Hugger Mugger Earth Elements vs YogaAccessories Extra Thick Deluxe: Which One Should You Buy?

GearLab tested both mats for its March 2026 roundup. The Hugger Mugger Earth Elements finished ninth of 19 on 70 points; the YogaAccessories Extra Thick Deluxe was 14th on 56. Their cons share a theme. The Earth Elements is squishy for balance postures, and the YogaAccessories is too soft for secure balance. Both have lightweight and a budget price among their pros.

The price tags are not close. The Earth Elements lists at $83 and the YogaAccessories at $21.99, a gap of $61.01, almost enough for three more YogaAccessories mats. Both are 72″ × 24″ and latex-free. One is 5 mm of TPE, the other 6.2 mm of PVC.

The Earth Elements won all four of GearLab’s scored categories, but by very different margins. On comfort and support it led by half a point, 7 to 6.5. The grip margin was 1.5 points (6 to 4.5), materials 2 (7 to 5) and care and cleaning 2.5 (9 to 6.5).

Put through GearLab’s weights, grip supplies about 4.5 of the 14 points, materials 4, care 3.75, and comfort less than 2. So the extra money buys grip, longevity and easy upkeep. It buys very little extra comfort, which is the thing most people shopping for a soft mat actually want.

The YogaAccessories is the thicker mat, and GearLab credits it with cushy padding. Its bottom line calls it a budget, beginner-friendly mat with good cushioning and comfort for most yoga practices. The Earth Elements’ pros lead with plush comfort, and GearLab found its foamier cushion especially good for seated postures and yin.

YogaAccessories owners agree about the padding. In Amazon’s review summary, 478 of 568 thickness mentions are positive, and the summary says owners find it comfortable on hardwood, with less knee and tailbone pain. The Earth Elements’ smaller pool is positive too, all nine thickness mentions.

For standing balances, both sets of cons point the same way: if one-legged poses matter to you, look at something denser than either.

The Earth Elements scored 6 in GearLab’s grip category, credited with decent grip and faulted for mediocre wet grip. The YogaAccessories got 4.5. In GearLab’s wet and dry table, a separate measure, the YogaAccessories managed 5.5 with dry hands and 4 wet, and only two mats in that table scored lower wet. The table skips the Earth Elements entirely.

Owners line up the same way. Only 259 of the YogaAccessories’ 560 grip mentions are positive, and Amazon’s summary notes owners who find it slick with sweat. The Earth Elements scores 16 of 22 on traction, a far smaller sample. Sweat stays on the surface of both.

GearLab noticed that a handprint lingers on the YogaAccessories after you press into it, and it expects budget mats like this one to compress over time and wear out sooner. Compresses over time is on its cons list, and its materials score of 5 is among the lower marks in the test. Its Amazon description still promises a longer life than most standard foam mats.

The Earth Elements scored 7 for materials, but durability concerns are one of its cons as well. Its Amazon reviews split evenly on durability, three to three, and one negative review describes peeling within the first year.

GearLab’s care and cleaning score rates portability as well as cleanup, and the Earth Elements tied for the best mark in the test. It weighed 2.2 pounds on GearLab’s scale against 3.6 for the YogaAccessories, so over a daily walk to class it is noticeably lighter.

The Earth Elements needs nothing more than mat wash or mild soapy water, and GearLab listed no-hassle cleaning among its pros. The YogaAccessories listing says hand wash only. Odor splits its owners, 111 positive out of 245 mentions, so give a new one time to air out.

On its own site, YogaAccessories describes this as its best-selling wholesale mat, pitched at studios, fitness clubs and schools, and it will custom print a logo or studio name. Its Amazon description claims it is the most popular sticky mat in studios, which is the brand’s own claim.

That wholesale focus shows in the range: 36 colorways at last count, all the same price. The Earth Elements comes in four colorways, and one owner notes a different color on each side. Buying several mats for a class or a household is where the YogaAccessories makes the most sense.

YogaAccessories refunds mats returned unused and resalable within 30 days, and you pay the return shipping. Its Amazon bullets add two claims the brand’s site doesn’t make: a limited lifetime warranty and a length of 74 inches. The brand’s page says 72 inches and mentions no warranty.

Hugger Mugger doesn’t warranty its mats either, and it takes back only unused ones bought direct, within 30 days. With both, a mat that has been used can’t go back, and Amazon orders fall under Amazon’s policy.

Order the YogaAccessories from yogaaccessories.com at $21.99 or check the YogaAccessories at Amazon. The Earth Elements is $83 at huggermugger.com, or look up the Earth Elements on Amazon. Both hold 4.5 stars on Amazon, from about 2,860 ratings and about 100.

If grip is what you want from the extra money, GearLab’s Best Value Upgrade, the $66.99 IUGA, beat both of these on grip and costs less than the Earth Elements. Our IUGA vs YogaAccessories page covers that step up.

Choose the YogaAccessories if you want cushion for the least money, are outfitting a studio or a household, or want a particular color. It is nearly as comfortable as the Earth Elements by GearLab’s scoring, and it costs about a quarter as much. Expect it to slip once you sweat and to flatten with use.

Choose the Earth Elements if your mat goes to class with you, you want the easiest mat to keep clean, or you want better grip with dry hands. It outscored the YogaAccessories by 14 points and weighs more than a pound less. It is still soft underfoot, mediocre when wet and has no warranty.