These Extra-Grippy Mats Are Perfect for Hot Yoga, According to Instructors

Holding asanas in a heated class can be tricky, especially when you’re dealing with clingy clothes and stinging sweat in your eyes while trying not to slip—which is why finding the best mat for hot yoga is essential to keeping you stable and safe. The ideal pick will help you feel “zoned in on your practice to the point where you’re not focusing on your mat,” Erin Archibald, a registered yoga instructor with CorePower Yoga in Denver, tells SELF.

But shopping for one that doesn’t slip or bunch up as you move and perspire isn’t as simple as grabbing the first option you see on the shelf. To help you track down the right hot yoga mat for your practice, we spoke with instructors and scrolled through tons of reviews from shoppers. Browse our firm, supportive, and highly grippy favorites below.

Our top picks

1. Best Overall: Lululemon The Mat 5mm
2. Most Cushioned: Manduka Pro
3. Best No-Slip Grip: JadeYoga Harmony Mat
4. Best Cork: Gaiam Cork Yoga Exercise Mat
5. Most Absorbent: Manduka GRP Adapt
6. Most Durable: JadeYoga Elite S Mat
7. Best Thin Mat: Reetual Yoga Mat
8. Best Budget: Gaiam Sol Dry Grip Yoga Mat
9. Best for Alignment: Liforme Yoga Mat

How to choose a hot yoga mat

Other equipment that’s useful for hot yoga

Your yoga practice and gear can be as simple or souped up as you want it to be. You might want a set of yoga blocks to help you maintain proper alignment or modify poses, straps to help you get into your stretches or deepen them, and bolsters to support your knees or hips. Another nice-to-have: a yoga mat bag or carrying strap (if your mat doesn’t come with one), to make heading to and from class a little easier.

Shop the best hot yoga mats

Feel more confident in class with one of these expert-approved mats underneath your feet.

Best Overall: Lululemon The Mat 5mm

Pros

• Absorbs sweat
• Reversible
• Well-cushioned
• Antimicrobial

Cons

• On the pricey side

A favorite among many of the experts we spoke to, this 2022 SELF Home Fitness Award winner has a rubber base and a grippy top layer to keep you grounded. Plus, it’s sweat-absorbing: “I always feel very stable and rooted when I’m practicing on a Lulu mat,” says Archibald, who has been using hers for over three years.

If you alternate between vinyasa and hot yoga, you’ll love The Mat’s reversible design—you can choose to use the high-traction side or the more cushioned side, depending on the class you’re in. It’s even sturdy enough for other activities, like HIIT workouts, Sarah Larson Levey, a registered yoga instructor and cofounder of Y7 Studio in NYC, tells SELF, making it a great pick for beginners who want the most bang for their buck.

Need a thinner surface for even greater stability? There’s also a 3mm option available.

Most Cushioned: Manduka Pro

Pros

• Easy to clean
• Great traction
• Thick padding
• Available in two sizes

Cons

• Heavy
• Expensive

This mat comes in two sizes and is “very grippy, supportive, and stable,” Archibald says. The closed-cell construction seals out moisture and bacteria, making it easy to wipe down and disinfect. Slightly thicker than Lululemon’s The Mat at six millimeters high, the Manduka Pro is great for folks wanting extra cushioning for their joints. Customers describe the Manduka Pro as worth the investment—although it is pretty pricey, it does come with a lifetime guarantee.

Best No-Slip Grip: JadeYoga Harmony Mat

Pros

• Solid traction
• Sweat-absorbing
• Very supportive

Cons

• Hard to clean

While all of the mats on this list have good traction, the Harmony Mat has a unique texture that our experts confirm sets it apart from the pack. Described by Levey as “wonderful,” this natural rubber mat provides ample cushioning. Archibald finds it to be very grippy and incredibly supportive, and she likes the porous sweat-absorbing surface—it provides a “grittier” feel compared to other mats, she says.

The one downside: It can be tricky to clean. “It’s definitely not something that you can just wipe down with a towel,” Levey says. To thoroughly sanitize it, she recommends using JadeYoga’s mat cleaner.

Best Cork: Gaiam Cork Yoga Exercise Mat

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Surface gets grippier with moisture
• Firm feel
• Very lightweight

Cons

• Some Amazon reviewers report that it doesn’t lay completely flat

“Cork is a natural and non-slip surface that responds even better when wet, which means you’re safe to sweat,” Jacquelyn says. “It dries quickly too.”

This super lightweight cork mat from Gaiam is five millimeters thick, like many other options on this list, and pretty budget-friendly (it’s often on sale for under $30). Another bonus: The bottom is coated in thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), so it won’t shift around on the floor underneath you. “I actually love this mat more than any mat I’ve ever had,” one happy Amazon shopper wrote. “It doesn’t smell weird, I don’t slip, and I don’t need to use a towel on my mat during practice. 10/10 for me.”

Most Absorbent: Manduka GRP Adapt Yoga Mat 5mm

Pros

• Soaks up sweat quickly
• Available in multiple sizes

Cons

• A bit heavy

This high-quality Manduka mat wins points from Jacquelyn for being “extremely sturdy,” no matter how much you sweat. The material allows moisture to pass through the top layer of the mat to the foam interior, making it majorly absorbent. (You won’t be stepping in any puddles during downward dog with this one.)

“The grip will hold you in place, and the company provides services you can utilize at the end of the mat’s life to make sure it doesn’t end up in a landfill,” Jacquelyn adds—a win if you’re looking for a more eco-friendly pick.

Most Durable: JadeYoga Elite S Mat

Pros

• Sturdy
• Long-lasting
• Grippy
• Works well for flowing yoga styles

Cons

• A bit pricey
• Not super padded

JadeYoga’s textured Elite S mat is designed to withstand lots of use—and Jacquelyn says it lives up to the hype, especially for hot yoga (it has a similar feel to the Jade Harmony). “The Jade grip is truly the best in the business, and this mat is built to last through years of rigorous practice,” she says.

A dense top layer adds firmness and protects against scuffs, making the Elite S a great choice for flowing practices with lots of transitions or mat workouts like Pilates. “I bought it in December 2011, and am still comfortable 12 years after,” one JadeYoga reviewer wrote. Jacquelyn also likes supporting JadeYoga for their sustainability efforts: The company plants a tree for every mat purchased.

Best Thin Mat: Reetual Yoga Mat

Pros

• Colorful, complex designs
• Non-slip
• Good value

Cons

• On the smaller side
• Less cushioned

These eye-catching mats from Reetual will add some joy—and stability—to your hot yoga practice. Made with a padded, tacky rubber base to prevent slippage and a top layer that gets grippier the more you sweat (since moisture helps increase the traction), they’re both fun and functional.

Amazon reviewers describe them as “stunning” and “beautiful,” and praise the fact that “there’s absolutely no slipping,” even in the sweatiest conditions. This mat is slightly smaller than average and it’s also on the thinner side, so it may not be right for taller folks or those who prefer extra cushioning for their joints. But fans of firmness who hate sinking into their mat might want to give it a try.

Best Budget: Gaiam Sol Dry Grip Yoga Mat

Pros

• Moisture-wicking surface
• Supportive
• Good value

Cons

• You’ll need to wipe sweat off
• On the smaller side

For a high-quality mat at a lower price point, consider this pick from Gaiam. The textured surface wicks moisture away, while the padding “made hot yoga a lot easier!” per one Amazon reviewer, who said they were able push their feet into the mat for added stability. They also recommended using it with a towel to remove any sweat, since it wicks moisture rather than absorbing it.

FYI: This mat is smaller than standard size, so tall folks may consider opting for a different pick on this list.

Best for Alignment: Liforme Yoga Mat

Pros

• More surface area
• Includes markings to guide you
• Comes with a travel bag

Cons

• Expensive

This mat is a bigger investment, but reviewers say it’s well worth the higher price. It’s slightly larger than average and made from biodegradable rubber, which makes it a “durable and perfectly sticky mat,” according to one Amazon reviewer. Another shared that they “don’t even need a mat towel with it, since the grip is so great.”

Customers also praise the mat’s alignment system—basically, a series of markings on the mat that help you understand where to place your hands and feet as you practice. Oh, and t comes with a nifty carrying bag too.

Best hot yoga towels

If you knowing you’re going to break a sweat, it’s a good idea to bring a towel to wipe your hands, face, or mat during class. You don’t need anything special, though. “To be truthful, mat towels are not a necessity when you buy a mat already built to withstand sweat,” says Jacquelyn. “But when I do use a towel in yoga, I opt for small hand towels in a heated vinyasa session or big beach towels in a true hot yoga (Bikram) class. These are likely towels you already have on hand, so start there!”

Looking for something you can use just for yoga? Here are a few she recommends.

Manduka eQua Yoga Hand Towel

You can place this lightweight microfiber towel near your mat to keep sweaty hands at bay or lay it on your mat under your face to catch any drips. “It’s easy to throw in a yoga bag and dries quickly, so I end up using it for up to three to four sessions,” says Jacquelyn. “It’s great for wiping your face or even covering your eyes in savasana!”

Manduka Yogitoes Yoga Mat Towel

A large, mat-sized towel like this one (with a textured bottom) can transform a regular yoga mat into a grippy hot yoga mat. It’ll also help absorb moisture during seriously heated classes. “This is the towel I use for super sweaty Bikram yoga sessions,” says Jacquelyn. “I’ve had the same pink Yogitoes for over 13 years and it still works perfectly. I trust the brand and love the anti-slip silicone nubs!”

Additional reporting by Jenny McCoy, C.P.T., and Jessica Kasparian

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