Best Yoga Mats for Beginners: Recommended by Experts
Yoga is a type of exercise that requires patience, balance, physical, mental and inner(spiritual) practice for the training of inner and outer self.
Doing yoga for stretching and physical exercises require a grip on body and balance which Yoga mats can provide with their sticky, thick and soft materials.
What thickness yoga mat is best for beginners?
Yoga mats are an accessory required while doing yoga. In the past, people who did yoga had to use the bare floor or skins of animals for yoga practices. Barely on the floor, yoga can be painful.
Now yoga mats are available in the market which are generally made of rubber and plastic, mats made of other materials are also available in the market, they might be cord or hessian. These yoga mats are for the practice of yoga wherever you want.
Yoga mats were also called sticky mats because of their stickiness, they get attached to the floor so that during yoga the grip and focus are not lost due to slipperiness. Yoga mats are used for yoga so that the bones on the back and curves are not hurt doing yoga practice.
For beginners who are not really a champ in yoga, few properties needs to be enhanced. Yoga mats meant for beginners are generally thicker and more sticky than the ones made for the pro-yogis.
As a beginner, you will need more support and as you may struggle with your poses in the initial phase, the stickier mats should be preferred.
Which are the Best Beginners Yoga Mats?
To make things easier for beginners, our team decided to go through all the beginner’s mats available in the market and talk to real users to come up with the best suggestions.
This took our team almost 32 hours of secondary and primary research. However, if you get the right one from here, we will consider our effort to be successful.
If you are eager to know which one made the top space from our research, here you go…
1. High-density Deluxe Non-slip exercise Yoga Mat
Yoga Accessories High-density Yoga mat comes with a spongy construction, the density of this yoga mat is high meaning it is for the people looking towards extreme yoga therapy.
There are also eco friendly materials used on the Yoga mat including the latex-free and heavy metal making is easy to use and Human body friendly.
This mat is no so expensive and can be easily be bought by beginners who do not know about Yoga mats. The size of the mat is in a way that there is a longer size with less width.
If you are looking for specific stretching yoga exercises then this is the best mat on the market but if you are going for the width side too then this is not the one for you.
The grip is on both sides of mat making it a user-friendly yoga mat because of ease in exercise during extreme therapy. Overall the mat is great for beginners who are looking for starting the yoga exercises on the mat because of the extra thickness and high density of the mat.
Also, read our post on Best Yoga Mats For Plus Size
What we like in it ?
- Extra grip on both sides.
- Sticky materials used on both sides for the grip.
- Thickness was good for beginners.
- Longer length for stretching.
- Tear-resistant and durable.
Cons
- Not so durable for regular use.
- Width is less for larger people.
2. Jade Fusion Yoga Mat
Jade Fusion is a mat that is on the smaller size but is considered the best mat for beginners. The construction of this mat is natural rubber, this natural rubber is a premium rubber made of high quality and has small pores for breath ability and comfort.
Naturally, the rubber has its stickiness but due to Jade fusion construction, this mat has the perfect sticking factor to the ground and has a perfect balance. The rubber itself is eco-friendly and biodegradable. The durability factor for the rubber is also strong as it is natural rubber.
Coming towards the size factor this mat has 5 feet and 7-inch height which is not that tall, for the average height this mat is great and can be extended for people with a height of 6 but people with more height have to ignore this mat.
The height of this mat is made so small because of the portability factor and ease. The other loose factor for the mat is that its natural rubber has a natural smell, this natural smell is noticed by users and has an allergic effect. Due to the allergies in people, this mat can cause danger to their health hence being not made for them.
This mat is a great choice for beginners who do not have allergies and are looking for an easy and durable piece of yoga mat in their daily routine.
Also read our post on Best Mats For Hot Yoga
What we like in it ?
- The natural rubber used for durability and ease.
- Material is stickier than others.
- Great built quality.
- Thickness is good for beginners.
- Comfort and strength.
Cons
- Natural rubber smell.
- Extra weight on the Mat.
3. Aurorae Classic Premium ECO safe Yoga Mat
Aurorae Classic Yoga mat is on the larger size due to which it can be used by larger people of 6 feet height. The construction of this mat is eco-friendly and allergic free material PER- making it great for people with allergies.
There is also a promise of no chemicals involved in the construction which is great for conscious people.
The PER itself is not a sticky material due to which there is an extra rosin bag with the mat. This rosin bag can be used on the mat to increase its stickiness. People with the problem of low stickiness in the mat can easily use the mat for their yoga sessions.
This mat has high-quality factors and durability which makes this mat great for beginners. The construction of this mat is also tear-proof making it more durable and stronger.
The size of this mat is 72 inches making it on the 2nd largest size available in the market. The thickness of this mat is also good in which you won’t have to care about bruises on the body and joint problems while doing yoga.
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What we like in it ?
- Extra rosin included.
- A larger size is great for beginners.
- Great built quality.
- Nontoxic and non-allergic PER material for allergic people.
- Medium-density great for beginners.
Cons
- Edges fold and curve problem.
4. Jade Harmony Yoga Mat
Jade Harmony is a nature-friendly mat which comes in both the large and small size with the same width. The construction of jade harmony is Natural tree rubber, the natural tree rubber has small pores called as open cells which are great for thickness and comfort.
The materials used in the making- of Jade harmony have great natural stickiness with minimum sticky residue involvement. This makes it great for people who want clean yoga sessions without any disturbance.
Just like the jade Fusion, Jade Harmony is made of premium and high-quality materials making it a great feel provider with greater durability and strength.
The only problem is with the width of the mat, as there is less width, so people with greater body size or width cannot easily lie and exercise on the yoga mat.
The problem with the mat is that there is a good amount of weight on the mat, the weight makes it uneasy for people to carry it with them and use them on the sessions of yoga. There is also a natural rubber smell that irritates people and can’t be used by allergic people.
Also check our post on Best Yoga Mats For Big guys and Best Yoga Mat Brands.
What we like in it ?
- Extreme durability.
- Sizes available for beginners.
- Great built quality.
- Natural materials used for stickiness.
- ECO-friendly.
Cons
- Natural materials have a strong irritating smell.
- Has extra weight on it.
5. Gaiam Athletic Yoga Series
Gaiam Athletic mat is the largest size mat available in the market. The construction of the mat is of PVC, making is ECO-friendly and user-friendly. There will be no smell and no allergic problems to the user because of the PVC construction making it more durable and stronger.
There is also a textured print on the mat which provides extra stickiness factor to the mat. The texture also provides comfort while doing yoga to save from the hard floor on which it is used.The mat is made of high-quality materials on both sides of the mat making it a duel side usable mat.
Due to the texture in the mat, this mat cannot be mashed in the machine. There is the only recommendation of hand wash with the mat washer.
Donor uses the antiseptic material on the mat to clean it, there should be vinegar solution used to wash it.There is also extra size on the mat on both the length and width of the mat making is useful for both larger and heavy people. Larger exercise area provides more reliability.
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What we like in it ?
- Durability is good.
- Larger in length and width.
- Premium built a quality.
- The PVC material is Anti-allergic.
- Reversible, can be used on both sides.
Cons
- On a slippery floor, texture can be slipped.
- Has washing problems.
6. Manduka PRO Yoga Mat
Manduka Pro is the best mat for people ranging from Beginners and leading to Professionals because of many reasons. There are many sizes available for use including the super length size available for extra-large people. There is also a lifelong warranty available for the mat.
The width of the mat is also more than usual mats which makes it great for larger people. The Construction of this mat is PVC and the feel of this mat is Natural rubber. Making it ECO-friendly and anti-allergic. The mat is durable and strong with tear-proof construction.
There is also more thickness on the mat than normal ones. The more thickness provides ease in the use of beginners, there will be less joint pain during Yoga sessions. The balance of the yoga mat is also great.
Also read our popular post on How To Store Yoga Mats.
What we like in it ?
- Larger and Largest size with more width good for exercises.
- The extra thickness makes it more comfortable.
- Premium built a quality.
- Anti-allergic and ECO-friendly.
- Good stickiness factor.
Cons
- Most heavy mat available on the Market.
How do I find the right Beginners Yoga Mat?
To choose Yoga mats for the beginners is certainly very hard. But there are some factors which you can look up to while buying your Yoga mat as a beginner.
Check The Right Thickness
The thickness of a yoga mat is certainly the most important factor while purchasing a yoga mat. Especially for beginners because they cannot bear the weight of exercises and balance due to which there is a problem in their joints and curves.
Many of the yoga mats have a thickness of 2mm leading to 4mm. The best ones for the beginner are those which have a thickness of 6mm because of the thickness there will be more comfort factor for the user.
The density of a mat also depends on the thickness of the mat. Generally, the medium density foam is best for the beginners but if you want to go for the extreme sessions then surely go for the high-density construction.
The people who are mild users can go for the low density.
Mat Materials
The material of a Yoga mat is the next main thing while purchasing a yoga mat, extremely for the beginners. and should also be grippier than normal mats.
The non-toxic and Eco-friendly factor is important in Yoga sessions because of the balance in inner and outer self. Once a person has developed focus the toxic smell of rubber can distract the user from a Yoga session.
The material should also have pores to absorb sweat from the person while he is doing Yoga. The sweat should also produce no distraction in the way of yoga.
Grip On Surface
The grip is the last factor you have to look at while purchasing a Yoga mat. This factor is important because in Yoga one has to develop focus while exercising, once a person moves here and there during exercise, he can disturb the friction of mat with the surface.
Whenever the grip is strong the mat won’t move otherwise the mat will be sipped.
Conclusion
Yoga mats are must have an accessory for Yoga sessions because of many reasons. There is a grip on the mats which can increase the friction of the person with the mat increasing his balance. Then there is the thickness of the mat.
The thickness of the mat helps in comfort for the user while sessions. The thickness increases relief in joints and provides safety in the case of bruises.
There are many mats in the market available which can be well made for beginners but surely the best for beginners are medium density, medium thickness, and larger length, width.
We will love it if you like something from our selection and find it useful.
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