Start with the things that cost nothing, because four of them fix most cases. A new mat is the last resort on this list, not the first, and several of the most repeated remedies online will shorten your mat's life rather than improve its grip.
Four free fixes solve most slipping. Buying a new mat solves one cause out of six.
Free, and try these first
- Wipe the mat properly. Water and a little mild soap on a cloth, then dry it flat. A film of old sweat and skin oil reduces grip on its own, and this alone tells you within one session whether that was your problem.
- Dry your hands mid-practice. A small towel at the top of the mat. Unglamorous, and it removes the film rather than fighting it.
- Spread your fingers and grip. Pressing flat with the heel of the hand loads the exact spot that slides. Spreading the fingers and gripping with the fingertips changes the load and often the problem.
- Use it for two weeks. If the mat is new, the surface has not worn in. This is the most common cause and the one that needs patience rather than money.
Cheap, and genuinely effective
- A towel across the mat. The standard answer for sweaty practice, used in every hot studio. It is also an admission that the surface is not right for that session, which is useful information.
- A damp towel, deliberately. Counterintuitive and it works: a slightly damp towel grips better than a dry one under sweaty hands.
- Move off the carpet. A mat on carpet slides on the pile, whatever the mat. Hard floor is more stable, not less.
What does not work, and what damages the mat
Four popular remedies, all of which appear high in search results:
| Remedy | What it actually does |
|---|---|
| Leaving it in the sun | 🔴 UV and ozone degrade rubber. It cracks the surface and the grip is gone permanently |
| Essential oils | 🔴 They attack rubber. Present in almost every homemade recipe and on every list of what not to use |
| Alcohol | 🔴 Dries out and degrades the surface |
| Sea salt, hairspray, sugar | A sticky residue that attracts dirt. Better for a day, worse afterwards |
The sun one is the most damaging and the most repeated, usually offered as a way to deal with a new mat's smell. It trades a smell that was going to disappear for permanent damage. More in how to care for a yoga mat.
Worth buying, in order
- A yoga towel. Twenty euros, solves sweat, works on any mat.
- Grip socks or gloves. They solve the hand and foot side and do nothing for a mat that moves on the floor. Some people find they change the feel of the practice too much.
- A mat cleaner. Only if you check the ingredients: many contain alcohol or essential oils, which is what you were trying to avoid.
- A new mat. Last, and only for two of the six causes: the wrong material for how much you sweat, or a mat that is genuinely worn out.
When a new mat really is the answer
Two situations, and only two:
The surface has polished smooth where your hands land and you slide in the same two spots every session while the rest still feels fine. Cleaning will not bring texture back.
You sweat heavily on a closed cell surface. No amount of cleaning changes the physics, and cork or an open cell surface is a different answer rather than a better version of the same one. We compare them in natural rubber or cork.
If your mat travels across the floor instead, the answer is density and not surface, which is why grippy mats are heavy.
The short version
Clean it, dry your hands, spread your fingers, give a new mat two weeks. Then a towel. A new mat is sixth on the list, and never leave it in the sun.
To work out which cause is yours, start with why do I slip on my yoga mat. The physics is in our guide to non-slip mats.
