I'm planning to buy a yoga mat for myself tomorrow (YAY PAYDAY!) but there are a bunch of different ones, and I'm confused as to what makes a "good" yoga mat. I've seen some at Walmart that...well, to be honest, they don't look like much. I mean, I look at them and think, "Well, I'd be just as well off lying on the bare floor." They're really thin and don't look like they would make any difference whatsoever. (Of course, they're only, like, ten dollars.) Then there are ones that are $14.97 and ones that are $29.97. (Now, granted, the more expensive ones are Everlast brand, so maybe I'd only be paying for the name, idk.)

Anyway, long story short: What makes a good yoga mat? Is any old one good enough, or would I be better off paying the (slightly) higher price for the Everlast brand? Are there differences in thickness or whatever?

HI. There are lots of different yoga mats out there; you can google yoga mats and see.....jade, hugger mugger, and ECO are a few.

As with many other things, it's good if you can check out a few types of mat before you buy. If you take classes at a few studios where you can rent a mat for a dollar or two, you may be able to 'test drive' a couple of mats to see what you like most in a mat.

The purpose of using a mat is to get some stability in your poses. So you don't slip. Some mats are very sticky, some less so but more cushioned. Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

There is also a BIG difference in price, too. And the most expensive mat may not be the mat that's best for you. If you don't have the opportunity to try out mats at some studio, I'd suggest going for the less expensive mat and checking that out. You may find that you like it a lot, and that would be great. Otherwise, I'd check out mats from Jade or ECO if you're going to be spending more money, because these companies specialize in yoga mats.

Good luck, and enjoy your yoga practice

This is what I have and I'm really happy with it!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I got my mat at walmart in the fifteen to twenty dollar range. I was also looking at them thinking I might as well just be on the floor, but a little cushion goes a LONG way. In fact, I've heard from many people that TOO much cushion will throw off your balance! Just something to think about.

EDIT: This is mine! It's cheaper now ugh haha. I haven't had any of the flaking problems that were in the reviews and I used mine daily for a few months. It did however feel kind of slick when I first got it and I was worried it would stay that way, but it went away with use. I just left it laid out next to my bed for a few days and walked on it whenever, the slickness went away very quickly.

I just bought a Manduka mat after using a $10 walmart one for a year...it is fabulous! It makes all the difference in the world. I would definitely recommend getting a really good quality mat.

I have a ProSource one too (like in the link above), which is nice because it's really thick. That helps with knees etc., but isn't really ideal for serious balance poses both because you sink in and because the grip isn't the best. So it all depends on what you want the mat for. If it's for traditional yoga, you want something thin and grippy. If it's general exercise or pilates, the thick ones are wonderful.