Yoga Bolsters

Round, rectangular or pranayama

Rectangular (25 x 12 x 6 in) is the one to buy if you're buying one. Flat top, stable, and the right height for supported forward folds, reclined bound angle, and under the knees in savasana. Round (27 in long, 9 in across) sits higher and rolls slightly, which is what you want for backbends draped over it, under the ankles, or under the knees when you need more lift. Pranayama (28 x 6 x 7 in) is long and narrow: it runs the length of the spine for breathing practice and chest opening without lifting the hips.

Which cover

• Cotton duck (10 oz) is the default: heavy, washable, fiber-reactive dyed so the color survives washing, 14 colors.
• Hemp is the toughest and the one studios pick for props that get dragged across the floor daily. Textured, softens with washing.
• Organic cotton for anyone who wants the duck cover without conventional cotton.
• Vinyl for studios, physical therapy and massage: wipe with sanitizer, no laundering.

Five ways to use one

Why firm matters

A soft bolster collapses under you and your muscles quietly take over the work the prop was supposed to do. The foam core here doesn't compress; the cotton batting around it takes the bounce out so it feels like a cushion rather than a block. That's the difference between a studio bolster and a decorative one.

Where a bolster is too tall or too rounded for the job — under the hands in a lunge, wedged under one hip in a seated twist, holding the knees apart in a supported reclined pose — Yoga Blocks give you the same non-compressing support at a lower, squarer height. Firmness underneath counts too: set the bolster on a dense yoga mats for practice surface so it keeps the lift it was meant to provide.

Care

Unzip the cover and machine wash cold; tumble low or hang. Spot-clean the core. Vinyl covers wipe clean.

Vinyl covers wipe clean with a damp cloth, or with the same natural yoga mat cleaner you'd run over mats between classes.