When you’ve been skipping your favourite vinyasa flows because of cranky joints, the perfect thick yoga mat may help you take pleasure in your apply once more—with out the discomfort. “Thicker yoga mats—1 / 4 inch (6 millimeters) or extra—are really helpful if a pupil has delicate joints or [needs] knee or wrist assist,” Tonya Brueggemeyer-Proctor, the nationwide yoga trainer operation supervisor at Life Time, tells SELF.
If that sounds such as you, you’re in luck. We’ve examined tons of yoga mats through the years, lots of which play properly with our our bodies—from our elbows to our knees to our hips to our again. Higher nonetheless, you’ll find a high-quality, joint-friendly mat at just about any value level. Store our picks under, then learn on to be taught extra about the advantages of practising yoga on a comfortable floor.
Our prime picks
- Greatest General: Bala The Play Mat, $129
- Greatest Finances Decide: All in Movement Premium Health Mat, $33
- Greatest for Scorching Yoga: Manduka Professional Yoga Mat, $138
- Greatest Finances Decide for Scorching Yoga: Gaiam Dry-Grip Yoga Mat, $70
- Greatest Foldable Mat: Lululemon The Foldable Mat, $118
- Greatest Dimension Choices: Hugger Mugger Tapas Extremely Yoga Mat, $62
On this article
Store the perfect thick yoga mats
Say goodbye to ache factors—and say whats up to a lot chiller flows.
Greatest General: Bala The Play Mat
“Common yoga mats usually depart my wrists in ache as a result of they’re simply too skinny and do not shield my joints from the ground almost sufficient,” SELF’s senior commerce editor says. “My Bala mat, nevertheless, is so thick that I can do downward canine and solar salutations with out lacking a beat.” The Play Mat clocks in at eight millimeters thick and gives a superb, impact-absorbing basis to your exercises.
Our editor additionally notes that, whereas the Play Mat is a lot plush, it doesn’t make her really feel like she’s doing yoga in mattress: “It has simply the correct amount of cushioning, however doesn’t really feel squishy both.”
Dimensions: 71 x 26.50 inches | Thickness: 8 millimeters | Weight: 12 kilos
Greatest Finances Decide: All in Movement Premium Health Mat
All in Movement
Premium Health Mat
All in Movement’s budget-friendly, extra-thick yoga mat gained a 2024 SELF Residence Health Award for its versatility and sturdiness. Our tester had hers for 3 years when she really helpful it for the Awards final 12 months, and it’s nonetheless going sturdy. She frequently makes use of it on uneven flooring like carpeting and out of doors decks with out concern and feels noticeable stress reduction round her arms, knees, and toes.
Dimension: 72 x 24 inches | Thickness: 15 millimeters | Weight: 3 kilos
Greatest for Scorching Yoga: Manduka Professional Yoga Mat
The perfect-selling Manduka Professional earned the title of “the Rolls-Royce of yoga mats” from considered one of our Residence Health Award judges. It strikes a powerful steadiness between cushioning and stability, Holly Perkins, CSCS, informed us. “I really like that it feels so substantial and doesn’t transfer on the ground—it stays caught! It’s thicker than most yoga mats, so it’s [also] nice for energy workouts, however not so thick that your toes stick in and are unstable,” she defined.
Due to its grip—on each the highest and backside layers—this mat is particularly nice for scorching yoga lessons. You gained’t slip by yourself sweat or fear about your mat sliding all around the studio flooring.
Dimension: 71 x 26 inches | Thickness: 6 millimeters | Weight: 7.50 kilos
Greatest Finances Decide for Scorching Yoga: Gaiam Dry-Grip Yoga Mat
You will get nice grip for lower than $100 once you store Gaiam’s Dry-Grip mat. SELF’s affiliate artwork director loves its just-right thickness—and we like that it’s pure rubber- and latex-free, for individuals who could also be delicate to these supplies.
This mat has a textured floor that’s completed with a nonslip, moisture-wicking coating, so your arms and toes will follow it even through the steamiest yoga practices.
Dimensions: 68 x 24 inches | Thickness: 5 millimeters | Weight: 5.24 kilos
Greatest Foldable Mat: Lululemon The Foldable Mat
Lululemon
The Foldable Mat
After all Lululemon has a top-tier thick yoga mat—its customary mannequin is a longstanding SELF editor fave. This one places a twist on the normal roll-up fashion and as a substitute folds right into a tidy, stackable rectangle when not in use. Not solely are you able to save area with this mat, however you can even extra finely tune its thickness: When you want extra cushioning for sure yoga poses or strikes, fold the mat underneath itself for some additional padding.
Dimensions: 71 x 26 inches | Thickness: 6.50 millimeters | Weight: 4.20 kilos
Greatest Dimension Choices: Hugger Mugger Tapas Extremely Yoga Mat
Hugger Mugger
Tapas Extremely Yoga Mat
One SELF editor fell in love with this ultra-sticky mat at her yoga studio earlier than selecting one up for at-home use. And she or he may take her decide from three(!) size choices—which is nice in order for you a extra tailored-to-you match: As SELF has beforehand reported, taller of us could desire an extended mat that may higher accommodate asanas with extensive stances. Those that are on the shorter aspect, then again, could desire Hugger Mugger’s 68-inch Tapas mat.
Dimensions: 68 x 24 inches; 74 x 24 inches; 80 x 24 inches | Thickness: 6.35 inches | Weight: 2.20 kilos
Ceaselessly requested questions
What are the advantages of utilizing a thick yoga mat?
If exercising and stretching on arduous flooring hurts your joints, including a little bit of cushioning beneath you can also make an enormous distinction. The thicker the yoga mat, the much less stress in your factors of contact with the ground, like your arms, wrists, knees, elbows, or backbone. If you aren’t continuously adjusting your poses to discover a modification that spares your joints, you possibly can higher give attention to the apply at hand.
One factor to notice: As a consequence of their additional cushioning, thick yoga mats are usually heavier than thinner choices. What you acquire in consolation you lose in portability, so take into account investing in a sturdy carrying strap (or a separate, lighter-weight mat altogether) for when you have to commute to the studio.
Which actions are thick yoga mats good for?
“Thick mats are good for restorative, light yoga and floor-based energy coaching,” Brueggemeyer-Proctor says. Assume sluggish flows with a number of stretching and managed body weight strikes.
When your stream is faster-paced or entails extra balancing poses, chances are you’ll wish to swap in a thinner mat. “The drawback of utilizing a thicker mat [is that] it makes holding poses more difficult or can influence steadiness and stability in yoga,” Brueggemeyer-Proctor explains. Chances are you’ll want to check out a pair mats of various thicknesses to seek out the appropriate stage of cushioning to your physique and apply.
“Take heed to your physique: A thicker mat may really feel far more snug to your delicate knees, otherwise you may discover that you just’re sinking an excessive amount of and want one thing flatter,” Annie Strikes, a registered yoga teacher at Alo Strikes, beforehand informed SELF.
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