When a Standard Mat Is Too Short

I am 5’10”, which is not exceptionally tall by any standard, but it is tall enough that a 68-inch standard yoga mat barely fits me. In savasana, my heels rest on the floor. In a full forward fold with hands extended overhead (like extended puppy pose or a full-body stretch), my fingertips hang off the edge. It is not a crisis, but it is a persistent small annoyance that chips away at the seamlessness of a practice.

Now imagine being 5’11”, 6’0”, or 6’1”. A standard 68-inch mat is simply too short. You cannot lie flat without part of your body on the floor. In seated forward folds, your feet extend past the mat. In a prone backbend like cobra, your toes are on bare floor. These are not just comfort issues, they affect your alignment and your ability to relax fully.

I recruited four women ranging from 5’9” to 6’1” to test extra-long yoga mats with me. My friend Maya (5’9”), my sister Sarah (5’11”), my yoga buddy Priya (6’0”), and my cousin Jess (6’1”) each ran through a full sequence on every mat and gave me detailed feedback on fit, comfort, and whether the extra length actually solved their practice problems.

I also consulted my yoga mat size guide and the best extra long yoga mat for tall people guide, but this article is specifically about what works for tall women, a group that is consistently underserved by yoga gear manufacturers.

The Standard Mat Problem by the Numbers

A standard yoga mat is 68 inches long and 24 inches wide. Here is what that means for different heights:

5’8”: Your wingspan is roughly 67-68 inches. A standard mat is exactly your full span. In savasana, your heels and head are at the edges. It works, but barely.
5’10”: Your wingspan is about 70 inches. Two inches of your body will be off the mat either at your head or your heels. You can adjust your position, but you cannot lie fully supported.
6’0”: Wingspan around 72 inches. Four inches off the mat. In extended poses like a wide-legged forward fold, your hands and feet will be on the floor, not the mat. This is not a yoga mat at this height, it is a yoga runner.
6’2” and above: A 68-inch mat is a yoga placemat. You need a long mat, period.

The fix seems obvious: buy a longer mat. But the market is confusing. Extra-long mats range from 72 to 85 inches, and the width varies from 24 to 28 inches. Price jumps significantly once you leave standard sizing. Weight increases. Options shrink. I wanted to find out which long mats are actually worth the money and which are just standard mats stretched to a higher price point.

Testing Methodology

Each tester ran through a standardized sequence on each mat:

Sun salutation A (3 rounds): testing footprint during flow transitions
Standing sequence: warrior I, warrior II, triangle, extended side angle, testing stance width
Balance sequence: tree, warrior III, dancer, testing narrow-footprint stability
Seated sequence: staff pose, full forward fold, wide-angle seated forward fold, testing whether feet and head stay on the mat
Prone and supine: cobra, bow, bridge, supine twist, savasana, testing full-body support on the mat
Extended poses: downward dog (testing hand-to-foot distance), extended puppy pose (testing full extension)

We measured grip quality (dry and sweaty), cushioning comfort, portability, and overall satisfaction. Each tester provided independent ratings. The group consensus formed the final rankings.

The Extra-Long Mats We Tested

Liforme Long ($160) — Best Overall for Tall Women

Specs: 79 inches long, 27 inches wide, 4.2mm thick, 5.5 lbs, natural rubber base with PU top layer.

Why it won: Every single tester, from 5’9” Maya to 6’1” Jess, fit completely on this mat in savasana. No heels on the floor. No head off the edge. The 27-inch width was a standout feature that I did not anticipate being as important as it turned out to be. Priya (6’0”) specifically noted that the extra 3 inches of width over a standard 24-inch mat meant her elbows stayed on the mat during wide-arm cobra, something she had never experienced before.

The Liforme’s PU grip is the best in the industry. All four testers commented on how secure they felt even with sweaty hands, which matters because taller practitioners have longer levers and generate more force through their hands in poses like plank and chaturanga. More force on your hands means more potential for slipping, and the Liforme’s absorbent top layer eliminates that concern.

The alignment markings are also more useful when you are on the taller end. The standard Liforme alignment system includes a center line, 45-degree angle markers, and hand-and-foot placement guides. For taller practitioners, the hand placement markers are positioned correctly for longer arms, which is not always the case on cheaper mats that simply stretch a standard design.

What to watch for: $160 is a premium price. The 4.2mm thickness is on the thinner side, though the dense rubber provides adequate cushioning. Priya wished it were 5mm for knee comfort during lunges. The mat picks up lint and dust easily because of the PU surface.

Who this is for: Tall women who want the best possible practice experience and are willing to pay for it. If you practice 3+ times per week and are over 5’9”, the Liforme Long will genuinely improve your practice.

Manduka PRO Long ($150) — Best for Durability

Specs: 85 inches long, 26 inches wide, 6mm thick, 9 lbs, high-density closed-cell PVC.

Why it won: At 85 inches, this is the longest mat I tested. Jess (6’1”) had a full 13 inches of clearance beyond her head and heels in savasana. That is more than any human needs, but the spaciousness is genuinely luxurious. You can fully extend your arms overhead in savasana and still have mat beneath your fingertips.

The 6mm thickness provides the best cushioning of any long mat. Sarah (5’11”) has knee issues from running and rated the Manduka PRO Long as the most comfortable mat for kneeling poses. The closed-cell PVC does not compress under body weight, so the cushioning is consistent across the entire surface.

Durability is the Manduka’s calling card. The lifetime warranty means this is quite possibly the last yoga mat you will ever buy. For tall women who have struggled to find a mat that fits and do not want to go through the search again in two years, that peace of mind is valuable.

What to watch for: 9 lbs. This mat is not portable. All four testers rated it as “too heavy to carry regularly.” This is a home practice mat or a leave-at-the-studio mat. The break-in period is also real, the surface is slick for the first several weeks unless you do a salt scrub. Maya (5’9”) found the break-in frustrating and preferred mats that were grippy immediately.

Who this is for: Tall women who practice primarily at home, want lifetime durability, and prefer more cushioning. Also ideal if you are over 6’0” and need the maximum available length.

Jade Harmony Long ($90) — Best Value Long Mat

Specs: 74 inches long, 24 inches wide, 5mm thick, 5.5 lbs, natural rubber.

Why it won: At $90, the Jade Harmony Long is the best price-to-performance ratio in the extra-long category. At 74 inches, it provides 6 extra inches over the standard 68-inch mat. For 5’9” Maya, this was perfect. For 5’11” Sarah, it worked with about an inch of clearance. For 6’0” Priya, her heels and head were at the edges but still on the mat. For 6’1” Jess, it was slightly too short in savasana with arms overhead.

The natural rubber grip is excellent out of the box, no break-in required. All four testers rated the dry grip as nearly perfect. The grippiness actually increases with moisture, which makes this mat viable for heated classes.

What to watch for: The 24-inch width is standard, not generous. Priya and Jess both wished for at least 26 inches. The rubber smell is strong initially, something I cover extensively in my Jade Yoga mat review. The 74-inch length is adequate for most tall women but not ideal if you are 6’0” or above.

Who this is for: Tall women 5’8” to 5’11” who want great grip at a reasonable price. If you are 6’0” or above, consider the Liforme or Manduka instead.

Lululemon The Big Mat ($118) — Best Extra-Wide

Specs: 84 inches long, 28 inches wide, 5mm thick, 7.6 lbs, natural rubber base with polyurethane top layer.

Why it won: This mat is enormous in the best way. At 28 inches wide, it is 4 inches wider than a standard mat and 1 inch wider than the Liforme Long. Jess (6’1”) described it as “the first mat I have ever used that felt like it was actually designed with my body in mind.” The width matters for tall women in ways that are easy to overlook. Shoulder-width for a 6’0” woman is naturally wider than for a 5’4” woman. In poses like plank and chaturanga, wider shoulders mean elbows that extend further laterally, and a standard 24-inch mat does not accommodate that.

The Lululemon surface is similar to the Liforme, a polyurethane top layer that absorbs moisture and provides excellent grip even when wet. It is slightly less grippy when bone-dry than the Liforme, but once you develop a light sweat, the grip equalizes.

What to watch for: 7.6 lbs is heavy. Not Manduka PRO heavy, but still not something you want to sling over your shoulder for a 20-minute walk. The surface shows wear marks and sweat stains more visibly than darker mats. The rubber underside picks up hair and dust aggressively.

Who this is for: Tall women who also want extra width for broader shoulders or who simply want a more spacious practice surface. Ideal for 6’0” and above.

Comparison Table

Mat	Length	Width	Thickness	Weight	Price	Best For
Liforme Long	79”	27”	4.2mm	5.5 lbs	$160	Overall best fit & grip
Manduka PRO Long	85”	26”	6mm	9 lbs	$150	Max length & durability
Jade Harmony Long	74”	24”	5mm	5.5 lbs	$90	Best value under $100
Lululemon Big Mat	84”	28”	5mm	7.6 lbs	$118	Max width & coverage

What the Testers Said

Maya (5’9”): “I did not realize how much I was accommodating a too-short mat until I used the Liforme Long. I had gotten used to adjusting my position slightly in every pose. The first savasana where my entire body was on the mat felt like a revelation.”

Sarah (5’11”): “The Manduka PRO Long was my favorite because of the cushioning. My knees thank me after every lunge sequence. But I would never carry it anywhere. It lives in my home studio permanently.”

Priya (6’0”): “The Jade Harmony Long was barely long enough for me, but the grip is so good that it made up for it. If I were doing hot yoga, I would pick the Lululemon Big Mat for the width. Shoulder room matters as much as length when you are tall.”

Jess (6’1”): “I gave up on yoga mats years ago and just used two standard mats end-to-end. The Lululemon Big Mat is the first single mat I have ever used that fits. The 28-inch width means I do not have to fold my elbows in during chaturanga. I did not know yoga could feel this physically comfortable on a mat.”

Length Recommendations by Height

Based on our testing, here is the minimum length I recommend at each height:

5’8” to 5’10”: 72 inches minimum. The Jade Harmony Long at 74” works well. A standard 68” mat is technically long enough but you will feel the edges.
5’11” to 6’0”: 74-78 inches. The 74” Jade is adequate but the 79” Liforme is more comfortable for savasana and extended poses.
6’1” and above: 78+ inches. The 84-85” Manduka PRO Long or Lululemon Big Mat are the right choices.

Width Matters More Than You Think

Here is something that came up in every tester interview: width. A standard 24-inch mat is designed for an average-width body. Tall women tend to have broader shoulders, and a 24-inch mat means elbows and hands hang off during plank, chaturanga, and wide-arm cobra.

The 27-inch Liforme and 28-inch Lululemon were universally preferred over the 24-inch Jade. Even Maya at 5’9” preferred the wider mats once she tried them. If you have never used a wide mat, it is difficult to explain the difference, but it feels like upgrading from a twin bed to a queen. You did not realize how much you were contracting until you had space to expand.

What to Avoid

Standard mats marketed as “long” at 71-72 inches. Some companies call a 72-inch mat “extra-long,” but that is only 4 inches longer than standard. For anyone over 5’10”, a 72-inch mat provides minimal benefit.

Mats with no width increase. A Chinese manufacturing trick is to simply make a mat longer without making it wider, because length is cheap and width requires new tooling. A 78-inch mat that is still 24 inches wide solves half the problem.

Thin travel mats labeled as “long.” A 78-inch travel mat at 1.5mm thickness is a yoga blanket, not a yoga mat. You will feel every contour of the floor through it.

The Verdict

If you are a tall woman who practices regularly, the Liforme Long at $160 is my top recommendation. The 79 x 27 dimensions fit everyone from 5’8” to 6’1” comfortably, the grip is the best available, and the 5.5-lb weight means you can actually carry it to a studio.

For home practitioners over 6’0” who want maximum space and lifetime durability, the Manduka PRO Long at $150 is the right call. Accept the 9-lb weight and you will never think about mat shopping again.

For budget-conscious tall women under 5’11”, the Jade Harmony Long at $90 is a great entry point into extra-long mats. The grip is excellent and the length accommodates most tall practitioners.

The Lululemon Big Mat at $118 is the dark horse recommendation for anyone who values width as much as length. If your shoulders feel cramped on standard mats, the 28-inch width is genuinely transformative.

My yoga mat buying guide has more context on all the factors beyond size, and my best yoga mat for home practice guide covers what changes when your mat lives in one place.

Browse extra-long yoga mats on Amazon