The best yoga mats of 2020

• Yoga is one of the best ways to improve flexibility, center your mind, and achieve a beneficial sense of relaxation and calm. 
• Before starting in on any yoga routine or practice, you'll want to make sure you have the right gear and that starts with getting a proper yoga mat. 
• The best yoga mats are able to make your sessions more enjoyable by allowing you to balance better through your poses while providing a cushioned area to exercise.
• Our top pick, the Manduka ProLite Yoga Mat, features a closed-cell surface that keeps out sweat and has a dotted texture that keeps your hands and feet from slipping out of position.

Whether you're brand new to the ancient practice of yoga and looking into your first ever mat, or you're a seasoned yogi on the hunt to replace for your worn-out asana surface, a new yoga mat is one of those purchases that seems simple, yet quality and details can make all the difference.

If you've ever practiced yoga, you know that not all yoga mats are created equally. Each style and material caters to a different set of needs, goals, and specific types of yoga. Those who favor heart-pumping flow classes, or who work up a sweat easily, will enjoy their practice a lot more if their mat has special sweat absorbing properties, for example. Meanwhile, those who travel often will benefit from an easily packable, lightweight mat for maintaining a daily practice on the road. Subtle design changes between mats can even help or hurt your unique movement patterns and may cause unusual aches or pains in any pose.

You probably never knew there was so much to consider. To help make your purchasing decision easier, we sweat-tested a number of the top yoga mats on the market and compiled this guide to find the best mat depending on your priorities, from perfect pose alignment to eco-friendly materials. Read more about how we tested, as well as what you should look for when shopping for a yoga mat, at the end of this guide.

Here are the best yoga mats:

• Best yoga mat overall: Manduka ProLite Yoga Mat
• Best affordable yoga mat: Gaiam Print Premium Yoga Mat
• Best travel yoga mat: YoGo Travel Yoga Mat
• Best eco-friendly yoga mat: PrAna E.C.O. Yoga Mat
• Best yoga mat for sweaty yogis: JadeYoga Harmony Mat
• Best washable yoga mat: Yogi Bare Teddy Yoga Mat
• Best yoga mat for alignment work: Liforme Yoga Mat
• Best lightweight yoga mat: Manduka Eko Superlight Travel Yoga Mat

Updated on 12/18/2020 by Rachael Schultz: Updated intro, updated photos, checked the availability of each recommended product, and updated the prices and links where necessary. 

The best yoga mat overall

The Manduka ProLite Yoga Mat provides just the right amount of padding without being too thick and clunky, and the price stays low even with its sustainable materials and no-slip grip.

Pros: Just the right amount of padding to cushion knees and hands in tough poses, and the no-slip grip texture and eco-friendly materials are all covered under Manduka's lifetime guarantee

Cons: Although it's thin in comparison to the Manduka Pro version, the Manduka ProLite is still a pretty thick mat; the ProLite does take some maintenance and attention

When it's time to trade in those bargain yoga steals for a yoga mat that's built to last, the Manduka ProLite Yoga Mat is the way to go. Whether you're practicing yoga daily or just stretching out once in a while, the 4.7mm thick padded mat keeps your hands, knees, and feet cushioned against any hard floor and supports your back as you relax into savasana.

In comparison with the Manduka Pro's 6mm of padding, the ProLite mat sheds thickness without sacrificing comfort. It's much easier to roll up and take with you than the thicker Manduka Pro mat.

If this is your first investment in a well-made yoga mat, you might balk at the price tag. However, the Manduka ProLite mat comes with a lifetime guarantee, so you're safe from losing your mat to flaking, peeling, and fading. Whereas some mats deteriorate over time, Manduka promises that this one will only improve like a well-seasoned cast-iron pan.

In my 13 years of practicing yoga, I much prefer a mat that wicks away moisture, sweat, and dirt instead of absorbing it into the material. The Manduka ProLite's closed-cell surface does just that, and the mat is easy to clean and treat. Vinegar and sea salt is recommended to help break in the mat's texture and restore grippiness to the surface.

The more serious you get with your yoga practice, chances are a non-slip surface rises to the top of your priority list. Contrary to what you might see on Instagram, even yogis sweat, and there's nothing quite like sliding out of downward-facing dog into a flat pancake because you can't keep your hands in place on your mat. Manduka boasts that its "proprietary dot patterned bottom" prevents the mat from sliding across the floor, no matter how hot your yoga room gets.

Manduka makes the ProLite mat in two lengths — 71 and 79 inches — so that more height-gifted yogis can stretch out without fear. Plus, the icing on the cake is that the mat is completely non-toxic, 100 percent latex-free, and even promises a clean manufacturing process.

When you're ready to invest in a mat that will last a lifetime and treat your yoga body along with it, the Manduka ProLite is your best bet.

The best affordable yoga mat

The Gaiam Print Premium Yoga Mat is highly affordable and features a ton of fun design options to bring a smile to your face while you practice.

Pros: Serious affordability and fun designs make this mat a good fit for a casual yogi or someone just beginning their practice

Cons: Durability isn't guaranteed with a budget yoga mat, and even though Gaiam is a trusted yoga brand these mats won't last forever

The first thing you'll notice about Gaiam Print Premium Yoga Mats is the selection of colors and prints you can choose from. There's something soothing about practicing on a mat printed with peacock feathers or a perfectly symmetrical mandala pattern, in bright pastel greens and pinks or soothing shades of grey. Of course, the main benefit of this mat is the price point. It's an affordable option compared to some of the other top-ranked yoga mats out there.

Even so, this mat bears the Gaiam name which is respected and trusted in the yoga community. The mat is 5mm thick so you'll feel cushioned and padded but the PVC material keeps it lightweight and portable. Although PVC is often looked down on in the yoga community, this mat is free of the six specific PVC materials that have been banned, so you don't have to worry about health risks.

One thing to plan for: This mat won't last forever. In addition to your basic yoga mat wear and tear, both the material and the printed design are susceptible to sun damage. 

The Gaiam Print Premium Mat's non-slip surface works well for most casual users but if you sweat a lot during your practice, you may need more traction and a grippier surface than this mat offers. As an introduction to your yoga practice without a hefty investment, or even as a backup choice for when your heavy-duty mat is drying, the Gaiam Print Premium is a solid option. 

The best travel yoga mat

The real rubber YoGo Travel Yoga Mat folds up into a compact package that you can stow in your suitcase when you travel.

Pros: Easy to carry when folded, real rubber, sustainably harvested materials, excellent grip, perfect for travel

Cons: Expensive, initial rubber smell

When you need to travel but you don't want to leave your yoga mat behind, you need one that's compact enough to stow in your suitcase or throw in your backpack. The YoGo Travel Yoga Mat is just the one for the job.

It's a full-size yoga mat when you open it up but it folds to a very manageable size. For those of you who remember the Sunday edition of newspapers, that's about how big it is when folded up. The real rubber mat weighs 2.5 pounds and measures 24 by 68 inches when it's unfolded. It may not be as lightweight as other travel yoga mats, but it certainly is more compact.

You can fold it up like origami when you're done with your practice, and the durable straps and buckles keep everything in place securely. You can also use the handles to hang it up when you wash it clean. I use this mat regularly in my small apartment and love how easy it is to store. I never quite mastered the folding technique, so I fold it in half and roll it up tightly, but it still works.

Because the mat is made from eco-friendly natural rubber with a cotton mesh heat bonding technique, it is a very sticky mat. You won't slip or slide around on the mat at all, which is great if you get sweaty hands and feet like me. 

It's also reassuring to know that YoGo plants a tree in Central America for every mat it sells, so you don't have to worry about contributing to deforestation. YoGo also gives training in organic farming to local communities so as to encourage sustainable farming practices. -- Malarie Gokey

The best eco-friendly yoga mat

The prAna E.C.O. Yoga Mat is made from 100% thermoplastic elastomer, which means it's non-toxic, sustainably made, and completely recyclable.

Pros: Good for the environment from production to deterioration, this mat is made of eco-friendly thermoplastic elastomer that is non-toxic and recyclable

Cons: Everyone has their own idea of the best non-slip sticky surface, and some users reported the eco-friendly material was stretching instead of sticking

Synthetic materials and unnatural rubbers used in mats fell out of favor in the yoga community as the practice spread internationally alongside global concerns about the state of our environment.

Since it's made from 100% thermoplastic elastomer or TPE, all the environmental costs of manufacturing synthetic rubbers and plastics are eliminated from the prAna E.C.O. Mat equation. Once you're ready to toss your mat out, the material is completely recyclable so it won't clog up a landfill somewhere.

TPE is also UV resistant, so your E.C.O. Mat won't fade or deteriorate with sun exposure. It's completely latex-free, chloride-free, and PVC-free. The best benefit of TPE is that it's extremely lightweight: a 72-by-24-inch mat with a thickness of 5mm still weighs in at only 2.2 pounds.

On the yoga benefits side, the E.C.O. yoga mat is known to be super sticky so your hands and feet won't slide, but the TPE material may not be the most cushioning option for those looking to protect their knees and backs from the hard pressure of the floor. The mat is double-sided, though, so you can rotate front-to-back and top-to-bottom to get a seriously long-term, even wear on your mat even with heavy use.

Even if you're just looking for a lighter mat or an eco-friendly option to shake things up, the prAna E.C.O. Mat is a low-cost way to try something new.

Best yoga mat for sweaty yogis

Whether you're a yogi who sweats a lot during workouts, or you enjoy the sweat-inducing practice of Bikram, the JadeYoga Harmony Mat is what you need to avoid slipping and sliding. 

Pros: Non-slip surface perfect for anyone who sweats a lot, plenty of cushion, available in three different sizes and a range of colors

Cons: Some may find the cushioning too much for their preference, expensive

Sweating while practicing yoga is a near certainty for almost everyone but for those who tend to perspire enough to make their yoga mat dangerously slippery should try JadeYoga's Harmony Mat. Made from natural rubber, the Harmony Mat excels at allowing yogis to transition from pose to pose without the fear of losing traction or unnecessarily slipping out from underneath themselves.

Unlike many yoga mats that appear to have a smooth or even shiny surface, this mat instead features what seem to be tiny dots that improve traction. Tiny is the key term, too, as they don't become bothersome to the touch even if you're near the end of a 60-minute session. 

The mat is incredibly comfortable, too. Featuring thick enough cushioning to protect your knees and back from getting dinged while practicing, it's not too thick to hinder movement. 

JadeYoga offers the Harmony Mat in three different sizes (68, 71, or 74 inches), as well as a dozen different colors and prints. It is on the spendy side at $85 but for sweaty yogis, it doesn't get better than this. 

Read our review of the JadeYoga Harmony Mat.

The best washable yoga mat

Yoga mats don't get easier to clean than this machine-washable option from Yogi Bare called the Teddy— just fold it up, toss it in your washer, and it comes out clean without sacrificing quality or durability.

Pros: Machine-washable, grippy microfiber top, natural rubber bottom stays in place, comes in a variety of fun patterns

Cons: Its machine-washable nature is only good if you have a washer, those who like highly padded mats may want to look elsewhere

One of the most important ways to care for a yoga mat is to make sure it stays clean — especially if you use it outside or tend to heavily sweat while you practice. Though most mats allow for a simple spray and wipe down, the Teddy from Yogi Bare is machine washable, meaning you can literally throw it in the washing machine and let the washer do its thing.

Not only does this make cleanup much easier but it ensures the mat gets evenly cleaned. And don't worry about the washer compromising its integrity; it's natural rubber base and microfiber top did well during my testing to keep as intact as when I first bought it, even after multiple washes.

Even if the Teddywasn't machine-washable, it'd still be a great yoga mat. Its microfiber surface is grippy, especially after I'd been sweating a bit on it, and it's just padded enough that it provides a soft landing whenever my feet (or wayward knees and elbows) hit the ground. Though I reviewed the Cosmic colorway (which is great), it also comes in patterns called Nevada, Tropical, and Terazzo.

The mat runs for $65.95, which is well worth the investment considering how easy it is to keep clean. If you're tired of using spray cleaner and towels to clean and disinfect your yoga mat, the machine-washable Teddy is exactly what you need. -- Rick Stella 

The best yoga mat for alignment work

The Liforme Mat has a printed alignment system on the surface that will help you find your symmetry, balance, and proper footing in any pose.

Pros: Eco-friendly, PVC-free mat is extremely sticky to help avoid that unintentional slip-n-slide feature that happens as other yoga mats get sweaty and wear over time

Cons: Normalized alignment in this one-size-fits-all system won't work for everyone, this is one of the more expensive mats out there

No matter what kind of yoga you do, proper alignment is an important part of learning the poses and their transitions. The first thing you'll notice about the Liforme mat is that discreet lines, shapes, and markers are etched into its surface to help you place your limbs accurately and mindfully as you move through your practice. Liforme's mat is also slightly longer and wider than most traditional yoga mats, so you'll never feel cramped or confined.

Alongside alignment, the Liforme mat's other major benefit is the grippy surface. Through its commitment to eco-friendly materials, Liforme created a proprietary "GripForMe" material blend of natural rubber and sustainably-sourced felt to cushion your knees, hips, and hands with 4.2mm of padding. The mix also keeps you from slipping and sliding when the sweating starts.

Continuing the eco-friendly trend, each layer of the PVC-free mat is heat-bonded to avoid toxic glues and adhesives, and even the alignment marking system is etched into the surface to avoid synthetic dyes.

The surface of the Liforme mat is so grippy, you won't be able to glide into downward facing dog anymore, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. So if a sticky, non-slip surface is your idea of the perfect yoga mat, the Liforme mat will do the trick.

If you're not the most flexible of yogis or if you're on the shorter side, you may have trouble hitting the alignments recommended by that pattern on the mat, but if your limbs happen to line up with the printed system and you're looking to go deeper into perfect alignment, the Liforme mat is the one for you.

The best lightweight yoga mat

Manduka's Eko SuperLite Travel Yoga Mat is slim and lightweight enough to bring with you no matter how far you roam.

Pros: If borrowed hotel yoga mats give you the creeps, this is a great lightweight and foldable option to tuck into your carry-on or checked luggage while you're on the road

Cons: Thin yoga mats don't provide the cushion and support of more padded options, so if you have knee, wrist, or ankle injuries (or if you just like a little more padding), stay away

When you're on the go, roughing it with a borrowed or rented yoga mat can be awkward, a little stinky, or just down-right gross. Travel mats hit the scene so jet-setting yogis and nature-lovers alike could pack their mats without the bulk of thick, padded mats they might use when practicing at home. The Manduka Eko SuperLite Travel Mat is the lighter, thinner version of Manduka's top-ranked Eko option, so it's a winner all around.

The Manduka Eko SuperLite Travel Mat is made of a woven scrim material that won't tear or stretch either with use or in your suitcase. It's thin enough to be foldable, so you can tuck the mat away into your backpack or your carry-on without added weight or bulk. The woven material still features a sweat-resistant closed-cell design so your mat will stay drier and cleaner for longer, without soaking up sweat or environmental moisture from wherever you happen to be traveling.

Speaking of environmentalism, the Manduka Eko SuperLite is made from natural rubber that is specifically not harvested in the Amazon — do yoga, protect the rainforests. And while you're practicing yoga in the rainforest on your natural rubber travel mat, you'll benefit from Manduka's trademark grippiness.

It's an affordable option but the mat isn't perfect for every environment because of its lightweight flexibility. If you're a heavy sweating yogi, the Manduka Eko SuperLite may not grip enough to keep you from slipping. 

How to shop for a yoga mat

There are a number of factors to consider when shopping for a yoga mat that best serves your needs. Size and portability are important to many yogis, mainly because you'll often tote your mat along with you — unless you do your practice in the comfort of your own home. Some mats are longer than others, so keep that in mind, especially if you're taller. 

While certain people like sticky mats that help their feet from sliding around, others find them annoying, providing too much hold when they want the freedom of movement. The same goes for a mat's relative thickness or thinness. Most yoga mats are relatively slim but others are thick for extra protection and cushion for your joints. 

Consider the durability and the types of materials used, too. You want a mat that's going to last, isn't made with harsh or harmful chemicals, and is easy to wipe clean after a sweaty session of hot yoga.

How we tested

Each yoga mat featured in this guide went through a series of on the mat tests to see how well they stacked up across these four categories: Performance, durability, ease of cleaning, and value. Specifically, here's how each category contributed to which yoga mats ultimately made the cut:

• Performance: How a yoga mat performs encompasses a variety of uses. This could mean how grippy it is for helping you hold poses or reliably move a hand or foot even if you're a little sweaty, or it could be how comfortable or padded the mat is. In categories such as the best lightweight yoga mat or the best yoga mat for sweaty yogis, we looked at those features specifically (instead of docking points for a lack of padding or too much grip) when choosing what to feature. 
• Durability: It may not seem like it but yoga mats can take a beating, especially if you use it often. Be it puddles of sweat or the constant barrage of knees, elbows, heels, and shoulders, a yoga mat is under constant pressure. Because of this, you ideally want one built to stand up to this kind of abuse and that's designed to last for several sessions.
• Ease of cleaning: Sweat is nearly inevitable when you practice yoga — even during a particularly mellow session. It's recommended that you clean your yoga mat after every use (especially for anyone who sweats heavily) and a mat that's easy to clean is a necessity. 
• Value: Value is the combination of every category we judged the yoga mats on plus it's actual price point. We like to think that it's better to invest more in a quality mat that lasts than to spend the money on several cheap mats in the same amount of time. When choosing our budget pick, we also wanted to make sure it wasn't some shoddy mat but something that delivers premium quality at a more wallet-friendly price. 

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