Two people on yoga mat towels.

What to Look For in a Good Yoga Towel

​​Did you know that there are over 100 types of yoga? In fact, yoga is over 5,000 years old, and initially, it was practiced as a form of healing.

One thing you will need for your next yoga class is a yoga towel. But, with the variety of options available, which one is right for you?

Keep reading to learn how to find the best yoga towel. 

What Is a Yoga Towel? 

First, let's answer the most important question, what is a yoga towel?

Have you ever been in the middle of an intense yoga workout, and because your hands or feet are sweating, you begin to slip on your mat? If so, you're not alone.

It's an uncomfortable feeling, and if you do fall because of your yoga mat becoming wet from sweat, it can be dangerous. 

A yoga towel is designed to go over your mat and keep you from slipping due to moisture. Often it will fit the exact dimensions of your mat. Yoga towels also tend to have little grips on the bottom to keep them in place during your class. 

This means that you won't have to keep readjusting your towel during your yoga class. 

While these towels are commonly used in Bikram yoga, otherwise known as hot yoga, they are helpful in any yoga practice. 

Do I Need a Yoga Mat and Towel?

If the yoga towel is designed to fit over the yoga mat, do you really need both? Can't you just use your towel in place of a mat? 

The answer to this question is dependent on where you do yoga. Are you doing your yoga practice on the beach or a carpet? If so, a towel will likely suffice. 

However, if you're heading to your local yoga studio that has hardwood floors, you'll want both a yoga mat and a yoga towel. Yoga towels are often thin and don't provide any cushion. 

That design allows it to do the job it's intended for. However, when you're doing yoga poses on a hardwood floor, you'll want more cushion than that can provide. For that, you will need a yoga mat as well. 

Who Needs a Yoga Towel? 

Do you really need a yoga towel? Isn't a yoga mat enough? There are a few situations where you might find yourself needing a yoga towel. 

Bikram Yoga Classes

If you attend Bikram yoga classes, you will want a yoga towel. During these classes, the room temperature can rise above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. 

A Bikram yoga class is designed to get you sweating. This can create a lot of excess moisture that makes your yoga mat slippery. 

Your yoga towel will trap and absorb the moisture. This keeps it from spreading on your mat. The design of your towel will also keep your surface secure, creating a solid foundation underneath you. 

Communal Mats

Some yoga studios keep communal mats for their class. While this is great if you've forgotten your own mat, you don't know who else has used it. 

What kind of germs are you going to find on it? Having a yoga towel can help you feel safe and secure in this instance. You can place the yoga towel over the mat and confidently take your class. 

Prone to Sweating

Some people just sweat more. There's nothing wrong with that; however, even if you're not taking a Bikram yoga class, you can run into the same issue of moisture collecting on your mat and making it slippery. 

If you're prone to sweating, using a yoga towel can help you feel more secure and keep you from slipping on your mat. 

You Like Yoga Towels

When it comes down to it, you don't need a reason to use a yoga towel. Maybe you just like using one. That's okay, grab one and head to class. 

Can't I Just Use a Regular Towel? 

Yoga towels seem like an extra cost; we get it. However, you don't want to just grab any towel out of your closet and use it. Yoga towels get explicitly designed to aid you during class. 

This type of towel will address issues of absorbency and grip. In addition, the length will be sufficient to cover your yoga mat. 

How to Find the Best Yoga Towel

There are a few things you should look for when you choose your yoga towel. These factors will help ensure that your yoga towel does the job it's supposed to do.

Material

When you're looking for a yoga towel, you want to find one that's made from microfiber blends, which is both soft and durable. 

Moisture-Wicking

You need a towel that can absorb your sweat. This is one reason you want to ensure you choose a towel made out of suitable materials. 

Microfiber can absorb up to seven times its weight in liquid. This is great if you're sweating a lot. Your towel also will not become overly damp, allowing you to maintain your grip during your yoga class. 

Non-Slip Surface

If you're placing your yoga towel on the top of your mat, you don't want it to be slippery. It's there to prevent you from slipping, and so you need a towel with a non-slip surface. 

This will help you stay steady on your feet whether you're doing the dolphin, eagle, or any yoga pose. 

Size

You need a towel that will fit comfortably over your yoga mat. If you're just using a towel, you need one that will provide enough space for you to do various yoga poses comfortably. 

However, you also want to be sure it will fit in the space you're using without being in the way. That means the size is important. 

Standard yoga mats are often 24″ x 72″ or 24″ x 68”. Your towel should have the ability to cover a mat of that size comfortably. 

Price

If you're on a budget, it might be tempting to buy a towel at a lower price. However, take a moment to look at it. Are you getting a lower quality? How long will that towel last versus one that you spend a little more money on? 

Make sure that you don't sacrifice quality. Ultimately you will end up spending more on yoga towels if you do. 

Odor Resistant

Where do you store your yoga towel? For many, the answer might be that they keep their towel in their gym bag. 

In your gym bag, your yoga towel can pick up a variety of smells. While some might be pleasant, others will not be. In addition, remember that the intention of this towel is to absorb your sweat. 

The last thing you want is for your towel to have a smell that just won't go away. Make sure that you pick a towel that is odor resistant, and you can feel confident that you won't be bringing something that smells funky into your class. 

Sand Resistant

Have you ever gone home from doing yoga on the beach to find that your towel brought the beach home with you? If you enjoy doing yoga on the beach, you want to make sure that you choose a towel that is sand resistant. 

This will keep the beach from coming home with you in your car. 

Pet Hair Resistant

Fido might love car rides, but when your yoga towel and your pet are too close together in the backseat, it can create problems. Even if you don't take your pet in your car, you don't want to transport animal hair from home to your class. 

Not only will it ruin the vibe, but people in your yoga class with pet allergies might be impacted as well. 

Quick Drying

There's nothing worse than a damp towel, except for a towel that takes forever to dry. 

One of the great things about ensuring that your towel is a microfiber blend is that it will dry quickly. 

Durable

You want your towel to be durable. You'll be using it a lot, and you don't want to have to buy new ones frequently. 

Environmentally Friendly

Choose a towel that supports the environment. Towels that get made with post-consumer recycled materials are great choices. You can feel good about your purchase when you know you made an environmentally friendly decision. 

Buy Your Yoga Towel Today

Purchasing a yoga towel is an excellent choice whether you do Bikram yoga or any other type of yoga. Choose the right gear, and you can focus on your yoga technique without worry.

Nomadix makes yoga towels that customers love. Shop with us today to find the towel that fits your lifestyle.