Over the years of practicing and teaching Yoga I have come across a lot of mats and am asked frequently about the best Yoga mats. So I have put together this little list to help you choose the right mat for you!

My favourite by far are the Manduka Yoga Mats

I actually have three! The purple mat you see me teach on, Manduka ProLite and an identical blue one for home practice and an orange eKO SuperLite for Travel as it fold up in my suitcase really easily. If you are any broader or taller than me I would suggest the Manduka Pro or Manduka Pro Long.

Manduka Mats are my favourite for a few reasons. They:

Will last a lifetime.
Are ethically made.
Are not too heavy.

You can purchase Manduka them from UpDog Yoga. I also have a set of Manduka Yoga blocks which I love. They are larger than the orange blocks I have had for use in classes. Stretch Now is where I purchase my Cork Yoga Blocks and Bolsters for Yin Yoga from.

Important things to consider when choosing a Yoga Mat:

Ahimsa - the Yoga principle of not doing harm. How is your Yoga mat made? In a sweat shop? That isn’t practising no harm. Please also consider the environmental impact of your Yoga mat. There are many mats now made from recycled or sustainable materials. If you practice regularly,it is the worth the waste of purchasing a $10 mat and it ending up in landfill in 6 months or purchasing a mat that will last? My Manduka mats are now between 4 and 7 years old and are still going strong with regular use. Aside from the Percy’s 🐰 nibbles.

Darker colours will look newer for longer. But all Yoga mats should still be cleaned after each use check out my Yoga Mat Cleaning Spray recipe here, I also like getting mine in the sun for a little while each week to fully dry out and kill any lingering nasties.
Some Yoga mats like the Lululemon mats will have a strong rubber smell for a little while. I suggest airing it outside in between uses. Not in the direct sun for too long though otherwise this will deteriorate the mat.
I recommend a 3-6mm Yoga mat for most people. Anything thicker is not a Yoga mat and will make balancing challenging. Anything less will likely be too thin for most people.

Other Yoga Mats I recommend:

Lululemon Yoga Mats - the stickiest of sticky Yoga Mats. This was my first Yoga mat but actually parted with it a few years ago in favour of Manduka as I found I wanted to move more on it. If you find slipping is distracting you for your practice you might like to try it.
Mukti Grounded Yoga Mat - this is not one I have personally tired but a friend has it and loves it. She upgraded from a Rebel Sports cheap mat to this one.
Rebel Sports - I went looking for the Yoga mats I have previously purchased from Rebel but couldn't find them. So I can't honestly recommend any from there any more. GAIAM is quite a popular basic Yoga mat brand, but some of the mats don't last that long and lose their cushioning from what I have seen.
Emilia Rose Yoga Mats - Some of my students have these gorgeous mats! Emilia Rose Yoga Mats are designed by a local Adelaide Artist and have a fabric like feel.

Send me a message here if you would like help purchasing your next or first Yoga mat!

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