Caroline Stewart
Sweating during any workout or stretch shows that you’re working hard, but it can get in the way of your perfect yoga pose. If you use a yoga towel, slipping and sliding around will be a thing of the past.
Yoga towels are used to cover your yoga mat, wipe your body, and dry your hands—and we’ve rounded up towels great for all of that. Having a yoga towel during your yoga session can also reduce bacteria buildup on your mat since towels are easier to clean than a mat.
Whether you’re experienced or new, if you do Bikram, Vinyasa, hot, or any other type of yoga, you’ll find yoga towels helpful.
Best Overall Yoga Towel for Your Mat: Healthyoga ($20)
Covering your yoga mat with a towel can be helpful for not only keeping your mat clean and sweat-free (and ultimately bacteria-free), but also for improving your grip and stability. And with the Healthyoga Non-Slip Yoga Towel, you won’t be slipping around. This towel has a corner pocket design that folds over each corner of the mat. When you’re in the middle of a stretch, the towel will stay taut and in place.
No more worrying about positioning your towel during yoga with the Healthyoga! Plus, the towel has a two-sided dual grip that keeps it firmly in place, even when you’re moving around. Not only will the towel stay in one position, but the grid-like texture can also enhance your poses by providing a better grip while the absorbent microfiber wicks up sweat and moisture to prevent slipping. Towels also help you maintain a hygienic yoga space, and are easier to clean than a mat.
The Healthyoga comes in two different towel sizes (depending on the size of your mat), and 6 different colors. While this towel will work for most mats, if you’re looking for a towel that will cover your mat but is just a few inches longer than the Healthyoga, check out this SYOURSELF Yoga Towel.
Best Yoga Towel for Hot Yoga: Shandali ($20)
Hot yoga is yoga performed in hot and humid conditions, which causes profuse perspiration—allowing you to sweat out the stress of your day. Because of all the moisture involved with this type of yoga, it may be hard to complete poses when you’re sweating and sliding around. With the Shandali Hot Yoga Towel, you’ll be able to mop up your sweat, no matter how long your yoga session is.
While the Healthyoga mat can also be used in hot yoga, this Shandali mat is thicker and is specifically made for the amount of perspiration that is produced during hot yoga. You can place this towel on top of your yoga mat or use it instead of a mat. With the Shandali’s silicone bottom and web-patterned top, this towel will not only stay in place, but it will enhance your grip—and in turn, your poses.
If you’re looking for another great option for hot yoga that also comes in different sizes, check out the Yoga Mate Perfect Yoga Towel.
$19.99 
Best Hand Towel for Yoga: Manduka eQua ($14)
Having a towel for your yoga mat is helpful for the overall cleanliness of your yoga session, but sometimes your sweat can affect your poses in other ways. Instead of being uncomfortable from wet hands and perspiration dripping down your face and body during any type of yoga class, consider getting a Manduka eQua Hand Towel.
Whether you’re in hot yoga or restorative yoga, you’re bound to work up a sweat. This towel is 26.6” x 16”, so it fits perfectly at the top of your mat. Being there will make it easily available for you to grab and wipe your face, body, or hands with. Plus, it’s similar to the previous entries in that it stays in place during your yoga session, even if you’re moving around. Lastly, the suede-like texture will not only make you dry, but will feel soft and relaxing against your skin.
The Manduka eQua is designed to wick up a medium to light amount of moisture, so if you’re expecting more sweat than this, check out the NOUSION Yoga Hand Towel.
Best Yoga Towel Set: LEVOIT ($17)
If you want a towel for your mat, body, and hands, check out this LEVOIT Yoga Towel Set, which contains all three towels and is cheaper than most single products! Use the largest towel (which is 68” by 24”) to cover your mat so you don’t slip, the medium towel (which is 30” by 20”) to wipe your body and face, and the small towel (which is 24” by 15”) to wick up sweat on your hands to give you a better grip.
All three towels are machine washable and long lasting, making this set a bargain. The superabsorbent microfiber is not only soft, but it’s sure to stay in one place if you use any of these towels to do your poses on our yoga mat. And with three different sizes, this set is multifunctional in that you can use it outside of yoga! Take them to the beach, pool, or even use the smaller towels for cleaning.
Best Yoga Towel to Add a Challenge: Bliss Peak Cotton Yoga Rug ($36)
Our last pick is different than the other yoga towels because it’s meant to give your yoga session more of a challenge instead of making it easier. With less grip, you’ll be forced to really engage your core and focus when using the Bliss Peak Cotton Yoga Rug. While you’re going to be working harder, you’ll have more support for your joints than with solely a yoga mat.
The Bliss Peak can be used on top of a mat, but on its own, it is meant to really challenge you. You can spray the surface of the towel with water to get the desired grip for your session. Plus, the cotton feel is more natural than the synthetic surface of most yoga mats. This towel is 75” by 28”, which is larger than a normal yoga mat, so you’ll have more room to move around. And while there are 4 colors to choose from, each mat has stripes to help you with your alignment.
