WIRED requested the favored YouTube yoga instructor Sara Beth for her high recommendations on shopping for the very best yoga mat:
Thicker shouldn’t be higher. You continue to wish to help your steadiness by having a agency connection to the bottom beneath you, so intention for a 3 to five mm thickness. You possibly can 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 arms and ft go, can disrupt your steadiness.
Search for good grip. For warm yoga or sweaty individuals, be certain your mat will get grippier when moist. A washable design is extra hygienic. A microfiber-finished mat might be put within the washer (producers instruction suggested) or you may 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 might be folded or rolled in your suitcase. They work effectively on resort room carpet, however in the event you want extra cushion you may all the time layer a towel the place your knees go. I’ve additionally practiced yoga in my resort room with simply the bathtub towel laid out like a mat.
Make it simple to exercise. In the event you plan to make use of your mat like a health club ground 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 is able to assist it keep in place whilst you transfer.
