The best travel yoga mat is the lightest one you will actually unroll. Our sambhu grass mats, the Sambu Diamond and Sambu Jute, weigh about 1 kg, roll tight and shrug off a hotel floor, and the Darbha folds flat along its three panels instead of rolling. All three are 3–4 mm, so you trade cushioning for weight. None of them fits inside a standard cabin bag, because a rolled mat is as long as the mat is wide, about 68 cm, so plan to carry it as a separate piece or put it in the hold.
The 1 kg grass mats
Sambhu is a river grass that our weavers in Komarapalayam weave together with organic cotton. The result is a 3 mm mat that weighs about 1 kg, about two-thirds the weight of our lightest cotton mat, rolls tightly because there is no foam to spring back, and stays cool against the skin on a hot terrace. It is firm, not cushioned; a folded hotel towel under the knee solves that.
Both mats are 183 × 68.5 cm (72 × 27 in). The Sambu Diamond is pale grass with a plant-dyed green and peach diamond lattice, ₹1,999 at the time of writing. The Sambu Jute has fine plant-dyed stripes and cream cotton binding and is ₹1,699 at the time of writing; the name is an old one and the mat contains no jute.
Cleaning is the easy part: shake the mat out, wipe it with a damp cloth and lean it against a wall to air in shade. Never soak it, machine wash it or roll it while damp.
Both have a thin layer of natural tree latex brushed onto the underside by hand, which holds on tile, marble and wood, which is to say most hotel floors. If you are allergic to natural latex, choose with care and write to us first.
The Darbha that folds
The Darbha is the only mat we make that folds rather than rolls. It is darbha (kusha) grass woven in three panels, bound in orange cotton and backed in cotton cloth, so it folds along the panels into a flat packet that lies in the bottom of a suitcase or across a car boot. It is 183 × 90 cm, about 4 mm and about 1.2 kg, and the cloth backing has no latex layer; on a polished floor it relies on its weight and width.
It is a mat for seated practice, pranayama and rest, and traditionally for sleeping cool in summer: the one we would pack for a retreat or a beach, not for a fast standing practice in a hotel room. Wipe clean, air in shade, keep dry and fold for storage. ₹4,999 at the time of writing.
Cabin bag reality
A rolled mat is a cylinder as long as the mat is wide, so our grass mats roll to about 68 cm, longer than most cabin bags, and the folded Darbha is a flat but wide packet. Airlines differ in how they treat a mat carried separately and rules change, so check yours before you fly rather than relying on any blog, ours included. Many people pack the mat in checked luggage instead. Trains and cars are no trouble; a grass mat on a strap goes over the shoulder. If your main mat is cotton and you want to take it instead, our guide to travelling with a cotton yoga mat covers rolling, straps and drying away from home.
What you give up
Cushioning, first: 3 mm of grass is firm, and a week of kneeling on it without a towel will tell you so. Length, second: both grass mats are 183 cm, and our size guide explains what that means if you are tall. Washing, third: grass mats are wiped, never washed, so if you want a mat you can rinse in a sink after a sweaty week, a cotton mat is the better companion despite the weight.
| Sambu Diamond | Sambu Jute | Darbha | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weight | About 1 kg | About 1 kg | About 1.2 kg |
| Thickness | 3 mm | 3 mm | About 4 mm |
| Size | 183 × 68.5 cm | 183 × 68.5 cm | 183 × 90 cm |
| Packs as | Tight roll, about 68 cm long | Tight roll, about 68 cm long | Flat folded packet |
| Underside | Natural latex, hand-brushed | Natural latex, hand-brushed | Cotton cloth, no latex |
| Cleaning | Shake, damp cloth, air in shade | Shake, damp cloth, air in shade | Wipe, air in shade, keep dry |
| Price at time of writing | ₹1,999 | ₹1,699 | ₹4,999 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I take a yoga mat as hand luggage?
A rolled mat is about 68 cm long, which is longer than most airlines' cabin bag limits, and the folded Darbha is a wide flat packet. Airlines differ in whether they allow a mat as a separate carry-on item and their rules change, so check with your airline before you fly. Many travellers pack the mat in a checked suitcase instead.
Which is the lightest TwinsPoles yoga mat?
The Sambu Diamond and Sambu Jute, at about 1 kg each. Both are 3 mm sambhu grass woven with organic cotton, 183 × 68.5 cm, with a natural latex grip layer on the underside. They roll tightly because there is no foam to spring back, and they are cleaned by shaking out and wiping with a damp cloth.
Does the Darbha mat roll or fold?
It folds. The Darbha is woven in three grass panels and backed in cotton cloth, so it folds flat along the panels into a packet that lies in the bottom of a suitcase. It is the only mat we make that is stored folded rather than rolled; our cotton and sambhu grass mats should always be rolled.
How do I clean a grass yoga mat while travelling?
Shake it out after each practice, wipe it with a damp cloth and lean it against a wall to air in shade until it is fully dry. Never soak it, wash it in a machine or roll it while damp. A mat that has been on a sandy or dusty floor only needs a firm shake and a wipe.
If you have a journey coming up, the Sambu Diamond is the mat we would roll and strap first, and the travel collection has everything we weave that is light enough to go with you.
