WIRED requested the favored YouTube yoga trainer Sara Beth for her high recommendations on shopping for one of the best yoga mat:
Thicker just isn’t higher. You continue to wish to help your steadiness by having a agency connection to the bottom beneath you, so purpose for a 3 to five mm thickness. You’ll be able to all the time add extra cushion in your knees within the heart, however an excessive amount of cushion underneath the back and front, the place your fingers and toes go, can disrupt your steadiness.
Search for good grip. For warm yoga or sweaty folks, be certain that your mat will get grippier when moist. A washable design is extra hygienic. A microfiber-finished mat will be put within the washer (producers instruction suggested) or you’ll be able to go for a “yoga towel” you cowl the mat with earlier than wiping down and washing after your session.
Take a journey mat. For holidays, a skinny, light-weight, 0.059-inch (1.5-mm) mat will be folded or rolled in your suitcase. They work properly on resort room carpet, however in the event you want extra cushion you’ll be able to all the time layer a towel the place your knees go. I’ve additionally practiced yoga in my resort room with simply the tub towel laid out like a mat.
Make it straightforward to exercise. For those who plan to make use of your mat like a health club ground for Pilates, weights, yoga, and HIIT, then think about investing in a jumbo 5- by 8-feet mat (like Gorilla mat), which should not transfer. These are usually a bit heavier and sturdier, which can assist it keep in place when you transfer.
