The Best Way to Pack Your Yoga Mat for Travel

A Mindful Guide to Taking Your Practice on the Go

Whether you’re heading to a sunlit retreat, exploring a new city, or just commuting across town, your yoga mat is more than gear it’s your personal grounding space. But traveling with it doesn’t have to feel like a chore.

Here’s how to pack your mat with ease and intention, bringing along everything you need and nothing you don’t so your practice can move with you, wherever life takes you.

Step 1: Choose the Right Mat

Not all mats are made for travel. The trick is finding one that supports your flow while fitting seamlessly into your life whether that means folding it into your suitcase or rolling it under your arm. Luckily, we offer four travel-ready options:

PRO® Travel - A compact version of our iconic PRO® mat, offering the same stability and durability in a smaller, portable design. Comes with our renowned lifetime guarantee.

eKO® Superlite - Lightweight and textured, perfect to use on its own or layered over a rental mat. Ideal for minimalist travel.

Shala Yoga Rug - Soft, handwoven, and easy to roll. This traditional rug moves beautifully from space to space.

GRP® Travel - Built for sweat and grippy from the very start, perfect for hot yoga on the go.

👉 Find your ideal travel mat

Step 2: Clean Before You Pack

Before your mat hits the road and after your travels take a moment to refresh it. Wipe it down with a gentle cleanser or cloth, especially after a sweaty class. Make sure your mat is completely dry before packing it into your bag. This simple step helps extend your mat’s life, keeps your luggage fresh, and ensures you’re unrolling a clean, inviting surface wherever you go.

Explore mat cleaners

Explore hand towels

Step 3: Fold or Roll with Intention

How you pack your mat depends on your travel needs. All Manduka travel mats can be folded or rolled, so you can choose the method that works best for you. Whatever approach you take, keep it simple:

• Fold: Create squares and slip your mat into a carry-on or backpack. Flat, compact, and easy to transport.

• Roll: Roll tightly from top to bottom, keeping the practice side facing out. This helps the mat lay flatter when you unroll it at your destination.

Step 4: Consider the Essentials

If you have a little extra space, toss in a towel or strap these small accessories can make a big difference on the road.

• Towels (like eQua® or yogitoes®) provide extra grip, absorb sweat, and act as a layer over studio mats or unfamiliar surfaces. They’re versatile too they can double as a beach towel, face towel, or travel companion, so you’re not overpacking.

• Straps serve multiple purposes: they can help deepen poses, act as a carry solution, or even bundle together items in your bag, keeping your practice gear organized.

Think of these little extras as small comforts that help you maintain a steady rhythm, no matter where life or your yoga practice takes you.

P.S. Don’t overlook the mini block it’s a hidden gem for travel practice.