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We’ve all been there: rushing off for extra cushioning to protect your sore back in the middle of bicycle crunches, or slipping into plank instead of a downward dog because your mat won’t stay in place – it's not quite the zen experience you were hoping for, is it?
Whether you’re a dedicated yogi who wants to remain steady throughout your asanas or a HIIT junkie in need of a soft surface for chest-to-floor burpees, a yoga mat is a workout essential.
The best ones can make your practice easier, with everything from super grip that stops you sliding around, to added thickness for a comfier savasana. But with so many options out there, it can be hard to separate the wheat from the chaff.
Fortunately, our WH Lab experts have done the hard work for you. Read on for everything you need to know about yoga mats, including our edit of the ones worth buying.
There are key questions to ask yourself before you add a yoga mat to your cart.
How thick your mat should be depends on personal preference. If you have joints that tend to ache after exercise (or just generally), choose one with a thickness over 3mm. This will ensure there's enough cushion to support you while you move. If you like to feel the floor beneath you (some do for extra sturdy vibes), plump for a thickness of 3mm or less.
Wipes or a cleaning spray applied in circular motions to both sides of the mat with a towel are a good call for a quick fix between classes, but at some stage you’re going to want to give it a deep clean.
Some mats are machine washable (rejoice!), in which case giving it a thorough clean is as easy as throwing it in the machine, putting it on a cold gentle cycle with mild detergent and air drying it afterwards.
Others require just a bit more effort (always check the label). The safest way to deep clean a yoga mat is by using a gentle cloth and warm water with either dishwashing soap or a mild detergent. Once you’ve washed both sides, make sure to use clean water and rinse the surface with the cloth before giving it a quick dry with a towel and leaving it to air dry.
Keep an eye out for any mats that have our WH Lab Approved logo proudly displayed on their picture, as these items have all been given our resident PT and yoga expert’s seal of approval.
Our pros put a number of mats through their paces, seeing how each one performed during yoga, yoga nidra (a form of deep rest), HIIT and even weights sessions (most yoga mats double up as exercise mats). They were scored based on how grippy, comfortable, portable and stable they were (with bonus points for eco credentials), and only their favourite few made it on to this list.
Our WH editors (no strangers to a soothing stretching session) have also listed their top picks.
Like Jennifer Lopez, Hailey Bieber and Victoria Beckham, we’re sold on Alo’s gorj sports bras and leggings, so it’s no surprise the brand’s popular yoga mat passed our tests with flying colours.
Coming in a range of cute colours including powder pink and highlighter yellow, it has a non-slip surface to wick away moisture and stop you sliding around, even during the sweatiest of flows and HIIT sessions.
Our expert said the smooth, plush material felt comfortable for all positions and at 5mm thickness, it offered serious comfort and top-notch joint protection. Plus, the anti-odour finish means you don’t need to worry about this mat smelling bad, no matter how hard you work on it.
Our tester appreciated the detailed care instructions (you can find them on the Alo site) but take note, the mat is on the heavier side so it’s best suited to home workouts. If you do want to carry it around you with, the brand offers a durable carry strap.
Calling all ad-hoc yogis, this simple Boots design – which comes in at under £25 – is your perfect mat-ch (sorry). According to our tester, the foam material is thick, supportive and makes flowing from pose to pose supremely comfy. It’s a particularly good shout if you need extra cushioning for your spine, joints or limbs.
The underside proved sufficiently grippy on all floors, but the foamy top layer was a tad slippy. As such, we reckon this mat is best suited to less dynamic practises, pranayama and meditation.
It lacks fancy features such as travel straps or alignment markers like the pricier mats in this round-up, and it did need flattening out at the edges once unfurled, but nonetheless it’s a brilliant purse-friendly option for beginners and fair-weather yogis.
Lighter and easier to roll out than traditional yoga mats, this travel mat is ideal for taking on holiday (poolside yoga anyone?). The bag with a shoulder pad is a particularly nice touch, making keeping fit on the go stress free.
Extremely grippy, even when sweaty, this mat would suit yogis and general fitness fanatics alike. Our expert enjoyed the alignment system feature that helped with positioning and technique, and WH Fitness Director Bridie has used hers almost every day since investing in it two years ago.
There’s nothing more irritating than buying a brand new yoga mat only for it to fall apart after a few vinyasa classes. Fortunately, there’s no such problem with this durable offering from the experts at Complete Unity. It’s crafted from sustainably harvested tree rubber and natural jute fibres, which means the surface isn’t the smoothest, but it is resistant to wear and tear and, crucially, it’s uber sturdy – trust us, it won’t budge, whether you’re flowing on carpet, hard wood or tiles.
Our yogi was mega impressed with the mat’s CompleteGrip™ technology, which provided a brilliantly stable surface to get their zen on. The brand is so confident about its grip, it even offers a 30-day ‘grip guarantee’ – so if you do find yourself slipping around mid-flow, you can get your money back. Neat. The mat earned bonus points for its eco creds. The manufacturing process is zero waste, the materials are non-toxic and vegan-friendly, and the packaging is plastic-free. A word to the wise, though, there’s no carry strap and it is on the heavy side, so it’s not one for bringing on hols.
If you’re after a mat for vigorous exercise, you can’t beat this Lululemon offering. As the name suggests, it’s designed for training, and we found it the dream for sweaty HIIT circuits and weights sessions. It proved durable enough to withstand dropped dumbbells and our trainers didn’t leave any scuff marks. The plush base was thick enough for our abs workouts (and post-workout power naps) and it didn’t slip around on any surface.
You know you’re getting quality with a Lululemon product and this one didn’t disappoint. It delivers on good looks and performance, it’s easy to clean (just give it a wipe down with a damp cloth) and it doesn’t have that unpleasant rubbery smell that many mats do. However, it’s not the one for hot yoga – our hands and feet slid around during sweaty sun salutations.
We’re all for keeping your fitness routine fresh by trying new things — and luckily for us, so is this versatile mat. It’s double-sided, with the cushioned red surface ideal for yoga and the grey side (with its anti-slip coating) providing a brilliantly grippy platform for energetic workouts.
Our expert said it laid flat on the floor instantly when rolled out (nothing like tripping over curled-up edges to ruin your flow) and was robust enough to withstand a weighty dropped barbell, while also proving super comfy for yoga. The eyelets were a nice touch for hanging in our home gym, too.
Our pals at Myprotein have hit the nail on the head with this fuss-free mat. It's wonderfully cushioned, so you won’t feel the floor beneath you, while the plush foam material helped support our hands and feet.
It’s also finished with a wave groove pattern that stopped us from slipping and sliding. We loved how lightweight it is, and how well it stayed rolled up, making it easy to store at home.
However, the foam material meant it picked up scratches easily and marks didn't come off after wiping either. We also found the corners curled up a tad, but when you consider the price, it’s hard to complain.
First things first, let’s state the obvious: this mat looks great and everyone will envy you. But, how did it perform? Thankfully, there was plenty of substance to back up its stand-out style, with a layer of soft towelling providing a nice, soft feel to the upper. This could be a little slippy on dry hands, but (top tip) you can solve this small setback by giving it a quick spritz with water before using.
It’s incredibly light — great for travelling to and from class — with a surprising amount of cushioning for a 2mm mat. It did mark quite easily, though the fact that it’s machine washable means cleaning it is a doddle.
One of the thickest mats tested, this one is ideal if you're looking for plenty of comfy cushioning. Lightweight with a bumpy texture, it had fantastic grip when tested with yoga and high intensity exercise, as well as with shoes on or off.
Cleaning it is a painless experience too, as all you have to do is give it a wipe!
Another top-quality option from our pals at Les Mills. Unlike the MBX mat above, this one is designed specifically for yoga, with a vegan leather top layer that absorbs moisture (read: sweat) and stops you from sliding around, no matter how clammy your paws are. Sure enough, our resident yogi stayed rooted in their poses during vigorous vinyasa flows, without any distracting slipping around. Music to our ears!
Fast-paced flows aside, it’s just as effective for chilled out sessions, even on the most unforgiving floors, thanks to the wonderfully cushioned rubber base. Our tester said it lay flat on the floor as soon as they rolled it out, it’s wide enough for users of all sizes, and cleaning the mat is a painless experience – just wipe it down with a cloth and you’re G2G (good to go).
Just note that the mat is on the delicate side – it picked up a few scratches on test – so avoid wearing shoes and make sure to remove any jewellery that may snag the fabric before you get into your sun salutations.
A vegan suede yoga mat with a luxury feel? Yes, please! Unravelling easily, with a light cushioning, we found it had the perfect balance of being soft yet grippy on our hands and feet.
The mat felt sturdy and stayed flat throughout all the workouts tested. With lots of patterns and colours to choose from, your mat can be as stylish as your workout gear.
It’s also machine washable and dries overnight for the ultimate convenience. What more could you want?
Ever tried savasana on a hardwood or tiled floor? Not fun. Or it never used to be, anyway. Now, thanks to this plush mat, you can transform the hardest surfaces into cushioned workout zones.
It’s sticky and feels soft on bare feet, a potent combo for yoga, and is also more than durable enough to provide a solid base for weights sessions. Thicker than most mats, it cocooned our spines during ab workouts, but can still be rolled up tight thanks to its nifty adjustable carry straps.
If a mat has any green credentials, it’s a big bonus in our book. So, when we found out this one is partly made from algae (yep, the stuff from lakes and ponds), we knew we had to give it a try.
Our expert said it was one of the most comfortable mats they tested, offering mattress-levels of cushioning, and it felt soothing on their hands and feet. It was surprisingly lightweight and portable too, handy if you fancy some Pilates in the park. Our only niggle: it wasn’t amazingly grippy, so we’d reserve it for more relaxed practices.
Here's a yoga mat you can throw into your suitcase for your next trip away, and for such a bargain price, it feels like a smart buy. It folds up too – budget and lifestyle friendly, what more could you ask for?
Oh Decathlon, yet again you've given us just what we need before we even realised we needed it, and at a price we can just about stomach. This time, it’s a yoga mat made for restorative sessions such as yin yoga.
When you’re holding poses for longer periods of time, you want a mat that can keep you comfortable and your joints happy. Thankfully, at a generous 8mm thick, this one does just that.
Skipping out on your much-looked-forward-to daily flow, because you're not at home and didn't feel like lugging a hefty workout mat around?
That won't be a problem once you get your hands on this super light yoga mat. Weighing only 450g, you won't mind taking it along for the ride.
Yanar was our former Fitness Group Testing Manager. She managed health and fitness product testing across all the magazines, overseeing all testing processes and ensuring our lab and panel tests are conducted to the highest standards. Yanar spent 15 years as a health and wellness content editor and writer for national titles such as Runner’s World, Men’s Health and Women’s Health. Yanar is a Level 3 qualified PT, trained yoga teacher and a registered yoga therapist. She has been into fitness and wellness her whole life. After many years running races and marathons, she now trains and competes in CrossFit and Olympic lifting. She passionately advocates strength training for women to build a stronger mind and body for life.
Jodie is our Health and Fitness product tester. She runs tests on a wide variety of products, including gym leggings, walking boots, fitness trackers and more. Jodie has managed the testing for 577 products to date, including working with over 600 panellists.
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