Being a fan of hot yoga or really any ‘let’s get super sweaty’ workout that involves getting on a mat, it was always hard to find an option that fit all needs — comfortable, supportive, and most importantly can handle the sweat! Yes you can put your yoga towel down and I still have mine when needed, but I was never a huge fan of utilizing them (sometimes I got too stuck on my mat and that didn’t work well either). Some mats work well for a while but when you use them multiple times a week they wear out fast and lose that ‘grippyness’…but I have finally found a few mat options that I absolutely love for my sweaty, yoga flows!
My all-time favorite is from IUGA (seen above and below). It is super comfortable, provides nice cushiony support for my knees, and it is super-duper sweat proof so there is absolutely no slipping! I have had this mat now for well over a year, use it multiple times a week, and a good wipe down after each session keeps it nice and fresh and maintains that grippyness. It is easy pretty light weight still for it’s thickness, and is eco-friendly. Highly suggest this one!
Manduka has always provided some really awesome yoga mats too that help during that sweaty flog. They are often used in different studios and such, and I always feel if it’s a top option for a company then it’s definitely something I would try on my own! Right now if you follow that link too they have some new offers out and cool new mat colors.
Gaiam is another one that is super common and consistent out in the yoga world — and that’s because they are tried and tru mats. They are a little less cushiony than the IUGA mats in my opinion, but they are another one that are great during those sweaty workouts because the mat just absorbs it all in, but at the same time doesn’t completely lock it in so it’s smelly (not sure how they do this but it works!).
With any of these mats it is still very important to keep up with good “mat hygiene maintenance” and such, especially if you are using them mainly for those hot yoga classes. I think these mats are stellar for those sweaty flows, but they still will start feeling it after a while if you don’t take good care of them: proper wipe downs after each session, good mat cleaners, let them breathe a little bit, all that good stuff. Hope these might help you find the mat love of your life too!