Traveling has become increasingly more stressful, so it makes sense that mindful travelers are using practices like yoga & meditation to ground themselves while on the road. Since many practitioners have their own gear, it begs the question: can you bring a yoga mat on a plane when you travel?
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TSA Guidelines for Traveling With a Yoga Mat
First, let’s review the Transportation Security Administration’s official ruling on yoga mats. According to the TSA, travelers can bring a yoga mat with them on a plane as either a carry-on item or in their checked baggage. This means that your friendly neighborhood TSA agent won’t give you any grief if they see you bringing a yoga mat through their security checkpoint.
However, it is important to remember that the TSA isn’t the only people you need to check with before you decide to travel with a yoga mat; your airline has their own set of rules that we all need to abide by.
Airline Guidelines for Traveling With a Yoga Mat
Based on my travel experience, here are some important things to consider when bringing a yoga mat with you while flying.
Bringing a yoga mat as a carry-on
When it comes to bringing a yoga mat on a plane, the official guidance from airlines is that yoga mats are acceptable as long as they are no larger than the carry-on dimensions.
In order to bring a rolled-up yoga mat as your carry-on item, you need to make sure that the width of your yoga mat is no more than 22” for most U.S.-based airlines because that is how tall your mat will be when rolled up (check with your specific airline to see if their requirements are different). Unfortunately, the average yoga mat is between 24”-27” and thus are too large to be brought on an airplane as a carry-on item.
Thankfully, there is an alternative for travelers who own thin and/or flexible yoga mats that can be folded. If your rolled-up yoga mat exceeds the carry-on dimensions, try folding your mat instead. Loosely folding a flexible yoga mat a few times will pack it down into a rectangle-shaped mass that is small enough to fit into a carry-on luggage bag. Voila! It may take up a decent amount of your carry-on bag’s capacity, but this is a way to get your yoga mat onto an airplane without checking a bag.
Bringing a yoga mat in your checked luggage
If your rolled-up yoga mat is too tall to meet the carry-on item dimension restrictions and too thick to be folded up into your carry-on luggage, your last option is to pack your yoga mat into a larger checked luggage bag.
To do this successfully, you will want to make sure your checked bag is large enough to fit your rolled up yoga mat diagonally across the bag. Remember the Pythagorean Theorem from school? This is one of the few times in your life where you might actually use it! You can use the length & width of the internal compartment dimensions (not the external measurements) to determine if your bag will bag large enough to fit your rolled-up yoga mat inside. Larger luggage bags may even be tall enough to fit your rolled-up mat lengthwise inside.
Beyond just the dimensions, it is also worth mentioning that all airlines have checked luggage weight restrictions. While your yoga mat probably isn’t very heavy, do not forget to factor in its weight to ensure that you don’t end up paying overweight checked baggage fees when you get to the airport.
What yoga mats are the easiest to travel with?
When it comes to traveling, I generally caution against people being “travel-specific” items. There is a lot of marketing out there to make people feel like they have inferior gear and push them towards buying a second version of something they already own. Do this too many times and you will quickly find yourself buying way too much stuff for the sake of traveling.
That said, a travel yoga mat is one of those items that might be worth investing in. If you find that your current yoga mat isn’t easy to bring on a plane and that it keeps you from actually practicing yoga more often than not, getting a proper travel yoga mat may help you maintain your self-care routine when you are on the road.
I don’t personally own a travel mat, but here are some of the travel yoga mats that I see recommended the most in my circles:
- Best Budget Travel Yoga Mat: Gaiam folding travel yoga mat (check latest price on Amazon)
- Best Overall Travel Yoga Mat: Manduka EKO Superlite yoga travel mat (check latest price on Amazon)
- Best All-In-One Travel Yoga Mat: YOGO Ultralight travel yoga mat w/ straps (check latest price on Amazon)
Tips for Traveling with a Yoga Mat
Ready to hit the skies with your yoga mat? Let me share a few tips that I have picked up over my years of travel:
Unroll (or unfold) your yoga mat upon arrival
Just like with folded clothes, I always try to unpack & unfold my gear when I arrive at my destination. Give your clothes and your yoga mat a chance to release the wrinkles they gained while folded up in your luggage as soon as possible.
Add extra padding to thin yoga mats
If you are traveling with a specialized travel yoga mat that is thin by nature, it may not feel as thick as a standard yoga mat. If you find your thinner mat to be uncomfortable on hard floors, throw down a hotel towel or blanket underneath your mat to add some extra cushioning.
Don’t forget yoga mat cleaner
If you weren’t already a clean freak before COVID-19 hit, the pandemic has made everyone more aware of the cleanliness of their environment. Regularly using yoga mat cleaner will keep your gear clean & free of germs when you travel.
Final Thoughts
Bringing your own yoga mat with you when you travel is a great way to maintain your yoga and/or meditation routine while on the go. Finding ways to keep your mind & body sharp are absolutely essential to taking care of yourself.
Keep in mind that every airline has their own carry-on & checked baggage policy, so it is imperative that you review your airline’s restrictions before showing up to the airport. Hopefully this article gives you a good understanding of how you can travel with a yoga mat. Have any specific questions? Leave a comment below or connect with us on Twitter!
