A Guide To Hot Yoga Towels

More Than Sweat: The Transformative Power of Hot Yoga Towels

We’ve all seen the sign outside a hot yoga studio: “Bring your own towel.” But this isn’t just about keeping sweat at bay. A good hot yoga towel whether it’s a small hand towel or a full-length mat towel can completely change the way you move, flow, and feel on your mat.

These towels are designed for more than moisture. They help you stay grounded, focused, and confident throughout your practice. By managing sweat, enhancing grip, and supporting your movement, a hot yoga towel becomes more than an accessory it’s an essential part of your yoga toolkit.

Why Use a Hot Yoga Towel?

A performance towel brings two key benefits to your practice:

• Steady Grip: The towel’s surface activates with moisture, giving your hands and feet the traction they need to stay secure through every pose.

• Sweat Control: It absorbs moisture before it collects on your mat, keeping your surface stable, clean, and slip-free.

Why Grip Matters

For most yogis, grip is everything. It’s what keeps you steady in a challenging pose and confident as you move through your flow. But grip isn’t constant it can change depending on the class style, the temperature in the room, your energy level, or even the time of day. The condition and material of your mat also play a big role, which can sometimes make maintaining traction a struggle.

As your body heats up and your muscles start to work harder, you naturally begin to sweat. That moisture often starting from your hands and feet can quickly turn your mat into a slippery surface.

That’s where a hot yoga towel comes in. Unlike a regular towel, it actually works better with moisture. The more you sweat, the more it grips. A yoga hand towel helps you stay secure when your palms start to slip, while a full-length mat towel offers all-over support once your whole body starts to glisten.

A Few Truths to Sweat By

Let’s be honest everyone sweats. Even in a gentle flow, your palms and feet release tiny amounts of moisture that you might not even notice. On a closed-cell yoga mat (the kind that doesn’t absorb sweat), that subtle moisture can quickly lead to slipping.

That’s where yoga towels come in.

A yoga hand towel is your go-to for any kind of class. On days when you’re not sure how intense your practice will get, it’s the little piece of support that makes a big difference always ready when your grip starts to fade.

A full mat towel, on the other hand, shines during hot or high-energy practices. For best results, lightly mist it before class to activate the grip right from your first downward dog.

And remember there’s no such thing as a one-size-fits-all towel. Materials, sizes, and textures all vary, so the right one is the one that fits you: your body, your practice, and your journey.

Beyond grip, towels also add a layer of hygiene when you’re using shared studio mats and they’re easy to roll up, carry, and toss in the wash after class.

Moisture Management

Yoga may be low impact, but it can build surprising heat from the inside out. Even a few minutes of holding a pose or focusing on your breath can raise your body temperature and when your hands or feet start to sweat, things can get slippery fast. That’s where a performance towel steps in.

Most yoga mats are made with a closed-cell surface, meaning they don’t absorb moisture. While this design helps keep mats clean, it can also create a thin, slick layer between your skin and the mat. It’s totally normal everyone experiences it. A yoga towel helps you stay connected and grounded, absorbing that moisture so you can keep your focus on your flow, not your footing.

What’s the Best Hot Yoga Towel for Your Practice?

Finding the Right Towel for Your Flow.

If you practice hot yoga and find yourself slipping mid-flow, you’re not alone. The solution?

Layer a full yoga mat towel like the yogitoes® Hot Yoga Mat Towel or the eQua® Hot Yoga Mat Towel right over your mat.

Full-length towels are made for those classes where you’re sweating from head to toe. They absorb moisture as it falls, activate grip exactly where you need it, and prevent sweat from pooling on your mat keeping your practice comfortable from the first breath to savasana.

• yogitoes® Hot Yoga Mat Towels offer maximum absorbency and exceptional grip, thanks to their silicone nubs that help the towel stay securely in place, no matter how intense your flow.

• eQua® Hot Yoga Mat Towels provide instant grip activation when slightly damp ideal if you want traction from the very start of class. However, they may shift a bit if they become fully saturated.

Choose yogitoes® if absorbency and staying power are your top priorities.

Choose eQua® if you prefer quick-activating grip and a lighter, softer feel.

If you practice Power Flow and start to slip as the heat builds:

Try the yogitoes® Yoga Hand Towel.

This compact towel truly shines during high-heat, high-energy classes. Its silicone nubs grip the mat and keep the towel securely in place right where you need extra traction for your hands or feet. It’s a great choice for dynamic practices like Ashtanga, when you’re moving with strength and focus but not yet drenched in sweat.

If you practice different styles of yoga and find yourself slipping mid-class:

Reach for the eQua® Yoga Hand Towel.

Losing grip is one of the most common challenges in yoga. When it happens, simply place your towel under your hands or feet to absorb moisture and bring stability back to your poses. Lightweight and easy to move around, this towel adapts to your body’s needs throughout your flow. It’s especially helpful in grounding poses like Warrior, giving you the support you need to stay steady and confident.

If You Slip Even With Dry Hands

If you notice slipping right from the start of your practice even when your hands are dry a towel might not be the solution. In fact, it could make things a bit slipperier.

Instead, check out our Guide to Less Slip for simple adjustments that can make a big difference. Sometimes it’s about returning to the fundamentals: refining your alignment, caring for your mat properly, or avoiding hand cream before class. A few small tweaks can go a long way toward improving your stability and confidence on the mat.

Yogitoes® vs. eQua®: What’s the Difference? 

Choose based on what your body and practice call for. 

yogitoes® Hot Yoga Towels

Experience a textured, tactile surface that keeps you grounded whether your practice is dry, damp, or dripping with heat.

Loved by yogis around the world, yogitoes® Hot Yoga Towels are the most trusted performance towels for hot yoga. Their patented Skidless® Technology, featuring 100% silicone nubs, grips your mat securely to prevent any bunching or slipping.

They’re designed for fast absorption and high saturation, keeping you steady through every pose. Plus, each towel is eco-consciously made from 4+ recycled plastic bottles so you can practice with purpose and peace of mind.

eQua® Hot Yoga Towels

Enjoy a smooth, soft surface that comes to life the moment your practice begins.

The eQua® Hot Yoga Towel is one of the most versatile performance towels in the Manduka collection perfect for everything from gentle flows to high-heat classes. Its moisture-activated grip provides instant traction with your first hint of sweat, keeping you steady and supported throughout your practice.

With reliable absorption and a secure grip to your mat, eQua® towels deliver balanced performance and comfort lightweight, quick-drying, and ready for any kind of flow.

How to Use Your Towel: yogitoes® Hot Yoga Towels

When you notice your grip starting to slip, simply lay a yogitoes® Hot Yoga Mat Towel over your mat or place a Yoga Hand Towel wherever you need extra traction.

Perfect for:

• Sweaty practices: Hot yoga or any high-intensity flow, serving as an absorbent layer between you and your mat.

• Studio mats: Adds hygiene and comfort if you’re using shared mats. Lightweight, portable, and easy to clean, it’s simple to bring along to any class.

Tip: Lightly mist your towel before class to activate the grip and get the most out of every pose.

How to Use Your Towel: eQua® Hot Yoga Towels

Simply lay your eQua® Hot Yoga Towel over your mat to absorb sweat and boost traction. Its soft, suede-like texture is both absorbent and lightweight, making it perfect for any sweaty practice and versatile enough for use beyond the mat.

Perfect for:

• All types of yoga: Hot yoga, vinyasa, power flow just lay it on top of your mat to enhance your practice.

• Everywhere else: Transitions easily to beach, surf, gym, or travel. It doubles as a germ-free gym towel, a meditation shawl to stay cozy during seated practices, or a compact travel/hiking towel that fits easily into any bag.

Tip: Mist both sides of your towel before class to activate the grip and get the most stability from the start.