The 9 Best Exercise Mats

If hard floors bother your knees and back, the BalanceFrom All-Purpose 1-Inch puts a full inch of closed-cell foam under you at a modest price. OutdoorGearLab named this BalanceFrom style the most cushioned mat it tried, and its foam resisted squashing flat. That softness has a cost. It wobbles under standing balance poses, sweaty hands and feet slide on it, and it wears out sooner than firmer foam. A carry strap comes with it.

For a workout corner that stays put, the ProsourceFit Puzzle set locks a dozen foam tiles together like a jigsaw, covering about 48 square feet. The firm surface grips well, holds up to jumping and lunges, and has edge strips so nothing catches a toe. It works best as a floor you leave in place, since setting it up and packing it away takes a while. Heavy weights press dents into it, and it needs flat, hard ground.

Folding beats rolling when a thick mat has to live in a closet. The ProsourceFit Tri-Fold wraps an inch and a half of foam in a vinyl cover that wipes clean, then folds into a neat square with two handles. It suits sit-ups, stretching and a child's first somersaults at home. The folds leave ridges you can feel under a hip or spine, and it takes up more room on a shelf than a rolled mat.

Half an inch of foam is a common middle ground for mixed floor work, and the Amazon Basics Extra Thick roll gets there for little money. Its rubbery foam softens planks and crunches without feeling mushy, and an elastic strap keeps it rolled. It's a plain choice for Pilates, core days and stretching. Like most low-cost foam, it dents where hands and knees press, and it can smell for a day or two out of the box.

Burpees, jump rope and dance cardio in sneakers are what the Gorilla Mats Premium Large is made for, so you don't have to train barefoot. This six-by-four-foot sheet of dense foam gives you room to move in every direction, and a towel, two straps and a carry bag come with it. It is thin, so it won't soften hard falls or dropped barbells, and on a smooth floor the corners can creep unless something holds them down.

Two inches of foam give the CAP Barbell Folding pad a soft landing for rolls, sit-ups and stretches on a hard floor. Hook-and-loop strips on the ends join it to more mats for a longer runway, and it folds into thirds with handles for storage. CAP says the foam is free of 10 common phthalates, lead and mercury, a claim from the maker rather than a lab report. That much padding feels wobbly for standing work.

Recycled tire rubber suits the Rubber King Multi-Purpose to dumbbells, kettlebells and street shoes, which would dent or tear a foam mat. It lies flat, shrugs off sweat and cleans with a sweep or a damp cloth. Its maker, Dinoflex, sells it in several thicknesses and colors, and a five-year limited warranty appears on the seller's page. It is heavy to move and too firm to kneel on for long, and the maker advises against laying it over carpet.

Kids practicing cartwheels and adults drilling martial arts need a long, firm runway, and the BalanceFrom 4-Panel opens into a firm foam strip about 10 feet long. Its vinyl cover wipes clean, hook-and-loop edges join it to a second mat, and handles make it easier to carry once folded. It's a lot to store, and like other folding pads, it is padding for practice, not certified fall surfacing for advanced gymnastics.

Sneaker workouts for two need a wide surface, and the HAPBEAR Large spreads a seven-by-five-foot sheet of PVC foam with a ridged top and a grippy underside. That's enough room for a partner, a jump-rope session or a home cardio class, and a set of resistance bands is in the box. PVC foam can give off a chemical smell at first, so let it air out, and it's a heavy roll to move around.