If you practice yoga and want to buy a new yoga mat, you may be wondering what the best yoga mat weight to go for is. In this post, we’ll look in-depth into that question.
In general, yoga mat weight ranges from just under 1kg (2lbs) to just over 3kg (7.5lbs). The factors that determine this are the thickness and the material of the yoga mat. Travel yoga mats weigh around 1kg, while some premium PVC and cork mats are the heaviest, at 3.4kg and 4.3kg respectively.
The weight of a yoga mat is important because it depends on your lifestyle, your practice, and whether or not you will be traveling with it, or even if you will be taking it back and forth to your local studio.
For this article, we’ll look at four main yoga mat weight categories.
And we will also have a look at what yoga mat weight is best for you.
So, what are the yoga mat weight categories? The 4 most common yoga mat weights are:
- Over 3kg
- Between 2 and 3kg
- Between 1 and 2kg
- Under 1kg
These are some great yoga mats that can be the perfect fit for your practice.
For more information on how to find your ideal yoga mat, here is How To Choose the BEST Yoga Mat in 8 Steps.
And so if you are wondering how much yoga mats weigh, then below you will find a table of popular yoga mats.
Click on the links to each mat if you want to take a closer look.
| Yoga mat | Weight (pounds) | Weight (kg) |
| 3kg+ | ||
| Luxury cork mat | 9.5lbs | 4.3kg |
| Manduka Pro | 7.5lbs | 3.4kg |
| Yoga Design Lab | 7.1 lb | 3.2kg |
| 2-3kg | ||
| Manduka GRP | 5.5lbs | 2.5kg |
| Liforme | 5.5lbs | 2.5kg |
| BYOGA cork | 5.4lbs | 2.4kg |
| Lululemon Reversible | 5.2lbs | 2.4kg |
| BYOGA strong | 5.1lbs | 2.3kg |
| Gaiam soft grip | 5.1lbs | 2.3kg |
| Manduka eKOlite | 4.6lbs | 2.1kg |
| 1-2kg | ||
| Manduka PROlite | 4.2lbs | 1.9kg |
| BYOGA everyday | 4.1lbs | 1.9kg |
| Jade Harmony | 4.2lbs | 1.9kg |
| Manduka X | 3.7lbs | 1.7kg |
| Jade travel | 3.1lbs | 1.4kg |
| Gaiam essentials | 3.1lbs | 1.4kg |
| Manduka eko | 2.2lbs | 1.1kg |
| BYOGA traveler | 2.4lbs | 1.1kg |
| Amazon basics | 2.2lbs | 1kg |
| 0-1kg | ||
| Manduka Travel Mat | 2lbs | 0.9kg |
| Gaiam travel | 1.8lbs | 0.8kg |
Factors that Affect Yoga Mat Weight
There are really only two factors that affect yoga mat weight: (1) material, and (2) the thickness of the mat.
Yoga mat material
What do you think weighs more: a dense piece of cork, or foam? Obviously, foam.
And so the yoga mat material can directly influence the weight of that yoga mat.
There are 7 main yoga mat material types on the market, and each of these has its advantages and disadvantages. And of course, each of these may weigh more or less than the others.
- PVC – The most well known PVC yoga mat is the Manduka Pro
- Rubber – The most well known rubber yoga mat is the Jade Harmony
- Jute – A great example is the Sustainable Non-Slip Yoga Mat by Complete Unity
- Cotton – A great example is the Yogasana rug
- TPE – An affordable choice is the Gaiam Yoga Mat Performance TPE
- EVA – A lightweight choice is the Adidas EVA Yoga Mat
- Cork – A good choice is the Luxury Cork Yoga Mat
As a general rule, a cork and PVC yoga mat will weigh more, while a TPE and EVE mat will weigh less.
Of course, if we were to look at the lightest yoga mat on the table above, we will see that is the Gaiam travel mat. It weighs just 0.8kg even though it is PVC.
Why, do you ask?
Well, this is where the thickness of the mat plays a role. The Gaim travel mat is just 2mm thick!
Let’s now have a look at how the yoga mat thickness plays a role in the yoga mat weight.
Yoga mat thickness
Suppose you have two yoga mats of the material and manufacturer, but one of the mats is thinner. That yoga mat will most likely weigh quite a lot less than the thicker one. Thus, the yoga mat thickness is an important factor in yoga mat weight.
Let’s take the PVC Manduka as an example here. The Manduka Pro comes in 2 main options:
| Manduka Pro | 6mm | 3.4kg |
| Manduka ProLite | 4mm | 1.9kg |
And so as you can see, 2mm of thickness leads to about 1.5kg of difference in weight.
Let’s now have a look at the rubber Jade as another example. This comes in 2 main options:
| Jade Harmony | 5mm | 2kg |
| Jade travel mat | 2mm | 1.4kg |
Yoga mat material and thickness
And now we will look at both yoga mat thickness and material combined.
| Yoga mat | thickness | weight |
| Gaiam essentials | 10mm | 1.4kg |
| Jade travel | 3mm | 1.4kg |
What you may notice is that the Gaiam essentials mat and the Jade travel mat are both 1.4kg. However, the Gaiam is an incredible 7mm thicker than the Jade travel mat.
And the reason is the Gaiam essentials is made of foam, while Jade travel is made of rubber, which you guessed, is much heavier!
If you are wondering which yoga mat thickness is best for you, then check out my article: How To Choose The PERFECT Yoga Mat Thickness
And so if you are wondering why this is important, well, let’s find out.
Why is yoga mat weight important?
In general, yoga mat weight is an important factor to consider when deciding on a yoga mat. For example, if you want a premium yoga mat that you won’t need to carry too much, then aim for a heavy yoga mat. If you have sensitive joints, aim for a thick and light yoga mat.
Let me know explain the yoga mats I have and how I use them.
My main yoga mat is the Manduka Pro, which is heavy 3.4kg. This is my main yoga mat. I practice on this and I teach on it. However, because it is rather heavy, I don’t travel with it. This type of yoga mat is best to stay in one place.
My other yoga mat is the Manduka travel mat. This is just 0.9kg which makes it great to fold up and put in my backpack when I want to go traveling. The key downside of this is that it is rather thin, making it great if you can place it on another mat or even on a carpet.
Otherwise, if this is the only mat you have and you’re planning on doing your practice on hard flooring, it may become a rather painful experience.
My happy medium mat is my Jade Harmony. This is just 1.9kg making it light enough to travel with, and it is 5mm thick meaning it offers very good cushioning.
And so as you can see, there really isn’t a perfect yoga mat or an ideal yoga mat weight. It just depends on your practice and lifestyle.
As a side note, I filmed a video on how to choose the perfect yoga mat. I hope it helps!
Related questions
How much does a 6mm yoga mat weigh?
In general, a 6mm yoga mat can weigh anywhere between 1kg (2.2lbs) and 3.4kg (7.5lbs). The factor that determines the weight is the yoga mat material. For example, a 6mm PVC yoga mat can weigh 3.4kg, while a 6mm rubber mat can weigh 2.3kg. Finally, a 6mm foam mat can weigh just 1kg.
How much does a Lululemon yoga mat weigh?
The Lululemon Reversible 5mm yoga mat weighs 2.38kg (5.2lbs). There are two further options which are thinner and thus lighter. The Lululemon Reversible 3mm weighs 1.76kg (3.87kg) while the very thin Lululemon 1.5mm travel mat weighs just 1.05kg (2.32lbs).
How heavy is a yoga mat?
In general, yoga mats can weigh between 1kg and 4kg. The key factors that determine yoga mat weight are the material used and the thickness of the mat. The heaviest yoga mat is a cork or PVC that is 6mm thick, while a light yoga mat is made wither of foam, or is very thin, such as a think travel mat.
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