The 7 Best Travel Yoga Mats On Amazon

Finding a compact yoga mat you love can help you take your practice out of the studio and into the world. The best travel yoga mats are lighter and thinner than traditional mats, and they roll or fold up for easy carrying. When choosing a yoga mat for travel, make sure to get one that is made with a grippy material and a thickness you’ll feel comfortable practicing on.

The material your yoga mat is made of will affect both how nonslip and light it is. PVC mats are generally fairly budget-friendly and light, but they can take a while to break in. And in my personal experience, PVC mats often aren’t as grippy as rubber mats, especially for folks who tend to get sweaty when they do yoga. Natural rubber mats can be a bit more expensive and are heavier, but they can also be super grippy. And while PVC mats are synthetic and are not biodegradable, mats made from natural rubber are biodegradable. Synthetic rubber mats maintain many of the same benefits of rubber mats, but tend to be harder on the environment, which may be a factor for eco-minded shoppers.

While traditional yoga mats are usually between 4 and 6 millimeters thick, travel versions tend to be considerably thinner, which cuts down on their overall weight and allows them to either roll up in a narrow cylinder or fold several times into a small rectangle. The thinner your travel yoga mat, the easier it will be to fold — but keep in mind that a thinner mat may be less comfortable on your knees and elbows, especially if you’re practicing on hard flooring.

The standard dimensions for a yoga mat is about 24 inches by 68 inches. Many travel yoga mats maintain that standard, but you can also find longer mats that are still travel friendly. It will increase your mat’s weight a bit, but it is a good trade-off if you’re tall or would like to have more room.

Practicing yoga can be a wonderful way to exercise, gain flexibility, and calm your mind. Here are some of the best travel yoga mats — as well as a couple yoga accessories to help with comfort — so you can flow anywhere you go, from a hotel room during a hectic work trip to a park on a sunny spring day.

1. A Fan-Favorite Budget Travel Yoga Mat

• Material: PVC
• Thickness: 2 millimeters
• Size: 24 x 68 inches
• Weight: 2 pounds

What makes it great: Touting more than 3,000 ratings on Amazon, this popular PVC travel mat from well-known yoga brand Gaiam is both high quality and budget friendly at just $25. It’s foldable and easy to toss into a tote or carry-on bag. Weighing 2 pounds with a 2-millimeter thickness, it’s right in the middle of the road in terms of typical travel mat measurements — which makes it a solid first travel yoga mat purchase if you’re not totally sure what specs you’re after. Plus, it comes in five colors.

One reviewer wrote: “Wanted a yoga mat to use while on Annual Training for the Air Guard while staying in carpeted hotels. I’m not so comfortable with doing yoga on a carpet that may not be clean, or has been used my many others I don’t know. This mat is thin and is made to fold, fitting easily in my duffle bag. The texture of the mat is not quite like one you might roll—it’s a little stiffer and not quite as squishy—but it serves the purpose well. It suits my needs perfectly. I highly recommend.”

2. This Super-Thin Mat Made With Natural Rubber

• Material: Natural rubber
• Thickness: 1.6 millimeters
• Size: 24 x 71 inches
• Weight: 2.2 pounds

What makes it great: Manduka’s travel yoga mat is nice and thin with a thickness of 1.6 millimeters, so it’s easy to fold or roll and bring along anywhere even though it’s a bit longer than a standard mat. Reviewers note that it has great grip with one even writing, “I can easily grip the mat and do everything I do on my regular mat.” It’s available in two colors.

One reviewer wrote: “Great to bring along during a trip. It does indeed fold just like a towel or sheets with no creases left behind after unpacking it. It provided enough cushioning and stability to practice over a cemented floor. I practiced every single day on a recent 8 day trip in Ecuador. I highly recommend it.”

3. The Best Thicker Mat For Travel

• Material: Natural rubber
• Thickness: 3.2 millimeters
• Size: 24 x 68 inches, 24 x 72 inches
• Weight: 2.9 pounds, 3.3 pounds

What makes it great: If you’re looking for a roll-up travel mat that’s still thick enough to provide your knees and joints with some cushioning, think about investing in the Jade Yoga travel mat. While this particular mat is a bit heavier than others on this list, it is 3.2 millimeters thick and made of thick, natural rubber. Jade Yoga is one of my favorite yoga mat brands. Their mats are super-duper grippy and wonderfully textured, holding even my very sweaty hands firmly in place. If you’re in need of a mat that’s lighter than what you use in the studio but don’t need it to fold, this is a great pick. It’s available in four colors and two sizes, including one that’s a few inches longer than standard.

One reviewer wrote: “I love that I can roll/fold this up and carry it easily anywhere I want, and although it is thinner than most other mats, it has great grip and I almost prefer the feel of it over my more substantial mats. I’ve had other yogis comment that they are pleasantly surprised at how good it is for what they were expecting out of a travel mat!”

4. This Thinner Version Of Jade’s Rubber Mat

• Material: Natural rubber
• Thickness: 1.6 millimeters
• Size: 24 x 68 inches
• Weight: 1.5 pounds

What makes it great: If you want a natural rubber mat but need it to be as light as possible, consider the Jade Yoga Voyager travel mat. At just 1.5 pounds in weight and 1.6 millimeters in thickness, this could be the perfect choice for you. It’s foldable or rollable for easy transport and has the same awesome grip that sets Jade’s mats apart. It’s available in green, purple, or blue.

One reviewer wrote: “Perfect yoga mat for traveling. Super light weight and fits in my suitcase without taking up too much space or weighing it down. Has the same feel like the jade harmony mat that I’ve been using for 8 years [...] Great traction on floors and feels great on my finger tips when doing my yoga moves.”

5. A Thick Yet Foldable Mat Under $20

• Material: PVC
• Thickness: 4 millimeters
• Dimensions: 24 x 68 inches
• Weight: 2 pounds

What makes it great: This PVC travel yoga mat is super light considering its generous 4-millimeter thickness. Reviewers have confirmed that it is both comfortable to use and easy to travel with, with one describing it as a “great mat, easy to fold, sufficient thickness for comfort.” Choose from five colors: green, light gray, pink, and two shades of blue.

One reviewer wrote: “I would most likely not use this regularly for classes, etc, but it is very handy for when you want a mat with you when travelling. It will sit in the bottom of a suitcase or in an end pocket of a decent-sized holdall style of bag. Good value.”

6. A Folding Rubber Mat That Comes With A Carrying Strap

• Material: Natural rubber
• Thickness: 1.5 millimeters
• Dimensions: 24 x 68 inches
• Weight: 2.2 pounds

What makes it great: For a super portable option, try this thin foldable rubber yoga mat that comes with its own built-in carrying strap. It’s made of natural rubber, and it’s nice and grippy, which makes practicing anywhere easy. One reviewer wrote, “It makes going to practice in Central Park a breeze!” It’s available in two colors.

One reviewer wrote: “This is a very thin mat but the cleanliness and the compactness can’t be beat. The way it folds ensures that the side that touches the ground never comes into contact with the side you stand on. The carrying strap hooks easily to a backpack or luggage when traveling. The mat has good stickiness to it and with a yoga blanket/towel for your knees and hips the thinness is not an issue.”

7. An Extra-Long Rubber Mat For Travel

• Material: Synthetic rubber
• Thickness: 2 millimeters
• Dimensions: 26 x 71 inches, 26 x 85 inches
• Weight: 2.2 pounds, 2.6 pounds

What makes it great: I have a regular B Mat that I use all the time at the yoga studio and love it for its smooth-yet-grippy texture that really keeps my hands and feet in place. This travel version of the B Mat has the same texture but is just 2 millimeters thick, making it much lighter. It comes in two extra-long sizes, which is perfect if you’re very tall or simply like a lot of room to practice. It can be rolled or folded, and it comes in eight colors.

One reviewer wrote: “This mat is very sticky, so this is a good choice if you have trouble with sliding on other yoga mats. It is also very thin, so if you use it every day you’ll want to layer it over a thicker mat. For travel, it folds well and was easy to pack in a suitcase. Overall a nice travel or every day mat.”

Also Great: A Small Knee Cushion For More Padding

• Material: NBR foam
• Thickness: 15 millimeters
• Dimensions: 10 x 24 inches
• Weight: 0.4 pound

What makes it great: If you have sensitive joints, a knee and elbow pad could be a great addition to your on-the-go yoga setup since they’re small, light, and easy to bring along with your travel mat while still providing extra cushioning just where you need it. It’s not designed to roll or fold, but it’s made of a supportive foam, measures 15 millimeters thick, and comes in six colors.

One reviewer wrote: “I like a super-thin yoga mat, so I bought this for my knees and wrists for the extra support when I need it. It fits both of my mats widthwise. It’s pretty thick but not stiff and hasn't worn out in the several weeks I’ve been using it. It doesn’t slip at all no matter what pose or exercise I use it for, which is great. I feel safe, and it is supportive and just the right amount of squishy while still being very durable. I am very pleased with this purchase.”

Another Nice Add-On: A Microfiber Yoga Towel To Keep You In Place

• Material: Microfiber
• Thickness: Not specified
• Dimensions: 26.5 x 72 inches (a hand towel measuring 16 x 2.5 inches is also available)
• Weight: 0.7 pounds

What makes it great: A microfiber yoga towel can be really helpful for staying in place, especially if you’re practicing on a slippery PVC mat in a warm studio or outside on a hot day. One shopper described how portable it is: “It’s also very soft to the touch, rolls up into a very small and compact roll, and really doesnt weigh anything at all.” Some people even opt to use just a yoga towel as your travel mat if you want to, particularly on carpeted areas. This towel is available as a hand towel or a full-length mat towel, as well as six colors.

One reviewer wrote: “I got this for yoga in the summer in LA, when it can be difficult to stay stuck to your mat. This works great for keeping you stable but it's also super handy as a travel mat - I took it away with me for two months and did yoga on it every day, plus it doubles as a quick-dry towel in a pinch. Great space-saver and multi-purpose accessory!”