Are you slipping and sliding on that non-skid mat they sold you at Lululemon? It’s a common occurrence with the massive surge in the popularity of hot yoga. These days there are as many yoga products as there are yogis and with each of us having different needs (and some of us have slippier hands than others) how do you know the best option for you?
While I can’t say this one towel is the ultimate best option for every.single.person. I can say that I’ve done a heavy amount of research and testing over the last years and feel qualified to review and give a recommendation on the best yoga towel for hot yoga.
Our top Picks
- Best Overall: Manduka YogiToes
- Best Budget: Heathyoga Non-slip
- Best For Travel: Gaiam No-Slip Yoga Towel
- Best Quick Drying: Manduka eQua Mat Towel
- Best Non-Bunching: Shandali Hot Yoga Towel
What is a Hot Yoga Towel?
A yoga towel is a specially designed towel that goes on top of your yoga mat to keep it dry and prevent you from sliding around during hot or “Bikram” yoga. The towel also ads another level of hygiene to your practice because it can be washed after your session.
Now I know what you’re thinking, “can’t I just use a regular towel?” The answer is yes. There’s a *but* coming. BUT a regular towel isn’t designed to fit your mat, doesn’t have non-slip technology, usually bunches up, and doesn’t look cool. That being said, yes. Yes you can use a normal towel…
Something to ponder: Over the past few years there have been innovative new lines of yoga mats which eliminate the need for a towel. It’s a difficult task to create a mat that can actually accomplish this but we’ve seen a few. The quick answer: Our favorite one is the Lifeform Yoga mat. It’s a bit of an indulgence (one of the more expensive) but for serious yogis, it’s the one.
Best Yoga Towels For Hot Yoga – Reviewed
Manduka YogiToes Skidless Towel
Our Rating
The Yogitoes towel is stylishly designed, heavy duty and delivers on its promise: you won’t slip. In fact it seems to work better and better the more sweaty you get. We’ve had this towel for about 6 – 8 months now and used it no less than 100 times. It’s never bunched up or slid around in any conditions, it’s maintained its color well and the edges have not frayed one bit. Manduka has recently released the street art inspired designs (like the one pictured above) which adds a whole new level of coolness.
I will say that I read one persons complaint that their towel faded a little. Since the dyes are not the typical heavy chemical type, I can see how this could happen. But ours haven’t faded at all as far as I can tell. Overall we really like the quality of the Manduka Yogitoes. Its clear that it will last for a very long time and even though its (as of this writing) more expensive than some of the other towels, its worth the money.
Pros
- Very cool, street art inspired styles
- Patented Skidless Technology – the bottom is covered in hundreds of silicone nodules
- Tightly seamed edge prevents fraying
- Composed of recycled water bottles
- Has a solid weight and feel
- Requires 66% less energy to make
- All dyes are free from AZO, lead and heavy metals
- Offered in two sizes: 72″ and 68″
- Helps preserve the life of your yoga mats
- Hygienic and machine washable
Cons
- Could fade a little
- As of this writing, it’s a little more expensive than some of the other non-slip towels
Gaiam No-Slip Yoga Towel
Our Rating
The Gaiam no-slip is a thin, 1.5 mm microfiber towel with a rubber webbing on the bottom. It’s offered in about 7 different colors at the moment of this writing but they expand their designs often. It measures 68 x 24″ so it will rest on top of most standard yoga mats.
It does a good job of absorbing sweat and the material is soft to the touch. A few dislikes about the towel from a functional and durability standpoint are that it does bunch during use and the edges begin to fray after just a few washes. Some people also reported a rubber smell but it went away after washing.
At the current price point, it’s just okay.
Pros
- Several color options
- Soft material microfiber material
- Fits most standard mats
- Lightweight
- Absorbs a decent amount of sweat
- Easy to travel with
Cons
- Edges may start to fray after a few washes
- Has a tendency to bunch up
- Some people reported a rubber smell when brand new
Manduka eQua Mat Towel
Our Rating
We love Manduka and their mission. They’re a great company that uses eco-friendly and sustainable materials in their products. Their eQua towel is a less expensive version of their Yogitoes without the silicone nodules. Its made from recycled materials and has a suede / microfiber feel. It does a good job of absorbing light to moderate sweat but beyond that you’ll want something thicker.
It comes in several sizes to fit both standard and oversized mats. With all towels, if you dampen them before use, you’ll increase the gripability and we recommend you do dampen this towel first. There were no problems with the eQua bunching during moderate activity.
Something to be aware of is that Manduka uses more natural dyes that have a tendency to run. It’s recommended that you wash it before using (with like colors) and be mindful if you’re putting it over lightly colored mats.
Pros
- Lots of colors and styles to choose from
- Cotton with a suede / microfiber feel
- Quick drying
- Several Sizes to fit most mats
- Ultra lightweight
- Eco-friendly recycled materials
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