These are the only 5 exercise mats worth your money - trust me, I'm a Health Editor who does three home workouts a week
Better doesn't always mean more expensive.
So, you're on the hunt for the best exercise mats and want to invest in an option that won't slip all over the shop and fall apart within the year?
Lucky for you, I'm a Health Editor who gets to test fit kit for a living, so know a thing or two about the best home gym equipment. I've been putting mats through their paces for you and can confirm that the below five are the best exercise mats you can currently buy.
That's right - every mat in this round-up has been tested and come personally recommended by me. Why are they so great, you ask? Well, they're slip-free, grippy, and don't come with that awful gym mat smell, not to mention most are affordable, too.
On the fence about whether you need a mat at all? Well, while you might have the best intentions of heading to the gym most mornings, schedules sometimes don't allow it. That's why having a few basic bits of kit at home can come in seriously handy, allowing you to get just as good a sweat on from the comfort of your own home.
If you're part of the small army of people who now prefer a home workout and want to kit yourself out - keep scrolling for my top picks.
Don't miss my round-up of the best yoga mats, or if you're after kit to see you through your workouts, check out our guides to the best gym leggings, best sports bras, and best gym trainers, while you're at it.
Testing process for the best exercise mats
Good question. As someone who runs marathons for fun, I personally test all of the sports bras, workout leggings, running shorts, and general fit kit that ends up in these round-ups.
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With exercise mats, the ones that made the edit had adequate cushioning, didn't move mid-workout, and didn't cost the earth, either. Spoiler alert: I don't think something you stand on to workout should cost a bomb, so do recommend the lower price point options (Decathlon and Adidas) if you're on a tight budget.
The above didn't stain, get too sweaty or slip, all essentials when spending your hard-earned £££ on kit. We tested for the following:
- Did they provide adequate cushioning?
- Were they grippy and slip-free?
- Did they come largely smell-free, and did they wipe clean easily?
- Were they easy to roll up and store post-workout?
- Were they an affordable price point?
Best exercise mats: 5 to buy
Do note here: the below aren't the interlocking exercise mats you see in actual gyms or Crossfit boxes, rather the sort of mats perfect for Joe Wicks workouts or weight training at home.
So how are they different to yoga mats? Short answer: some of them aren't but the ones that do differ are slightly thicker and more cushioned to support your joints during any high-intensity jumps and so on.
Best Pilates gym mat
1. LMP X Yogi Bare Pilates Mat
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
What we thought when testing? I've had a Yogi Bare mat since I met the founder Kat around five years ago while working at Women's Health magazine, and love this new collaboration with Pilates instructor Lottie Murphy.
When they say the mat is "extreme non-slip," they mean it - I've never slipped while using it - plus, they're planet-friendly, too, and made from sustainable rubber. I love that the closed-cell rubber used to make the mats is naturally bacteria-resistant, so it never - and I mean never - gets smelly.
Best affordable gym mat
2. Decathlon Pilates mat
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
What we thought when testing? If you want my honest opinion, this is one of the best exercise mats out there. Sure, it's not 100% slip-proof, but it's so cushioned, it makes up for it.
At 15mm thick, I found it the perfect companion for both low and high-intensity workouts. I've even used it as a camping mat... that's how thick it is.
Do note, though: I wouldn't recommend it as a mat to carry to and from classes, for this same reason. Opt for a thinner, lighter option, instead.
Best portable gym mat
3. adidas training mat
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
What we thought when testing? This adidas training mat is nowhere near as cushioned as the Decathlon option at just 10mm thick but has better grip and non-slip qualities for exercises like lunges, Bulgarian split squats, and so on.
Thanks to its waterproof outer, it's wipe clean, too, meaning I found that it stays cleaner for longer than other alternatives.
Best gym mat for weights
4. Sweaty Betty flow yoga mat
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
What we thought when testing? I've had a Yogi Bare mat since I met the founder Kat around five years ago while working at Women's Health magazine, and love this new collaboration with Pilates instructor Lottie Murphy.
When they say the mat is "extreme non-slip," they mean it - I've never slipped while using it - plus, they're planet-friendly, too, and made from sustainable rubber. I love that the closed-cell rubber used to make the mats is naturally bacteria-resistant, so it never -and I mean never - gets smelly.
Best luxury gym mat
5. lululemon workout mat
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
What we thought when testing? If you really want to treat yourself, I highly recommend this relatively new workout mat from Lululemon. It is the brand's first-ever mat designed specifically for high-intensity workouts and can withstand workouts with both shoes and weights.
It's a best-seller for a reason - after trying it out for a series of very sweaty HIIT sessions, I can confirm that it does just that. It is also engineered with a textured grip which meant that the mat didn't move an inch. The only downside? Because it's so grippy I found that it did pick up fluff from the floor, but after a quick wipe, you're good to go.
What to look for when buying an exercise mat?
Thickness, grip and a non-stain material. These three factors differentiate a gym mat from a yoga mat - with a gym mat, you'll likely be after something that'll cushion your landing and protect your joints for moves like star jumps, high knees and so on, whereas with a yoga mat, you'll likely want something thinner but with better grip, like the Yogi Bear option above.
That said if your kind of workout is a yoga flow or Pilates routine, a yoga mat could work. Just work out what you prioritise, pre-buying.
While grip is most important for workouts like yoga where you're flowing between yoga poses, there's nothing more annoying than losing your footing mid-plank and having to start all over again. We tested the above for their grip, too, as I believe all good gym and yoga mats should have a certain level of grip before you invest in them.
Lastly, no-one wants to buy a gym mat that'll mark the second you put your dumbbell down on it, or that'll stain if you sweat on it. The ones above are easy to clean and have never marked, despite 2+ years of me dumping kettlebells, dumbbells, and other workout gear on them.
Ally Head is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health, Sustainability, and Relationships Editor, nine-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner. Day-to-day, she works across site strategy, features, and e-commerce, reporting on the latest health updates, writing the must-read health and wellness content, and rounding up the genuinely sustainable and squat-proof gym leggings worth *adding to basket*. She's won a BSME for her sustainability work, regularly hosts panels and presents for events like the Sustainability Awards, and saw nine million total impressions on the January 2023 Wellness Issue she oversaw. Follow Ally on Instagram for more or get in touch.
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