Top 5 Yoga Towels for Hot Yoga

Cover photo credit: rollingsandsharmony.com

*This article compares towels for hot yoga. If you’re looking for more yoga gear, check out our reviews for traveling yoga mats or carry on backpacks or yoga backpacks for commuting to the studio?.

—

Looking for the best yoga towel for hot yoga to prevent you from slipping during class?

There are tons of yoga mat towel options to chose from. Luckily we did the research for you and narrowed it down to the top 5 towels for hot yoga.

What was I looking for in a hot yoga towel?

• Sticky / Grippy
• Durable
• Fair price

Anne and I have been practicing yoga for a combined 14+ years and have tried out countless yoga products.

This guide was designed to make choosing the right yoga towel for hot yoga a breeze! (or at least give you a starting point).

At the end, I will share which towels we use. However depending on your specific needs, any hot yoga mat towel we list below will get the job done.

Pin me! Then keep reading 🙂 

Let’s start with a high level overview…

The hot yoga towel comparison

	Yogitoes	YogaRat Hot Yoga Towel	Manduka eQua	Intention Yoga Towel	Kulae Yoga Towel
Price	$49	$25	$34	$22	$48
Length	68"	68" or 72"	72"	72"	74"
Material	Microfiber + Silicon grips	Microfiber	Microfiber	Microfiber	Microfiber
Sticky?	4/5	4/5	5/5	5/5	4/5
Color Options	7+	7+	12+	2+	1

Alright lets move on to the individual yoga towel reviews…

Yogitoes Skidless yoga towel (68″)

Yogitoes Skidless yoga towels are one of the most well known in the world of hot yoga. These towels are made with microfiber and contain little silicon grips to keep your towel from bunching up. I love and recommend this towel for most types of yoga (Bikram, Hot Series, Yin, etc). However, the price is on the high side for the towels reviewed here.

Potential downside:

• Not great for Vinyasa – the towel bunches up when transitioning from Crescent Lunge to Warrior II
• Grips aren’t for everyone – the silicon grips irritate a small percentage of people

YogaRat hot yoga towel (72″)

One of the cheapest hot yoga towels on the market. There is something great about the no frills design of the YogaRat towel. This is Anne’s personal favorite for any type of heated yoga – just make sure you get it damp before practice! (We recommend using a spray bottle to dampen hand and feet placements). Definitely a good value microfiber yoga towel.

Potential downside:

• Need to be damp – must spill/spray water on the towel before it becomes really sticky

Manduka eQua yoga towel (72″)

It’s no secret that Manduka makes premium yoga products. Their flagship hot yoga towel is yet another great product. Priced very well ($34). Personally I think this is the best value of the non slip yoga towels we reviewed. I use this towel for any heated vinyasa class and it’s my go to travel towel.

Potential downside:

• Need to be damp – must spill/spray water on the towel before it becomes sticky

 Intention Yoga Towel (72″)

The new-comer to the hot yoga towel world! This is no ordinary yoga towel – Intention has a trick up there sleeve! They offer “corner pockets” to secure the towel to your favorite yoga mat. These corners prevent the towel for bunching up. Great design, it has a 5 star rating on Amazon, and it’s the least expensive towel we reviewed!

Potential downside:

• It’s new – not a lot of information is out about this towel

 Kulae Yoga Towel (72″).

If you usually practice on a larger mat this towel could make sense for you. Although this is my least favorite towel on the list, it is be the best option for people who want a no slip yoga towel AND want extra padding. With the extra support it offers, the Kulae hot yoga towel is also much bulkier which some people (including myself) do not love. It comes with only one color option (gray) and is the most expensive on the list.

Potential downside:

• Expensive – most expensive towel on the list ($49)
• Only one color to chose from (gray)

What about the hybrid yoga mat + towel combos?

There are a few companies trying to create a hybrid yoga mat and yoga towel combination. In my onion that is a challenging task. It would need to have a sticky yoga mat texture on the bottom, and an absorbent, non-slip, towel-like surface on top.

I was skeptical of these products and here are a few questions I had right away:

• What if you don’t want to practice with a yoga towel surface today?
  What if the soft yoga towel surface is too slippery?

Luckily, we did find one product that nailed it!

Yoga Design Lab

It’s a beautiful product with great colors/designs and performs great! Great for any sweaty yoga practice and can be machine washed when needed. It also comes with it’s own carrying strap. Great reviews on Amazon (4.5 stars out of 5).

Potential Downside?

• It is slightly thinner than I would prefer (I like a lot of padding on my knees).

Sizing Chart: match your yoga towel with your yoga mat

Do I really need a “yoga towel?”

You might be asking yourself, what is a yoga towel? Can’t I just use a normal towel? Or no towel at all.

Well, technically you can. If you only practice yin yoga, aka you never sweat during yoga, a yoga towel will offer nothing besides a little extra support. If you do hot yoga, you need a towel to prevent slipping which can cause injury.

Benefits of a towel for hot yoga

• Extends the life of your yoga mat
• Decreases the chance of feet slipping (especially important in hot yoga)
• Absorbs sweat and acts as a “sticky” surface after your mat gets sweaty

What about a regular towel?

I understand, you want to save a few dollars and use your old towel sitting in the closet. You CAN do this but it doesn’t work very well. Regular towels don’t stick to your mat which leads to bunching up. If your towel is bunching up, you’ll be constantly adjusting your towel.

Regular towels will wear out really fast; yoga towels last for years with regular use. Yoga towels are the perfect size to fit your yoga mat. Regular towels are too wide and too short to be used for yoga!

Laslty, you can also go for a hot yoga mat and towel in one combo. For example, the Yoga Design lab Combo Mat which is a solid option. Personally I prefer keeping my yoga mat and the best non slip yoga towel I can afford separate.

*Bonus: a yoga mat towel also works great for a travel towel! See what else Anne packed in her bag for travel.

What towels do The Yoga Nomads use?

Anne: She thinks the best hot yoga towel is the Yoga Rat hot yoga towel which she uses most often.

Brandon: I think the best yoga towel is the Manduka eQua which I use for most yoga classes and for travel. It’s also the best yoga towel for sweaty hands that I’ve used. Let’s be real, my hands get extra sweaty the second I walk into a heated studio. Sometimes I do use my Yogitoes when practicing the “Hot Series” from CorePower (resembles the Bikram series). Side note: some people think a specific bikram yoga towel, however I think that’s a bit crazy 😉

The winner of the “best hot yoga towel 2018” goes to… the Manduka eQua. It’s so comfy, durable, great value, and simply the best anti slip yoga towel I’ve used!

Brandon’s personal Bias… I LOVE Manduka (and use most of their gear)

• Manduka Prolite 71” for most yoga classes I attend. We reviewed the Manduka Prolite here.
• Manduka eQua towel for everyday yoga and as my go to travel towel
• Manduka Black Mat PRO 85” for home practice or when I want lots of mat (perfect for guys over 6ft)
• YOGO Ultralight 68″ – my one and only travel yoga mat (this has recently been updated!)

Did you enjoy this article? Pin me!

Are you a yoga teacher?

This guide shows our proven step-by-step system for creating a yoga website you love. If you’re a yoga teacher, snag this guide for FREE.

Cheers!
Brandon