the best pilates mats
I was originally going to write this post to include the best Yoga and Pilates mats, but then I decided they have quite different requirements. If you are also interested in the best Yoga mats, then see my other post on that here.
As per my Yoga mat recommendations blog post, I do not get paid to recommend any of these mats, I have just tried a lot of mats during my personal practice and my career as a Yoga and Pilates teacher. This is my personal opinion and I’m sharing this as I want you to get the most out of your Pilates practice, and a great mat can totally elevate the experience!
I’ve split this down into my recommendations for best budget Pilates mat, and best Overall Pilates mat. The reason there isn’t as many recommended options for Pilates mats as I did in my post about Yoga mats, is that there is actually very little choice available for Pilates mats.
But first, before we dive into my recommendations, let’s have a look at what the different requirements are for a Pilates mat to a Yoga mat – and why.
Yoga mats are thinner than Pilates mats - ranging from 2mm for a travel Yoga mat to 4mm for a standard mat. This thinness of the mat is designed to provide more grip and connection with the floor, for balance poses that require you to hold a static position. A Pilates mat is generally thicker than a yoga mat (usually double at around 8-10mm) to provide extra cushioning and support for your spine and joints during Pilates movements. Performing lots of repetitions of Pilates exercises can become uncomfortable on a Yoga mat – for example if you are lying on your side and your hip is pressing into the floor. With a thicker mat, there will be much more support which will make the exercise much more comfortable. You want to be able to focus on the movement and the exercise rather than getting distracted by thinking how much your coccyx/ sacrum/ hip/ spine hurts in that position for example.
BEST BUDGET PILATES MAT
Kingdom GB Supreme 20mm Extra Thick Exercise Mat - £24.95
Kingdom GB Supreme 20mm Extra Thick Exercise Mat
There are many variations and brands of these foam type mats that are very similar ranging from £12 upwards. If you go to Amazon and enter “Pilates Mat” into the search bar you will get lots of very similar ones. I’ve picked this one as it is the thickest. If you want to go slightly cheaper there isn’t much difference but just make sure that you pick one 12mm or thicker. These foam type mats are very supportive and will protect you in all the right areas for your practice. The biggest downside to these budget options is that a lot of them have the “memory” of being rolled up and sometimes they don’t want to uncurl and lie flat whilst you are using them.
I’d also recommend these as the best option if you need to walk a long way to class, as these foam mats are nice and lightweight.
BEST OVERALL PILATES MAT
Bala The Play Mat 8mm - $129 (roughly £100 at today’s conversion rate)
https://shopbala.com/products/the-play-mat?variant=41492021969031
Bala The Play Mat 8mm
Though I’ve never used this mat myself, this is the closest thing currently available to the 8mm mat I use for my own Pilates practice which is not on the market anymore. Bala have a great reputation and I know their mats are used in Studios around the world so they are bound to be durable and good quality. There is a patent pending on this mat, so they must be confident in the quality of their product to invest the time and the money to do this. There are only two negatives to this mat as far as I can see. The first is that there is a very limited range of colours in the 8mm thick version compared to their thinner mat, with just two options – Charcoal and Pink Blush. The second is that these mats are much heavier than the foam mat option, so if you are walking a long way to class then you might prefer a more lightweight option. The reason that these mats can be thinner than the foam option is that they aren’t so “spongy” so they still provide good support at 8mm.
Do I need both a Yoga mat AND a Pilates mat if I practice both?
It all depends on what kind of Yoga practice you do as to whether you need a Yoga mat AND a Pilates mat. If your Yoga is slow and mainly floor based, then you could absolutely use a Pilates mat for both. If you prefer a faster style of Yoga with lots of movement, standing and balancing postures then I recommend that you have both - a thinner Yoga mat AND a thicker Pilates mat as they will each be more suitable for the kind of practice that you are doing. Your other option is to have a thinner Yoga mat, and purchase a knee mat pad which are usually around 15mm thick and can be used to support you under knees, elbows, hips and anywhere else you need it in that particular exercise. My recommendation is Yoga Matters -
https://www.yogamatters.com/products/knee-mat-pad
YogaMatters Knee pad
If I’m practicing at home on carpet, do I really need a Pilates mat?
If you are doing a couple of sessions to see whether Pilates is for you, before deciding whether to invest in a Pilates mat, then you can get way without using a mat for a few sessions. However, I definitely wouldn’t recommend doing more than a couple of sessions without a mat even if you are on a soft surface such as carpet. The reason for this is that carpet does not have the same sponginess that a Pilates mat does, and therefore it won’t be supporting you in all the right places. Performing the exercises without the right support can lead to issues or injuries down the line. A mat will also provide more grip for certain exercises, ensuring that hands or feet don’t slip, and also there is the potential for carpet burns when you are not using a mat.
Happy Pilates practice!
For my top tips on how to keep your Pilates or Yoga mat in great shape, and how to clean it check out this blog post.
