Gaiam Premium 6mm vs YogaAccessories Extra Thick Deluxe: Which One Should You Buy?

Both of these went through GearLab’s 2026 test of 19 mats, so this budget comparison has independent numbers on both sides. The Gaiam Premium 6mm lists at $29.98, scored 62 out of 100 and won GearLab’s Best First Yoga Mat award. The YogaAccessories Extra Thick Deluxe lists at $21.99 and scored 56, three places lower.

Both are soft, latex-free PVC about a quarter inch thick, and both show up in studios. GearLab calls the Gaiam a budget mat you see a lot at beginner and community classes, and YogaAccessories says this is the mat it sells most of wholesale, to studios, gyms and schools. The Gaiam costs about $8 more and brings six test points and a lifetime guarantee. The YogaAccessories is four inches longer and comes in 36 colors.

GearLab weights comfort and support at 35%, grip at 30%, materials at 20%, and care and cleaning at 15%. The two mats tied on the heaviest category, 6.5 each for comfort and support. The Gaiam won the other three: 5 for grip against 4.5, 6 for materials against 5, and 8 for care and cleaning against 6.5.

Put through the weights, grip accounts for about a point and a half of the gap, materials for two and care for a bit over two. So close to three quarters of the Gaiam’s lead is about how it wears and how easily it cleans. On the two scores that describe a single class, comfort and grip, they are within half a point.

GearLab’s comfort section names these two together. Both are thicker than most studio mats, it says, and the padding suits beginners and anyone who needs joint support in floor poses. Press a hand into either one, though, and the material compresses and the handprint stays for a while.

Kneeling and long floor holds are comfortable on both, and one Gaiam tester singled out stretch classes and slower flows. Standing on one leg is less secure. GearLab lists too soft for secure balance among the YogaAccessories’ cons, and with the same score and the same compression note, we would not expect the Gaiam to feel much steadier.

GearLab’s wet and dry table has the Gaiam at 6 dry and the YogaAccessories at 5.5, with both at 4 wet, near the bottom of the 19. YogaAccessories calls its surface super sticky, but both are closed-cell PVC, so sweat stays on top. One Gaiam tester reported feeling less confident as moisture built up, naming wide-legged forward folds and even warrior one and two.

With dry hands, GearLab’s testers held most poses on the Gaiam without worrying about slipping, and Amazon owners of both are split between never slipping and sliding once they sweat. For a warm room, our IUGA vs Gaiam Premium page covers the sweat-absorbing step up GearLab suggests.

The YogaAccessories is 72″ × 24″ and the Gaiam 68″ × 24″. Sixty-eight inches is five foot eight, so if you are taller than that your head or heels come off the Gaiam in savasana, while the YogaAccessories covers you to six feet. Ignore the 74 inches on its Amazon listing, since yogaaccessories.com says 72.

GearLab weighed the Gaiam at 3.3 pounds and the YogaAccessories at 3.6, and listed portability as a pro for both.

The cons read alike: cushion compresses on the Gaiam, compresses over time on the YogaAccessories. GearLab says these two budget mats cushion well at first but compress and have a shorter lifespan, and that the Gaiam can show scuffs and wear with regular use, especially daily use in a studio.

The coverage is where they differ. Gaiam’s product page promises a lifetime guarantee without spelling out the terms, and we wouldn’t expect it to replace a mat that has simply flattened. YogaAccessories accepts unused mats back for 30 days, with return shipping on you, and wants defects reported within five days of delivery. The limited lifetime warranty on its Amazon listing isn’t on its own site.

Care and cleaning has the widest spread, 8 against 6.5. The score covers how easily a mat wipes clean, whether it stains or holds odors, and how easy it is to carry, and GearLab calls the Gaiam easy to wipe down when dirty. It doesn’t explain the YogaAccessories’ lower number, and both clean up with a damp cloth, so we put less weight on this gap.

Gaiam warns of a very strong but harmless odor out of the wrapper and wants the mat left unrolled for two or three days before use. It also says to spot clean with cold water and mild detergent and to store the mat away from long sun, which can fade it and make it brittle. YogaAccessories says its mat contains no latex, phthalates or heavy metals, and Amazon owners disagree about how much it smells.

The Gaiam is reversible in a simple sense: each face is a different solid color. Gaiam lists four pairings at last count, Midnight Blues, Plum Jam, Granite Storm and Turquoise Sea. GearLab’s writeup mentions mandalas and constellations, but the Premium 6mm on gaiam.com comes only in those solid pairs. For prints, see our Premium Reversible vs YogaAccessories page.

The YogaAccessories comes in 36 colorways at last count, mostly solid plus three two-tone options, all at one price. YogaAccessories will also print a studio name or logo on it, which only matters if you are buying a stack.

List prices are $29.98 and $21.99. Check current prices for the Gaiam Premium 6mm on Amazon and the YogaAccessories on Amazon, or buy direct from gaiam.com or yogaaccessories.com. Gaiam’s own 30-day returns cover only gaiam.com orders, and only unopened, unused mats.

Amazon owners rate both at 4.5 stars, from about 2,740 and 2,860 ratings, so the reviews won’t settle it.

Pick the Gaiam Premium 6mm if 68 inches of length is enough for you and you want the better of two similar mats. It scored six points higher, mostly on durability and upkeep, won GearLab’s Best First Yoga Mat award and carries a lifetime guarantee, for about $8 more.

Choose the YogaAccessories if you need more length, want a particular color, or are buying several mats for a class. It cushions just as well by GearLab’s scoring and costs less. Both slip once you sweat. If you are still comparing $22 mats, our YogaAccessories vs Gaiam Essentials page covers another one.