I spent a lot of time researching and trying out different yoga mats before I have found the perfect one!
I currently have 5 favourite models, I use them for different practices and occasions, as listed below. Each and every of the mats listed below have been tried in different conditions and below is my honest summary:
- Phantai (£80) – I use this mat for my everyday vinyasa practice at the studio and can honestly say this is the best mat I have EVER practiced on.
- It is super grippy – in both the regular and hot yoga practice – no need to use a towel! With this mat you won’t experience any sliding hands and feet in your Downward Facing Dog 🙂
- It is bigger than most mats available,
- Jade Harmony (£65) – I use this mat for my regular vinyasa practice at the studio.
- It can get pretty sweaty in the room, but this mat gives me a great grip even in a sweaty practice.
- The mat is quite small (173 cm long, 61 cm wide) and light enough to carry it around, if you cannot leave your mat at the studio. However, if you are very tall, there is a longer version available.
- 4.7mm thickness gives a nice solid support for knees and wrists, without making it unstable to balance on (but go for something thicker if you have serious knees / wrists aches!).
- Additional benefit is that Jade Yoga mats are made sustainably with natural rubber tapped from rubber trees, a renewable resource and unlike other mats does not contain PVC, EVA or other synthetic rubber.
- The rubber is made with open-cell technology and it absorbs moisture really well – but use a towel on top in your hot practice, otherwise the mat may take forever to dry!
- It is not cheap (£65), but it is cheaper than some of my other favourites 🙂
- The only downside I can think of is that using this mat several times per week in the past 12 months it began to show some signs of wear – especially in the feet area – while the durability is still good when compared to many other brands, this mat doesn’t last a life time.
- 8/10
- Manduka Pro (£85) – Another of my favourite mats. I use it for teaching and my home practice.
- It has the best durability ever. This mat will last you a lifetime (or two). After a year of daily practice it hardly shows any signs of wear. Its technology ensures high the mat will not peel, flake or fade. In fact this mat gets better with use over time.
- The durability comes at a price though – you will need to spend £85 – but it is once a lifetime cost, so overall a good value for money
- It is wonderfully thick, yet supportive (very dense and not spongy) – 6mm is perfect for the comfort of knees and wrists.
- This mat is also longer (180 cm) and wider (66 cm) than some of the others.
- The thickness and size also comes at a price – the mat is super heavy (3.4kg), so best to leave it at the studio, if you can 🙂
- It has closed-cell surface to keep moisture and sweat from seeping into the mat and breeding bacteria, but it means that it can be a bit slippery in a hot room.
- 100% latex free.
- 9/10
- YogaMad Warrior Plus (£25) – This was my first yoga mat and is a perfect entry to mid level mat:
- It is super thick, soft, yet supportive – 6mm thickness is absolutely perfect for those with painful wrists, knees or bony backs 🙂
- It has a decent grip in the dry room (I personally wouldn’t recommend it for hot practice) and nice, soft surface,
- It is very light (1.1kg) and perfect to carry around with you.
- It is also very affordable – you can buy it online for ~£25 – and it will be £25 well spend.
- It comes in beautiful sky blue or fiery orange patterns
- 7/10
- Liforme (£100) – very beautiful, great grip
- The mat provides a nice cushioned (4.2mm) and yet solid and stable practising surface (but again if you have knees / wrists issues go for 6mm).
- It is one of the grippiest mat on the market, by far (at least considering the dy grip, as I have not used it for hot yoga).
- This mat is water-absorbent and dries fairly quickly.
- The Liforme yoga mat is a few inches wider and longer than other yoga mats, which comes in handy especially if you are tall! Despite the size it is still fairly light (2.5kg)
- It comes with the unique asana alignment guide etched into the surface – can be helpful for home practice,
- Liforme Yoga Mat is also planet friendly.
- It comes with its own carry-bag (but it is more expensive than other mats, so for the difference in price you could probably get a bag for the others).
- 8/10
I hope you find this guide helpful.
Please do let me know if you have any questions or would like to discuss which mat will be the best to get for your practice.
In case if you need more info, here is another great review (ant the results are very aligned with my observations) http://www.reviews.com/best-yoga-mat/
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