How to Choose a Yoga Mat: The Complete Buying Guide

Your mat is the only piece of kit you really need to practise yoga at home. It is also the one people tend to choose too quickly, because they love a colour. Yet a mat that slips, flattens under your knees or has a strong smell soon ends up rolled in a corner. Here is what to look for to find one that will stay with you for years.

1. Start with how you practise

Before comparing models, think about what you actually do on your mat:

• Gentle yoga, yin or meditation: you spend a long time on the floor, so comfort comes first.
• Vinyasa, ashtanga or power yoga: you flow from pose to pose and work up a sweat, so grip becomes the number one priority.
• Pilates and strength work: you spend a lot of time lying down, so a little extra cushioning is welcome.
• Travel: weight and bulk matter more than anything else.

2. Pick the right material

The material decides how much grip you get, how the mat feels and how long it lasts.

• Cork: natural and pleasant against the skin, it offers grip that holds steady even when your hands get sweaty. It is a great choice for dynamic styles. Our natural cork yoga mat pairs a cork surface with a TPE underlayer for cushioning.
• TPE: light, soft and PVC-free, it suits beginners and gentle yoga well. It is, however, less durable than cork.
• Natural rubber: very grippy and dense, but heavy, and it contains latex.
• PVC: cheap and hard-wearing, but less pleasant to the touch and far from eco-friendly.

3. Find the right thickness

Thickness is always a trade-off between comfort and stability.

• 1 to 2 mm: travel mats, designed to sit on top of another surface.
• 4 to 5 mm: the sweet spot for most styles. You can feel the floor in balancing poses without your knees aching on hard floorboards.
• 6 mm and above: comfy for Pilates and floor work, but less stable in standing poses.

Tip: if your knees feel tender in certain poses, stick with a 5 mm mat and slide a block or a folded towel underneath, rather than switching to a very thick mat.

4. Check the size

The standard size is 183 × 61 cm, which suits most people up to around 1.80 m tall. Lying on your back with your arms by your sides, your head and heels should both fit on the mat. If you are taller, look for a long mat of around 200 cm. Think about your space at home too: allow roughly a metre of clearance on each side so you can stretch your arms out freely.

5. Test the grip and comfort

Good grip works on two levels:

1. On the floor: the mat should not slide on wooden floors or tiles, even when you press firmly into downward dog.
2. Under your hands and feet: the surface should hold you in place, including when you sweat.

To check comfort, kneel on the mat and press down: you should feel the cushioning without sinking right through to the floor.

6. Think about care

A well-looked-after mat lasts for years. Wipe it after every session with a damp cloth, let it dry flat away from direct sunlight, and store it rolled with the practice surface facing out. Avoid alcohol and harsh household cleaners, which dry out cork and weaken TPE.

7. Add the right props

A mat on its own is enough to get started, but two simple props make a real difference:

• Yoga blocks bring the floor closer in forward folds and steady you in balancing poses. Our cork yoga blocks match the mat perfectly.
• A yoga strap extends your reach in stretches when your hands cannot yet reach your feet.

The bottom line

For a versatile home practice, go for a 4 to 5 mm mat in the standard 183 × 61 cm size, made from a grippy material such as cork. Add a pair of blocks and you have everything you need to practise every day in good conditions, from your very first sun salutation to your most dynamic flows.