Choosing a Yoga Mat: Thickness, Grip, Materials and Joint Comfort

A yoga mat is the one piece of equipment most people buy. This page lists the questions to weigh, based on what the sources we read say. It does not rank brands or products, and it gives no prices. One honest limit comes first: we found no tested evidence on mats, so most detail below is consumer guidance.

What a mat is for

Cleveland Clinic describes the mat as a non-slip surface that reduces the risk of slipping or falling while moving between poses, often made with cushioning you can grip or sink into.[1] Some classes may lend or rent mats, so ask the studio before you buy. See What to Wear and Bring to a Yoga Class.

What the evidence shows

Mat thickness, material and injury or comfort: Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed and Europe PMC for studies of yoga mats, exercise mats and mat thickness, and read none that tested how a mat's thickness or material affects joint comfort, balance, slipping or injury. The searches returned unrelated results such as Pilates trials that happen to use a mat.

What we did read is a commercial buying-guide page, which also lists products for sale.[2] Treat what follows as marketing-sector guidance about trade-offs, not tested findings.

For context only: NCCIH says yoga injuries are mostly sprains and strains, most often of the knee or lower leg.[3] That says nothing about whether a mat caused any of them.

Questions to weigh

1. How thick?

   Marketing claim; untested

   A thicker mat cushions knees and joints for floor work, while a thinner mat keeps you connected to the ground for balance.[2] It puts around an eighth of an inch as a general-practice balance of comfort and stability, with thicker options for joint sensitivity.[2]

2. Is it too soft to stand on?

   Marketing claim; untested

   Too much padding makes standing poses unstable as the surface gives underfoot.[2]

3. Does it grip when hands and feet are damp?

   Marketing claim; untested

   Natural rubber and TPE are described as offering grip and resilience; PVC as durable and cushioned but less eco-friendly.[2]

4. Closed or open surface?

   Marketing claim; untested

   Closed-cell surfaces resist absorbing sweat and are easier to wipe clean; open-cell mats grip well but soak up moisture.[2]

5. Does it stay put on my floor?

   Marketing claim; untested

   The underside should grip the floor so the mat does not travel, especially on hard surfaces; on carpet a firmer mat resists bunching.[2]

6. Size and weight?

   Marketing claim; untested

   Taller people may want an extra-long mat that fits full poses; a lighter mat travels more easily, while a dense cushioned one is heavier to carry.[2]

Comfort for knees and joints

A thicker mat is not the only way to add cushioning. Cleveland Clinic says blankets can add cushioning when you are kneeling or on all fours.[1] See Yoga Props. If kneeling, wrists or ankles hurt, that is information for your clinician and your teacher, not something a thicker mat is shown to solve. NCCIH lists knee or hip injuries and balance issues among conditions that may call for modified yoga.[3] See Adapted Yoga and Movement and Pain During Yoga: Warning Signs and When to Stop.

Materials and latex allergy

MedlinePlus describes latex as a milky fluid from the tropical rubber tree, and says repeated exposure to a protein in natural latex can make a latex allergy more likely.[4] The buying guide lists natural rubber as a mat material.[2] Whether a particular mat can trigger a latex reaction is not something the sources we read tested. If you have a latex allergy, ask your clinician, and ask the maker what the mat is made of. MedlinePlus says it is best to try to avoid latex.[4]

Mats in a studio

Shared mats raise cleaning questions. We found no source on hygiene or infection from shared yoga mats, so Proper evidence not found. A reasonable question for a studio is how they clean shared equipment.

Practical points

• Try one in a class or shop first if you can; "feel" is personal and untested.
• You do not need to buy until you know which style you will keep doing; see How to Choose a Yoga Style.
• No source we read says a mat changes the risks of a pose. See Yoga Safety.