The Best Yoga Mats of 2024

If love at first touch is a thing, that’s what I experienced with the Hugger Mugger mat. The non-slip surface, which is made of natural rubber, is so soft that it feels like something I could easily fall asleep on. (In fact, I may have done just that a few times in Savasana, shhh). However, it still provides more than enough grip to keep you securely in place during a sweaty flow. The other side is textured if you’re someone who prefers that feeling, too. The 6-millimeter (.24-inch) padding is thicker than most and gives just enough cushion to make your practice comfortable without being too squishy that it’s hard to balance. It also comes in both regular (70 inches long) and an extra long (78 inches long) size for taller people.

The only downside to this mat is its heft. It weighs in at 6.6 pounds, the most of all we tested, This may not sound heavy, but definitely feels like a lot to carry home when your arms are tired after an hour of shoulder stands and Chaturangas.

The polyurethane and rubber Alo Warrior mat performed very well in tests. It has an excellent non-slip surface that feels firm enough to provide ample support but doesn’t feel too rigid. That said, I couldn’t get it to lie fully flat—the ends retained curves from being rolled for storage. I also noticed that it sometimes got lumpy and deformed where I placed my hands. Plus, its rubber bottom is so sticky that it picks up debris from the floor. It’s 74 inches long, 26 inches wide, 4.2 millimeters (.17 inches) thick and weighs in at a hefty 6 pounds, so while it’s great for home practice, it may not be the best option for lugging to and from the studio.

The Nike yoga mat was the only mat that had zero odor when I opened it up. Made of a blend of rubber and “recycled materials,” the surface of the 5-millimeter (.2-inch) mat is sleek and smooth yet grippy. When I sweat on it, it didn’t stay damp for hours nor did it get smelly—even after multiple uses, the mat has remained odorless. I like that the reverse side of the mat—i.e., the side that you lay on the ground—isn’t sticky so it doesn’t pick up dirt and dust like some yoga mats are prone to. Fortunately, however, this doesn’t affect how well the mat stays in place during a flow. At 3.15 pounds, this mat is also one of the lighter ones that I tested so it’s a good option to carry to and from the studio. You can also get it in two lengths: standard, which is 71 inches long, and long, which is 79 inches long.

Still, despite its amazing functionality, I found myself missing some fun in the form of colors and patterns. The Mastery mat only comes in black and gray, so although it could work for people who like to keep it simple, it may not be the best option for yogis who like to practice on funky hues.

This natural rubber Jade Yoga mat is effective in that it prevents feet from slipping and feels sturdy. Another plus is that it offers more size options than most brands. You can get it in three lengths (68 inches, 71 inches, or 74 inches) and two widths (24 inches or 28 inches) and its standard size weighs about 5 pounds. But it's not very comfortable—its textured material feels tacky and rough, and, even though it’s a hair under 5 millimeters (.2 inches) thick, it doesn’t feel like it provides much padding. This material makes it tough to wipe down, too. My cleaning cloth kept rolling up on itself in a way that didn’t happen with the other mats.

Overall, this is a decent mat for someone who isn't looking for much cushion and just wants something to nail their hands and feet to the ground.

The PVC Manduka Pro mat felt nice at first, but it got slippery and less comfortable as time went on. As soon as I started sweating, it was difficult for me to maintain a grip. Its 71-inch length, 24-inch width, and 4.7-millimeter (.19-inch) thickness makes it weigh just about 4 pounds, so it's not too heavy. It’s portable and easy to roll up, but other than that, it's not anything special to use.

The 72- by 24-inch Everyday Yoga Mat is a bestseller at Yoga Outlet, but I wasn’t the biggest fan. It provides extra cushioning with its 5-millimeter (.2-inch) thickness and its waffle-textured PVC material allows some grip. However, the minute I started sweating, said grip went away. I was slipping and sliding throughout an entire hot yoga class—which is as dangerous as it is frustrating. The surface texture also irritated my skin after an hour of use. I found that it left little square indentations and chafed against my sweaty legs and hands. Not cool.

This mat is soft enough to be comfortable for most people without being too soft to make balancing hard. It’s also roomy at 74 inches long, 24 inches wide, and 6 millimeters (.24 inches) thick, yet relatively lightweight at 3.4 pounds, which makes it easy to tote around. However, it's way too slippery to be any higher on our list—I lost my grip the moment I started perspiring. Hilariously, it also makes funny squeaking noises when handling with sweaty hands.

I wanted to love this 72-inch long, 24-inch wide, and 6-millimeter (.24-inch) mat made of Polymer Environmental Resin (PER, or a type of PVC), but it just didn’t perform as well as the others. It comes with a chalk-like rosin to keep you from slipping, but you have to keep reapplying it throughout your routines or risk sliding out of poses. Without it, it’s a little slippery. The brand also recomillimetersends washing the mat right when you receive it to help start breaking it in (and presumably make it less slippery), but it’s a complicated process. Aurorae recommends cleaning it with a soft brush and non oil-based detergent, then rinsing it thoroughly, then wrapping it in a towel, and hanging it out to dry (outside, if possible). It weighs 4 pounds, which makes it easier to carry around than some mats, but isn’t as light as others.

As soon as I unpacked the AmazonBasics mat, I turned up my nose—literally. Although most yoga mats have an initial odor that usually fades after a couple of uses, the scent of this mat was abnormally strong. It reeked of a pool noodle or rubber dodgeball and the odor lingered for weeks. It’s about 7 millimeters thick, or .28 inches, which is thicker than most other mats. Some people may be drawn to this, but it didn’t offer many benefits for me. The TPE surface of the mat didn’t provide much grip and I found myself constantly having to readjust my stance. The 74- by 24-inch mat also curls up at the edges and doesn’t fully lie flat, which is a pain when you’re trying to focus on your poses and not trying to keep your mat down.

It comes with a mesh carry bag that makes toting it around convenient and hands-free.

This 74-inch long, 24-inch wide, and half-inch thick foam mat is thicker than you need for most yoga poses. That said, it’s pretty light at 2.5 pounds, and comes with its own carrying straps, which is perfect for bringing it to a yoga studio or park. I also found it surprisingly non-slippery and never lost my grip while using it.

There are a couple of downsides to contend with, though. This mat has a strong smell right out of the box, deformed a bit over the course of my practice, and doesn’t seem like it will last as long as the harder, more durable mats. However, the smell dissipates after a day or two and the lack of durability is totally fine if you reserve it for things like ab exercises and restorative yoga, not your everyday practice.

The all-foam, half-inch thick BalanceFrom GoYoga mat is too soft and squishy to be effective for most yoga poses. Still, I enjoyed using it as it offered a lot of comfort while also holding my feet firm. It’s 71 inches long and 24 inches wide and weighs just under 2 pounds. It also comes with a carrying strap that makes it a suitable travel mat. However, it deforms fairly quickly, and I don’t think it will last very long before needing an upgrade.