People often ask my opinion about yoga mats. With so many of them on the market, I have a difficult time offering advice. A good place to start might be Hugger Mugger, a local company with a huge web presence and a local outlet. You can go there and check out a variety of mats from their own brand as well as others. You can also check out a variety of mats at REI.
Brands that I like: Jade, Manduka and Gaiam
You’ll have to decide how thick you want your mat to be. The thickness, combined with the material used, will determine how much padding the mat offers. You want enough thickness to cushion but not so much that it causes an unstable, mushy feeling under you. Definitely avoid the cheap, soft, rubbery feeling mats that are easy to stretch. Their cushiness may seem appealing but they move around too much under you and do not provide a stable surface on which to practice.
Mats come in different lengths from approximately 68″ up to 85″. They also come in different thicknesses, the most common being 1/8″ (3mm), 1/5″ (5mm), 1/4″ (6.4mm). Some manufacturers use inches, others mm.
There is also a wide range of pricing from the low end (Target or Walmart) $10.00 to $120.00. If you know that you love yoga and intend to continue practicing, I suggest investing in a higher end mat. Some of them are guaranteed for life and will be replaced if they wear. Good mats can be found in every price range.
I suggest going to Hugger Mugger or REI and, literally, get a good feel for different brands and styles. Keep in mind that all mats come out of the factory with a thin coating that makes them slippery until the coating wears off. You can speed up the process by putting your mat in the bathtub with a small amount of water and a very small amount of soap. Go over the surface with a soft brush or rough cloth. (depending on the material, it may suck up a lot of water and take several hours to dry) The more you use your mat, the less slippery it will be. Manduka describes a procedure using rock salt to help put the sticky in your sticky mat.
I have The Black Mat from Manduka. After 7 years of steady use, it is starting to show signs of wear. I recently contacted Manduka about it and they are replacing it with a new one. Feel free to ask to test mine out after class. If you see someone in class with an interesting looking mat, ask them about it and ask if you can feel the texture and thickness.
Happy shopping.
