The Best Yoga Gear Under $20
You've been practicing at home for well over a year now. It's time to upgrade your setup with these seven inexpensive yoga props.
It’s been over a year since we took our yoga practices from the studio to our living rooms, which means it’s past time to upgrade your at-home setups.
Props and accessories can be a useful way to boost the comfort and accessibility of your practice. Making yoga fit your body, your fitness level, and your interest is key to maintaining a regular practice. Plus, props can help you find ease and comfort in your poses, which will in turn help you feel more relaxed and willing to advance your practice.
But the equipment doesn’t have to break the bank. Check out these expert-approved pieces of inexpensive yoga gear, all under $20, to increase the comfort and quality of your at-home practice.
Yoga mat
A comfortable yoga mat is the foundation of your practice. Erika Maxie, barre and yoga educator says your mat, “serves as your personal space that can easily be transported wherever you go.”
This Premium Textured Yoga Mat from Yoga Accessories helps maintain traction to prevent a slip, and its length and thickness—its 72×24 inches and 44 mm thick—provides a nice level of comfort. $18.99
Exercise band
Resistance bands are an effective tool to add strengthening and toning to your practice. “Using an exercise band during yoga can [help] build strength and tone the upper body, lower body, back, and core,” says Debra Bennett, a certified mind/body personal trainer, yoga and Pilates instructor, and wellness coach.
The Thera-Band Resistance Band Loop Set offers four resistance bands of varying resistance. Each is built as a continuous loop, making it easy to wrap around your ankles, wrists, knees, or elbows while holding poses. $14.95
Foam yoga block
Blocks can be used to support your balance while holding a pose, for leaning into a stretch a few inches more, or held between your knees or hands to add a muscle-burning challenge. “Blocks can help you lift the ground upward so that you can comfortably and safely get into alignment,” says Patricia Friberg, a board-certified health and wellness coach.
The Yoga Essentials Block from Gaiam is sturdy and lightweight. It’s crafted with foam and has a non-slip surface so you can enter and exit your poses with ease (9x6x4 inches). $9.98
Stretching strap
Straps give you extra leverage when stretching. Bennett says “while it may feel like using a prop is a sign of weakness or ease, using props will help you tailor poses to your body’s unique needs.”
The Restore Multi-grip Stretch Strap from Gaiam has multiple handholds to progress your stretch, regardless of your height. It also boasts a foam strip in the center of the strap for added comfort. $12.98
Yoga blanket
A high-quality blanket not only increases warmth during resting poses, but also makes a nice cushion for your knees and hands during body-weight poses. The Solid-Color Mexican Yoga Blanket from Yoga Accessories is thick, machine-washable, and available in 10 colors. $17.89
Yoga wedge
Work with your body, not against it by utilizing a wedge to maintain alignment and provide just the right support under sensitive joints. “A yoga wedge is a prop that is used to support the hands, feet, or pelvis when there is tension in the wrists, ankles or low back,” says Bennett.
This Foam Yoga Wedge from Gaiam is made of EVA foam and offers a slight angle to help you find better alignment in poses that would usually cause discomfort. $14.98
Dumbbell
While not a traditional yoga prop, holding a weight as you move through parts of your practice will fire up your muscles, increase the level of difficulty, and strengthen and tone your body.
There’s no need to get fancy with it, either—the 2 lb. Dumbbell from All in Motion at Target is an inexpensive option for adding this prop to your practice. $3.49