The 7 Best Exercise Mats for a Safer, More Comfortable Workout

Whether you're looking for a way to build out your home gym or you're simply gathering accessories for your next fitness class, an exercise mat can make any workout quieter and more comfortable. Exercise mats create a soft, grippy surface underfoot that helps protect your body (and your floors!), and can even make floor exercises easier to perform by adding grip and traction.

Exercise mats should be durable enough to withstand whatever workout you throw at them, with adequate cushioning so you can say goodbye to painful knees and sore shoulders—but not so squishy you lose balance. There are also various styles to fit your aesthetic—you can settle for a plain black option, some colorful pastels, or anything in between.

Exercise mats range in size from as small as an average yoga mat to an entire floor covering, and can be as thin as a few millimeters all the way up to multiple inches in thickness. Everything from sizing to materials can determine which mat is best for your particular workout needs, and there are several budget-friendly options, too.

Check out our favorite exercise mats on the market today.

The Best Exercise Mats

What to Consider

When deciding what kind of exercise mat to buy, you have to consider a few things—what workout it’s for, and whether you need something portable or not. Once you narrow those two major factors down, the rest is easy: Size, grip, and thickness all depend on workout type and portability. Here’s what to consider when picking the best workout mat for you:

Material

There are so many different materials to choose from, and the one you pick directly depends on the workout you choose to use it for. If you’re doing yoga or pilates, a material that provides grip, like rubber or cork, is ideal. For HIIT, we recommend a thick, durable rubber or PVC mat, but the best cushioning comes from thick foam. Foam is plushy and great for sore knees (both when you’re kneeling and standing or jumping), but it doesn’t last as long as PVC.

Size

You can get any size mat, from two to 10 feet, and sometimes even more. Certain mats come in interlocking sections, which means you can fit them together to customize the size that works best for you. Make sure to check how much space you have available (plus, how much space your workout takes up) to determine which size works best for you.

Weight

If you travel with your mat or just want to take it with you to yoga class every now and again, make sure it's lightweight and portable. Look for a mat that’s less than three pounds. Otherwise, if you don’t have to worry about folding it up and lugging it around, a heavier option might be more durable.

Grip

Grip is one of the most important factors to consider when choosing an exercise mat, since you want to make sure that you don’t slip and slide all over your mat when trying to do a plank jack, for example. Look for options with non-slip surfaces for anything HIIT related, while you can choose a more forgiving material if you’re using the mat for floor workouts or stretching. For yoga, choose an option that adds grip as you sweat, like suede, cork, rubber, or PVC.

Thickness

This also depends on your workout, as well as your body. If you suffer a lot from aches or pains or a recent surgery, the thicker the better: Think an inch or more. A thinner mat (half an inch or so) is better for workouts like yoga or Pilates, since the added plush can make it harder to balance on your palms or feet. Since yoga doesn’t typically require a lot of jumping, the added cushion isn’t necessary to protect your joints. If you like to do yoga and HIIT, we recommend a semi-thick, grippy mat or layering a squishy mat over a grippy one during certain workouts.

How We Selected

To find the best exercise mats among the many options on the market, we researched the most popular models available and considered price, material, weight, and durability. We looked at both expert reviews across sites like the Strategist and our colleagues at Good Housekeeping, along with customer ratings written by people who’ve bought these models. In addition, we personally tested a few of the options below, whether at a workout studio, at home, or when borrowing from a friend, and evaluated them based on comfort and ease for various workouts.