Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom. ― Buddha
If it’s your first time venturing into yoga, one of your biggest worries would probably be whether you’ll develop the ability to pull off difficult poses like the lotus, crow pose or headstand. You might also be wondering what to wear to yoga and which yoga accessories you need to support your practice.
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Aside from shopping for comfortable yoga pants or leggings and tops, clean yoga mats would probably be the next item you’ll be looking for. After all, you always see yoga practitioners carrying their own clean yoga mat on the way to class. But did you know that you can use a yoga towel in place of a yoga mat?
In fact, for certain types of yoga, such as hot yoga (e.g., Bikram yoga), a hot yoga mat and towel set would work best because of all the sweating. Depending on the yoga towel you use, you could even skip the yoga mat for hot yoga classes.
If you’re curious to know more about yoga mat towels, this is the guide you need. Here, we’ll talk about the qualities that make a great yoga towel, as well as the 10 best yoga towels in Australia.
Yoga Towel Buying Considerations
If you go to a studio for your practice, you’re likely to find mats available for rent or complimentary use. And if you attend seaside classes at the beach, you might find using a yoga towel or even a beach towel works perfectly fine.
The thing with having a beach towel, of course, is that you’ll only be able to use it at the beach. Besides, yoga towels are made to be used over yoga mats to not only absorb sweat but also to keep the user from slipping or falling over when executing certain poses, such as the Downward Dog pose.
When shopping for a yoga towel, keep the following considerations in mind:
- No-slip with a good grip: Since yoga towels are primarily designed to prevent slips even when the practitioner is already perspiring, they feature little grips at the bottom. These rubber or silicone grips ensure the yoga towel adheres properly to the mat.
- Fabric and material: The most affordable yoga towels are usually made from polyester and nylon blends. There are also towels made of fabric sourced from recycled plastic bottles, as well as other materials like cotton, bamboo charcoal and rayon. It’s also crucial to choose a yoga mat towel that does not bleed or get discoloured easily. It should not shrink after washing either.
- Absorbent: Intense yoga workouts and hot yoga sessions usually mean plenty of perspiration. Without a highly absorbent yoga towel, you’re likely to slip and fall during these workouts. Microfibre yoga towels tend to perform best in the absorbency department.
- Quick-drying: Like your yoga workout clothes, a quick-drying yoga towel works best to wick away sweat and ensure you have a comfortable workout. This quality is also important if you have only one towel or are switching between two yoga towels. It’ll dry quickly after laundry, ready for your next yoga session.
- Washable: In general, yoga towels wear well and are easy to clean and maintain. Just wash your yoga towel after your workout and tumble or hang to dry. And if you know how to clean a yoga mat, you’ll find cleaning and maintaining a yoga towel a breeze.
- Durable: The durability of a yoga towel depends a lot on the fibre, material construction and the user. Yoga towels made with polyester and ones made from eco fibres usually last longer. But for the best results, follow the manufacturer’s fabric care instructions.
- Smooth edges: To ensure your yoga towel is not prone to fraying, buy one with clean-cut edges with reinforced stitching.
- Antibacterial: Yoga towels with antimicrobial properties are ideal for sweat sessions as they’re less likely to harbour bacteria and fungi or emit any foul odour. Yoga towels made from bamboo charcoal and those treated with antimicrobial additives have this quality.
- Right size: The right yoga towel for you should be appropriate for your height. The standard size of 68 inches or 172.72 centimetres fits just right over most yoga mats. Some brands offer bigger sizes of 72 inches or 182.88 centimetres and 85 inches or 215.9 centimetres to accommodate taller individuals.
- Thickness: The thickness of a yoga towel is an important element if you feel more comfortable working out on a lightly padded surface. Although a yoga mat can provide this padded support, using a yoga towel that keeps you comfortable as you execute asanas is just as important.
What Else Makes for the Perfect Yoga Towel?
Depending on your preferences, other qualities that you may want to look out for in a yoga towel include the colours and designs available, whether it has corner pockets for securing it in place over a mat and if it comes with its own bag or case for portability.
Some yoga practitioners also put a premium on sustainability or other eco-friendly features in the yoga accessories they use. The reason for this is that yoga is rooted in Hinduism, which teaches love and respect for the body and nature.
11 Best Yoga Towels [Reviewed by Experienced Yogis]
You’ve finally reached the part where you’ll know all about the best yoga mat towel categorised by quality, including the best yoga towel for sweaty hands and where to buy yoga towels.
Without further ado, here is the list of the best yoga towels in Australia as reviewed by yogis.
Best Non-Slip Yoga Towels
Yoga towels with non-slip surfaces and a good grip are essential if you practise hot yoga or if you have a tendency to sweat a lot even during gentle sessions. Below are the best non-slip yoga towels we found.
1. Gaiam No-Slip Yoga Mat Towel
The Gaiam No-Slip Yoga Towel is one of the best non-slip yoga mat towels on the block.
This anti-slip yoga towel is ‘super grippy’ so it feels like it’s part of your mat and is perfect for doing floor exercises. It is versatile enough for use for stretching, standard yoga, hot yoga and Pilates. It’s super lightweight, available in five two-tone colours and easy to wash.
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2. Kimjaly Non-Slip Yoga Towel
The Kimjaly Non-Slip Yoga Towel offers excellent grip on studio yoga mats and is designed to absorb perspiration.
Keep things clean and hygienic during your next hot yoga session.
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3. Manduka Yogitoes Skidless Yoga Mat Towel
The Manduka Yogitoes Skidless Yoga Mat Towel is designed to prevent slipping no matter what moves you make or how much you sweat.
Its patented Skidless® Technology in the form of silicone knobs is intended to provide a firm grip to your mat so it stays in place.
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Best Hot Yoga Towels
For your most intense, sweaty yoga sessions, consider these yoga towels:
4. Shandali Hot Yoga Towel
The GoSweat by Shandali Hot Yoga Towel features an eco-silicone web-grip bottom for a safe, solid, stable hold.
Its anti-skid surface will give you the confidence you need to do your asanas in a focused manner. It’s also made from high-quality microfibre for superior absorbency.
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5. Yogitoes Hot Yoga Towel
The Yogitoes Hot Yoga Towel is the ultimate performance hot yoga mat towel.
As one of the best yoga mat towels for hot yoga, the Yogitoes Hot Yoga Towel features silicone knobs designed to prevent slippage even if you are a heavy sweater. So no matter how much you move, you can trust it to stay in place.
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Best Antibacterial Yoga Towel
Antibacterial yoga towel mats are few and far between, and the best one our testers found is the one featured below.
6. Laguna Beach Antimicrobial Yoga Towel
The Laguna Beach Blush Yoga Mat Towel is an antibacterial yoga towel made with PurThread antimicrobial and antibacterial fibres and yarns.
It features recovered Kodak silver, making it a sustainable choice, and a polyester nylon blend that lends it a high degree of absorbency.
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Best Cotton Yoga Towel
When we think of cotton, we are reminded of how this fabric cools our summers. This is precisely why the yoga towel featured below is recommended for use in areas with hotter climes.
7. Yoga King Medium Organic Cotton Blanket
The ultimate cotton yoga mat towel is the Yoga King Medium Organic Cotton Blanket.
This cotton yoga towel is not only luxuriously soft but also environmentally friendly. Its non-fluffy medium thickness makes it ideal for adding stability to yoga poses.
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8. Gaiam Stay-Put Yoga Towel
The Gaiam Stay-Put Yoga Towel is the ultimate yoga mat towel with corner pockets.
These tiny pockets ensure the yoga mat towel stays fastened securely to the mat. The Gaiam Stay-Put Yoga Towel is also highly absorbent and fast-drying. It is non-slip and stays comfortable even during hot yoga sessions.
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Best Microfibre Yoga Towel
Microfibre is luxuriously soft and super absorbent, so a lot of yoga towel brands use it in their products. But the best ones by far are these two.
9. Yoga Bazaar Microfibre Yoga Mat Towel
The super absorbent Yoga Bazaar Microfibre Yoga Mat Towel is made from superfine microfibre.
It also features silica gel particles on the reverse side to provide a firm grip, so you can move freely through your asanas.
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10. Jade Microfibre Yoga Towel
The Jade Microfibre Yoga Towel is ideal for hot yoga classes and for practitioners who sweat profusely.
Best Eco-Friendly Yoga Towel
For the true-blue yoga practitioner, sustainability is a key consideration in every purchase they make. If you’re into eco-friendly living, you may want to take a closer look at the product featured here.
11. Divine Goddess Yoga Towel Magic Carpet Moonlight
The Yoga Towel Magic Carpet Moonlight by Divine Goddess Yoga is a dreamy and exquisitely designed eco-friendly, non-slip yoga towel.
This microfibre towel is sourced from recycled plastic bottles and is proudly Australian made.
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Which Yoga Towels to Avoid
One factor that you may find inconvenient is the high price tag of some branded yoga towels.
However, you need to remember that although you may find less expensive yoga mat towels in online marketplaces like Amazon and eBay, you’re also opening yourself up to the risk of buying low-quality or counterfeit goods.
Also, generic low-quality options may not provide the strong grip necessary to avoid slipping and sliding around during a yoga session. Some cheap alternatives won’t have a sufficient grip on the mat, so you’ll be distracted during your practice as you’ll need to rearrange or fix your mat towel frequently.
Poor-quality mat towels may also fade and wear away faster — so whatever you save initially can quickly become useless as you’ll have to buy a new one sooner.
Get the Best Yoga Towel to Enhance Your Practice
Finding the right yoga towel doesn’t mean that the priciest yoga towels are necessarily the best. It all boils down to personal preference or what works best for you.
What one yoga practitioner may prefer or find comfortable might not become your favourite yoga towel at all. This means that knowing which yoga mat towel is the best for you requires a bit of research and maybe some trial and error.
And with this guide, we’re hopeful that we’ve provided enough information to help you with your search.
Just keep in mind that the most important factor here is your comfort and performance.
Whatever gear you use must complement your practice to allow for focused, beneficial and fruitful yoga sessions.
