We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
Say namaste to our tried and tested pick of the grippiest exercise mats to buy now
Trying some yoga at home is the perfect alternative to a trip to the gym if you're looking to stay in shape this summer. And, if you’ve managed to find a relatively peaceful place to enjoy a soothing session around the house, a good yoga mat will elevate your workout, providing a comfortable, grippy platform for saluting the sun each morning.
The Good Housekeeping Institute put a range of market-leading yoga mats to the test to find the best you can buy. These are 12 favourites for beginners and experienced yogis alike:
There is a surprising amount to consider when buying a yoga mat, so we asked mindset coach and yoga aficionado Amy Crumpton for her tips. She practices daily yoga as a key part of her work, saying it makes her feel “energised and alive” while helping to lower her stress levels.
“There’s nothing worse than a yoga mat slipping and sliding all over the place,” says Amy. “If you’re into fast-paced or hot yoga and tend to have sweaty hands, look for a textured yoga mat or one made with rubber.
“The extra grip both on the floor and for your hands means you’ll enjoy your flow without ending up on the other side of the room. It’ll also give you greater stability when balancing, which beginners will appreciate.”
“The thicker your yoga mat, the more support your spine and joints will have, which is handy if you have dodgy knees like me,” says Amy. “Look for a well-cushioned mat if you enjoy gentle, restorative practice.”
While comfort is important, bear in mind that thinner mats (up to 3mm) allow yogis to ground themselves through the floor and find stability, making these a better choice for dynamic routines.
The average yoga mat measures around 180cm x 64cm, which should be perfect for almost any asana. There are larger mats available if you’d like some extra room, or also intend to use your mat for HIIT workouts too.
“Consider where and when you will be using the mat,” says Amy. “Portability is less important if you’ll only be using it at home, but if you’ll be regularly carrying it to a studio or packing it to take on holiday, look for a lightweight mat (2kg or less) that rolls up easily and has straps.”
Standard yoga mats tend to be made from PVC, which is often cheaper but not always recyclable. Many yogis prefer to avoid plastic and opt for a more eco-friendly choice, such as cork, jute or natural rubber.
Yoga and exercise mats are sometimes interchangeable, but in general, yoga mats are thinner and grippier for superior stability, portability and storage. Exercise or training mats tend to be thicker (up to 7cm) to provide extra support during higher impact workouts.
Our expert tester tried the top yoga mats on the market to see if they lived up to their hype. Each mat was used during yoga and yoga nidra (a form of guided meditation) and judged on its overall performance.
Top scores were awarded to mats that stayed fixed firmly on the ground during each session, and provided plenty of grip without bunching as we moved between poses. Comfort, versatility, maintenance, portability and sustainability were also taken into account.
Our winner gave a near-flawless performance, with its soft natural latex providing an unparalleled non-slip surface. Easy to roll up, the thin and lightweight design means it can be carried around with ease. But don’t let its compact size fool you - it didn’t dent at all, even when subjected to a weights workout.
It picked up dirt quite quickly, but a quick wipe down soon had it looking as good as new. It's biodegradable, too.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 183 x 62 x 0.4 Weight: 2kg Material: Natural latex Thickness: 4mm (medium) Colours available: Slate, marina green, nerine pink
When it came to picking our favourites, the results came down to fine margins. This Yogi Bare mat did the basics impeccably without overlooking the little details that make a champion mat. The natural rubber and polyurethane material gave us great grip in all poses, and is also able to soak up moisture during sweatier sessions.
The 4mm thickness strikes a balance between keeping users comfortable and allowing them to feel grounded during flows, and the Aztec print is designed to help guide you to perfect alignment in each position.
We found the edges lay flat immediately when the mat is unravelled - a quality that can be hard to find among standard rubber mats - and there is also a longer option for taller yogis. It’s a bit of an investment, but one that we feel is certainly worth making.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 180 x 66 x 0.4 Weight: 2.5kg Material: Natural rubber and polyurethane Thickness: 4mm Colours available: Black, green, grey, ocean blue, red
This deluxe mat is for seasoned yogis who know their Vinyasa from their Yin. Impressively, its moisture-wicking material gave our expert more grip when wet, making it a smart buy for hot or dynamic yoga enthusiasts with sweaty hands. We liked the alignment line down the middle, which gives it a stylish look while helping to keep you centred. It’s on the heavier side, which made it feel more durable but meant it was trickier to roll up and store upright. We recommend folding it up and finding somewhere flat to keep it.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 183 x 68 x 0.5 Weight: 2.5kg Material: Biodegradable 100% tree rubber, polyurethane Thickness: 5mm (medium) Colours available: Midnight blue, charcoal, black
If you’re partial to a plank or a push-up, there is very little not to like about this mat. Clearly designed with fitness fanatics in mind, it held up brilliantly during HIIT and weights workouts, with plenty of cushioning to keep you comfortable during yoga or Pilates practice too.
It felt soft underfoot and offered excellent grip while jumping and stretching. It rolled up easily and secured into a compact cylinder with a set of adjustable straps. The overall look is quite athletic, but if that’s your bag then look no further.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 183 x 61 x 1 Weight: 1.25kg Material: NBR Thickness: 10mm (thick) Colours available: Black and red
You’ll be sure to stand out if you take this mat to your yoga studio. It’s available in a range of stunning, bright designs, with each colour intended to bring a different energy to your session.
It gripped the ground brilliantly, with its soft ‘vegan suede’ upper providing a non-slip surface for bare hands and feet, allowing us to flow between poses with confidence. One slight quirk is that the sticky surface is activated by moisture. So, if you aren’t planning a sweaty session, we recommend giving it a quick spritz with water before you start.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 183 x 66 x 0.45 Weight: 3.4kg Material: Natural tree rubber and vegan suede Thickness: 4.5mm (medium) Colours available: Purple, turquoise, yellow, black, blue
Made from eco-friendly jute, this mat provides the perfect platform on which to find your zen. The interwoven sand and blue fabric looks effortlessly stylish stretched out across the living room floor, while its handy, high-quality travel strap makes it easy to carry to the studio and show off.
Our expert tester could feel the natural fibres beneath their fingertips as they flowed from pose to pose, offering a more textured experience. This, twinned with plenty of cushioning, makes it great for stretching or meditation. However, if you prefer sweatier sessions such as hot or dynamic yoga, you’d be better off picking up a mat with a smooth finish.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 180 x 61 x 0.6 Weight: Not specified Material: Jute Thickness: 6mm (medium) Colours available: Blue and sand
Sticky and lightweight, this wallet-friendly mat will set you back less than £25. It proved particularly grippy when used with bare feet, which is a plus if you tend to focus on standing poses.
It's worth noting that this mat is designed to sit on top of a studio yoga mat for hygiene purposes, so it's fairly thin. Don't expect much support when on your knees or back if used on its own, which we wouldn't recommend.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 180 x 62 x 0.155 Weight: 1.2kg Material: Natural rubber Thickness: 1.5mm (thin) Colours available: Grey
There’s no need to compromise with this mat, which performed strongly across the board. Its generous 6mm of cushioning provides plenty of support for your spine, but it’s lightweight enough to lug about pain-free.
The combination of TPE fabric and natural latex offers plenty of grip, especially when barefoot. It has a different pattern on either side to suit a variety of workouts, but our expert tester found them both pretty similar. You’ll need to smooth down the edges of the mat to stop them curling, but that’s our only niggle.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 183 x 61 x 0.6 Weight: 2kg Material: Natural latex Thickness: 6mm (medium) Colours available: Charcoal
This super-thin 2mm mat is perfect for throwing in a bag and taking with you for some yoga on the road. It was unexpectedly supportive, given its lack of cushioning, and the fact it’s available in a series of vibrant, eye-catching designs means you’re far less likely to misplace it on your travels.
There’s a fine layer of microfibre toweling on top of the mat that gives it great grip when wet, making it ideal for hot yoga. It can be a bit slippery when dry though, so we’d recommend giving this one a spritz with water before use for maximum stickiness. The mat also picks up dust and dirt quite easily but, thankfully, it can be thrown in the washing machine to get rid of any unwanted marks.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 183 x 61 x 0.2 Weight: 1.5kg Material: Natural rubber and microfibre toweling Thickness: 2mm Colours available: Nevada, Harvey and Mills Blue, Tropical
The price may be high, but this Lululemon option feels luxe. Its innovative 3D texture helps you place your hands and feet in the correct positions without having to look down - a useful feature for beginners.
The rubber provided sublime grip but felt slightly inflexible, making it difficult to roll up tightly. It’s not designed to be used with shoes or weights, too, so stick to barefoot workouts.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 180 x 66 x 0.5 Weight: 2.24kg Material: Natural rubber Thickness: 5mm (medium) Colours available: Black, spiced chai and silk rose, green fern, blue borealis, black and white
This mat has serious green credentials. It’s made from a blend of EVA foam and algae from lakes and ponds, with all materials either vegan, reclaimed or recycled. Its gorgeous blue, marbled design makes it easy on the eye as well as the environment.
For yoga, it proved a solid performer, with enough cushioning and grip to breeze through a session in comfort. However, it wasn’t as sticky as some of its rivals, with our expert tester’s hands slipping slightly when planted, and it tended to bunch up slightly when changing position.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 190 x 60 x 0.5 Weight: 0.8kg Material: Foam and algae Thickness: 5mm (medium) Colours available: Aqua
Score: 85/100Yogamatters’ reproduction of its popular Sticky Yoga Mat has one key difference - it’s made from 50% excess manufacturing materials, giving it a big tick in our eco-friendly box. Happily, this improvement has made little difference to its first class grip, but sustained use may cause some creases to appear.
It’s wonderfully light, making it easy to roll up and store if your yoga studio doubles up as your bedroom. However, it doesn’t offer much cushioning, so look elsewhere if you need extra support for your spine.
Key specifications Dimensions (cm): 190 x 60 x 0.4 Weight: 1.6kg Material: 50% PPW and PVC Thickness: 4mm (medium) Colours available: Atlantic blue, pacific green