WIRED requested the favored YouTube yoga instructor Sara Beth for her prime tips about shopping for one of the best yoga mat:
Thicker just isn’t higher. You continue to need to help your stability by having a agency connection to the bottom beneath you, so goal for a 3 to five mm thickness. You may all the time add extra cushion in your knees within the middle, however an excessive amount of cushion beneath the back and front, the place your fingers and toes go, can disrupt your stability.
Search for good grip. For decent yoga or sweaty folks, make certain your mat will get grippier when moist. A washable design is extra hygienic. A microfiber-finished mat could 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 could be folded or rolled in your suitcase. They work nicely on lodge room carpet, however should 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 lodge room with simply the bathtub 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 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 is able to assist it keep in place whilst you transfer.
