I’ve always found it most efficient to buy the best quality yoga mat that I can afford, even if it means shelling out a little more than I’d like to. A good yoga mat should last for years and continue providing the same degree of protection. A sub-par yoga mat will noticeably degrade, thus degrading your yoga practice.

A good yoga mat…

is lightweight

Having a lightweight yoga mat can quickly become the focus of yoga practice when you find yourself lugging around a cumbersome or heavy mat. Before choosing a yoga mat, heft it (or strap it on if it’s that type) and walk a circuit around the room. It should be comfortable and not require much effort to carry around.

will keep you from slipping around

Feel the grip of any yoga mat that you’re considering. Most yoga mats have a decent grip factor, but if you will be using the mat for particularly intensive or fast-paced yoga, you may want to seek out a yoga mat with noted gripping power.

will hold up to repeated washings

You’ll want to clean your yoga mat from time to time, so it should be able to stand up to washings as well as regular yoga practice.

will absorb some seat rather than becoming slippery

Let’s face facts, yoga, in all its peacefulness, can produce copious amounts of sweat. A good yoga mat should be able to absorb some sweat. Very thin or non-porous yoga mats may become slippery.

will hold up to regular yoga practice

One way to measure the durability of a yoga mat is to roughly rub the mat with the edge of a coin. The greater the number of strokes it takes to start breaking down the mat material, the longer the yoga mat will last.