A yoga mat is one of the most recognised pieces of fitness equipment. While a travel yoga mat isn’t a new development, it is a crucial bit of kit that doesn’t get the praise it deserves. But don’t sweat the small stuff, as I’m on a mission to find the best travel yoga mats so you never miss a workout wherever you are in the world.
Interestingly, not all yoga mats are the same: they vary in length, depth, material, durability, and portability. Some travel yoga mats are ultra lightweight, slimline, and can roll or fold away neatly to squeeze into a suitcase, while others include a travel case or carry strap to make it easy to transport your yoga mat to and from classes.
Third Space’s master trainer, Claire Walters, reveals there is a subtle difference between a yoga mat and fitness mat. “Yoga mats have a different surface that has more grip for barefoot workouts, which prevents people from slipping in downward facing dog.”
Claire emphasises the importance of a mat with grip, which is commonplace in rubber mats. “The best travel mats will have a similar rubber surface to the brand’s regular mats and do not sacrifice grippiness.”
Best travel yoga mats at a glance
Best overall yoga mat – Les Mills yoga mat: £84.99, Lesmills.com
Best budget buy – Domysos 7mm folding fitness mat: £12.99, Decathlon.co.uk
Best luxury travel yoga mat – Alo warrior mat: £148, Aloyoga.com
Best lightweight yoga mat – H&M yoga mat: £37.99, Hm.com
Best non-slip travel yoga mat – Onyx yoga mat 5mm: £69.99, Onyx-fitness.com
Whether you are heading on holiday, a wellness retreat, or want a compact and lightweight yoga mat to take to your next fitness class, I have tried and tested an array of designs to help you find the best travel yoga mat to perfect your downward dog, cushion your back during an intense ab workout, or lie back to practice your breathwork.
How I tested
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While I have relied on durable yoga mats for several years, over the last month, I have tested a variety of designs to find the very best travel yoga mat – assessing the support, comfort, and durability during a workout as well as when it's packed away in transit.
Some yoga mats can be moisture-wicking, while others may stain after a sweaty workout, which I noted when testing. I paid attention to the fabric, the length, depth, as well as other design features, such as a non-slip surface, adequate grip on the base, and whether it could be easily cleaned. More importantly, I examined how lightweight each yoga mat was, if it included any attachments, such as a strap or case to make it easy to carry when on the go, and if it was easy to assemble.
Les Mills yoga mat
★★★★★
Best: overall travel yoga mats
What we love: Featherlight, sustainable fabric, strong grip on the floor, and holes to fit on a rack.
Take note: Strap sold separately for £24.99, and slightly shorter in length compared to rival products.
This yoga mat is the first piece of equipment I have tried from Les Mills, and I am pleasantly surprised by the high quality of this design.
The mat is ultra-lightweight to hold; it rolls and folds away neatly so it can fit into my handbag, a sports bag, as well as a small suitcase. Alternatively, the separate strap makes it super easy to wrap the mat up neatly and carry it to and from my workouts. I also used the strap as a stretching aid, so I would recommend investing in both the mat and strap to take this mat on the go easily.
The rubber underside of the mat, combined with the textured grip, keeps this mat firmly in place. The vegan leather upper offers a non-slip surface so I can hold yoga and Pilates poses without any movement. While this mat is comfortable to work out on, it dents easily. One afternoon, I was using a firm roller to release tension in my back, and the grooves left an imprint on the mat, which didn’t lift over time, so handle with care.
Buy now £84.99, Lesmills.com
Domysos 7mm folding fitness mat
★★★☆☆
Best: budget-friendly travel yoga mat
What we love: Affordable, easy to fold and pack away, ultra lightweight, and slimline (7mm thickness).
Take note: Limited colourways, short in length, could benefit from folding horizontally, and not the most stable non-slip base.
The Domyos 7mm folding fitness mat is a featherlight design that folds down into a concertina. This mat measures 160cm in length and 58cm in width when laid out, but shrinks down to 59cm in length, 32cm in width and 4cm depth when folded. While its weight and size make it easy to store when not in use – and to travel with – it isn’t long or wide enough to cover much of my body.
There is no denying this is one of the most compact travel yoga mats I have tested, there are a few faults. Personally, I needed more length to this yoga mat to fit my whole body on, or at least more than half of it. I also would have liked this yoga mat to have an additional horizontal fold to shrink into a square shape that would fit easily into a bag, similar to Lululemon’s creation.
The mat offers some gentle padding for comfort and support. However, the foam base lacks any grip, so the mat often moved during my workout. While the upper features small indents that aim to provide a non-slip surface, the glossy finish counters that and became slippery when my feet and hands became sweaty. Decathlon recommend wearing trainers when working out on this yoga mat, but I would also suggest socks with strong rubber grips too.
Buy now £12.99, Decathlon.co.uk
Alo
★★★★☆
Best: luxury travel yoga mat
What we love: Long length, lightweight, compact, non-slip top surface and strong grip on the base.
Take note: Expensive yoga mat, and doesn’t include a carry strap.
While this mat is slimline, it still has sufficient padding to support the body. I can comfortably kneel on the mat to practice my donkey kicks without any knee pain or dents in my skin from the hard surface. The mat features a luxe matte finish on the top side, which has sufficient grip, is anti-odour and moisture-wicking, while the perforated rubber underside doesn’t budge, no matter the surface it sits on.
While it is one of the longest travel yoga mats I have tested and covers almost all of my 5’11 frame, I’m dubious about the weight claims. The website states the warrior mat weighs 8lbs, but it feels heavier than my 3kg dumbbell and other travel yoga mats I have tried. This mat doesn’t include a strap and rolls up rather than folds, which makes it more difficult to transport.
There’s no denying the warrior mat is an innovative yoga mat that provides my desired support and comfort. However, it is the most expensive piece of equipment, and there is room for improvement to make it more lightweight, travel-friendly, and score top marks.
Buy now £148.00, Aloyoga.com
Opti 40mm foldable exercise mat
★★★★☆
Best: padded travel yoga mat
What we love: Easy to clean, padded mat provides extra support and cushioning, easy to assemble and fold away, includes strap to carry.
Take note: Too large to fit into a suitcase to travel, would prefer a case or cover to protect the exterior.
The Opti yoga mat reminds me of the gym mats I used to use in my dance classes. If you are practising gymnastics and need extra cushioning when working out – or simply relaxing – this yoga mat delivers in abundance. The mat is divided into three squares that fold out easily into a long mat, which my whole body can fit on comfortably. Shamelessly, I used it for a picnic – and I would even lay it on a sun lounger for extra comfort.
The surface is ultra-easy to clean; however, it can be quite slippery. When I was practising burpees, the mat moved around the floor. I also found my sweaty hands and feet lost grip on the top surface at times, so I would encourage you to wear socks with rubber soles.
The mat has two built-in shoulder straps to carry it from A to B (unlike Alo’s warrior mat). However, I would have liked the mat to fold away into a smaller square as it’s not compact enough to fit in a small suitcase or holdall, which could be problematic if you are travelling abroad owing to strict luggage restrictions. If I’m being super pernickety, this mat could also benefit from a protective cover to shield the external material from snagging when in transit.
Buy now £42.00, Argos.co.uk
H&M yoga mat
★★★★☆
Best: lightweight travel yoga mat
What we love: Strap is thick, durable, and easy to fasten around the mat to prevent it from unrolling, unique scalloped edge, matte-like surface for sturdy grip.
Take note: Sells out fast, limited colourways, doesn’t fit the entire body on.
Functional and fashionable, H&M move’s activewear collection and fitness accessories have impressed me time and time again – and its travel yoga mats are no exception.
Like most items in my online basket, H&M’s yoga mat has been selling out due to popular demand, which speaks volumes. With its scallop edge and embossed motif, this H&M mat is one of the most aesthetically pleasing options – plus it comes in a pale pink hue, which stands out in my collection of grey and black mats.
Beyond aesthetics, this yoga mat is lightweight to carry, with a compact strap that doubles as a stretching aid. It’s easy to roll out and pack away – but what I appreciate most is that the strap has two adjustable loops that slip over both ends of the yoga mat. My pet peeve is when I roll my mat away after a practice, only for it to unravel on the Underground when the strap fastening comes loose.
Though it appears dual-sided, the pale grey side sits on the floor. The matte finish is almost powder-like, offering a non-slip surface to help with grip, while the underside features grooves that keep the mat still. Though the mat is slim, it still offers considerable cushioning to protect my joints when working out. While it is fairly long in length, it is narrow and one of the shorter designs, which is worth considering if your exercise requires movement across the mat.
Buy now £37.99, Hm.com
Onyx yoga mat 5mm
★★★★☆
Best: non-slip travel yoga mat
What we love: Available in two thicknesses (5mm and 8mm), long enough for my tall body to lie on, strong grip on the base, available in numerous colours.
Take note: Stains easily, weighty to carry.
I’ve worked, stretched, relaxed and meditated on the Onyx yoga mat for years. Unlike some mats, this design features rounded edges, which doesn’t make too much difference in my fitness books. It’s worth noting that some fitness enthusiasts may prefer rectangular designs when they use every corner of the mat during their practice. This mat packs away neatly, but because of its length, it’s heavy to carry (similarly to the Alo mat).
The non-slip is impressive – and stays put no matter the workout. I would even go as far as to say it is hard to move and pack away because the grip is so strong. While the mat promises a non-slip upper surface, I found it difficult to grip when my bare feet get sweaty during a workout.
The upper is crafted from a high-grade, anti-microbial, durable polyurethane – which doesn’t dent using weights, blocks, or even exercising with jewellery on. I can also attest to its anti-microbial surface: my mat doesn’t smell or have any mouldy patches, despite me using it for many months. However, it doesn’t live up to its waterproof and moisture-wicking status, as after a few sweaty weight sessions and meditating after applying my bodycare routine, the mat stained.
Buy now £69.99, Onyx-fitness.com
Lululemon the travel mat 1.5mm
★★★★☆
Best: compact portable travel mat
What we love: Designed for yoga and low-impact sports, compact design you can roll or fold to transport, ultra-lightweight, non-slip surface, strong grip base.
Take note: Contains latex, so may not be suitable for those with allergies; minimal cushioning.
Lululemon has ticked lots of requirements on my travel yoga mat list. It is ultra-lightweight, compact to store and transport, easy to roll out, long, and has the necessary grip. However, the thin mat has minimal cushioning – though this isn’t a surprise, considering it measures 1.5mm in depth. With this in mind, I had to shift my workouts to low-impact sports when using this mat and do little floor work owing to the lack of padding.
This mat has been crafted from an FSC-certified natural rubber base, which provides some protection between your feet and the floor, and leaves a lingering latex smell on your hands. Despite the lack of cushioning, the mat boasts enough grip to keep my feet in position in warrior pose, while keeping the mat in place (unlike the Opti yoga mat). It can pack away neatly in a carry-on – and, to combat the lack of padding when travelling, I’d suggest laying it on top of a rug or dense memory foam mat in the hotel’s on-site gym.
I have been testing Lululemon’s travel yoga mat during the peak of British summer, yet my sweaty workouts haven’t left any unpleasant aromas or stains on the surface, which demonstrates the power of the anti-microbial material.
Buy now £68.00, Lululemon.co.uk
What are the best travel yoga mats?
I have tried the travel-friendly yoga mats on different surfaces, doing different workouts, and tested their portability under a strict lens to find the very best travel yoga mat. My vote is in, and I rank Les Mills yoga mat as the best travel yoga mat. This design is lightweight, easy to carry and transport from A to B, and it has enough support.
While Alo’s warrior mat fits the brief best in terms of cushioning, support, aesthetics, grip and non-slip surface, I think subtle tweaks are needed to take it from a top-tier yoga mat to the ultimate travel yoga mat. Similarly, the Opti yoga mat offers the most cushioning out of all the yoga mats I have tested, it is easy to carry, though it is larger in size than other designs, but the grip and non-slip surface need closer attention to get top marks. I would also recommend the Lululemon yoga mat because it is one of the most lightweight, compact, and practical designs to travel with, it is just lacking sufficient padding to support the user’s joints.
How can you clean yoga mats?
It is important to clean your travel friendly yoga mat correctly for hygiene purposes and to prolong its lifespan. While “wiping the mat with a damp cloth is usually enough” after a workout, says Third Space’s master trainer. She recommends using “a few drops of dish soap after a particularly sweaty session, or lavender oil diluted with water in a spray bottle to help with scent.” However, the key is to let the mat dry before rolling it away and travelling with it to avoid any moisture ruining it.
What is the best depth for a yoga mat?
The best travel yoga mats, and at-home or gym yoga mats, can vary in size, particularly in depth. The best size depends on your needs and intended use. Claire shares: “My regular yoga mat is 5mm, as I prefer a bit of cushioning, but it can mean it can be on the heavier side. Whereas my travel mat is 1.5mm, so much thinner.”
If you do want the best of both a lightweight travel yoga mat and padded design, Claire recommends layering a thinner travel mat on top of an existing mat in the studio when you are away. The fitness guru explains: “This means I get the benefit of the same grip I'm used to, but I still get the same cushioning. If I'm practicing in a hotel room, usually the floor underneath is carpeted so cushioning is less of an issue.”
Are some travel yoga mats better for specific use?
Some may be unsure whether their travel yoga mat can be used indoors or outdoors, or for certain workouts. While Claire acknowledges that some travel mats may compromise on thickness to make them lightweight to carry, generally they are “fine to use indoor and outdoor, on their own, on a soft surface or layered on another mat in your hotel’s studio.”
Why trust us
Maisie Bovingdon is a lifestyle journalist across health and wellness, beauty and fashion. In her spare time, she’s practises both pilates and yoga, making her best placed to review the best travel yoga mats. She applies the same thorough testing approach to every product she tests, reviewing it in real-life conditions.
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