The Best Exercise Mats for Your Home Gym Workouts

June 07, 2018

If you're building a home gym, the exercise mat is the piece of gear you'll use every single session — yet most people buy it last and spend the least thought on it. That's a mistake. The right mat protects your joints, your floors, and your workout focus. The wrong one slips, bottoms out, and quietly becomes a hazard.

This guide covers everything: what separates a good mat from a bad one, how to size it for your space and workouts, and who each type of mat is really built for. By the end, you'll know exactly what to buy — and why.

What Makes a Good Exercise Mat?

A quality exercise mat earns its spot in your gym by checking four boxes:

• Thickness: Enough cushion to protect wrists, knees, elbows, and hips on hard floors — without so much that you lose balance during standing exercises.
• Size: Big enough that you never step off the mat mid-exercise. Standard yoga mats (68" x 24") are useless for HIIT, burpees, or floor circuits.
• Grip: Non-slip on both surfaces — your feet and hands above, and the floor below. Slip during a plank or downward dog and the mat is a liability, not an asset.
• Durability: Holds its shape after thousands of sessions and cleans easily.

Exercise Mat Thickness Guide

Thickness	Best For	Not Ideal For
1/16" – 1/8" (1.5–3mm)	Pilates, balance work, travel	Anyone with joint sensitivity
1/4" (6mm), high-density	HIIT, cardio and strength training in shoes	Barefoot-only yoga (a softer mat is more comfortable)
8mm, softer	Barefoot yoga, Pilates, stretching	Shoes and heavy equipment
1/2"+ (13mm+)	Joint rehab, seniors, gentle movement	Standing balance exercises

The sweet spot for most home gym users: 1/4" (6mm) of high-density padding. Firm enough for shoes and burpee landings, stable enough that you still feel the floor under your feet during lunges and squats. For barefoot yoga and stretching, 8mm of softer padding is more comfortable.

Exercise Mat Size Guide

This is where most people get burned. A standard yoga mat is 68" x 24" — about the size of a bath towel. For yoga, that's workable. For a home gym circuit, it's laughably small.

Here's how to size it right:

• Standard (72" x 24"): Yoga and light stretching only. You'll constantly step off during anything dynamic.
• Large (6' x 4' or 72" x 48"): The minimum for home gym use. Covers a single person doing full push-up to standing sequences.
• Extra-Large (7' x 5' or 84" x 60"): Ideal. You can do mountain climbers, bear crawls, inchworms — anything — without leaving the mat. Gorilla Mats' large exercise mat comes in this size and seven others, from 6' x 4' to 15' x 6'.

Rule of thumb: measure your wingspan. Now measure your height. Your mat should be wider than your wingspan and longer than your height. Most people need at least 5' x 6' for total freedom of movement.

Who Needs What: Matching Mat to Workout

HIIT & Cardio

You need size (to move freely), grip (to prevent slipping mid-jump), and cushion (to absorb landing impact). Priority order: size > grip > cushion. Go with an extra-large mat.

Strength Training (Bodyweight & Dumbbell)

Similar needs to HIIT. Also consider floor protection — a thick, heavy mat protects hardwood or tile from dropped dumbbells and scraping. The Gorilla Mat weighs enough to stay anchored but is still rollable for storage.

Yoga & Pilates

Grip is paramount. Cushion matters less than you'd think — most experienced yogis prefer thinner mats (4–6mm) for better ground contact. But if you're doing yoga and other floor exercises on the same mat, 8–10mm hits the sweet spot. See our full large yoga mat guide.

Recovery & Stretching

Any quality mat works here. The size matters most — you want to sprawl out for pigeon pose or a full spinal twist without adjusting the mat every 30 seconds.

Seniors & Joint Rehab

Prioritize cushion (10–13mm), non-slip surfaces, and a mat that lies flat without curling edges (which are trip hazards).

Exercise Mat Comparison: What to Look For vs. What to Avoid

Feature	Green Flag ✅	Red Flag ❌
Size	Extra-large (6'+ x 4'+)	Standard yoga dimensions (24" wide)
Thickness	1/4" (6mm) high-density for shoes; 8mm for barefoot	Under 4mm for HIIT
Bottom surface	Textured, non-slip	Smooth — will slide on hardwood
Warranty	Lifetime or multi-year	30 days or none

Frequently Asked Questions

How thick should a home gym exercise mat be?

For most people doing a mix of cardio, strength, and stretching: 1/4" (6mm) of high-density padding. This provides enough cushion for floor exercises without destabilizing balance during standing moves.

Can I use a yoga mat as an exercise mat?

A standard yoga mat is too narrow and often too thin for home gym use. If you buy an extra-large yoga mat (like Gorilla Mats' large yoga mat at 8mm), it can double as a home gym mat for most workouts. Just know that shoes, intense HIIT and jumping are better served by the 1/4" exercise mat, which is built for shoes.

How do I clean an exercise mat?

Mix water with a small amount of mild dish soap or diluted white vinegar. Spray and wipe down with a microfiber cloth. Avoid harsh chemicals, which wear down the surface. Let it air dry completely before rolling or storing.

What size exercise mat do I need for my home gym?

At minimum, 6' x 4'. Ideally 7' x 5' or larger. Measure your available floor space, then get the biggest mat that fits. You'll never regret extra real estate during a workout.

Are exercise mats worth it for home gyms?

Absolutely. A quality mat protects your floors (hardwood replacement costs thousands), cushions your joints (avoiding injury that sidelines your training), and provides grip that makes every exercise safer and more effective. It's the highest-ROI purchase in your home gym.

How to Care for Your Exercise Mat (So It Lasts)

A quality mat is a multi-year investment. Proper care extends its life significantly.

• Clean after sweaty sessions: Mix water with a small amount of mild dish soap or diluted white vinegar. Spray and wipe with a microfiber cloth. Let air dry completely before rolling.
• Avoid harsh chemicals: Bleach, acetone, and heavy-duty cleaners wear down the surface and break down the grip texture early.
• Store unrolled when possible: If you have the floor space, leaving the mat flat prevents curl-edge formation. If you must roll it, roll loosely with the top surface facing out.
• Keep out of direct sunlight: UV exposure degrades all mat materials over time. Store in a shaded area or in a mat bag when not in use.
• Shoes on exercise mats only: Exercise mats are built for shoes. Yoga mats are barefoot only; shoes and weights can damage the softer surface.

Exercise Mat Red Flags: When to Replace Your Mat

Even a quality mat has a lifespan. Here are the signs it's time to replace yours:

• The surface is visibly peeling, crumbling, or pilling
• You're sliding during exercises you used to grip confidently
• The mat has taken on a permanent compression set in high-contact areas (it doesn't spring back)
• The edges are curling severely, creating a trip hazard

A quality mat like the Gorilla Mat should show none of these signs for 5–10 years under regular use.

Our Recommendation: Gorilla Mats Large Exercise Mat

After evaluating size, grip, and durability, the Gorilla Mats Large Exercise Mat is our top pick for home gym use. Here's why it consistently outperforms the competition:

• Extra-large dimensions — gives you the floor space to actually move without restriction
• High-density padding — premium cushion, built to last years
• Non-slip bottom — stays anchored on hardwood, tile, and carpet without curling
• Lifetime guarantee — because a mat that needs replacing every year isn't a deal, it's a cost

Whether you're doing morning yoga, afternoon HIIT, or evening mobility work, one mat covers everything. That's the point.

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