YOUR HOME STRETCH
Raise your ground game with our pick of the best yoga mats to hasten your post-training recovery
Unroll studio-standard yoga sessions at home with the best mats on the market
By now, your YouTube side bar may consist entirely of sweaty HIIT sessions – but if you truly want to fine-tune your fitness, we suggest a strategic change of pace. A good place to start is Patrick Beach’s channel, Patrick and Carling, which hosts a varied range of accessible videos. Next, make a smart investment in a mat. Regular practice can improve strength, endurance and flexibility after just 12 weeks; a study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that it can also reduce cortisol and anxiety levels.
According to yoga instructor Sarah Malcolm, a good yoga mat should be suited to the kind of workout you’ll most often be using it for. If you like your yoga fast-paced and dynamic, a non-slip mat (up to 5mm in depth) will provide extra grip and stability. Alternatively, for a gentle, restorative session, a well-cushioned mat will support your spine, knees and hands.
The tester panel at the Hearst Institute calmly worked through morning-sun salutations and post-workout poses to select the best. Cushioning, grip, size and portability formed the basis of every test, resulting in a shortlist that has an option for every man.
01 NATURE’S CHOICE
80/100
Cork Yoga Mat £45 yogastudiostore.com
Performance Design
Ease of Use
GREEN GIANT If eco-friendly materials are your priority, this biodegradable option is for you. With an upper layer partly made from recycled cork and a natural rubber bottom, this mat contains no harmful toxins or chemicals. Cork kills bacteria and odours, so it’ll stay smelling and looking clean over time.
EXPERT VERDICT The rubber side offers a solid grip, so it’s well suited to fast-paced sessions. While your footing may not be as secure on the cork side, it’s still suitable for regular workouts. The centre alignment guides help you figure out your position when you’re a tangle of limbs, while its thickness supports your joints in gentler yoga sessions.
02 GO THE DISTANCE 71/100
eKO SuperLite Travel Yoga and Pilates Mat £40 eu.manduka.com
Performance Design
Ease of Use
LIGHT TOUCH At just 1kg, eKO’s standard-sized yoga mat is highly portable, so it’s a sound investment for those who like to use their own mat in class or away from home.
EXPERT VERDICT Because of its thinness (a mere 1.5mm), this mat is a perfect fit for the kinds of mindful practices found in a hatha session or a gentle yoga class. Not every pose is comfortable, and the mat can annoyingly bunch up around your feet. On the plus side, it’s compact once rolled or folded and made from biodegradable, non-Amazon harvested tree rubber.
03 FOAM IMPROVEMENT
85/100
Oeko-Tex Original Sticky Long & Wide Yoga Mat £24 yogastudiostore.com
Performance Design
Ease of Use
SIZE MATTERS Generously proportioned at 2m by 80cm, this versatile mat suits all poses and movements. It grips well to the floor, as well as to your hands and feet. The 4.5mm thickness supports the joints and spine, aiding balance and
stability. Our testers found its size and grip best suited to dynamic yoga, such as ashtanga or vinyasa flow.
EXPERT VERDICT The ample size also makes this perfect for a regular workout or HIIT session. Though it’s made from dense, non-eco-friendly vinyl foam, it’s certified Standard 100 by Oeko-Tex, which means it’s free from any harmful substances. Conveniently, it’s also machinewashable at up to 40ºC.
04 A MAT FOR ALL SESSIONS
96/100
Reversible Mat £58 lululemon.co.uk
Performance Design
Ease of Use
ALL BASES COVERED This natural rubber yoga mat has exceptionally good grip and absorbs sweat and moisture, making it ideal for beginners and experts alike. It also has more than enough padding to support the hips, knees and hands during floor asanas, such as the bridge and cobra poses.
EXPERT VERDICT Weighing just 2.4kg, this reversible mat was a hit with all of our testers. The advanced yogis among them were impressed by its non-slip rubber, which helped them balance while tackling the more dynamic poses. A quality all-rounder for any purpose.
05 REACH A NEW PEAK
92/100
Yoga Mat £100 liforme.com
Performance Design
Ease of Use
NEXT LEVEL This mat offers plenty of versatility and will keep pace as you progress as a yogi. With a natural, PVC-free rubber base and non-toxic polyurethane top surface, it’s grippy enough for those attempting difficult asanas, such as the lord of the dance or shoulder-pressing poses.
EXPERT VERDICT The alignment markers can guide people of all levels and make practice simple and safe for anyone attempting a new pose. The grip remains secure even during hot yoga, bikram or other intense styles, and it’s great for other workouts, too.