The 7 Best Thick Exercise Mats For Top Workouts

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Exercise mats come in a variety of styles, shapes, and sizes. For certain workouts, the best thick exercise mats will come in handy.

Thick exercise mats are typically used for activities like gymnastics, martial arts, yoga, creating a playroom, jump exercises, etc. Besides thickness, portability, storability, durability, and a budget-friendly price are welcome too.

Best thick exercise mats top picks

  1. ProsourceFit Tri-Fold Folding Thick Exercise Mat (6’x2’x1.5″)
  2. BalanceFrom Thick Tri-Fold Folding Exercise Mat (6’x2’x2″)
  3. We Sell Mats Exercise Mat (8’x4’x2″)
  4. ProsourceFit Extra Thick Yoga Pilates Exercise Mat (5.9’x2’x1″)
  5. Prosource Fit Extra Thick Puzzle Exercise Mat (24 or 72 square feet x 1″ or 3/4″)
  6. RitFit Upgraded Folding Exercise Mat (6’x3’x2″ and other sizes)
  7. BalanceFrom Thick Tri-Fold Folding Exercise Mat 2 (6’x2’x1.5″)

The numbers after each model indicate the length and width in feet and the thickness in inches. Puzzle exercise mats can be adjusted to your preference so one of the Prosource models is noted in square foot

Keep in mind that you may prefer certain features, styles, and dimensions over others. Sometimes thick exercise mats lower on the list are better for your personal needs. 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 the best thick exercise mats. Some of the things that were taken into consideration when making our selection include:

  • Material, thickness, transportability, etc.
  • User reviews
  • Anecdotal reviews from fitness experts
  • Total price and price per square foot
  • Brand trustability

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

7 Best thick exercise mats reviewed in depth

The short top picks list can help you make a fast choice. If you are interested in more details and the pros and cons of each option, you can find the best thick exercise mats reviewed below.

1. ProsourceFit Tri-Fold Folding Thick Exercise Mat

Prosourcefit is a fitness brand that has a lot of experience with a variety of exercise mat types. This tri-folding thick model is a good reflection of the experience they have built up in this area.

The thickness of the mats on this list varies from 1″ to 2″. This Prosourcefit model is 1.5″ (3.81 cm) thick which should be enough for many uses.

Pros

  • Thickness of 1.5″ (3.81 cm)
  • Size of 6′ x 2′ (182.88 cm x 60.96 cm)
  • A lot of happy customers
  • Very positive ratio of customer reviews
  • Budget-friendly
  • Foldable design with two carrying handles

Cons

  • Mat could be a bit too small for certain exercises

As a few happy customers mention, you can use this mat for things like tumbling and gymnastics.

Two nice additions are the foldable design and two carrying handles. This makes the mat not only easy to store but also easy to transport if you want to change workout locations.

At the same time, Prosourcefit offers this exercise mat at a budget-friendly price. Both when it comes to total price and price per square foot.

One thing to keep in mind is that you may need a larger exercise mat for certain workouts.

2. BalanceFrom Thick Tri-Fold Folding Exercise Mat

Pros

  • Thickness of 2″ (5.08 cm)
  • Size of 6′ x 2′ (182.88 cm x 60.96 cm)
  • A lot of happy customers
  • Very positive ratio of customer reviews
  • Foldable design with two carrying handles
  • 2-year BalanceFrom Warranty

Cons

  • Mat could be a bit too small for certain exercises

The next model is one of the 2″ (5.08 cm) thick exercise mats. This offers just a bit more cushioning than the thinner options.

BalanceFrom offers this exercise mat at a very reasonable price. It is just a bit more pricey per square foot than the thinner exercise mats but this is logical if you consider the extra material requirements for a thicker mat.

Something to note is that this is another model with dimensions of 6′ x 2′ (182.88 cm x 60.96 cm). To do certain exercises and workouts, this could be a bit too small.

For example, the best exercise mats for HIIT workouts tend to be a good amount bigger.

That being said, as the really high number of positive customers state, this is definitely one of the best picks when it comes to thick exercise mats. Even if something does initially go wrong, you can make use of the 2-year warranty.

3. We Sell Mats Exercise Mat

Pros

  • Thickness of 2″ (5.08 cm)
  • Size of 8′ x 4′ (243.84 cm x 121.92 cm)
  • Very positive ratio of customer reviews
  • Foldable design with two carrying handles
  • Velcro strips to combine multiple mats

Cons

  • Not everyone needs a big mat like this
  • A bit pricier than most of the other thick exercise mats

The thick exercise mat from We Sell Mats is a bit different from many of the other options. These differences have upsides and downsides.

First of all, this mat is of a relatively big size. On the one hand, this makes it extra great for certain exercises and workouts. On the other hand, this costs a bit more and not everyone needs this extra room.

Another difference is that this model from We Sell Mats has a velcro system that allows you to attach multiple mats to each other. If you plan to cushion a big surface area two or more thick exercise mats will fit together nicely.

One potential downside is that this thick exercise is a bit pricier (both in total and per square foot) than the other options. This is partly due to the bigger surface and thickness of 2″ (5.08 cm) but does still require a bigger investment.

4. ProsourceFit Extra Thick Yoga Pilates Exercise Mat

Pros

  • Thickness of 1″ (2.54 cm)
  • Size of 5.9′ x 2′ (179.8 cm x 60.96 cm)
  • A lot of happy customers
  • Compact
  • Budget-friendly
  • Anti-slip design (when dry)

Cons

  • Mat could be a bit too small for certain exercises
  • A few customers find the durability questionable

As the name implies, this next thick exercise mat from Prosourcefit is aimed toward workouts like yoga and pilates. This leads to differences in thickness and design.

For some people and exercises a thickness of 1″ (2.54 cm) is more than enough. Additionally, this thinner design makes the Prosourcefit Thick Yoga Mat a bit more compact and portable.

On the other hand, this will obviously offer less cushioning than some of the thicker options. Additionally, some customers find the durability of this exercise mat a bit questionable.

That being said, there are still a lot of customers that are happy with their purchases. This is also definitely one of the more budget-friendly options.

5. Prosource Fit Extra Thick Puzzle Exercise Mat

Pros

  • Thickness of 1″ (2.54 cm)
  • Total of 24 or 72 square feet
  • Shape is adjustable due to puzzle design
  • A lot of happy customers
  • Budget-friendly
  • Anti-slip texture (when dry)

Cons

  • Not as convenient to remove and lay down again

The Prosource Fit Extra Thick Puzzle Exercise Mat mainly stands out from the other options because of its puzzle design. That means you get different thick mat tiles that interlock with each other.

A benefit of this is that you can adjust the shape of your mat. For some exercises you may want a big square, for others more of a long rectangle.

One downside of this puzzle design is that it takes more time and effort to remove and lay down again. If you want to be able to clear the room after a workout some of the other options will be better.

If 1″ (2.54 cm) of thickness is enough for you, and you like the idea of a puzzle design, this model from Prosourcefit can be a budget-friendly way to improve your workouts.

6. RitFit Upgraded Folding Exercise Mat

Pros

  • Thickness of 2″ (5.08 cm)
  • Size of 6′ x 3′ (182.88 cm x 91.44 cm)
  • Very positive ratio of customer reviews
  • Foldable design with two carrying handles
  • Available in three different sizes

Cons

  • Customers mention they have to pay return shipping costs themselves

This next exercise mat is another model that is 2″ (5.08 cm) thick. At the time of writing, Ritfit offers 3 different sizes. These are 3’x6′, 4’x8′, and 4’x10′. For most people at least one of these will be the right size.

Similar to many other thick exercise mats, the Ritfit model is a good foldable exercise mat and includes two carrying handles.

Customers tend to be really happy with their purchases. However, if you are one of the few people who are not satisfied with their purchases, you will likely have to pay return shipping costs yourself.

7. BalanceFrom Thick Tri-Fold Folding Exercise Mat 2

Pros

  • Thickness of 1.5″ (3.81 cm)
  • Size of 6′ x 2′ (182.88 cm x 60.96 cm)
  • A lot of happy customers
  • Budget-friendly
  • Foldable design with two carrying handles
  • 2-year BalanceFrom Warranty

Cons

  • Mat could be a bit too small for certain exercises

The Thick Tri-Fold Folding Exercise Mat is another thick exercise mat from BalanceFrom. This time the model is 1.5″ (3.81 cm) thick. Some individuals may need to choose a 2″ model but for many people, this thickness will be enough.

One of the benefits of choosing exercise mats that are slightly thinner is that they are generally more budget-friendly. This model from BalanceFrom is a good example of that.

At the same time, there is still a lot of focus on quality as the many happy customers mention. Additionally, if you are not happy with your product you can make use of the 2-year BalanceFrom Warranty.

One potential downside is that this thick exercise mat is another model that is slightly smaller. For workouts that require a lot of room you likely need a bigger model.

FAQ

Does the thickness of an exercise mat matter?

For most workouts the thickness of the exercise mat matters in one way or another. In certain situations you want the mat to be thick so it can absorb shocks and make certain exercises more comfortable. In other situations like HIIT without a lot of jumping a thinner exercise mat will typically offer a sturdier base and easier storage.

Is a thicker yoga mat better?

Thicker yoga mats offer more cushioning which tends to be more comfortable. On the other hand, thicker yoga mats give you a less stable base. Whether a thicker yoga mat is better depends on your personal situation, the exercises you intend to do, and your personal preference.

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Author:

Matt Claes founded Weight Loss Made Practical to help people get in shape and stay there after losing 37 pounds and learning the best of the best about weight loss, health, and longevity for over 4 years. Over these years he has become an expert in nutrition, exercise, and other physical health aspects.