If yoga is an important part of your daily life, you’ll want to continue practicing even when you travel. It will not only help you relieve the pent-up angst of stressful situations such as airport departures but will also stretch tired and tight muscles after a long day on the road.
While traveling is also a great time to try yoga for the first time, given there are frequently shorter periods of time with nothing much else to do, and plenty of reasons you might get a little stressed, feel tight in your muscles, or feel in need of relaxation.
At the bare minimum, you’ll need a yoga mat. Lightweight and easy to pack travel versions are thankfully easy to come by. But with all these different options on the market, which is going to be the best travel yoga mat for you?
We’ve been doing our homework, and have put together a comprehensive list of the best travel yoga mats of the moment, detailing all you’ll need to make the right choice!
#1 – Best travel yoga mat for hot yoga
Yoga Design Lab mats
The mats created by Yoga Design Lab (YDL) are the perfect travel mats for hot yoga since they are a sort of hybrid between a traditional yoga mat and a yoga towel. At 70 inches long and weighing 1.8 lbs, YDL mats are easy to fold down for easy packing and are made from a fully biodegradable and recyclable rubber base. A microfibre-like material, as you’ll find on compact travel towels, forms the non-slip top surface.
This means there’s no need to pack an additional yoga towel with you on your trips, while still having the benefit of a non-slip surface to practice on! YDL mats are also nice to look at, with colorful but not distracting patterns designed onto them.
[joomdev-wpc-pros-cons disable_title=”yes” title=”Sea Eagle SE370 Pros and Cons” button_text=”Check Price on Amazon” disable_button=”yes”][joomdev-wpc-pros]- Combined mat and non-slip towel
- 8 lbs
- Natural rubber base
- Machine washable
- Needs a quick spray to prevent slipping
- Includes (recycled) plastic layer
- Thickness
- No carry bag/handle
Is the Yoga Design Lab mat for you?
The ability to take just one item of kit, the Yoga Design Lab hybrid mat and towel, to continue practicing your hot yoga while traveling makes this a great piece of kit for those serious about their hot yoga. Lightweight, and easy to fold for transportation, YDL mats are as stylish as they are functional too.
#2 – Best budget travel yoga mat
Gaiam travel yoga mat
Gaiam have long had a reputation for producing high-quality yoga mats at affordable prices, and their travel yoga mat is no exception! Weighing the same 1.8 lbs as the YDL mats already reviewed, the Gaiam travel mat has a smooth surface that still manages to be grippy in texture.
It also looks very minimally stylish. The Gaiam folds into a rectangle of 10 x 12 inches, and unusually for a travel yoga mat is intended to be stored this way too, rather than being rolled for long term storage. The folding is aided by a series of perforations along its body.
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- Lightweight
- Grippy texture
- Stylish look
- Gets creases from folding
- Perforations may bother some practitioners
- Folding may make storage difficult
- No carry case
Is the Gaiam travel yoga mat for you?
When affordability is as important to you as a well thought out and constructed travel yoga mat Gaiam is a great brand to turn to. Lightweight and stylish, this mat doesn’t look like a budget option and has a supporting grippy texture to its surface. The fact the Gaiam is intended to be stored folded as well as transported in this manner is another nice touch.
#3 – Best eco travel yoga mat
Manduka Eko Superlite
For any yoga practitioner with environmental concerns, finding a travel yoga mat that does the job without causing damage to the planet is a must, which is where the Manduka Eko Superlite comes in. This mat is both environmentally friendly and non-toxic.
Fully biodegradable, they are also made from rubber than is sustainably sourced, and contain no PVC, plasticizers, or damaging dyes! The rubber construction ensures the Eko Superlite is really grippy for practice while folding down to take up the minimum amount of space in baggage and weighing just 2.2 lbs.
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- Biodegradable
- Grippy
- Folds down small
- 2 lbs
- Can bunch up in use
- Quite a thin mat
- Strong rubber smell at first
Is the Manduka Eko Superlite for you?
If you’re looking for a travel yoga mat that will have a huge impact on your practice while traveling but a minimal impact on the planet the Mandula Eko Superlite is a fine choice. Biodegradable, non-toxic, lacking harmful dyes and made from sustainably sourced rubber plantations, you can use this travel yoga mat with your conscience clear.
#4 – Best lightweight travel yoga mat
Jade Voyager
While all travel yoga mats are made to be light of weight and easy to pack, there are some – such as the Jade Voyager – that just do this better than others. Weighing in at just 1.5 lbs, the Voyager is one of the lightest travel yoga mats on the market and comes from one of the best yoga manufacturers as well.
At this sort of weight, there’s really no need to point out that the Voyager packs down incredibly well too, making packing a synch. But the positives don’t stop there. Buy this mat (or any by Jade) and the company will plant a tree, while these US made mats contain only natural rubber and no PVC or EVA!
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- Packs down small
- US made
- Buy a mat, plant a tree!
- A thinner travel yoga mat
- Very sticky texture
- Not the most comfortable mat available
- No carry bag/handle
Is the Jade Voyager for you?
When weight is the all-important factor in deciding upon a travel yoga mat, the Jade Voyager stands at the top of the list. At just 1.5 lbs, and packing down to a very small dimension too, this is a superb choice for those who travel light, but are still concerned about their environmental footprint.
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#5 – Best travel yoga mat for alignment
Liforme travel yoga mat
If you’re having trouble with your alignment, then this could be the travel yoga mat for you! Liforme has created a travel yoga mat which includes ‘AlignForMe’ indicators, so you can never be unsure about the correct placement of a hand or foot while practicing.
To aid with this, the Liforme travel yoga mat is wider, longer, and also thicker than most other mats in this market. Its extra thickness makes it a very soft mat to use, giving users more comfort during practice. Certainly, a high-quality mat that will last for many travels to come, it also has a smooth but grippy surface texture.
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- Comes with carry bag
- Wider and longer than other mats
- Very soft
- Less compact than others
- Doesn’t fold
- 4 lbs in weight
- A thicker mat
Is the Liforme travel yoga mat for you?
Anyone experiencing trouble with alignment will appreciate the AlignForMe indicators that mark this travel yoga mat out from the crowd. Wider, longer, and thicker than many of the other mats we’re reviewing, it is also very comfortable to use day in day out, wherever you may be in the world.
Editor’s Note – You can also check out our article about the best Inflatable Kayaks.
#6 – Best of the rest
Yogo Ultralight
Perhaps better called ‘the compact’ rather than the Ultralight, this travel yoga mat by Yogo rolls down into an astonishingly compact size, making it great when baggage space is already at a premium. What’s more, the Yogo Ultralight comes with its own integrated handle and straps, which means its incredibly easy to handle and transport even without a secondary bag in tow.
The handle also makes it easy to rinse out and hang to dry after practice. Like the Manduka Eko Superlite, the Yogo Ultralight is made from natural rubber and has a smooth but grippy feel, while like the Jade Voyager a tree is planted every time you purchase one.
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- Built in straps and carry handle
- Natural
- Sanitary
- 5 lbs in weight
- Can bunch up in practice
- Thinner mat
- Doesn’t fold
Is the Yogo Ultralight for you?
Many users will find the ability to grab and go, thanks to the inbuilt straps and carry handle, the Yogo Ultralight’s best feature by far. It makes it very easy to keep a hold of while on the move, and means you don’t need an additional bag to carry it in. But the Ultralight is also made from natural rather than synthetic rubber, and packs down really tightly two further great features!
Toplus Suede travel mat
Toplus have made great strides into the travel side of the yoga mat market, and their suede travel mat is a worthwhile consideration as a travel yoga mat. Its compact nature comes from its thickness of 1/16th of an inch, which also helps keep its weight down to 2.4 lbs despite it being made in part from natural rubber.
It is additionally constructed with natural suede, giving two alternate surfaces with different grips to choose between, and has the capacity to be either rolled or folded, depending on what suits your needs best.
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- Can be rolled or folded
- Compact
- Relatively lightweight
- Not entirely natural
- Weight of 2.4 lbs
- No carry bag/handle
- Thickness of 1/16”
Is the Toplus for you?
As we see it the Toplus has two major positives. Firstly, its two different textured sides give the practitioner a choose of grips. Secondly, the Toplus can be either rolled or folded, making it much easier to fit into different forms of baggage. Compact and relatively lightweight too, there’s very little reason to cross the Toplus off your list of potentials when it comes to travel yoga mats!
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Khataland YoFoMat
At 68 inches long and 2.7 lbs out of the packet, the Khataland YoFoMat may not be the smallest or lightest of travel yoga mats we’re reviewing, but nor is it the largest or heaviest. A sensible mid-market model, the YoFoMat is still able to claim to be environmentally friendly and can be both folded or rolled.
(Folding of the mat is made all the easier by the presence of folding lines.) One of the thicker travel yoga mats at 1/6 of an inch also makes it one of the softest and most comfortable to use over longer periods of time, while an added carry case is another tick in the box for the Khataland YoFoMat!
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- Can be rolled or folded
- Soft
- Carry case
- 7 lbs in weight
- Folding lines may distract some users
- Bulky
- Durability
Is the Khataland YoFoMat for you?
If comfort is your overriding concern when looking for a travel yoga mat, then the thickness of the YoFoMat must surely put it front and center. Despite its thickness, this model by Khataland remains small and relatively lightweight. It also has the advantages over other models of being able to be rolled or folded, and coming with its own case for easy transportation while traveling.
Jade Travel Mat
For those of you who love the aesthetics and ethics of the Jade brand, but are looking for a travel yoga mat that is a little thicker and therefore more comfortable than the Jade Voyager we have already reviewed, then the Jade Travel Mat is a decent option.
This mat is twice the thickness of the Voyager, yet still manages to roll up really easily. Made from 100% natural rubber, it is also environmentally-friendly, containing no PVC, EVA, or heavy metal dyes.
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- Durable
- US made
- Jade plant a tree when you buy one!
- Twice the weight of the Jade Voyager
- Texture
- Can’t be folded
- Open cell design
Is the Jade Travel Mat for you?
Jade has always made excellent quality yoga mats and the Travel Mat is no different! Users love its combination of grippy texture, comfort, and durability, which together means this is a yoga mat you’ll want to keep using. It also has all the benefits of buying from the Jade brand, from environmentally-friendly natural rubber to tree planting every time a mat is sold.
Zen 5
This travel yoga mat from Zen has a double-sided make-up consisting of two different surfaces on which to practice your yoga. One side has the non-slip nature after which the mat is named, designed to keep you safe while practicing.
The second side consists of additional cushioning, to support and protect joints over the longer term. Developed without heavy metals, and comprising natural materials for the most part, the Zen 5 is also another of your environmentally-conscious mats!
Finally, this mat comes with a very useful shoulder strap, for transporting your mat without the need for any additional bag.
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- Non-slip
- Cushioned
- Environmentally-friendly
- Strap rather than carry bag
- Sticky texture
- Weight
- Bulkiness
Is the Zen 5 yoga mat for you?
The Zen 5 has a really neat design which means you can balance the need for a safe non-slip surface to practice on with the need for cushioning to support and protect joints such as the knees. Taking the brand’s ambitions even further, this mat is also ecologically-minded in its construction, and well thought out in its design – resulting in the addition of the shoulder strap for easy transportation.
Further Recommended: You should definitely check out our article about the Baby Carriers for Hiking
Tundos Fitness travel mat
Like the majority of the travel yoga mats on our list, the Tundos Fitness travel mat is also made from rubber, in this case non-toxic and naturally occurring rubber. This makes the mat very easy to pack and keep clean, while ensuring maximum comfort.
Like the Zen 5, the Tundos Fitness travel mat boasts a two-sided construction, with a non-slip side for safety and secure positioning while practicing. This mat also comes with an elegant cotton carry bag, ensuring it will remain in prime condition for longer, and making it easier to transport. Also, if you are looking for Travel Daypacks, don’t forget to check out our article about the best Travel Daypacks.
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- Microfibre alternative side
- Two-sided design
- Carry bag
- Bulky
- Folding
- Just 1mm thick
- Weight
Is the Tundos Fitness travel mat for you?
For anyone keen on using a latex/rubber travel yoga mat, your choices are varied, but should certainly include the Tundos Fitness. It shares many of the features and advantages of other rubber mats on the market, such as the ability to fold down into a compact space while remaining relatively lightweight, and comes with the addition of a bag in which to transport the mat while traveling.
Final thoughts!
There you have it! The best travel yoga mats currently available. We’ve sifted through all the myriad data to find you the details you need to make the choice on which of these superb travel yoga mats meets your needs – because we know no one traveler and yoga practitioner is the same as another. Whether you’re a hobbiest or heading of on an intense fitness retreat, now you can pick up the right gear for you!
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