Oversized Yoga Mats For Large People

Yoga is not easy for an overweight person, I’ll be the first to admit that. Poses need to be modified and extra support is a must if you want to succeed. These are things I learned the hard way until I found out about overweight specific yoga. I also learned about oversized yoga mats for large people when first entering a yoga class that specifically deals with overweight people.

Attending yoga classes with people of a similar size to you is a massive motivation boost. Instead of feeling intimidated and scared because of how much regular poses can hurt and be difficult with the extra weight, you feel encouraged and welcomed into class. Even other classmates are helpful and encouraging to be around.

If you’re in the New York area, Buddha Body has yoga classes for overweight people.
Once you feel comfortable with the people around you, the next best thing you can do to making yoga more comfortable is to invest in an oversized extra thick yoga mat. While some people will tell you that you don’t need an extra thick mat, I think it’s certainly not an option to rule out.

Compare Yoga Mats By Thickness

Do You Need An Extra Thick Yoga Matt When Overweight?

Why?. Well we aren’t all the same level of fitness and we aren’t all the same weight. An extra thick yoga mat will provide better comfort and support for oversized bodies. Sure it will be heavier and more cumbersome to drive around or walk around town with.

But when you’re overweight and performing yoga poses such as the plank and downward-facing dog, the extra weight being forced on the wrists can be excruciating. Thinner mats simply don’t provide enough suspension for us larger people if you ask me.

Or if you have joint issues and bad knees to begin with, a thicker mat will help ease the burden. Poses such as the Camel and the Chaturanga present a lot of kneeling which causes pressure on the knees, not to mention the poses like ‘The Boat’ that impact the tailbone. So a thicker mat makes sense if you do these poses and carry extra body weight around.

Thickest Yoga Mat For Support & Resistance

I’m not a huge fan of those extra-thick yoga mats that fold up into 3 or 4 squares, I find the joints where it square meets to be too weak and I lose balance as a result of placing my feet or hand on the joints. Instead, I prefer to use the thickest one-piece yoga mat available.

One of the thickest I’ve come across is the Hatha Large Yoga Mat. This pad has an incredible thickness of 0.5″. At 1/2 an inch in thickness, it is as much as 3-4 times thicker than regular yoga mats.

But it’s not just the thickness that is impressive, as you could do yoga on a pile of marshmallows 6 inches thick and get no benefit from it. But its the resilience and support the closed-cell foam provides.

This mat uses a PVC FREE foam known as TPE (Thermoplastic elastomers). This type of yoga mat material is the ideal surface for a heavy person as it provides superior support without compromising the softness on the skin.

The material is springy enough that you can push off the mat to change poses without your foot fitting the hard floor beneath it. Yet, while in position the TPE material provides a dense foundation solid enough to support heavier people.

Closed Cell Foam Provides A Cleaner Surface

Another benefit of using the Amity Plus yoga mat is that it is designed using closed-cell foam. This means that your sweat or any water spillage won’t seep into the material. This is essentially a protection mechanism for the pad so that bacteria can’t find its way into the material and thrive. It also means you can wipe down and sweat and or water without it seeping into the mat.

In terms of size, it is not the biggest yoga mat on this list, however, it is the thickest as previously mentioned. But in saying that, unless you are big and tall, this mat should be suitable thanks to its decent size of 24″ wide x 72″ long.

Another important feature a big person needs to consider is the amount of grip provided by the pad. As falling over as a big person is never enjoyable, so it’s essential your pad has sufficient grip.

With the Amity Plus you get textured grip on both sides of the mat. This double-sided grip means the mat can grip to the floor and won’t slide around beneath you. While it also means your feet have a much better surface to work on as the top is also textured for maximum gripping.

Overall, for the price of this mat, I find it to be a very good contender to be the best yoga mat for plus size people in general. The thickness is the key feature while the closed-cell structure and the double-sided gripping texture provide the right balance a heavy person needs.

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Best Plus Size Yoga Mats

If you’re looking for a plus size yoga mat that is not double wide yet still oversized suitably for one person, there’s none better than the Jade Fusion. Jade Yoga in my opinion has some of the best quality yoga mats and apparel you can buy.

Quality is the defining feature when it comes to Jade Yoga and this mat being the widest and longest in the Jade Yoga line, quality is what you get. Oversized but not so huge you need to man handle it every time you want to roll it up. This mat is a nice 28 inches wide (4 inches wider than regular) and 80 inches in length. Which makes this yoga mat perfect for the big and tall people.

Extra Thick Yoga Mat

Oversized extra thick, is that what you want from a yoga mat?. This mat is one of the thickest yoga mats I’ve come across. 5/16″ to be precise. While it’s thick, it’s not too soft either. The foundation is firm and supportive.

The extra thickness makes it a great choice for larger people, especially people with bad knees. The extra-thick rubber is Eco friendly as well. Being made from renewable rubber trees, this is a natural rubber and not synthetic.

Because the mat is rubber, traction is no longer a problem. Which is a big deal if you are a heavier person. Landing on the floor from a pose gone bad due to mats not sticking is never a fun pastime.

The Jade Fusion is a two-toned mat. One side is blue and the other purple. The purple side is firmer than the blue which is good as it gives you options depending on your routine and poses.

Overall It’s High Quality

Many people will buy the Jade Fusion simply because the extremely good reputation Jade has going for themselves and many others will buy this particular mat because it is extra wide and longer than regular mats.

But many also won’t buy this mat as it is quite pricey, unfortunately. But don’t get me wrong, it’s worth every penny. It just may be out of reach for some folks. How much exactly?. Well, you can find out the up to date price on amazon here.

Overall you really can’t fault this yoga mat, besides the obvious extra weight due to being extra thick. But that’s what you get when you want support, cushion, and extreme stability. One of the best yoga mats period.

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Best Yoga Mat For Larger People

Before we get into the oversized yoga mats (below), let’s have a look at a more affordable option than the above Jade Fusion. This is a lessor known brand, but still gets some raving reviews for it. Considering it is more affordable I thought it would be a good share also.

The Size Of The Yoga Mat

This extra-large yoga mat is by Cambivo who are a US based supplier of yoga and fitness gear. This mat is larger than the above Jade Fusion. It comes in at an impressive 32 inches wide and 84″ long. So it’s quite roomy even for the big people that want to stretch out on a mat.

The thickness is rated at 1/4″ and offers generous cushioned support for yoga poses where the emphasis is on the knees and back while also being shock absorbing enough to perform insanity jumps.

The mat is made up of closed-cell vinyl foam mixed with mesh fabric. The closed-cell design means that sweat and moisture just wipes away. It doesn’t soak into the mat and create stains and bad smells. What’s also good about closed-cell mats is that they can be washed with water in a bath and not deteriorate. So cleaning this mat is a breeze.

The surface of the mat has a sticky film so that traction on the mat is optimum. This surface can be washed down with a cloth to keep it sticky.

Overall it’s a pretty decent yoga mat for the price. It’s oversized, 1/4″ thick which is quite supportive with a sticky surface and repels sweat. For the price of the Cambivo there really is nothing to argue about when you compare it to some of the high end yoga brand names.

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Best Oversized Extra Thick Yoga Mats

When you want an oversized yoga mat and by oversized I mean much bigger than the two mats available above, you have a few options. Below you can see 4 yoga mats that are extra wide and have extra length to them also.

These mats can be especially good for the home when space is not limited. They can be used for home gyms also, and used as a general workout mat. Because of how wide these yoga mats are, the options are limitless. Perfect for the big man or women wanting space and privacy from the comfort of their own home to perform yoga for heavier people.

Yoga Mat Thickness Options

A regular yoga mat will have a 1/8″ thickness and the extra-thick mats will be around the 1/4″ thickness. Some mats even closer to the 1/4″ thickness. The ultralight thin mats are typically 1/16″ thick and are great for on the go traveling where weight is an issue.

A plus-size yoga mat should be between 1/8″ and 1/3″ thick in my opinion. This will give you the thickness needed to cater to the extra body weight. But do keep in mind that some of the really thick mats can weight about 6-7 pounds. If you have to carry the mat far on foot, it can be quite tiring after a while. But if you drive to yoga classes or practice it at home, the weight of the mat is not an issue.

Does The Yoga Mat Need To Be Oversized?

Another question plus size and overweight people consider is the size of the mat. Taller folks should certainly get an extra long yoga mat and therefore heavier people should get a wider oversized yoga mat.

Oversized mats do come at a cost, however. Weight and money. So sometimes an overweight person can get away with a regular size yoga mat that’s 24″ wide and 68″ long. But for the convenience of extra space, the investment in an oversized yoga mat is well worth the extra investment.