Like a lot of yogis, my wife and I like to bring our yoga practices with us when we travel. That means finding mats we can squeeze into our suitcases without tipping our luggage over airline weight limits. Over the years we’ve become connoisseurs of lightweight travel mats, which are now widely produced and available in a variety of styles and price points. If, like us, you’re picky about your mats, there’s never been a better time to find the perfect one for your vacation or weekend getaway. In fact there are so many choices it's easy to feel overwhelmed, so I’ve gone ahead and tested a number of them for you!
Below you’ll find a list of my favorites, along with their pricing, key features, and my ratings along a number metrics. For each of the six travel mats, I evaluated: 1) Durability, 2) Padding, 3) Grip, 4) Eco-friendly-ness, 5) Absorbance, 6) Company Generosity, 7) Weight and 8) Odor. For 'Weight' and 'Odor', I used 'Very light' to 'Very heavy' and 'No odor' to 'Smells like ___, odor lingers'. I put emphasis on mats that are non-toxic and biodegradable - essentially good for the planet - and used the following rating system:
1 = Very poor
3 = Poor
5 = Average
7 = Good
9 = Excellent
10 = Exceptional
$: 20-50
$$: 51-80
$$$: 81-120
$$$$: 121-160
1. The Liforme Travel Mat
Thickness: 1/16” (2mm)
Weight: 3.5 lbs.
Materials: Natural rubber and eco-polyurethane
Made in: China
Price: $$$
Lightweight, impressive padding and grip, truly planet friendly: this is my favorite travel yoga mat! While other companies split their efforts across a variety of products, Liforme prides themselves on getting just one thing right: mats. This singular focus is evident in this, the best eco-friendly travel mat in the industry. The Travel Mat is nearly identical to its stay-at-home partner, the Liforme Yoga Mat, just thinner and lighter. It also has helpful alignment markers, a smooth surface, great grip in wet and dry conditions and a great feel under the body.
Of course, with a lighter mat comes less padding for the bones and joints, but this is to be expected, and The Travel Mat doesn’t compromise in that department nearly so much as many of its competitors.
The Liforme Travel Mat:
- Durability: 10
- Padding: 7
- Grip: 9
- Eco-friendly: 10
- Absorbance: 7
- Company Generosity: 10
- Weight: Light
- Odor: No noticeable odor
Click here for pricing information on the Liforme Travel Mat on the Liforme website
2. B Mat Traveller
Thickness: 1/16” (2mm)
Weight: 3.1 lbs.
Materials: Natural and man-made rubber
Made in: Spain
Price: $$
The B Mat Traveller is a thinner, more lightweight version of their B Mat Everyday. It's designed for the yogi on-the-go and has the same features as all B Mats, including a textured surface with impressive grip in wet and dry conditions, decent padding for joints and impressive durability. It's also made from 100% rubber without using nasty chemicals, finishes or sealants. It also rolls up tight and compact, making it ideal for squeezing into suitcases or backpacks.
The B Mats' open-cell design improves grip but makes it more absorbent. It takes a little more work than usual to keep it clean.
The B Mat Traveller:
- Durability: N/A
- Padding: 6
- Grip: 10
- Eco-friendly: 8
- Absorbance: 8
- Company Generosity: 8
- Weight: Light
- Odor: Faint Rubber Odor
See pricing and availability for the B Mat Traveller at Halfmoon Yoga Products
3. Manduka eko Superlite TravelMat
Thickness: 1/16” (1.5mm)
Weight: 2 lbs.
Materials: Natural rubber, polyester, cotton
Made in: Taiwan
Price: $
This travel mat is extremely light (2 pounds) and thin (1/16” or 1.5mm), making it a travelling yogi’s dream. You can actually fold it up to fit in your purse or carry-on. It is surprisingly sticky, so you will not slip and slide, and we love that its closed-cell design does not absorb bacteria. It’s also made from non-Amazon, eco-friendly, biodegradable tree rubber, which means you are not using plastic... or having to smell plastic. It also incorporates tightly woven scrim that resists tearing or stretching, making it more than durable enough for your average travelling yogi.
The biggest trade off with a mat this thin is that it provides little to no padding. Kneeling poses are particularly hard on the knees, and because it’s so thin it can bunch under your feet when moving between standing poses. The mat also arrives with a distinct rubber smell that can linger several months.
The Manduka eko :
- Durability: 8
- Padding: 5
- Grip: 9
- Eco-friendly: 8
- Absorbance: 9
- Company Generosity: 7
- Weight: Very Light
- Odor: Smells like rubber, smell lingers for a couple months
See pricing and availability for the Manduka eKO SuperLite Insight on Amazon
4. Jade Travel Yoga Mat
Weight: 3.1 lbs.
Materials: Natural rubber and man-made materials (proprietary)
Made in: USA
Price: $$
Lovers of Jade yoga mats call them the perfect all-purpose mat, providing the best stickiness, weight and price point, all in a mat made from natural tree rubber. Their lightest model, the Jade Travel Yoga Mat, is 1/8 inch thick and weighs 3 and 3.8 pounds for the 68” and 74” mats respectively. They also plant a tree with every one purchased!
This mat is a bit heavier than most travel mats on the market, and it may be impractical for travellers looking to pack light. The Jade Travel also has an open-cell design, which can collect dirt and sweat – a common complaint if you look up the mat’s reviews online. And some vinyasa-style yogis may find Jade mats a little too sticky when they’re sliding their feet from chaturanga to upward-facing dog.
The Jade Travel Yoga Mat:
- Durability: 8
- Padding: 6
- Grip: 9
- Eco-friendly: 9
- Absorbance: 7
- Company Generosity: 9
- Weight: Light
- Odor: Smells like rubber; the smell lingers for a couple months
See pricing and availability for the Jade Travel on Amazon
5. Manduka eko Lite Mat
Thickness: 3/16” (4mm)
Weight: 4.5 lbs.
Materials: Natural rubber
Made in: Taiwan
Price: $$
The next travel mat in Manduka’s eKO line is the natural rubber eKO Lite, which is 4.5 pounds, 3/16” thick (3mm) and designed to provide the perfect combination of cushion, grip and lightness. It won’t fold up into your purse, but it’s still fairly easy to travel with. The latest version of Manduka’s eKO Lite mat has a rippled-water top, giving it a nice stickiness while maintaining its durability and hygienic barrier. This mat is strong across the board and will suit the needs of most yogis.
This mat’s strikes a pretty good compromise between grip, cushion and weight, but it will likely be a little heavy for backpackers and others looking to keep things light. I’ve found it fine for my travel purposes, but it is noticeably heavier than Manduka’s Superlite. If weight is not your primary concern, this is a perfectly good choice.
The Manduka eko Lite Mat:
- Durability: 8
- Padding: 7
- Grip: 9
- Eco-friendly: 8
- Absorbance: 9
- Company Generosity: 7
- Weight: Not light; not heavy
- Odor: Smells like rubber; the smell lingers for a couple months
See pricing and availability for the Manduka eKO Lite on Amazon
6. YOGO Ultralight Travel Yoga Mat
Weight: 1.9 lbs.
Materials: Natural tree rubber, cotton, and natural texture additives
Made in: Unknown
Price: $$
YOGO has created a mat that is very light, very thin and folds up to a newspapter size (about 12" x 3" x 4.5") in your backpack or small bag. The mat's natural rubber provides great grip, decent cushion and YOGO provides one food-bearing tree for a poor family through Trees for the Future and Sustainable Harvest International.
As expected, a thin mat like this cannot pad the knees sufficiently, but that's the sacrifice you make when you choose a to fit in a small bag.
The YOGO Ultralight Travel Yoga Mat:
- Durability: 7
- Padding: 4
- Grip: 8
- Eco-friendly: 8
- Absorbance: 9
- Company Generosity: 6
- Weight: Very light
- Odor: N/A
See pricing and availability for the YOGA Ultra Light Yoga Mat on Amazon
Are you looking for a mat for studio or home practice?
If you are looking for a mat for your home practice, with the same grip but more padding for your joints, then have a look at our Best Yoga Mats review article here: https://www.doyogawithme.com/yoga-mats
Note: the links in this article are affiliate links. If you end up purchasing something, DoYogaWithMe receives a small percentage of the sale.
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