WIRED requested the favored YouTube yoga instructor Sara Beth for her prime tips about shopping for the very best yoga mat:
Thicker is just not higher. You continue to wish to help your steadiness by having a agency connection to the bottom beneath you, so purpose for a 3 to five mm thickness. You possibly can at all times add extra cushion in your knees within the heart, however an excessive amount of cushion beneath the back and front, the place your arms and toes go, can disrupt your steadiness.
Search for good grip. For warm yoga or sweaty folks, ensure that your mat will get grippier when moist. A washable design is extra hygienic. A microfiber-finished mat could be put within the washer (producers instruction suggested) or you possibly can go for a “yoga towel” you cowl the mat with earlier than wiping down and washing after your session.
Take a journey mat. For holidays, a skinny, light-weight, 0.059-inch (1.5-mm) mat could be folded or rolled in your suitcase. They work effectively on resort room carpet, however if you happen to want extra cushion you possibly can at all times layer a towel the place your knees go. I’ve additionally practiced yoga in my resort room with simply the tub towel laid out like a mat.
Make it straightforward to exercise. If you happen to plan to make use of your mat like a health club ground for Pilates, weights, yoga, and HIIT, then contemplate investing in a jumbo 5- by 8-feet mat (like Gorilla mat), which should not transfer. These are usually a bit heavier and sturdier, which can assist it keep in place whilst you transfer.