The Stakt Mat Is a Knee Savior for At-Home Workouts (original) (raw)

By ,a writer at the Strategist covering clothing basics and bath and body. She joined the Strategist as a junior writer in 2022 after interning at the site.

Last summer, when I spoke to fitness instructors about the best Pilates mats, the brand Stakt — known for its workout mats that fold, rather than roll, up — came up more than once in my reporting. I’d always used conventional roll-up yoga mats, whether it was for stretching out my hip flexors after running or working out at home during the pandemic, but after getting into mat Pilates more recently, I was intrigued by a mat that can double as a block or an elevated surface. And when I finally got my hands on the foldable mat, I realized what I had been missing.

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The mat comes in two designs: the original and the Pro, which is the exact same size as the original but has a more durable textured top layer and costs about $30 more. I tried both, but preferred the Pro because it’s grippier thanks to the textured top, and it has slightly more heft, which made it feel sturdier. Both mats have ribbed lines on the bottom that keep them from slipping on the floor,but I found that the added texture of the Pro’s top layer made it easier to use and would recommend that version for anyone who exercises intensely a few times a week and wants maximum durability (whereas the original is better for someone who wants a mat for lighter movements and stretching). I’m around five-foot-five, and I found that the length of the mat was comfortable, but it’s worth noting that the brand recently released the Stakt Pro XL, which is a longer and wider version of the Stakt Pro and might be nice for taller folks.

At 12 millimeters thick, both mats are much thicker than traditional yoga mats, which are typically around 3 to 5 mm. The Stakt Pro mat provided solid cushioning for my home workouts, including HIIT and mat Pilates, while still being firm enough for foam rolling. The extra cushioning and fold-up design also make this a good option for people with joint pain or someone who needs extra support during kneeling exercises and movements on all fours or those who require some additional wrist support. I love that I can even partially fold my Stakt Pro to soften my kneeling low-lunge stretch, for instance, and I also used it stacked as a block for elevated push-ups and planks and for stretching my calves.

The fold-up design also makes it easy to store. Rather than rolling up my yoga mat for it to inevitably unfurl because I don’t own a proper sling carrier, I can simply fold up the Stakt flat and slide it under our bed or lean it up against the wall. I haven’t taken my Stakt mat to any in-person classes yet — the rectangular shape does make it feel a little more cumbersome than a rolled-up yoga mat to carry under your arm — but the Pro is still relatively lightweight at 3.4 pounds (for comparison, our best overall yoga mat, the Manduka PROlite Yoga Mat, is 4 pounds), so it wouldn’t be too heavy to carry if you did bring it to a studio.

I love my Stakt Pro for stretching, quick core circuits in my living room, and HIIT with mountain climbers or weights, but if you’re a hard-core yogi, I will just note that you might find it to be too foamy and not grounding enough. I also typically use my mat with grip socks because the EVA (ethylene-vinyl acetate) foam blend it’s made from can get slippery if you’re a heavy sweater and don’t have a towel nearby. That said, while my favorite yoga mats, like the cork-based Robin and Alo’s heavyweight Warrior Mat, will always have their spot in my gear lineup, I found the Stakt Pro to be a handy mat to keep in my rotation — it offers good padding and frees up space in my already cluttered gym closet.

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