WIRED requested the favored YouTube yoga trainer Sara Beth for her prime recommendations on shopping for one of the best yoga mat:
Thicker will not be higher. You continue to need to assist your steadiness by having a agency connection to the bottom beneath you, so goal for a 3 to five mm thickness. You’ll be able to at all times add extra cushion on your knees within the middle, however an excessive amount of cushion underneath the back and front, the place your palms and ft go, can disrupt your steadiness.
Search for good grip. For warm yoga or sweaty folks, ensure that your mat will get grippier when moist. A washable design is extra hygienic. A microfiber-finished mat may 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 may be folded or rolled in your suitcase. They work effectively on resort room carpet, however in the event you want extra cushion you’ll be able to at all times 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. In the event you plan to make use of your mat like a health club flooring for Pilates, weights, yoga, and HIIT, then take into account investing in a jumbo 5- by 8-feet mat (like Gorilla mat), which should not transfer. These are sometimes a bit heavier and sturdier, which can assist it keep in place when you transfer.
