Alo Yoga Warrior Mat review: soft, spongy and stable
In T3’s Alo Yoga Warrior Yoga Mat review, I stretched, posed and worked out on this yoga mat to see if Alo Yoga was actually worth the hype.
Whether you’re a beginner, expert or just want a soft surface to stretch on, the best yoga mat is a worthwhile investment. It’s quite a simple product yet it makes a huge difference to your yoga sessions, Pilates practices and other workouts. A brand that often pops up when discussing yoga equipment is Alo Yoga.
I’m a relatively new yogi but I’ve seen Alo Yoga everywhere and people in my life who love yoga have recommended the brand for its mats and activewear. With a focus on improving my flexibility this year – I can barely touch my toes – I decided to give the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat a try to see how well it performed. Read on for my full review.
Alo Yoga Warrior Mat review: price and availability
The Warrior Mat is £130 and available to buy at Alo Yoga. The yoga mat comes in many different colours, including black (which I tested), jungle green, dove grey, eclipse navy, powder pink, smoky quartz and highlighter yellow. Alo Yoga mats are on the more expensive end of the spectrum, with other yoga mats starting from £20.
Alo Yoga Warrior Mat review: unboxing
The Alo Yoga Warrior Mat arrived in a big cardboard box and came rolled up with a white wrapper curled around it to keep it together. Measuring 6.2ft x 2.2ft x 5mm and weighing approximately 8lbs, I was surprised to find that the Warrior Mat was surprisingly heavy. I carried the yoga mat on my commute from the office to my house and it was a bit of a struggle. I’m not the strongest person in the world (nor the weakest!), but it was very weighty so if you’re someone who carts their yoga mat around with them regularly, this should be taken into consideration.
Alo Yoga Warrior Mat review: design and features
The Warrior Mat is made from ethically sourced, all-natural rubber and is 100% formaldehyde and PVC-free and non-toxic. When I unfurled the Warrior Mat, I could feel the quality of the material and found that it didn’t smell too strong, which is what you often find with other yoga mats on the market.
Speaking of smell, the Warrior Mat is anti-odour and moisture-wicking so it won’t get overly sweaty or smell if you use it for a while without cleaning it (see how to clean a yoga mat for more details). It’s cushioned for joint support, is slip-free and dries surprisingly quickly, without leaving any big stains or marks.
Both the top and bottom of the yoga mat are extremely smooth and soft to the touch. The top side is the surface where you perform yoga and workouts while the bottom side is what grips to the floor – it’s not reversible if you like that kind of style. The Warrior Mat comes in one block colour in a matte finish with Alo Yoga branding, giving it a sleek and sophisticated look.
Alo Yoga Warrior Mat review: performance
After carrying the Warrior Mat home from the office, I already felt like I’d done a workout but I was still excited to test out the Warrior Mat. When I practice yoga, I tend to focus on routines with a lot of movement as I’m a big fan of cardio. I also used the Warrior Mat for stretching routines and HIIT workouts to see how durable and grippy it was.
When I first unravelled the Warrior Mat, I was pleasantly surprised to see how long and wide it was. At 5ft2, I’m not a tall person but have found that I fall off the end of some mats so I was pleasantly surprised that I could completely lie down on the Warrior Mat and still have space! The texture and thickness of the Warrior Mat impressed me too. It didn’t feel too ‘plump’ and I’d say it’s more on the thinner side but it felt comfortable and cushioning under my hands and feet.
During my yoga and at-home HIIT workouts, I appreciated the grippiness of the Warrior Mat. Even when I was jumping around, the mat didn’t move underneath me although I did notice that it picks up dirt quite easily. What it doesn’t pick up is sweat, so you won’t feel overly hot and sticky, or like you’re sliding around while moving through poses. During one test, I did a few exercises on my back and when I got up, I could see a faint sweat outline. I left it for a couple minutes before going to put the mat away and the mark had gone.
Alo Yoga Warrior Mat review: verdict
There’s a lot of hype around the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat and after testing it, I can see why. Aside from its good looks and high quality materials, the Warrior Mat is an exceptionally good yoga and exercise mat. It doesn’t move around while you use it, it’s comfortable to lie on and touch, and sweat and smells don’t linger on it.
While the heaviness and price are a bit of a drawback, I couldn’t recommend the Warrior Mat enough. I have a ridiculous amount of yoga mats at my house, but I always find myself gravitating towards the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat for all my workouts and yoga practices.
Alo Yoga Warrior Mat review: alternatives to consider
A good alternative to the Alo Yoga Warrior Mat is the Liforme Yoga Mat. It sits at the top of T3’s best yoga mat guide and has been championed for its premium and padded feel, plus it's a bit cheaper than the Warrior Mat.
Another honourable mention is the Lululemon The Reversible Mat. It has great grip, just like the Warrior Mat, and has a clever 2-in-1 design that you can flip between depending on your workout.
