Traveling with a yoga mat can be such a tiring task. If your mat is bulky and weighty, it may fail to fit in your bag or suitcase. As such, you need to look for a mat that will make your traveling less demanding
Best folding mats are the best solutions to this problem. In this article, we review for you five of the best folding yoga mats in the market today.
Best Folding Mat in 2020
- Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga Travel Mat – Best overall
- Gaiam Foldable Travel Yoga Mat – Best Pocket-friendly
- YOGO Ultralight Eco Travel Mat – Best for easy cleaning
- June & Juniper Foldable Yoga Mat – Best two-sided
- Jade Harmony Yoga Mat – Best in thickness
Buying Guide for the Best Foldable Yoga Mat
A foldable yoga mat is ideal for any yoga lover. You can carry it with ease to your local studio or while traveling. It is also convenient to store since you can fold it to a compact size.
My hunting spree for an excellent foldable yoga mat was hectic. With many varieties of mats in the market, I did not know what to pick and what not.
Not all fancy yoga mats in the market are foldable. Also, not all foldable mats are ideal for you.
Below are well-researched guidelines to help you make the right choice.
1. Weight of the Mat
Weight is a critical factor to consider when looking for a yoga mat. A heavy or thick yoga mat is very hectic to fold and carry around.
Usually, most foldable yoga mats are thin and lightweight. They have an average weight of 2lbs and a thickness of 1.5mm.
If you feel that the thickness is not enough, you can use it on top of another mat. This practice is mostly applicable to yoga studios.
Also, the weight of a mat influences its ability to break down. Most yoga mats can only roll-up. As such, they cannot fit in a suitcase, and portability becomes a challenge.
It is preferable to buy the best foldable yoga mat, such as June & Juniper and TOPLUS. You can fold these mats into compact sizes, and you are good to go.
2. Type of Material and Texture
It is frustrating to keep on sliding and falling all over the place during yoga. It is for this reason that most people call it quits.
You need to be extra careful when you are buying a yoga mat. Ensure that it has a firm grip to hold you through different poses.
The best foldable mats in the market have faux suede tops and natural rubber bottoms. The suede is skid-resistant and absorbs sweat fast. Rubber sticks perfectly on any surface, thus providing a superior grip.
Natural rubber is also eco-friendly, and sustainable harvesting does not damage the environment.
Also, ensure that the mat’s material is free from PVC and other environmental pollutants. These materials are not only dangerous to the environment but also the user.
Yoga mats also vary in textures. If you have sensitive skin, you should avoid rough mats because they may be irritating.
Also, materials with latex components are irritating to sensitive skin and allergic people.
3. Durability
You wouldn’t want to buy a yoga mat now and then. Most foldable yoga mats have ultra-light designs that might compromise their durability.
Though portability is crucial, ensure that the mat can serve you for long. The first thing that guarantees the durability of a yoga mat is the manufacturer’s warranty. Never buy a mat that has no warranty.
Also, ensure that you follow the recommended handling tips. Doing so prolongs the life of your mat and keeps the manufacturer’s warranty secure.
Most foldable mats are not machine-washable and hot water friendly. Also, prolonged exposure to the sun may cause premature wear and tear and even fading.
Therefore, it is your responsibility to follow the handling guidelines carefully.
TPE yoga mats are more elastic and durable than other materials in the market.
4. Style
Yoga is not an exercise like any other. It is an expression of your tastes, preferences, and personalities.
When shopping for a yoga mat, ensure that its color and pattern is appealing to you. The reason being, it will energize and calm your mind every time you see it. Also, a yoga mat is part of your daily routine, and so you should like it.
If you want optimal concentration, you can go for a mat that has alignment markings.
5. Length
Every yoga mat has a varying length from the other. You should not ignore it because it determines how effective your practice session will be.
A longer yoga mat is preferable since it provides more room for you to exercise. The mat should at least be 5 inches taller than you.
Informational YouTube Video on Foldable Yoga mats
FAQs
What is the standard weight of a foldable yoga mat?
An ideal foldable yoga mat should be 2.5lbs and below. These mats are lightweight for easy foldability and packaging. On the contrary, dense mats are incredibly challenging to fold.
Are foldable yoga mats safe?
Most foldable yoga mats are of sustainably-harvested natural rubber. As such, they are eco-friendly, durable, and sticky. They are safe for human use since they do not contain toxic chemical elements.
What can I do to improve the cushioning of my foldable yoga mat?
Generally, foldable yoga mats are thin. You can put a blanket or folded towel underneath the mat to supplement the padding.
What factors should I consider when buying a foldable yoga mat?
The first thing to consider is the weight and thickness of the mat. It should be lightweight and thin.
Product Reviews
1. Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga Travel Mat – Best overall
Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga mat offers you the most convenient weight when traveling. It weighs around 2.2 pounds, hence a very light foldable travel yoga mat.
Another crucial feature is that it offers you an excellent grip as you carry out your yoga activities. With this yoga mat, you can do your yoga poses without fear of slipping or sliding.
If the grip is one of the things you are looking for in a mat, Manduka Eko Superlite Yoga Mat is an ideal choice.
If you plan to travel, you can fold this mat into a small square, and it will not crease. The flexibility of this mat is also such that you can fold it to any shape of your choice. Amazing!
What that means is that this mat will not take much of your space in your luggage.
The other feature you will find attractive is its durability. The mat has a tightly woven scrim that increases its longevity significantly. It can serve you for many years without buying a new one.
If you love conserving your environment, then this is also your mat. Its materials are purely natural and biodegradable.
However, you may not use this yoga mat daily. Frequent use makes it lose its grip quite fast.
The other downside of this mat is that it is only 1.5mm thick. This thickness may not be sufficient for your knees when doing exercises on concrete or tiled floors.
Pros:
- It is very flexible
- It is lightweight
- It has an excellent grip
- It is highly durable
- It is eco-friendly
Cons:
- You can’t use it on a concrete floor since it’s not thick enough
2. Gaiam Foldable Travel Yoga Mat – Best Pocket-friendly
If you are a yogi who loves traveling, you have no better deal than Gaiam Foldable Travel Yoga Mat. You do not need to roll it, just fold it and put it in your suitcase or bag.
The mat can fold into a rectangle of 10 inches by 12-inch. As such, it can easily fit into your bag as you go to the beach. Its ability to fold up nicely makes it very suitable also for weekend getaways and extended retreats.
The other great thing about this mat is its price. You can get it for only $25. Moreover, it comes with a lifetime guarantee. Doesn’t that sound incredible!
Another feature that would make you go for this mat is its sticky texture. A sticky surface is very critical to every yogi. It is an assurance that you can do your exercises without fear of sliding.
Gaiam Foldable Travel Yoga Mat offers you a sticky texture to ensure stable footing when on the go
However, one of the downsides of this mat is its thickness. It is only 2mm thick. This thickness may not offer you the adequate comfort you need for your exercises. That is why many yogis would rather use it as a beach mat.
You will also need to keep it from the sun. Too much sunlight can damage the material as well as rendering the mat brittle.
Also, the mat comes with a lifetime guarantee. However, this guarantee does not cover normal wear and tear. It mostly covers any defect because of the manufacturing quality.
Pros:
- It is very compact
- It is a lightweight mat
- It comes in different designs to choose from
- It has a sticky texture
- It is highly affordable
- It comes with a lifetime guarantee
Cons:
- It is easily affected by direct sunlight
- It has some vinyl odor when you buy it
3. YOGO Ultralight Eco Travel Mat – Best for easy cleaning
The YOGO Ultralight Travel Yoga Mat is another foldable and lightweight mat. You can travel with it without any weight weighing on you.
When you buy this mat, you will also get an attached carrying strap. This strap also helps to keep the mat newspaper shape. The mat is, therefore, highly portable.
This mat is of natural tree rubber material. As such, it is very eco-friendly.
You do not need to worry about cleaning this mat. Its material does not absorb water at all. That means you only need to rinse it, hang it, and it will be dry within no time.
To further make cleaning easy, the mat comes with built-in loops to help you in changing it.
Like any other best folding yoga mat, the YOGO Ultralight Travel Mat has an extraordinary sticky surface. You will thus not need to worry about slipping or sliding as you do your exercises.
One other great feature is; YOGO plants a tree every time a customer purchases a mat. Incredible!
The only major downside of this mat is that it is quite expensive compared to other mats.
Pros:
- It is easy to clean
- It comes with a carrying strap
- You can fold it quickly into a newspaper shape
- It has a sticky texture to enhance your grip
- It is eco-friendly
Cons:
- It costs slightly higher than other mats
- It is quite thin and has less padding
4. June & Juniper Foldable Yoga Mat – Best two-sided
This foldable yoga mat comes with a unique design and beauty to grace your yoga regime. It is among the hand-painted and designed foldable yoga mats.
June & Juniper Foldable Yoga Mat is famous because it is two-sided. One side is of natural rubber and has a fantastic grip. The other side is of a microfiber.
The microfiber side of this mat is quite soft. It almost feels like a yoga towel since it is very porous and has moisture-wicking properties. Moreover, this porous side is also absorbent.
If you are an ardent yogi, you may not need to carry a towel since this side acts like one. Besides, unlike the ordinary towels that remain wet for a long time, this towel dries up very fast.
June & Juniper Foldable Yoga Mat is easy to wash. Also, it offers you the choice of hand-washing it, or you can machine wash it. As such, you can concentrate on your yoga activities without worrying about how to clean the mat.
To make it easy for you to carry this mat around, it comes with a strap. Amazingly, you can also use this strap as your yoga strap. That means it helps reduce the yoga kits that you need to carry as you travel.
One downside, however, of the June & Juniper Foldable Yoga Mat is that it is quite thin. That means you may need an extra cushion if you are planning to use this mat. However, the good news is that this mat comes with a knee cushion for you.
Pros:
- It is easily foldable
- It comes with a strap for carrying the mat
- It comes with a separate knee cushion
- It is lightweight hence easy to carry around
- It is machine washable
Cons:
- It is quite expensive
- It is very thin
- You need to wash it regularly
5. Jade Harmony Yoga Mat – Best in thickness
Jade Harmony Yoga mat is among the best foldable yoga mats in the market today. If you don’t intend to keep buying a yoga mat now and again, this is your deal.
This yoga mat is of pure rubber material hence very durable. Moreover, it is very body-friendly; thus, you need to worry about getting skin irritations as you use it.
Another great feature to go in this mat is its traction. Jade Harmony Yoga mat offers you the best firmness as you do your yoga exercises. The firmness then means reduced risks of injuries as you do your yoga regime.
Another critical feature that you will like about this mat is its thickness. Jade Harmony yoga mat is among the thickest yoga mats in the market today.
As a yogi, you understand that thickness translates to comfort. With its thickness of 4.72mm, this mat will allow you to enjoy your yoga exercises.
If you are yogi who is particular about colors, then this mat will cater to just that. It comes in a variety of colors for you to choose from. Its colors are also bright, and they hardly fade easily.
Another redeeming feature for this yoga mat is its size. With Jade harmony, you can do a variety of poses without the fear of rolling outside. This mat comes in a size of 24 inches wide and 74 inches long.
Pros
- It is thick hence very comfortable
- It offers you a firm grip as you do your poses
- It is easy to clean
- It is body-friendly and does not harbor any bacteria
- It does not emit any toxic chemicals
Cons
- You cannot use it under direct sunlight
- It takes a few days to dry after washing
Conclusion
In conclusion, you do not need to break so much sweat as you travel with your yoga mat. All you need to do is identify the best folding yoga mat that can easily fit in your bag.
Best folding yoga mats are also very lightweight.
For this review, the Manduka eKO Superlite Yoga Travel Mat takes the top position. It is not only lightweight but also easily foldable.
Besides, this mat is sticky and thus ensures you have a firm grip as you do your exercises. It is also very durable as well as eco-friendly.
Get your best folding yoga mat today!
Last update on 2024-04-26 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
