The 7 Best Exercise Mats For HIIT Workouts

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A good exercise mat can benefit a variety of workouts, both light and intense. What are some of the best exercise mats for HIIT training?

HIIT training can involve a lot of upward and sideways jumps. For these reasons you preferable have a mat with an anti-slip design.

Extra thickness can also be a nice addition so that the mat absorbs some of the shock intensity that would otherwise go to your knees and/or wrists.

Lastly, you want enough room to be able to do all of the HIIT exercises on the exercise mat.

Best exercise mats for HIIT top picks

1. MRO Store Exercise Mat
2. Finer Form Exercise Floor Mat
3. Rogue Individual Mat
4. Square36 Extra Large Exercise Mat
5. SPRI Exercise Mat
6. AG ACTIVEGEAR Large Exercise Mat
7. Gorilla Mats Extra Large Exercise Mat

These exercise mats can typically be used for HIIT exercises like burpees, lateral ski jumps, high knees, HIIT plank variations like mountain climbers, etc.

Most of the exercise mats focus on being anti-slip when dry but remember that most models can get slippery when there is some sweat or spilled water involved. If this is valuable to you, some of the best outdoor exercise mats may be better choices.

Keep in mind that you may prefer certain features and dimensions over others. Sometimes exercise mats lower on the list are better for you personally. Additionally, brands can change their products and prices over time.

How we selected our top picks

Our fitness experts spent a lot of time looking at and comparing all the different important factors of exercise mats for HIIT. Some of the things that were taken into consideration when making our selection include:

• Material, size, thickness, anti-slip or not, etc.
• User reviews
• Anecdotal reviews from fitness experts
• Price
• Brand trustability

If a pick seems interesting click it to see the online prices.

7 Best exercise mats for HIIT reviewed in depth

After the quick overview of the top picks, you may also want to look at the best exercise mats review in more detail.

By going over things like the pros and cons of each model you can make sure the model you have in mind is the right one for you.

1. MRO Store Exercise Mat

This first exercise mat from MRO Store offers a variety of important features at a very reasonable price. One of the main things that stand out is the thickness of the mat.

0.35″ (9 mm) is enough for most uses from floor exercises to HIIT exercises like burpees and squat jumps. There are HIIT mats that are thicker than this but the model from MRO Store offers the 0.35″ (9 mm) at a relatively budget-friendly price.

The main downside is that the exercise mat can get a bit slippery when sweating. You do get an additional towel to wipe the mat clean but a better material choice could potentially resolve this issue.

Additionally, not everyone needs a mat as big as this model. If that is the case for you, MRO Store offers a variety of other exercise mats that can be used for HIIT too.

When it comes to dimensions the MRO Store Exercise Mat is 7′ x 5′ (84″ x 60″ = 213.36 cm x 152.4 cm). This should be big enough for most people and HIIT exercises but there are bigger models too if necessary.

Next, this exercise mat is designed to be anti-slip when dry and made to be compatible with a variety of floor types.

It is relatively easy to try out these different floor types because of the attention to portability features like the carry straps and bag.

Two other nice additions are the jump rope that comes with the HIIT workout mat and the lifetime after-sale surface. MRO Store has a nice number of customers that tend to be really happy with their purchases.

2. Finer Form Exercise Floor Mat

The next exercise mat for HIIT focuses on implementing the essential dimensions at a budget-friendly price.

This Exercise Floor Mat from Finer Form is on the thinner side compared to the other options in this article. Even so, 0.25″ (6.35 mm) can definitely still be enough.

Especially if you don’t plan to do a lot of jumping and/or your body can easily deal with this.

Additionally, the Finer Form Exercise Floor Mat is a bit smaller than the previous option. This is potentially a downside for certain exercises but it does make this HIIT exercise mat more portable and storable.

This HIIT workout mat from Finer Form is 6′ x 3.3′ (182.88 cm x 100.58 cm). It is made from rubber foam with the goal of avoiding slipping when using the top side of the mat, at least when dry.

To prevent the bottom side of the mat from slipping, customer support recommends using the mat on a hard surface. Not something like a carpet.

All in all, the Finer Form Exercise Floor Mat has both upsides and downsides. If you want a portable, inexpensive, and compact HIIT exercise mat and don’t care too much about thickness and big dimensions, this could be the option for you.

In any case, Finer Form has a nice number of customers who tend to be very happy with their purchases.

3. Rogue Individual Mat

Rogue Fitness is a popular fitness brand that is typically known for its weight lifting equipment. Even so, they also offer a variety of other fitness-related products like this Rogue Individual Mat that can be used for HIIT workouts.

When it comes to their other equipment, Rogue is generally a bit pricier and with more focus on quality. For this exercise mat, the price is very reasonable and the quality is still high.

One potential downside is that the Rogue Individual Mat is relatively small. This makes it easier to carry with you and easier to store but this also means that certain HIIT exercises won’t be an option.

More specifically, the dimensions of the Rogue Individuals Mat are 6′ x 3′ (182.88 cm x 91.44 cm). As you can see from the product pictures this exercise mat is designed to be easy to roll up thanks to the pre-designed folds in the mat.

0.625″ (15.9 mm) is relatively thick for a HIIT exercise mat. If your body has any trouble with jumps or your wrists are uncomfortable in a high plank position, this mat could resolve your issues.

Something else that works in favor of the customer is that Rogue has a brand name to uphold. If you do have any issues with their U.S.A.-made products, customer support will likely take good care of you.

4. Square36 Extra Large Exercise Mat

The next HIIT mat from Square36 is, as the name implies, very large. If you (plan to) do HIIT exercises with a lot of room requirements this could be the right choice for you.

This size is likely not the best model to take to your friend’s house for a partner workout but many customers still find the Square36 Exercise Mat easy to roll up and store at home.

Similar to many of the other HIIT workout mats, this model can get slippery when there is a lot of sweat involved.

The dimensions of the Square36 Extra Large Exercise Mat are 10′ x 6′ (304.8 cm x 182.88 cm). This model has a thickness of 0.27″ (7 mm) which is a bit thinner compared to many other options.

For strong bodies and softer exercises this is typically not a problem. On the other hand, individuals with weaker knees, ankles, and wrists who still want to do a lot of jumping and high plank variations may want to choose other HIIT exercise mats.

Even with these potential downsides, there are many customers that are really satisfied with their Extra Large Exercise Mat from Square36.

5. SPRI Exercise Mat

The SPRI Exercise Mat is a thick model with relatively compact dimensions. This makes it relatively easy to carry and store but can be a bit too small for certain individuals and HIIT exercises.

In terms of total price this mat for HIIT is relatively cheap but per square foot, the price is on the higher side. Even for such a thick mat.

SPRI has a lot of happy customers but when it comes to HIIT workouts this mat is definitely for a relatively specific audience that values mat thickness and compactness.

The total size of the SPRI Exercise Mat is 5.9′ x 1.9′ (179.8 cm x 57.9 cm) which is on the smaller side. For exercises like lateral (ski) jumps this mat is likely not suited, even if you are on the smaller side.

On the other hand, the thickness can protect body parts like your ankles, knees, and wrists. If you value this a lot some of the best thick exercise mats could be an even better choice.

SPRI claims this mat has the sturdiness of commercial gym and club models. However, there still are a few customers that find that their mat gets damaged relatively easily.

The high number of positive customer reviews implies these are the exceptions.

6. AG ACTIVEGEAR Large Exercise Mat

This next exercise mat for HIIT workouts is a good example that budget-friendly does not necessarily mean a bad product. The AG ACTIVEGEAR Exercise Mat is medium-sized and made with anti-slip material (as long as the mat is dry).

Something to keep in mind is that the mat is a bit thinner. Depending on your personal situation and training plans this can be a downside or upside. Additionally, you likely want to put this mat on hard surfaces to avoid any slipping.

On the other hand, this HIIT workout mat also stands out in positive ways. You can 2 extra roll-up straps, a carry bag, and a jump rope with this model.

AG ACTIVEGEAR also tries to pay attention to the customer with their after-sales service and money-back guarantee.

7. Gorilla Mats Extra Large Exercise Mat

The first thing that stands out in this Extra Large Exercise Mat from Gorilla Mats is that it is relatively pricey even when it comes to price per square foot. Especially if you consider that this is a relatively thin exercise mat compared to other options.

Something else that is noticeable is that Gorilla Mats has a high number of happy customers with very few complaints. If you really value lowering your risk on any returns and don’t mind paying more for it, you could consider this model from Gorilla Mats.

In short, you can describe this last exercise mat for HIIT workouts as the “peace of mind but pricey” option. If you are looking for thick and cheap mats some of the other options will likely be better.

How to choose an exercise mat for HIIT

If you are still not sure what exercise mat would be the best for your HIIT workouts you can look at certain features more in depth to find out which ones are the most important for your personal situation, training goals, budget, etc.

Size

To take full advantage of your purchase you want to make sure the HIIT workout mat will be large enough for the exercises you intend to do. An exercise like high knees will require a lot less room than sideways ski jumps, skater jumps, and burpees.

On top of that, taller individuals typically require bigger exercise mats because of the size of their bodies.

You can do the exercises you have in mind somewhere you can measure the dimensions more or less to get a better idea of exactly how big your exercise mat needs to be.

A benefit of good large exercise mats is that they tend to slip less because of the bigger contact surface with the ground.

Anti-slip

High-intensity interval training can involve a lot of sideways movements and sweating. Slipping during these exercises can be annoying in the best case, and lead to injuries in the worst cases.

Some exercise mats focus more on avoiding this than others. They can do this by changing the materials, texture, fluid absorption, etc. of the HIIT exercise mats.

Mat thickness

Putting your body under the right amounts of pressure can make it stronger (if you give it enough nutrients and rest). However, it is also possible to overdo it.

During HIIT training there are often exercises with jumps and/or exercises where you lean on your wrists in a plank position. Doing these at the right intensity can help you strengthen your ankles, knees, hips, back, and wrists.

However, you may notice that these body parts hurt during your HIIT. To be able to keep doing these exercises without injuries an exercise mat that is a little thicker can be helpful.

Portability

One of the fun aspects of many HIIT workouts is that you can do them in different places. Whether that means a different room at home or a trip to a friend’s house, an exercise mat that is portable makes things more convenient.

Some of the factors that influence this in an exercise mat are weight, how they roll up, size, etc.

Even if you only plan to move your mat from the storage space to the ground, good portability can save you some time and help you avoid a bit of annoyance.

If you are just looking for a set-and-forget HIIT exercise, you can mostly ignore portability.

Price

Exercise mats can be a good equipment investment for your HIIT workouts. That being said, sometimes you can get very similar benefits for a lower price. By making a better choice you can save yourself some money.

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