Yes, a Good Yoga Mat Makes a Difference—These Are Our Favorites

All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.

You’ll know you’ve found the best yoga mat for your practice when it keeps you so comfortable and steady on your feet that you barely notice it. Sliding on sweaty hands? Never. Curling up at the ends? Not a thing.

Your mat is the backbone of your yoga routine, whether you prefer classes at home or at a local studio, so we consulted experts about how to find an amazing one. Among our top picks are editor favorites, including several SELF Home Fitness Award winners. And once you find a mat that works for you, consider adding yoga blocks and other helpful props to your practice.

Our top picks

1. Best Overall: Manduka Pro Yoga Mat, $138
2. Best for Hot Yoga: Lululemon The Mat, $98
3. Best for Asana Yoga: Alo Yoga Chakra Warrior Mat, $138
4. Best for Taller and Bigger Bodies: JadeYoga XW Fusion, $200
5. Best for At-Home Use: Bala The Play Mat, $99
6. Best Budget Pick: All in Motion Premium Fitness Mat, $30

Shop the best yoga mats

Our picks were made to help you go with the flow.

Best Overall: Manduka Pro Yoga Mat

This Home Fitness Award–winning yoga mat comes recommended by multiple instructors for its superior comfort and extra cushioning. Holly Perkins, CSCS, calls it the Rolls Royce of yoga mats: “I love that it feels so substantial and doesn’t 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,” she adds.

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’s better if you drive to a class or practice at home. That said, I’ve owned this mat for five years—it still feels brand new, by the way—and I rely on the Manduka’s Yoga Commuter Mat Carrier to sling it over my shoulder, which works like a charm.

Best for Hot Yoga: Lululemon The Mat

Lululemon’s rubber yoga mat is reversible, with a smooth side and a grippier, textured one that’ll prevent your hands from sliding in sweat, even when you’re practicing in a sauna-like studio. Panasevich got several years of use—in indoor and outdoor classes—out of his, and he’s quick to recommend it. “It provides strong grip, 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.”

Our Home Fitness Awards tester sang this mat’s praises after testing it for at-home Pilates and barre workouts. “The rough, textural design and grippy surface allowed me to jump up and down for burpees and transition from standing to sitting workouts,” she said. “Even with jumping jacks, the mat never slipped, which I experienced with many low-quality mats.”

Best for Asana Yoga: Alo Yoga Chakra Warrior Mat

The design on this mat isn’t just for decoration—it has an asana grid etched into it, so you can check your alignment throughout class. Plus, the surface texture is ideal for tougher flows: “It provides a non-slip surface, which means if I take a sweaty hot yoga class, I don’t need to worry about slipping around on my mat,” Kylan Fischer, founder of Bendy Babes and a yoga instructor in Sunset Beach, California, tells SELF.

Best for Taller and Bigger Bodies: JadeYoga XW Fusion

Jessamyn Stanley, an award-winning yoga instructor, author of Every Body Yoga, and founder of The Underbelly yoga app, previously told SELF that this extra-long XW Fusion mat from JadeYoga is her go-to. “I can’t recommend it highly enough—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.

Best for At-Home Use: Bala The Play Mat

Cute and curvy, the Play Mat is worth considering for anyone with annoying aches. “Regular yoga mats often leave my wrists in pain because they’re just too thin and don’t protect my joints from the floor nearly enough,” SELF’s senior commerce editor, Sarah Felbin, says. “My Bala mat, however, is so thick that I can do downward dogs and sun salutations without missing a beat. It has just the right amount of cushioning, but doesn’t feel squishy, either.”

It’s on the heavier side, so we recommend keeping it at home—thankfully, it’s pretty enough to leave out. But if you want to roll it up and take it on the go, SELF’s commerce director, Shanna Shipin, is a fan of the matching scrunchie that keeps it from unfurling.

Best Budget Pick: All In Motion Premium Fitness Mat 15mm

If you’re not a huge yoga person but still need a mat for Pilates, consider the Home Fitness Award–winning All In Motion Premium Fitness Mat. It’s made specifically for floor-based workouts, with extra cushioning (15 milliliters!) for sensitive joints. Our tester, who used it outside and indoors for a variety of workouts, confirmed this, saying it prevents pressure from building up in her hands, knees, and feet.

The textured surface provides enough stability for many exercises, although the mat’s probably too thick for balance-heavy workouts. The included carrying strap makes it easy to tote around too.

How we picked the best yoga mats

A great yoga experience starts with your mat. To make sure we’re only recommending top-tier options, we asked yoga and fitness instructors which mats they personally use and which activities they’re best for. Plus, SELF staff tested several options for months (some even won Home Fitness Awards!) to crown our final winners.

What to consider when choosing a yoga mat

Related:

• Stuff These Cute Pilates Socks Into Your Gym Bag, Stat
• The Best Yoga Pants We’re Wearing from Brunch to the Gym
• We Put the Squeeze on Compression Leggings to Find the Best Pairs

Get more of SELF’s stellar product recommendations delivered right to your inbox (for free!).