The 9 best thick yoga mats in 2024 - tested by yogis for maximum support
Tried and tested by the woman&home health team, the best thick yoga mats will protect your joints and keep your zen
The best thick yoga mats will be just what you need if you love to flow but you're looking for some extra comfort for your joints. With additional grip, a more supportive design, and a heavier stabilizing weight, treating yourself to some extra cushioning will allow you to fully focus on getting zen.
But finding the right thick yoga mat is not always an easy feat. You need a non-slip mat with all the above qualities but you also don't want one that goes too far the other way - one that's too heavy, hard to store, or difficult to roll out. If your mat is set to become a permanent fixture in your home, you'll also want one that looks good, in a color to fit your scheme.
Whether you're a newbie yogi or have been practicing for years, we've scoured the selection of best yoga mats to bring you an edit of the best mats with extra padding, so whatever your goals are in yoga, you can achieve them all with additional support where needed.
The best thick yoga mats as tested by our experts
Best overall
RRP: From £25 | Thickness: 6mm
Our tester Lucy found the Gaiam really delivers on comfort when it comes to the brand's yoga mats generally, and this pick from its Premium range is no exception. "I started to sweat pretty early on in my cardio yoga class but I didn't struggle to stay on the mat and my hands weren't sliding everywhere like they normally are" said Lucy. Even during the sweaty yoga sessions, this mat stood the test of time and held out comfortably for a full hour's class.
Buy if: You're looking for a thick and durable yoga mat
Avoid if: You don't want a PVC mat
Best luxury
RRP: From £115 | Thickness: 6mm
Looking for a durable mat that will last, literally, a whole lifetime? Step forward, the Manduka Pro. Our tester has been practising yoga for over 10 years and took this mat out for a spin three times, during one dynamic yinyasa class, a home stretching session, and a yin yoga class. She said, "It's so good because I found my grip got better every time I used the mat."
Buy if: You're looking for latex-free luxury
Avoid if: You're on a tight budget
Best for joint protection
RRP: £60 | Thickness: 8mm
At 8mm, this is the spongiest buy in our round-up of the best thick yoga mats, but our tester said this didn't impact the quality of the mat during use."It's still stable enough that you're not bouncing around when trying to balance in class," said our tester. "One side had deeper grooves to stop it from sliding across a hard floor and the other was textured to make sure that hands could grip."
Buy if: You want a mat that's supportive on the joints.
Avoid if: You want lots of colours to choose from
Best Amazon
RRP: From £22 | Thickness: 12.7mm
Looking for one of the best yoga mats to buy on Amazon? We recommend this option for those who want an extra-thick mat. This pick also comes with an additional pad that offers an extra 15mm of cushioning. It can also be used as a knee pad or to support your hands, wrists, or feet. Despite its thickness, this mat is still lightweight and portable, and it comes with a carry strap. However, go for a thinner mat if you want good balance.
Buy if: You want a thick mat with Amazon delivery
Avoid if: You do a lot of balance work
Best rubber
RRP: £75 | Thickness: 4mm
You might be wondering why a yoga mat that’s only 4mm is included in a round-up of the best thick yoga mats. That’s because, thanks to a clever air pocket layer, this premium yoga mat actually feels a lot thicker than it really is. In fact, our tester thought it felt at least 6mm thick thanks to the fibrous air pocket layer that sits under the closed-cell top layer. Along with being great for grip, this additional layer stops bacteria from being absorbed into the mat.
Buy if: You do a lot of balance work
Avoid if: You want a lightweight option
Best lightweight
RRP: £51 | Thickness: 5mm
This yoga mat from the cult Australian fitness-wear brand ticks so many boxes. It feels lovely and cushioned but it's not so bouncy that you can't balance properly in tree pose. "It's super lightweight as there's not any extra material to be carried around" said our tester. "I think it's a great pick if you're taking it on the move. I also loved that it's totally non-slip, which gave me confidence in class to move around."
Buy if: You want a non-slip mat
Avoid if: You need a long-wearing mat that wont mark
Best for comfort
RRP: £120.95 | Thickness: 8mm
If you're looking for the ultimate thickness, this yoga mat is the one to go for. "I found it made child's pose and Shavasana so comfortable, I almost couldn't feel the ground underneath me," said our tester. "But it is quite bouncy when you're using it standing up." The material is sourced from rubber trees, and there's no PVC, EVA or other synthetic rubber in this mat.
Buy if: You want an eco-friendly option
Avoid if: You want a more affordable option
Beginner-friendly
RRP: From £25 | Thickness: 4.5mm
If you're doing yoga for beginners then this yoga mat is the best one you can buy thanks to the affordable price tag and versatility. "My knees felt protected and I found it provided extra support and comfort for my ankles, feet, and back. I found the sticky texture enhanced my grip and made sure the mat didn't slip. However, it does need wearing in."
Buy if: You're a beginner
Avoid if: You don't want to wear your mat in
Best for tall yogis
RRP: £30 | Thickness: 4mm
You may have spotted that Yogamatters appears a couple of times our our round-up of the best thick yoga mats but that's because they're really that good. This matt is a new take on Yogamatter's bestselling Sticky Mat (above). It's slightly thinner than the original, but our tester still felt it supported their joints during their yoga sessions. Measuring 190cm long, it's a great mat for taller yogis who need a little extra space.
Buy if: You're a tall yogi
Avoid if: You want something super thick
How we tested the best thick yoga mats
Our expert testers put all the thick yoga mats in our guide through a rigorous process of multiple yoga sessions over a couple of weeks. These ranged from intense, cardio-based Vinyasa yoga classes to gentle stretching sessions in their living room. They also used the mats for everything from Pilates classes to HIIT workouts to see how they fared.
Although we tested these mats originally last year, we've reviewed them again this year and can confirm these are still the best thick yoga mats to buy in 2023.
To find the best thick yoga mats, our team of testers considered the following factors:
- Thickness: Every yoga mat we tried had to be above 3mm in thickness, as the minimum required to be a thick yoga mat. Anything above 4mm was great and all yoga mats above 5mm were prioritized as specialist mats.
- Grip: Was the mat non-slip? We noted whether each mat offered plenty of grip and support. After all, you don't want to be sliding around while trying to get into downward dog.
- Design: Not only did we look at the designs and colourways on offer, but we also evaluated the materials. We tested mats that were made from everything from natural rubber and man-made rubber to PVC.
- Weight: A weighty mat will feel luxe and durable, and it could help with stability, but for those who want a yoga mat for on-the-go, a lightweight option is best. We considered a range of weights to highlight the best ones in each category.
- Price: When testing we also considered the price. Quality yoga mats don't have to be expensive, and sometimes it's best to opt for a budget option if you're just starting out. Yoga should be an accessible activity for everyone, so as well as including luxury buys, we've included mats from across the market's price spectrum.
How thick should a yoga mat be?
In general, a yoga mat should be 3mm thick, while thicker options are usually 5mm or above. Anything thinner than this and you risk not having adequate support for your back, feet, knees, and other parts of the body that come under pressure during the practice.
When figuring out how to choose a yoga mat you like, thickness should be a consideration. “Thicker mats provide extra cushioning for people with sensitive knee, ankle, and hip joints,” says Jamie Kent, a yoga instructor. “They also support inversion poses, where sensitive neck muscles are sometimes weight-bearing, including postures such as headstand and shoulder stand."
Jamie, who is also the founder of Yoga Download, adds that they are also ideal for more passive yoga styles, such as yin yoga or restorative, where moves are often on the ground and are held for several minutes.
Jamie is a 200 hour Yoga Alliance certified Power Yoga instructor and the founder of YogaDownload.com.
Ultimately, how thick your yoga mat should be is down to you and your practice. "There is no real ideal thickness for a yoga mat, it all depends on the person practising, style of yoga being practised and where the practice is taking place," Georgie Davies, a yoga teacher who teaches yinyasa yoga as well as gentler classes, tells us.
"For instance, you may not need as much padding in the mat if you're practising at home on carpet compared to the wooden floor of a studio," says Georgie, who also created an online yoga platform, Yogipod. "If the class you're taking explores a lot of postures on the hands and knees or if you have any conditions that make that uncomfortable then more padding would be ideal."
It's also worth noting that the extra padding of thicker mats may feel nice for certain poses, but you're less connected to the floor. This could impact your ability to balance or land correctly during higher energy movements.
"Thicker mats can make it harder to find balance in one-legged postures such as Vrksasana (tree pose) or stability in standing postures due to the depth of padding underneath the foot," explains Georgie. "This can be mitigated though by moving balancing postures off the mat so that the padding is there when required and also creating more stability and strength in the ankles, feet and legs."
Georgie Davies is a certified yoga teacher and founder of Yogipod, a business of handprinted yoga props and homewares.
Sign up for the woman&home newsletter
Sign up to our free daily email for the latest royal and entertainment news, interesting opinion, expert advice on styling and beauty trends, and no-nonsense guides to the health and wellness questions you want answered.
Ciara McGinley is a meditation practitioner and health journalist. She qualified as a meditation teacher with the British School of Meditation in 2020 and is the founder of Finding Quiet, a series of classes, workshops and retreats that combine meditation practices and mindfulness techniques to make mindful living realistic in an always-switched-on modern world. She is all about bettering that mind-body connection but believes wellness looks different to everyone.
Ciara is also the former Health Channel Editor at woman&home and has covered all things health and wellbeing for years, from fitness to sleep to relationships.
- Grace WalshHealth Channel Editor
-
Duchess Sophie's statement accessory is a key part of her signature style and she'll probably bring it back again this Easter
The Duchess of Edinburgh loves going bold with one type of accessory and Easter could give us a glimpse at another spectacular design
By Emma Shacklock Published
-
Carole Middleton's chic shoe essential can see you through from a wedding to a day at the tennis
Carole Middleton has a clear preference when it comes to her spring/summer shoes and we're taking style notes from her staples
By Emma Shacklock Published