7 Benefits of Yoga Mat Towels and How to Use Them

Yoga mat towels are not just for hot yoga. They can be a great addition to your practice for many reasons. Here are some benefits of yoga towels, including how to use yoga mat towels and how to wash them.

1. Yoga Towels Are Great for Grip

You might think that you need a high-grip yoga mat or even a sticky yoga mat if you sweat a lot during your practice. But investing in a yoga towel may be all you need to improve your grip — especially on hardwood floors or other slippery surfaces.

Pro tip: See for yoga mat towel towels that are great for protecting your skin from the heat in hot yoga classes, as well as giving you extra cushioning when needed.

2. They Can Help Prevent Injuries

If you’re prone to slipping during your practice, it’s important to take precautions so that you don’t injure yourself while on the mat. A yoga towel can help prevent slips and falls during class by increasing traction between your body and the floor, which is especially helpful during poses where balance is key, like tree pose or dancer’s pose.

3. Yoga Mat Towels Offer Additional Grip

Yoga mats offer some grip, but not all mats have the same amount of traction. And even when a mat has good grip, it becomes less effective when wet from sweat. A towel can provide additional grip on top of a mat if you tend to sweat a lot or if you need extra traction for hot yoga or ashtanga yoga classes.

4. Mat Towels Help Prevent Sweaty Hands and Feet on Yoga Mats

Even if your yoga mat has good grip, you may find that your hands and feet slip when they are sweaty. Using a towel over your mat will help prevent this slippery effect during heated asana practice.

5. Absorbent

Yoga mat towels from brands like YogaOutlet absorb sweat to keep you dry and keep your hands and feet from slipping. This can also help avoid accidents by preventing slippery surfaces on which you could slip and fall or injure yourself in some other way. The best yoga towels for hot yoga are ultra absorbent so that no matter how much moisture they soak up, they stay flat on the mat and don’t bunch up under your feet or hands.

6. They’re great for doing Handstands

If you’re practicing handstands, the last thing you want is to slip. Yoga mat towels provide extra grip and traction when you need it most. Simply place the towel on the ground before you attempt the pose so that your hands don’t slip or slide around on the mat.

7. Prevent Slipping On Your Mat

One of the most important reasons to use a yoga towel is to prevent slipping during your practice. As you move through vinyasas like sun salutations and plank pose, your hands and feet may start to slip on your mat because they get sweaty or because the mat itself is slippery. A non-slip yoga towel placed over your mat will help prevent slipping by absorbing some of that moisture.

If you practice yoga in hot weather, or if you love to sweat in Bikram yoga, a yoga towel can also keep you safe as you practice more challenging poses like headstands, handstands and arm balances. If you’re worried about falling out of tree pose because your mat is slippery, a towel will give you traction and help boost your confidence as you work on balancing postures.