To use a yoga towel, lay it flat over your mat before class with the grip side down and the long edges lined up with the mat, dampen the corners or the whole towel if your practice is sweaty, press your hands and feet down into it instead of sliding them, and hang it to dry afterwards; a smaller hand towel is used only for wiping, never for standing on.
That is the whole method, but each step has a reason, and skipping one is why people say a yoga towel "slides" or "does not work". Below is the step-by-step use for a full-length mat towel and for a hand towel, a comparison of when each one earns its place, washing details, and what the towel means for the mat underneath it. For what a mat towel is and how it is built, see What Is a Mat Towel?; this article is about using one.
How to use a yoga mat towel: step by step
- Unroll the mat first and let it lie flat. A towel cannot fix a mat that is curling at the ends; the mat provides the base, the towel only covers it.
- Lay the towel over the mat, grip side down. Most mat towels have a textured or dotted underside that holds onto the mat surface. Line the towel up with the long edges of the mat so there is no loose flap at the sides to catch a foot.
- Smooth it from the centre outwards. Press out any wrinkle before you start. A ridge under the ball of your foot in a standing pose is what causes a slip, not the towel itself.
- Dampen it if the class will be sweaty. Many towel fabrics grip better wet than dry. Spray or sprinkle water on the four corners and the areas where your hands and feet land, or wet the whole towel lightly before a heated class. In a cool, dry class you can leave it dry.
- Place, do not slide. Step your feet and set your hands down flat, then press into the towel. Dragging a foot across a dry towel bunches it; a placed foot locks it.
- Re-smooth between sequences. If the towel has shifted during a flow, take a moment in a seated or standing pause to straighten it rather than practising on a fold.
- Hang it to dry straight after class. Drape it over the mat roll or a rail rather than stuffing it damp into a bag.
How to use a hand towel in class
A hand towel is the second item people mean when they search for a yoga towel. It is not laid on the mat. Keep it folded at the top corner of the mat, use it to dry your palms before balancing poses and arm balances, wipe the mat surface if sweat pools, and dab your face in a pause. Practising on a hand towel is not recommended: it is small enough to move with your foot, and a towel that moves is worse than no towel at all. We cover the "towel instead of a mat" question separately in Can You Do Yoga on a Towel?
Mat towel, hand towel or no towel: when each one fits
| Setup | What it does | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mat towel over the mat | Absorbs sweat across the whole surface and adds grip when damp | Heated classes, heavy sweaters, shared studio mats | Must be smoothed flat and lined up with the mat; dry towel on a dry day can shift |
| Hand towel at the corner | Dries palms and wipes small areas | Any class where only the hands get slippery | Never stand on it; it moves |
| No towel, grip mat only | Relies on the mat surface for grip | Cool rooms, slow and seated practice, PU-topped rubber mats that hold grip when slightly damp | Pooled sweat on a smooth PVC or TPE surface still gets slippery |
| Mat towel on a shared studio mat | Hygiene layer between you and a mat other people use | Gyms and studios with house mats | Bring a towel sized to the house mat, which varies by product |
If you are deciding whether you need the towel at all
If you practise heated or power yoga and sweat heavily, use a full mat towel and dampen it before class. This is the case the towel was designed for.
If you use a studio's shared mats, use a mat towel every time, mainly for hygiene, and wash it after each class.
If you practise on a PU-topped natural rubber mat in a cool room, you will usually not need the full towel, because that surface is made to hold grip when slightly damp; keep a hand towel for your palms. Our PU + rubber 185*68*0.45cm professional mat and the frosted PU version are built for this.
If you practise on a smooth PVC or TPE surface and sweat even moderately, a mat towel is the simplest fix, because those surfaces get slippery once sweat pools; a PVC 183*61*0.6cm mat with a towel on top is a common studio pairing.
If you are using the towel to replace a mat on a hard floor, stop and use a mat instead. A towel supplies no cushioning and nothing stops it sliding on wood or tile. The towel is a layer on top of a mat, not a substitute for one.
Washing and drying details
- Wash after every sweaty class. Sweat left in the fibres is what makes a towel smell and stiffen.
- Follow the care label for temperature. Fabric blends and wash temperatures vary by product, so the label on your towel is the authority, not a general rule.
- Skip fabric softener. Softener coats the fibres and reduces both absorbency and grip.
- Dry it fully before rolling it with the mat. A damp towel rolled inside a rubber mat transfers moisture and smell to the mat.
- Wipe the mat too. The towel catches most sweat, but not all; a quick wipe of the mat surface after class keeps the grip layer clean.
What the towel means for the mat underneath
Printing Yoga manufactures the mat half of this pairing: natural rubber, PU-topped and PVC yoga mats in custom designs and colours for studios and brands. Using a towel changes what you should expect from the mat, and that matters when you order mats for a studio or a retail range.
- A towel hides the print and the alignment lines. Laser-engraved alignment lines on our professional mats are visible when the mat is bare; once a towel is on top, the mat's job is grip and cushion, so the surface spec matters more than the artwork for a towel-first studio.
- Textured towel undersides work better on a matte surface. The frosted PU top on our matte professional mat gives the towel's dots something to hold; a very glossy surface lets the towel glide.
- Towel use reduces wear on the top layer. A mat that always carries a towel keeps its surface longer, which is one reason studios with house mats ask members to bring one.
- Size the towel to the mat. Our professional rubber mats are 185*68*0.45cm and the PVC premium mat is 183*61*0.6cm; a towel cut for a narrower mat leaves a strip of bare surface at each side. Towel sizes vary by product, so check the towel against the mat width before ordering a batch.
For brands planning a mat-and-towel bundle, we make the mat to your design and can advise on which surface pairs with the towel you source elsewhere; the material choice is covered in Yoga Mat and Towel: Which Mat Surfaces Need One. Minimum quantities, delivery times and prices vary by product and are quoted on enquiry, and a sample of the mat lets you test the exact towel you plan to sell on the exact surface you plan to make.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of a yoga towel goes down?
The grip layer, usually the textured or dotted underside, goes down onto the mat. The smooth, absorbent face points up towards you.
Should I wet my yoga towel before class?
Yes if the room is heated or you sweat heavily: dampen the corners and the hand and foot zones, or the whole thing lightly. In a cool, dry session it can stay dry, but a dry layer on a dry mat can shift, so smooth it well.
Why does my yoga towel slide around?
Usually because it is dry on a dry mat, it is not lined up with the mat edges, or a foot was dragged across it instead of placed. Dampen it, straighten it, and place your feet rather than sliding them.
Can I use a normal bath towel as a yoga towel?
You can for a gentle, seated practice on carpet, but a bathroom one has no grip underside and bunches under your feet in standing poses. A purpose-made mat version stays flat; the bathroom one does not.
Do I still need a yoga towel on a natural rubber mat?
Often not in a cool room, because a PU-topped rubber surface holds grip when slightly damp. In a heated class most people still prefer a towel for sweat absorption and hygiene, whatever the mat surface.
Can Printing Yoga make the mat to match a towel we already sell?
Yes. We print your design on the mat and can match colours so the mat and towel read as one set; the towel itself is sourced separately. Quantities and lead times vary by product and are confirmed with your enquiry.
The short version
Lay the yoga towel grip side down over a flat mat, line up the edges, smooth it, dampen it when you expect sweat, place your feet instead of sliding them, and hang it to dry after class. Use a hand towel for palms only. Use the full towel in heated classes, on shared studio mats and on smooth PVC or TPE surfaces; on a PU-topped rubber mat in a cool room you may not need it. Never use the towel as the mat itself.