Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
Yoga Mats I Wish I Had When I Started School Yoga Classes
26
items Showing up to your first school yoga class with a slippery, peeling mat that smells like a tire factory is a rite of passage nobody asked for. Whether you're a college student hauling gear across campus or a high schooler cramming a mat into a locker...
Sections
5
Lightweight Mats That Actually Fit in a Backpack
Sticky Mats for Sweaty Palms in Heated Classrooms
Budget-Friendly Mats for Students Watching Every Dollar
Mats With Carrying Solutions for Between Classes
Easy-Clean Mats That Survive Shared Gym Floors
Lightweight Mats That Actually Fit in a Backpack
Lugging a heavy mat plus textbooks plus a laptop across campus nearly broke my shoulder. These fold down small enough to stuff in a bag without feeling like you're training for a marathon just walking to class.
Toss this in your backpack like a notebook. Weighs almost nothing and folds flat, which saved me when my locker was already stuffed with binders. If you walk or bike to school, start here.
Gaiam Folding Yoga Travel Mat, 2mm
Grab this if you're the person sprinting between buildings with five minutes to spare. Has a built-in strap so you don't need a separate carrier. My roommate borrowed it once and tried to keep it.
Yogo Ultralight Folding Travel Yoga Mat
Paper-thin but somehow grippy enough for standing poses on a gym floor. Rolls up to the size of a water bottle. Perfect for anyone whose dorm room is already bursting at the seams.
Manduka eKO SuperLite Yoga Mat 1.5mm
Paper-thin but somehow grippy enough for standing poses on a gym floor. Rolls up to the size of a water bottle. Perfect for anyone whose dorm room is already bursting at the seams.
Manduka eKO SuperLite Yoga Mat 1.5mm
Weighs about a pound, which sounds fake but isn't. I draped it over my shoulder walking to the rec center and forgot it was there. Great pick if you refuse to carry anything extra.
JadeYoga Travel Yoga Mat
Keep this one in your car or gym bag as a backup. Folds into a neat square and costs less than two coffees. Saved me the day I left my main mat at home.
Primasole Folding Yoga Travel Pilates Mat
Sticky Mats for Sweaty Palms in Heated Classrooms
Our school gym had zero AC and my hands would slide everywhere by the third sun salutation. Switching to a grippy mat was the single biggest upgrade I made all year.
Use this if your hands turn into slip-and-slides the second you start flowing. The alignment lines are a bonus when your instructor keeps saying 'square your hips' and you have no idea what that means.
Liforme Classic Yoga Mat
Spent way too long debating whether this was worth the price. It was. Palms stayed planted even in a packed, stuffy room. Worth it if you're tired of wiping your hands on your leggings mid-class.
Lululemon Yoga Mat 5mm
Dense, heavy, and sticks to the floor like it's glued down. Not the one for carrying across campus, but unbeatable if your class is in the same building every time. Mine still looks new after a full school year.
Manduka PRO Yoga Mat - 6mm | Lifetime Durability
Swap to this if you've been sliding on a cheap mat and getting frustrated. The textured surface actually grips when wet. A friend in my yoga elective bought three because she kept gifting hers away.
Heathyoga Yoga Mat Non Slip TPE Pilates Exercise
Try this before dropping serious money on a premium brand. Surprisingly grippy for the price and thick enough that your knees won't hate you on hard floors. Solid first mat for anyone testing the waters.
IUGA Pro Yoga Mat Non Slip Hot Yoga Mat Anti-tear
Budget-Friendly Mats for Students Watching Every Dollar
Between tuition and ramen, I had about twelve dollars of fun money per month. These mats cost less than a textbook chapter and still held up through a full semester of twice-weekly classes.
Get this if your budget is basically zero. Half an inch thick so kneeling on a tile floor doesn't feel punishing. Comes with a strap too. I used mine for an entire semester before upgrading.
Amazon Basics 1/2 Inch Thick Yoga Mat
Under fifteen bucks and it comes in like twenty colors. My whole study group bought matching ones. Not the fanciest, but honestly it does the job and you won't cry if it gets left behind in a classroom.
BalanceFrom 1-Inch Extra Thick High Density
Thick, cheap, and surprisingly durable. Used mine for yoga class and also as a floor pad in my dorm when friends came over. Doubles as furniture when you're a broke student.
Retrospec Solana 1/2in Thick Yoga Mat
Pair this with a towel if you run warm. Basic but reliable, and the extra thickness helped when our class met on concrete floors in the multipurpose room. Grab one before the semester starts.
Sunny Health & Fitness Slim High-Density Yoga Mat
Keep this rolled up in your locker for whenever you need it. Light, thin, easy to clean with a spray bottle. Perfect for the student who only does yoga once a week and doesn't want to overthink it.
ProsourceFit Original Yoga Exercise Mat 1/4
Mats With Carrying Solutions for Between Classes
Walking across campus holding a yoga mat like a giant burrito while also juggling coffee and a phone is an art form. These come with straps or bags that made the commute way less ridiculous.
The included strap clips on in two seconds. I slung it over one shoulder and still had both hands free for my coffee and phone. If you hate fumbling with gear between classes, this one fixes that.
Amazon Basics Extra Thick Exercise Yoga Mat
Wider than standard so you're not hanging off the edges during savasana. The strap is basic but does the job. Brought this to an 8am class every Tuesday and the extra width made lying down actually relaxing.
CAMBIVO Extra Long Wide Thick PVC Yoga Mat
Switch to this if you've been awkwardly carrying your mat under your arm like a rolled-up carpet. Strap keeps it tight against your back. One less thing to wrestle with on a busy morning.
HemingWeigh: Yoga Mat
Made from TPE so it doesn't have that chemical smell when you unroll it in a small room. Comes with its own strap. My classmate unrolled a stinky mat next to me once and I vowed never to be that person.
Ewedoos Eco Friendly Yoga Mat Thick TPE
Snag this if you want something decent without researching for hours. Non-slip on both sides, comes with a strap, and the colors are actually nice. I gave one to my sister when she started her college yoga requirement.
Amazon Basics 1/4 Inch Thick TPE Exercise Yoga Mat
Easy-Clean Mats That Survive Shared Gym Floors
School gym floors see hundreds of shoes a day. Rolling out a mat on that surface and then pressing your face into it during child's pose made me rethink hygiene real fast. These mats wipe down in seconds.
Natural rubber so it doesn't absorb smells from the gym floor. Wipe it down with a damp cloth after class and it's ready to go. Lasted me two full semesters without getting funky.
Jade Harmony Yoga Mat - JadeYoga
Ditch your old mat if it's starting to smell no matter how much you clean it. This one has a moisture-wicking top layer that doesn't trap sweat. I sprayed it down after class and it dried before I got back to my dorm.
Gaiam Yoga Mat
The surface on this thing resists dirt like nothing I've tried before. Rolled it out on dusty gym floors all semester and a quick wipe brought it back to looking fresh. Great for anyone grossed out by shared spaces.
B YOGA: Yoga Mats
Use this if you want a mat and towel layer in one. The microfiber top is machine washable, which was a relief after using it on questionable locker room floors. Throw it in the wash on laundry day and done.
YOGA DESIGN LAB | The Combo Yoga Mat | Eco Luxury
Wipes clean with just water and dries fast. The alignment lines helped me figure out hand placement when I was brand new. Stock up on a yoga mat spray too, but honestly this one barely needs it.
Gruper Yoga Mat Non Slip, TPE Extra Wide