BEST EXERCISE MAT IN 2024

A good exercise mat can be the best way to keep yourself safe and properly supported during difficult floor exercises, especially on hardwood floors or in a home gym where a non-slip surface isn’t always available. Not only that, but they’re often the best way to make sure that you can maintain the exact pose or exercise type you want on a range of surfaces, giving you something familiar to step on that can make exercise much easier in almost any location. Below are ten different exercising mat types that could be the best option for you and your exercise patterns.

10 BEST EXERCISE MATS IN 2024

• BalanceFrom GoYoga Exercise Yoga Mat
• Square36 Extra Large Exercise Mat
• AmazonBasics Exercise Yoga Mat
• ProsourceFit Puzzle Exercise Mat
• HemingWeigh Extra Thick Foam Exercise Mat
• Manduka eKO Superlite Fitness Travel Mat
• Everlast 2X6 Folding MAT
• Sunny Health & Fitness Folding Exercise Mat
• SPRI Exercise Mat for Fitness
• Gorilla Mats Premium Large Exercise Mat

BALANCEFROM GOYOGA EXERCISE YOGA MAT

This yoga mat uses anti-tear materials to ensure that it can handle all kinds of exercise without breaking, even if you’re using it on a rough surface or in an area where damage is likely. It’s double-sided with a non-slip surface to make sure that it doesn’t easily move while you’re changing yoga positions, and the durable, moisture-resistant design helps it stay durable for longer than many other choices. At 24 inches wide and almost 72 inches long, you’ve got plenty of space to work with, and it can easily be rolled up into a compact tube form for easy transport with the carrying strap. If it gets dirty, it can be washed down with simple soap and water, no cleaning solutions needed.

SQUARE36 EXTRA LARGE EXERCISE MAT

This extra-large exercise mat is designed to cover a wide area for maximum versatility, letting you create your own home gym surface without needing to buy multiple and line them up each time. The materials are non-toxic and high-quality, avoiding any harmful toxins or dangerous colorants in favor of a simple material that’s thick enough to beat out most smaller mats. You can use it with or without shoes, and it works well on almost any surface, from hardwood floors to cement and carpets. Setting it up is easy, and you can roll it out onto any flat surface in mere moments.

AMAZONBASICS EXERCISE YOGA MAT

This simple mat uses a straightforward and easy-to-handle design that offers far more traction than regular mats, using extra thick materials for greater support and comfort without interrupting your floor exercises. The lightweight foam used in its construction is also surprisingly durable, making cleaning easy and keeping the exercise mat from breaking down quickly if it’s put under a medium amount of stress. Thanks to its non-specific design, it can work as a replacement for specialized mats in a range of different exercise types, all while still being thick enough to keep you safe.

PROSOURCEFIT PUZZLE EXERCISE MAT

This set of connectable exercise mats take on a useful jigsaw-style shape that can cover up to 24 square feet in total, each of them being 24 inches long and wide for maximum versatility. The dense EVA foam used in the design provides a much higher level of support than regular foam mats, and you can easily clean it with a blast of air or a dry cloth. Not only that, but it’s water-resistant and can reduce the volume of any noises on top of it, meaning that it doubles as great temporary soundproofing for young children, loud activities or areas where you just need something soft underfoot.

HEMINGWEIGH EXTRA THICK FOAM EXERCISE MAT

When it comes to exercises, mat designs like these are some of the best options thanks to their thick foam and carrying strap system that makes them easy to move around when you need to get from place to place. The mat is made from a very thick foam that’s designed to be comfortable at all times, using a long design and non-slip surfaces to give you plenty of workout space. The durable materials are supposed to last as long as possible, staying more durable than most regular mats while keeping the same comfortable and soft design the entire time.

MANDUKA EKO SUPERLITE FITNESS TRAVEL MAT

This lightweight, carrying-friendly and easy to clean gym mat is perfect for people who need to get fit while traveling! This also makes it very easy to store, and the high level of grip and traction means that you can stay safe while using the exercise mat even if you’re sweaty or using a smooth surface, giving you more control over your movements and protecting you from sudden slips on things like hardwood floors. The mat comes in at only two pounds in weight, making it extremely easy to keep in a bag or backpack, and won’t tear or scratch easily during transport.

EVERLAST 2X6 FOLDING MAT

This tough folding gym mat trades the usual free-form materials for a reliable, structures and easy-to-fold design with its very own carry handle built into the design itself. It’s over one and a half inches thick, providing much protection compared to many other mats, and helps you get all the stability you might want regardless of the surface underneath. The design is able to withstand plenty of damage without any signs of long-term wear and tear, and its thicker shape makes it one of the best exercise mats for somebody who’s into serious exercise routines.

SUNNY HEALTH & FITNESS FOLDING EXERCISE MAT

This health-focused exercise mat uses lightweight materials for maximum portability, along with a folding design and two separate carrying handles to help you move it around whenever you want. The comfortable padded surface keeps you safe while performing a range of exercises, letting it work well as both a yoga mat and a generic exercise mat. This also means that it can double as soundproofing and foot protection for unrelated purposes, like a children’s play mat or futon mattress. One folded down, it reaches an impressive length of six feet, giving you plenty of room to move around.

SPRI EXERCISE MAT FOR FITNESS

This mat uses an extra-thick type of poly-foam that makes it one of the best exercise mats available, giving you plenty of protection while still retaining the same thickness and low weight as a single mat for maximum versatility. The cut-out carrying handle helps you move the mat around easily without worrying about pulling the strap out, and you can easily roll it up to get maximum efficiency out of its size when stored. Not only that, but the mat is surprisingly comfortable and works well as a replacement for both exercise mats and other mat types for different purposes.

GORILLA MATS PREMIUM LARGE EXERCISE MAT

This large, high-quality mat offers plenty of extra protection thanks to the non-slip design, making it easy to handle a wide range of flooring types and locations while still giving you one of the best exercise mats on the market. The circle-bottomed grips are able to stop the mat from slipping around, making it far safer and more stable to use for longer periods of time, and none of the materials are toxic or harmful to your body. The mat is also thicker than usual for better padding and comes with some extras cleaning a cleaning towel, a carry bag, and some straps to help you transport it around from place to place.

EXERCISE MATS BUYER’S GUIDE

IS THERE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A YOGA MAT AND AN EXERCISE MAT?

The only real difference between the two mat types is their thickness. A mat that’s best for yoga will be thinner since the user often needs to have more of a connection with the surface beneath, but a regular exercise mat is thicker because more padding is needed. This doesn’t count whether or not a certain mat comes with a carrying handle or allows for easy storage since this can vary between each individual mat.

DO EXERCISE MATS REDUCE NOISE?

Even the thinnest mat will reduce noise, but they obviously won’t be the best at it. A mat is like a temporary carpet: they put something between your feet and the surface beneath, so they’ll always have some kind of impact on the average level of noise you create, but you should definitely treat this as a secondary detail.

HOW DO YOU CLEAN A MAT?

Different designs are cleaned in different ways, but many (such as a Gorilla Mat) can just be cleaned with a microfiber towel. If it needs slightly more intense cleaning, using some regular soap as part of the water mixture can help. Of course, for small stains and pieces of dirt, even just some regular towels or cloth can do, and a clean mat helps you get the best health and fitness results possible.

EXPERT TIP

Pilates mats and yoga mats aren’t the same thing. A pilates mat will often have more gripping surfaces and be slightly easier to clean, but it will also need more cushioning and thickness.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some exercise mats are meant to be rolled up, while others are supposed to be hung on racks. The rack mats are more common in gyms, but make sure you check ahead of time so that you don’t end up confused.