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These Towels Were Made For Hot Yoga, & Are Perfect For Keeping You Grounded
Having a towel on hand when you're working up a sweat is always a great idea. But when you're in the middle of downward dog, you'll want to have something even more specific. The best hot yoga towels are designed to fit the size and shape of your mat and have built-in safety features (like a grippy texture) to keep them in place, so your hands and feet can stay grounded. They are also made of soft, breathable fabrics that will sop up sweat and moisture like a sponge.
Before you start shopping for a yoga towel, make sure to measure your favorite mat because you'll want your towel to mirror those dimensions. Standard size yoga mats are 24 by 68 inches, though longer and wider styles are also common.
Beyond size, the next quality to consider is stability. Hot yoga towels come with two options to help you stay in place no matter how slick they get. First, there's the kind with a textured grip (either from rubber or silicone) on the bottom, which provides traction, but may be a little more bulky to carry to and from the yoga studio. Then, there are pocket corners, which you'll need to tuck around your mat like a fitted sheet. Both of these will help cut down on bunching as you transition between poses, and both work equally well, so which you choose will depend on personal preference. You'll also be happy to know that both offer machine washable options, perfect for keeping your towel clean between sessions.
Once you're ready to put your towel to use, lightly spray your mat with water before placing the towel on top to increase the towel's gripping powers.
For smoother and safer chaturangas during your hot practice, you can find a list of the best yoga towels on Amazon below.
We only recommend products we love and that we think you will, too. We may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was written by our Commerce team.
1. The Most Eco-Friendly Hot Yoga Towel
Dimensions: 24 x 68 inches (width x length)
The bottom of this Manduka yoga towel is lined with silicone nubs that grip onto the mat and keep it from moving. The moisture-wicking towel is made from discarded plastic bottles, which are then woven into 50% poly yarn. Available in 20 colors, this yoga towel is made using non-synthetic dyes that are free of lead and heavy metals. Reviewers recommend washing the towel a couple of times before using, as the natural dyes could stain your mat on your first use. Luckily, the mat is machine washable and can even be tossed in the dryer on low.
One yogi's take: "Love Manduka products. Not a better hot yoga towel on the market! Non-slip, won’t bunch up, absorbent and beautiful. Pricey but well worth it. They last forever too. Had my first one for years."
A Yoga Towel With Additional Traction For Your Hands
Dimensions: 24 x 72 inches (width x length)
The silicone web grip on the bottom of the Shandali Stickyfiber towel keeps the towel from moving around on the mat and has an increasingly better hold the wetter it gets . The waffled microfiber weave on top is super absorbent and provides additional traction for your hands and feet. Reviewers are impressed by how well it stays in place, with one calling it "insanely grippy." Available in five soft colors, it's also machine washable and dryer-safe.
One yogi's take: "Wow, this is the BEST yoga towel I have ever used, and it's completely improved my yoga practice.It really actually does stick and stay in place on my mat, and your hands and feet naturally stick to it's waffle-like texture for a strong foundation in all poses. Also, it's not so sticky that you can't do pop-out transitions. And it absorbs lots of sweat during hot/power sessions."
The Best For Beginners: A Yoga Towel With Clever Alignment Guides
Dimensions: 24 x 72 inches (width x length)
This microfiber yoga towel has a textured non-slip surface, as well as corner pockets to tuck your mat into. And though it's longer than a standard mat, it has a very unique benefit (in addition to keeping you from slipping): it will also make sure your body stays in proper alignment. Available in two colors, this towel has a simple design of lines and mandalas indicating proper foot and hand placement for poses like down dog, as well as a center line and a focal point to help you keep steady in balancing poses. Designed with water-based inks, the towel is machine washable and can be tossed in the dryer. It comes with a small carrier bag and a spray bottle for misting your mat.
One yogi's take: "This towel is perfect for my vigorous hot yoga practice. It's super thin and absorbent so I don't feel like I'm laying on a sweaty blanket for the floor poses. Grippy enough for a wide trikonasana stance without slipping."
A Yoga Towel & Hand Towel Set At A Great Price
Dimensions: 24 x 68 inches or 26 x 72 (width x length)
This microfiber IUGA yoga towel offers more cushioning and absorption than the others on this list. The non-slip model has corner pockets to keep mats in place, though as one reviewer noted, "the towel grips to the mat so well, you might not even need the corner pockets." The mat-sized towel also comes with some handy extras, including a microfiber hand towel and a spray bottle to spritz your mat with for a better hold. Available in six colors, the towel sets are washer and dryer safe.
One yogi's take: "I don't know what I was thinking, trying to do Power Yoga on a mat without a towel. My practice is 100x better with this towel, which I bought mostly because its the same brand as my mat. I love them both! It stays on my mat through the whole practice (I love the little pockets in the corners to slip on to the mat) and it folds up small enough to carry in a little bag to and from practice."
A Microfiber Yoga Towel In Tons Of Unique Designs & Colors
Dimensions: 26 x 72 inches (width x length)
The corner pockets of the Heathyoga towel slip over the mat to keep it in place. Even though it’s longer than the standard yoga mat, per Amazon reviewers, the towel's pockets work just as well with regular-sized mats. The microfiber material is soft, absorbent, and can be machine washed and dried. Dyed using water-based inks, the towel comes in nine hand-designed patterns and comes with a small spray bottle for wetting your mat.
One yogi's take: "Improved my practice so much. I didn't slip at all! The corners helped to hold it in place and the little spray bottle it came with was perfect to dampen the towel to improve gripping. Not to mention the design is so beautiful and vibrant. So glad I bought this!"
The Best For Travel: A Lightweight Towel That Can Double As Your Yoga Mat
Dimensions: 24 x 68 inches (width x length)
This two-tone Gaiam stunner is just 1.5 millimeters thick (that's thinner than a quarter) and can be folded or rolled up for easier transport. Though it's super lightweight, it does not skimp on ability to mop up sweat and keep you grounded. The towel has microfiber on top for sweat absorption and a rubber bottom for stickiness. Reviewers have found it supportive enough to double as a thin yoga mat while traveling, as one recommended "use it on top of the carpet in a hotel room. Works great for this." It's machine washable but will need to be air-dried flat. Get it in give color combos.
One yogi's take: "I am a yoga teacher and was looking for something to take when I travel. This definitely is perfect! It's sticky enough that I don't slip, and it's really comfortable too. The rubber backing is great and keeps it in place. The best part for me is I can wash it when I return, since it'll be used on grimy hotel room floors. So I give this a big thumbs up..."
Also Nice: A Small Absorbent Yoga Towel Perfect For Wiping Off Your Forehead
Dimensions: 15 x 24 inches (width x length)
If you only want a towel for your hands and forehead, this small 100% microfiber Yoga Jaci towel is as absorbent as its full-size counterparts. The towel has edge stitching for durability `and can be machine washed and dried, though reviewers love how quickly it air dries. Available in five colors this small towel has a big fan base, with more than 1,100 ratings and 4.7-stars. You can also get it in a set with a yoga towel.
One yogi's take: "Love it, I have really sweaty hands and not only does this towel help me stay put on my yoga mat, but it also wipes off my sweat good, plus it feels awesome. Color is amazing."
