Some 15 years before, there was just one basic kind of yoga mat — that were made of PVC & noted for the stickiness — and only choice was buying purple and blue. But, now, there is a wide range of the best hot yoga mat to choose from in the market.
Beyond a pattern and color that matches your style, the yoga mat has to keep you properly stable in the poses; and has to be portable and storable, still cushy and comfy. You might want the yoga mat to be eco-friendly. All these aspects of the mat’s personality are affected by how this mat is made: what it is made of, how much thick it is, as well as the surface texture.
Thickness
Why it is so important: Thickness of the yoga mat has everything to do on how much comfortable it is —if it is very thin, then your knee will get banged up in crescent lunge. Tradeoff is thick hot yoga mats (thick as over 1/4 inch) will make it tough to feel the strong connection to floor, and making you wobbly in the Tree Pose.
Options: The standard yoga mat that has 1/8inch of thickness, whereas thickest will be 1/4 inch. There are wafer-thin mats, billed as the “travel yoga mats,” which are just 1/16 inch of thick. They fold very easily and do not weigh much, and making them the cinch to fit at the suitcase.
Buying guide: You need to consider how much space you need to stow the yoga mat. If you are short on the storage space, you can have the long schlep to studio, and opt for the standard-depth yoga mat, in 1/8 inch range.
Suppose you do not mind carrying or storing more heft for sake of cushioning, you can consider the premium yoga mat, which is 1/4 inch thick. If you pack the yoga mat in suitcase and carry-on, you can get yourself the foldable travel mat in 1/16 inch range.
Beyond all these fundamentals, continue reading and let other priorities —stickiness, texture, as well as eco-friendliness — to be your main guide.