What’s A Yoga Towel And Do I Need One?
Whether you’re a seasoned yoga practitioner or just starting your yoga journey, it’s essential to understand the role a yoga towel has in your practice. Yoga towels — in conjunction with mats or on their own — are extremely helpful, as they create a safer and cleaner surface to practice on. For yoga studio owners or even gym owners who offer yoga classes, stocking your business with yoga towels can lead to happier and healthier clients.
With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about yoga towels.
What Is a Yoga Towel?
Yoga towels are a type of towel designed specifically for use during yoga. You can place one either over your yoga mat or directly on the floor. Its primary purpose is to prevent slipping by absorbing any sweat and moisture. Because of this, they are most prevalent in Bikram yoga — better known as hot yoga — but they’re also helpful for all types of yoga and even other forms of exercise.
The key features of a yoga towel are:
- Material: Most yoga towels are made from either microfibre blends or cotton, as these materials are strong and can absorb sweat well. You may also find yoga towels with recycled materials, so you can feel good about your purchase and how it impacts the environment.
- Size: Yoga towels must fit over a yoga mat for the best results, so they come in specific sizes for this purpose. You can also find smaller yoga towels to place under your hands or feet when you don’t want to cover the whole mat but need the extra grip.
- Grip: Yoga towels have an anti-slip surface, and some have grips on the bottom to hold the towel firmly on the mat during yoga practice. This reduces the risk of slips and falls and how often you need to rearrange the towel.
Yoga towels are completely optional, but many people choose to use them to improve focus and balance. If you’re in a yoga position and feel yourself starting to slip on sweat, you’ll find it more challenging to concentrate, and you’ll be at a higher risk of injuring yourself. A simple solution is to use a yoga towel to absorb the sweat from your body. With less worry about slipping, you can confidently move from one position to the next.
Yoga Towel vs. Mat
Yoga towels and yoga mats are both great for yoga, but they have slightly different functions. A yoga mat creates a soft surface for yoga practices and is usually made from rubber or PVC — a type of plastic. They provide a soft, cushioned and anti-slip surface for yoga and other exercise, but they can become slippery when you start sweating. A yoga towel is much thinner but absorbs sweat and adds additional grip.
If you’re trying to decide between a yoga towel or a yoga mat, you should consider where you’ll be practicing. A yoga towel is sufficient for yoga on the beach, at the park or even on a rug at home, as you’ll have already have some cushioning under the towel. If you’re doing yoga on hard surfaces, a towel on its own likely won’t provide the cushioning you need to practice comfortably, especially for positions that require balancing on your knees or elbows.
Ideally, you should use yoga towels in conjunction with yoga mats, as this is what they’re designed for.
How Do Yoga Towels Differ From Regular Bath Towels?
If you think a regular beach or bath towel will work for your yoga class, you may want to reconsider. Though they feel similar, there are some major differences between everyday cotton towels and designated yoga towels.
Absorbency
The main distinction between regular cotton towels and yoga towels is their absorbency. Cotton towels absorb water to help dry you off, but they hold onto this moisture for a while. If you use one during yoga — especially hot yoga — your towel will become saturated quickly and lose its grip on the floor or mat. Once it reaches its maximum capacity, it will cease to absorb more sweat.
Yoga towels absorb more moisture than normal towels, and they’re also sweat sweat-wicking, meaning they absorb moisture and dry quickly. Because of these properties, yoga towels will keep you drier than cotton towels and won’t get damp or soggy underneath you.
Durability
Normal towels are not made to withstand heavy exercise, friction and stretching, so they won’t last very long as a yoga towel. They’ll start to fray and tear with frequent use, so you’ll have to replace them more often.
Yoga towels are made of more durable, stretchy materials, so you can put pressure on them during yoga without them breaking easily. This helps them stay intact longer than regular bath towels.
Grip
Even if you’re not interested in hot yoga and aren’t worried about your towel’s absorbency, a yoga towel is still a better option for any yoga practice because of its anti-slip properties. A regular cotton towel is soft and doesn’t have much grip, so it’ll slide around as you move. This will make it harder to balance and increase the chance of injury, especially when wet.
Yoga towels have unique surfaces and extra grips underneath to keep them firmly on the floor or mat. With a stable, anti-slip surface beneath you, you can focus on breathing and getting the pose right.
Length
Another way yoga towels differ from regular bath towels is their length. Normal towels come in various sizes, so your towel may be bigger or smaller than your yoga mat. When your towel isn’t long or wide enough for the mat, your feet may miss the towel frequently, and you’ll spend a lot of time adjusting it for each pose. If it’s too big, the edges will touch the floor and get dirty.
A yoga towel is typically the perfect size for most standard yoga mats, so they cover the whole surface with no overlaps or gaps.
When Should You Use Yoga Towels?
Yoga towels wick away your sweat, helping you maintain your grip and stay comfortable during yoga. Many people prefer to always have a yoga towel over their mat, regardless of what yoga variety they’re practicing. Others like to keep a yoga towel close by because they’re prone to sweat. Sometimes, just the extra cushioning a yoga towel provides is enough to warrant its use.
If you’re not sure when you should use a yoga towel, here are a few instances where it would be helpful:
- On sand or grass: Yoga towels are great for outdoor yoga, like at the beach or the park. They’re lightweight, making them easier to transport than a mat, and they still offer a protective barrier against the ground. This will help keep dirt and sand away from your body.
- Over communal mats: Communal yoga mats at the gym or yoga studios get full of bacteria and dirt, and you won’t know how often they’re cleaned. Placing a yoga towel on top of these mats is an excellent way to maintain personal hygiene, especially when the yoga position requires you to put your face on the mat.
- During hot yoga: Hot yoga rooms can reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and profuse sweating is part of the practice. Hot yoga towels absorb and trap moisture so it doesn’t spread on the surface of the mat and create a slippery surface. Their material and grip features keep the towel secure, so you have a sturdy foundation under you when your hands and feet get sweaty.
- At the gym: If you’re working out at the gym and need an extra layer between you and the floor while you sweat, a yoga mat is a great option. This will leave the area cleaner for others, give you a softer surface to work on, and it will also fit easily in your gym bag.
Benefits of Using Yoga Towels
Whether you attend regular yoga classes or own a yoga studio or gym, incorporating yoga towels provides multiple benefits and makes the experience more enjoyable. Below are five advantages of using yoga towels for you to consider.
1. Increased Hygiene
Yoga mats become full of bacteria after frequent use, whether you’re using your own mat from home or you’re borrowing one from the gym or yoga studio. Cleaning them can be challenging as you can’t put them in a washing machine, and you don’t have control over the mats in public facilities. A yoga towel will protect you from dirty public mats and prevent sweat and grime from ending up on the mat. At the end of practice, all you need to do is wash the towel and wipe down the mat to keep it clean.
2. Reduced Wear and Tear
Yoga mats get a lot of wear during yoga. The pressure from your body compacts and stretches the material as you pose and move, and this friction can wear holes into the mat or cause it to tear. Your sweat can break down the surface of the mat over time, creating a rougher and weaker surface. Sweat and grime buildup will also make your mat stinky and possibly moldy.
Yoga towels create a protective barrier between you and your mat. Most of the sweat, grime and friction will affect the towel, helping your mat stay fresh for longer. Towels are also much easier to wash and cheaper to replace compared to yoga mats.
3. Extra Padding
One of the first things you learn in yoga is to listen to your body — if something hurts or feels uncomfortable, you’re pushing it too far and need to step back. Sometimes, you need to adjust your setup to make it better.
Yoga mats vary in thickness, and some people may find they’re too thin to be comfortable. Even if the mat is cushy enough, sometimes your joints need a little added padding to ease the pain. A yoga mat is a quick and easy way to provide that extra cushioning.
4. Versatile Use
Despite their name, yoga towels can benefit you during other activities. Use them anywhere in a gym, at the pool or on the beach as an effective way to keep yourself dry without having to carry a soggy towel afterward. Yoga towels can double as yoga mats when you’re practicing on a soft surface, like grass or sand. They’re light and fold up small, so you can also pack them in your luggage when you travel and want to do yoga in your hotel room.
Aside from uses, yoga mats come in a rainbow of colors and various exciting prints, so you can stock up and have one to match all your moods or outfits.
5. Less Cleaning
You can save a lot of time by using yoga towels instead of working out directly on the yoga mat, thanks to how much easier it is to wash towels than mats. Cleaning a yoga mat takes a lot of effort and care as you need to wash and scrub them manually. Plus, yoga mats take a long time to dry properly, and using a damp mat can encourage mold and mildew growth.
If you opt to use a yoga mat on its own, you’ll need to set aside time for weekly cleaning. When you use a yoga towel, you’ll save yourself the hassle as you’ll only need to wash the towel along with your yoga clothes after each use. As a result, the mat underneath will need cleaning far more infrequently.
How Do You Use Yoga Towels?
Using a yoga towel is as simple as placing it on the mat or ground, smoothing out any wrinkles and starting your session. However, a dry yoga towel can bunch up and be more of a hindrance than a help, especially during light yoga when you won’t sweat as much. To ensure your yoga towel lies flat and provides that needed grip, lightly mist it with a spray bottle before you use it.
You can also roll up or fold the yoga towel if you need extra support for your knees, head, hips and elbows. This will alleviate the pressure and make yoga poses more comfortable.
How Do You Wash Yoga Towels?
Most yoga towels are made with microfiber, which is a high-absorbency material. Microfiber is a straightforward material to wash and maintain, often needing only a wash with cold water and no fabric softener. You can dry them in your dryer on low heat or hang them up to air-dry on a clothesline since microfiber dries much faster than cotton.
A good rule to follow for yoga towels — and anything else that absorbs sweat — is to wash after every use. It’s important to follow your towel’s specific cleaning instructions to keep them in their best condition and avoid damage.
Buy the Best Yoga Towels From Towel Super Center
A high-quality yoga mat can upgrade the yoga experience. Give your clients and customers the option for comfort and versatility by offering yoga towels. At Towel Super Center, we offer a wide range of yoga towels in various designs and sizes. They’re made from 100% premium cotton, which is highly absorbent and perfect for sweaty yoga sessions.
If you own or manage a yoga studio, we advise that you stock up on different towel sizes to provide the best fit for your clients. You’ll also need multiple towels per client so there are still some available while others are in the wash. We offer bulk discounts on large towel orders so you can save money. The more towels you buy, the more you save!
Browse through our selection of yoga towels and stock your yoga studio with affordable, high-quality towels today.
