Yoga Mats

How thick should a yoga mat be

Two tiers here, and nothing thicker than a quarter inch, on purpose.

• Thin: 1/8 inch (3 mm) to 4 mm. The 68 x 24 sticky mat and the 4 mm Yogi version of the Pro Eco mat. You feel the floor in balance poses and the mat rolls small enough to carry daily. Hard on the knees in kneeling poses.
• Standard: 1/4 inch (6 mm). The OMphibian, the 6 mm phthalate-free Monster mat, the 6 mm Guru version of the Pro Eco, and the SuperLite TPE with its centering line. Enough cushion for knees and wrists, still stable to stand on. The right thickness for most people.

We don't make an extra-thick mat. Past a quarter inch, standing balance poses get wobbly and the mat gets heavy.

If you need more under the knees, fold a blanket or use a pair of yoga blocks; a Yoga Bolster under the thighs or behind the knees takes the load off the joint in seated and reclined poses. If the practice is all floor work, the cotton mat or the shiatsu mat is softer than any foam mat.

Grip

Sweat is the deciding factor. A natural rubber base with a PU top, which is what the OMphibian is, grips when it's wet; that's the mat for hot yoga and anyone whose hands slide in downward dog by minute twenty. TPE and sticky-surface mats grip well dry and get slippery once soaked; a towel fixes that. The cotton mat doesn't grip a hardwood floor at all, and isn't meant to: use it on carpet or on top of a rubber mat for a fabric surface that absorbs sweat and goes in the washing machine.

Materials

Natural rubber is the grippiest and heaviest, has a rubber smell for the first week, and contains latex. TPE is lighter, closed-cell so it doesn't absorb sweat, latex-free and recyclable. The 6 mm and 1/8-inch mats are phthalate-free foam, the least expensive way to get a mat that isn't toxic. Cotton is the only one you can wash fully.

Care and lifespan

Wipe after sweaty sessions with a mat cleaner, air-dry rolled out, and keep rubber out of the sun. How long a mat lasts depends on material and use; there's a full breakdown in how long do yoga mats last, and our picks by practice in best yoga mats.