In the event you’ve been skipping your favourite vinyasa flows as a consequence of cranky joints, the very best thick yoga mat can assist you get pleasure from your apply once more—with out the discomfort. “Thicker yoga mats—1 / 4 inch (6 millimeters) or extra—are advisable if a pupil has delicate joints or [needs] knee or wrist assist,” Tonya Brueggemeyer-Proctor, the nationwide yoga instructor 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 could find a high-quality, joint-friendly mat at just about any worth level. Store our picks under, then learn on to study extra about the advantages of practising yoga on a soft floor.
Our prime picks
- Greatest Total: Bala The Play Mat, $129
- Greatest Price range Decide: All in Movement Premium Health Mat, $33
- Greatest for Sizzling Yoga: Manduka Professional Yoga Mat, $138
- Greatest Price range Decide for Sizzling Yoga: Gaiam Dry-Grip Yoga Mat, $70
- Greatest Foldable Mat: Lululemon The Foldable Mat, $118
- Greatest Measurement Choices: Hugger Mugger Tapas Extremely Yoga Mat, $62
On this article
Store the very best thick yoga mats
Say goodbye to ache factors—and say hi there to a lot chiller flows.
Greatest Total: Bala The Play Mat
“Common yoga mats typically depart my wrists in ache as a result of they’re simply too skinny and do not defend my joints from the ground practically sufficient,” SELF’s senior commerce editor says. “My Bala mat, nevertheless, is so thick that I can do downward canines and solar salutations with out lacking a beat.” The Play Mat clocks in at eight millimeters thick and supplies a wonderful, impact-absorbing basis to your exercises.
Our editor additionally notes that, whereas the Play Mat is loads 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 Price range 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 Dwelling Health Award for its versatility and sturdiness. Our tester had hers for 3 years when she advisable it for the Awards final yr, and it’s nonetheless going sturdy. She recurrently makes use of it on uneven flooring like carpeting and out of doors decks with out concern and feels noticeable strain aid round her fingers, knees, and toes.
Measurement: 72 x 24 inches | Thickness: 15 millimeters | Weight: 3 kilos
Greatest for Sizzling Yoga: Manduka Professional Yoga Mat
The very best-selling Manduka Professional earned the title of “the Rolls-Royce of yoga mats” from certainly one of our Dwelling Health Award judges. It strikes a powerful steadiness between cushioning and stability, Holly Perkins, CSCS, instructed us. “I 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.
Because of its grip—on each the highest and backside layers—this mat is very nice for decent yoga courses. You gained’t slip by yourself sweat or fear about your mat sliding everywhere in the studio flooring.
Measurement: 71 x 26 inches | Thickness: 6 millimeters | Weight: 7.50 kilos
Greatest Price range Decide for Sizzling Yoga: Gaiam Dry-Grip Yoga Mat
You may get nice grip for lower than $100 if 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 many who could also be delicate to these supplies.
This mat has a textured floor that’s completed with a non-slip, moisture-wicking coating, so your fingers and toes will stick with 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 normal mannequin is a longstanding SELF editor fave. This one places a twist on the normal roll-up fashion and as an alternative folds right into a tidy, stackable rectangle when not in use. Not solely are you able to save house with this mat, however you may also extra finely tune its thickness: In the event you want extra cushioning for sure yoga poses or strikes, fold the mat beneath itself for some additional padding.
Dimensions: 71 x 26 inches | Thickness: 6.50 millimeters | Weight: 4.20 kilos
Greatest Measurement 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 choosing one up for at-home use. And he or she may take her choose from three(!) size choices—which is nice if you need a extra tailored-to-you match: As SELF has beforehand reported, taller of us could choose an extended mat that may higher accommodate asanas with huge stances. Those that are on the shorter facet, however, could choose 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
Often requested questions
What are the advantages of utilizing a thick yoga mat?
If exercising and stretching on laborious 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 strain in your factors of contact with the ground, like your fingers, wrists, knees, elbows, or backbone. If you aren’t continually adjusting your poses to discover a modification that spares your joints, you possibly can higher concentrate on the apply at hand.
One factor to notice: As a result of their additional cushioning, thick yoga mats are usually heavier than thinner choices. What you achieve in consolation you lose in portability, so think about investing in a sturdy carrying strap (or a separate, lighter-weight mat altogether) for when it’s essential 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. Suppose sluggish flows with plenty of stretching and managed body weight strikes.
When your stream is faster-paced or entails extra balancing poses, you might wish to swap in a thinner mat. “The drawback of utilizing a thicker mat [is that] it makes holding poses more difficult or can affect steadiness and stability in yoga,” Brueggemeyer-Proctor explains. It’s possible you’ll want to check out a pair mats of various thicknesses to search out the precise degree of cushioning to your physique and apply.
“Take heed to your physique: A thicker mat may really feel far more comfy to your delicate knees, otherwise you may discover that you just’re sinking an excessive amount of and wish one thing flatter,” Annie Strikes, a registered yoga teacher at Alo Strikes, beforehand instructed SELF.
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