to limit their expenses.
Gaiam Kids Yoga Mat
Specs:
- Dimensions: 60 x 24 inches
- Thickness: 3 mm
- Materials: PVC
Best for kids
Whether your kids are practicing yoga or need a mat for other types of activities (like gym classes or doing floor gymnastics), this Gaiam mat is centered on providing a safe experience for tiny humans. There are 11 absolutely adorable mats models to choose from, with everything from unicorns to rocket prints.
This PVC mat is made from non-toxic materials, providing our children with a safe environment to exercise one, so parents shouldn’t be afraid about children touching harmful or chemically-imbued materials. Each mat measures 60 x 24 inches and has a thickness of 3 mm. Due to the size of the mat, it is ideal for children between the ages of 5 and 8.
Pros:
- Amazing designs.
- 11 color and print options.
- Non-toxic construction.
- Good grip.
- Non-slip surface.
Cons:
- Only suitable for ages 5 to 8.
Who Should Buy This?
Parents that need a yoga mat that’s exclusively designed for children, with plenty of fun prints and colors and made from non-toxic materials, can look into the Gaiam Kids mats.
Manduka PRO Yoga Mat
Specs:
- Dimensions: 26 x 71 or 85 inches
- Thickness: 6 mm
- Materials: eco-friendly PVC
Best for hot yoga
Are you ready to step up your yoga mat game? Because if so, Manduka is the brand that you want to look into. We have to be fair from the start: this is not the type of affordable beginners mat, but rather a more expensive premium product that you want to invest in when you have a better grasp of the type of yoga you’re practicing and are ready to put more money in a more expensive product.
The Manduka Pro mats are centered on the idea that these products should be made with fewer emissions and they are designed to be eco-friendly and resistant at the same time. It comes with an anti-slip design and a closed-cell surface to prevent the mat from containing any bacteria.
Pros:
- Anti-slip surface.
- OEKO-TEX® certified.
- Closed-cell surface.
- Good for hot yoga.
- Latex-free.
Cons:
- Expensive.
Who Should Buy This?
The Manduka Pro mat is designed for people who want to invest in a high-quality eco-friendly product, and also for those who practice hot yoga and need a mat that’s comfortable to use in this particular situation.
Ewedoos Yoga Mat
Specs:
- Dimensions: 72 x 24 inches
- Thickness: ¼ inches
- Materials: thermoplastic elastomers
Best eco-friendly mat
When you care a lot about the environment, buying an eco-friendly yoga mat seems like the right thing to do. If you’re not sure what to get, looking into products like the Ewedoos mat seems like a pretty good idea. It’s made from thermoplastic elastomers which are flexible and very resistant, and way more eco-friendly compared to your standard PVC mats.
What you can expect from this product is a supportive service with double-sided surfaces that feature anti-slip construction for a good grip and injury prevention. The mat is a waterproof product that’s really easy to clean and promises not to retain any odors that become quite common the more you sweat on yoga mats that are made from different kinds of other materials. There are 5 beautiful colors to choose from as well!
Pros:
- Eco-friendly construction.
- Carry strap included.
- Lightweight.
- Helpful alignment lines.
- Close-cell surface.
Cons:
- Complaints about being slippery.
Who Should Buy This?
Those of you interested in keeping waste to a minimum by purchasing products that are eco-friendly will really have to take a look into the Ewedoos yoga mat, which is amazing!
You might want to read: Best Non-Slip Mats
Bottom Line
Mats are the type of product that you don’t realize how much you need until you actually start using it. There is a huge difference between practicing yoga directly on the floor/carpet/towel and doing so on a product that is designed to offer you support and make sure that you are comfortable, even if yoga sometimes means putting a bit of strain on your body.
The best part about yoga mats is that they aren’t really that expensive, and whilst it’s true that you can find mats that cost $200, you can easily find others as cheap as $20.