It all started in a sweaty, overcrowded hot yoga room in San Francisco. There were yogis surrounding me on all sides so I had to at least look like I knew what I was doing. I’m just locking out a downward dog for the record books when it happened…
Both hands FLEW out from under me and BAM! Face down, rug burn on the forehead, sweat flying everywhere…Humiliated. And that’s when I started researching yoga towels.
One of the better towels I’ve come across is the Yogitoes Skidless yoga towel. It’s a finely crafted towel that’s proven to reduce slippage of your hands and stick to the yoga mat beneath it. We’ve had this towel for about 6 months now and it’s finally time for a review.
Overview of the Yogitoes Towel
As I said, it’s a fine mat sized towel made from more than 8 recycled plastic water bottles. It’s free from harmful dyes and the bottom has loads of tiny silicone nodules that keep it from skidding and bunching during your asanas. Here’s the main specs of the towel:
- Comes in two sizes: 72″ and 68″ to fit most mats
- Made from more than 8 recycled water bottles
- Material is a nylon and polyester blend
- Machine washable
- All dyes are free from harmful chemicals and heavy metals
- The bottom is covered in hundreds of small, 100% silicone nodules to prevent slipping
- Comes in several extremely cool styles, here’s a few:
Who Needs a Skidless Towel?
First let me say this, you can get by without a yoga towel. But if you’re doing or planning on doing hot yoga then you could benefit from having some kind of non-slip surface. It helps you maintain grip and hold poses longer without the stress of possibly face planting in a crowded room.
However, it doesn’t have to be a towel. Since the Yogitoes towel came to market there’s been several high quality absorbent mats like the Lifeform Alignment mat which eliminate the need for a towel all together. But if you’re not in the market for a new mat, then the Yogitoes towel will serve you well and make a stylish addition to your yoga tools.
Is the Yogitoes Towel Different From Others?
Short answer, yes. It’s made by Manduka who patented their Skidless Technology so the pattern on the bottom is truly not available on any other towels. The material is made from recycled bottles that are spun into a yarn that takes 66% less energy to produce. The pattern on the Yogitoes towels are inspired by street art and meant to represent beauty and clarity in the midst of chaos.
It weighs about 1.25 lbs so it has a good weight and feels like a durable microfiber. It’s soft against your skin and you can tell it’s definitely built to last for a long time. The dyes are all free from AZO, lead, and heavy metals. The edge of the towel has a well sewn seam to prevent any fraying. And of course, using a towel in general is more hygienic and extends the life of your yoga mat.
Pro Tip: lightly dampen your towel before use for added grip. Also, never wash with fabric softener as it can make the surface of your towel slick.
Yogitoes Skidless Towel Review
Our Rating
The Yogitoes towel is a well made yoga towel that sits on top of your yoga mat and doesn’t move. The bottom has silicone dots (little beads of silicone) put in a very specific, patented pattern. These dots in turn keep your yoga towel from bunching up or sliding around.
I’ve had this towel for quite some time now (almost two years) and never had it bunch up or slide around on the yoga mat. The designs on the towel are very cool and definitely make a statement. One of the other things I like about using the Manduka Yogitoes is that it’s made from recycled water bottles and that they only use body safe and eco friendly dies.
However, it’s important to note that safe dies tend to fade a little faster. In fact, you’ll notice a little fading after the first wash. This is kind of the price you pay for safe products when it comes to yoga towels and it’s not as big of a deal to me personally. That being said, if bright colors are important, you may want to try another towel.
Overall, this is an excellent towel that’s already lasted several years and been used well over 100+ times. It’s worth the extra money for sure.
Pros
- Super cool designs
- Doesn’t skid. The mat has silicone beads on the bottom to keep it in place.
- Edges are well made so the towel doesn’t fray
- Made from recycled plastic bottles
- All dyes are body and eco friendly
- Comes in multiple sizes: 72″ and 68″
- Machine washable
Cons
- The body friendly dies tend to fade a little after washing
- As of this writing its a slightly more pricey towel
Mat Preservation
Some forms of active yoga require a lot of movement which can wear holes where you place your hands and feet. Having a thick yoga towel to lay over your mat can help reduce the wear and tear and offset the initial cost of the towel.
Since most yoga mats are made from materials like PVC which never breaks down, using a sustainable towel to preserve the life of your mat is also eco-friendly. If you find yourself burning through a few mats a year, the towel can pay for itself in no time.
Caring for Your Yogitoes Yoga Towel
To get the most use and longevity from your towel, its recommended you follow a few simple steps:
- Place it dot side down on your yoga mat when using
- You may want to dampen your towel to increase grip
- Avoid rolling your towel up with your yoga mat
- Machine wash in cold water and either tumble or hang dry
- Never use bleach, dryer sheets, fabric softeners or detergents with fabric softeners since they can make the towel slick
- Wash on its own or with like colors
- Be aware that dye can run so use caution when placing it over light colored yoga mats
How We Reviewed The Yogitoes Towel
To test the Yogitoes towel we decided a few things needed to be taken into account:
- Material & Durability – If you’re spending more money on a yoga towel, the material needs to be durable and last significantly longer than the average towel. We’ve used this towel at least 100 times and still feels like it could last a lifetime.
- Stitching – One of the main weak points on a yoga towel is the edge. It’s important to have a well stitched border that’s not going to run or have loose threads getting caught and unwinding. Ours has a nice golden colored heavily threaded edge that’s perfectly intact even after many uses.
- Grip – The grip of this yoga towel as compared to others in the same price range performed as expected. There were no issues even in very sweaty conditions and we never had any issues with bunching.
- Sustainability – This is a big bonus for us since plastic water bottles are polluting our oceans and harmful dyes are polluting our waters. The Yogitoes towel is free from all harmful dyes and uses recycled plastic water bottles – we love that.
- Comfort – You’ll be spending a lot of time on your mat and towel so its important that it feels soft and doesn’t irritate your skin in any way. The Yogitoes towel has a similar feel to microfiber but slightly heavier and more durable and causes absolutely no irritation.
- Smell – You’d be surprised how many products smell like burnt plastic when they heat up. There was no odor from this towel most likely because the nodules on the bottom are made from 100% silicone rather than something like PVC.
Conclusion
Do you need the Yogitoes Skidless towel? No. You can practice yoga without a towel or even use a skidless mat. But in my experience it goes a long way for preventing frustration and allowing you to get the most from your practice. It won’t bunch up, slip, slide or leave you flat on the floor with rug burns on your forehead…