6 Best Yoga Props For Beginners: Ultimate Guide

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If you’re new to yoga, it’s possible you went to a class or clicked on a video during your home practice and saw your yoga teacher with props. You wonder what they do, how to use them, and most importantly what are the best yoga props for beginners?

Even if you’ve been practicing yoga for a while, but are new to props, this guide will steer you the right direction so you can make your next yoga class the best one yet. These props are all recommendations I give students as a certified yoga instructor, and even use them myself.

What Are Yoga Props?

Yoga props are objects designed to create more comfort and ease in your yoga practice. There’s a stigma that they’re only for beginners, but even long-term yogis use them.

Here are some ways yoga props improve your classes: 

• Support balancing postures
• Improve spinal alignment 
• Increase comfort
• Increase feelings of safety and grounding
• Provide support for inversions (Tip: this doesn’t always mean headstands. Even legs up the wall pose with a bolster under your hips counts as an inversion)
• Make poses more accessible for your anatomy
• Reduce risk of injury because you’re able to remain in your range of flexibility

How Many Props Will You Need?

Some people would argue the more props the merrier, and others say you don’t need any. It will ultimately boil down to you and your preferences. For now, you can explore the most common yoga props to see which ones sound like a good fit for you.

Here are the most common yoga props you’ll see in your classes: 

• Yoga mat
• Yoga blocks
• Yoga bolster
• Blanket
• Straps

If I had to give you a list of the most essential yoga props that I recommend for beginners, it’s one yoga block and a mat. These are the only two props I used for about the first eight years of my personal practice. I welcome you to explore the DIY props blog post below if you want to explore props before purchasing.

Related Post: DIY Yoga Props – 17 Super Simple Ideas For Homemade Yoga Props

Yoga Props For Your Favorite Class Style

If you’re ready to buy your first props, I welcome you to identify the style of yoga that you’re doing before your purchase. Different yoga styles require different yoga props, and you may save yourself time and money by exploring this list.

I invite you to include a yoga mat for any style of yoga that you’re doing to prevent slipping or harming yourself. If a yoga mat isn’t accessible for you right now, then you may choose to stick with slower forms of yoga like restorative or yin. 

Here are five yoga styles and the amount of recommended props:

• Vinyasa
  • What to expect: Vinyasa is a flowing class, so you won’t use props as often. Because of its faster style, you might fumble with constantly moving blocks around, but they can support you during warm-ups, balances, and lunges. Straps may be used for certain balances or at the end or beginning of classes for stretching.
  • Common props: Two blocks and one strap
• Hatha
  • What to expect: Hatha is slower than vinyasa, so you have ample time to experiment with more props. Teachers include more props than vinyasa in these classes. You’ll hold poses for about four breaths each, so you can really customize your own practice.
  • Common props: Two blocks, strap, bolster, blanket (one is usually fine). 
• Yin Yoga
  • What to expect: Yin is even slower than Hatha, holding poses for two minutes but often for much longer. This is because you stretch your connective tissues (not muscles like the ones above). Being comfortable is important in yin, because too much movement can prevent the practice from being effective for your flexibility. It’s very common, and usually expected, to see a yin yoga class with many props:
  • Common props: 2 blocks, strap, bolster, blankets (may need anywhere from 1-2)
• Restorative Yoga
  • What to expect: The slowest form of yoga, restorative yoga, aims to create ultimate relaxation. To do this, you can’t have any uncomfortable spaces between you and the floor. This means that yoga props are essential for this style class. You’ll hold poses for five to ten minutes, and sometimes longer.
  • Common props: 2-3 blocks, strap, bolster, blankets (you may need four or more depending on the class), eye pillows 
• Trauma-Informed Yoga
  • What to expect: This isn’t a style of yoga, but a way of teaching the above common yoga styles. Because of this, I recommend you ask your teacher their preferred teaching style and if they commonly use props. Many teachers do so that you have the most comfortable experience. You won’t see any yoga straps in a trauma-informed practice because they’re commonly triggering for survivors.
  • Common Props: 2 blocks, bolster, blankets (usually one but sometimes 2), any other props that bring you comfort like eye pillows, pictures, other objects that you wish to bring. 
  • Important Reminder: Since trauma-informed yoga focuses on loads of options, teachers will also include pose options if you don’t have any props available. This is to make the class accessible for all students, props in hand or not.

When in doubt for how many props you need, I welcome you to ask your yoga instructor. They should be able to give you recommendations based on your experience level and the class planned. If you practice online, many teachers announce what you’ll need beforehand or list it in the description.

Best Yoga Props For Beginners

Now that you know how many props you’ll need, I welcome you to join me as I explore the best props I’ve experienced. I’ve used each of these props in my personal practice and while teaching, or I provide the closest alternative to discontinued items I have. 

Yoga Mat

What to look for: 

• I recommend a thicker mat for beginner students because they have less slippage, are more comfortable to rest on, and can be used for a variety of yoga styles. 

Best Yoga Mat: Gaiam Essentials Premium Yoga Mat (Amazon)

Please read: Unfortunately, Gaiam doesn’t make the exact same mat I originally bought ten years ago. However, I searched for one with the same thickness, pattern, and other elements as the one I have now. 

Pros:

• Thick and cushiony for extra comfort
• Durable and lasts
• Perfect for all yoga styles
• Easy to clean

Cons:

• Bulky. I wouldn’t recommend this as a light travel mat.
• Not one of their eco friendly products
• Slips on carpet

Overall thoughts: 

This is the yoga mat to choose if you’re looking for a buy-once-and-forget-forever purchase. As it ages (after several years), you’ll experience cracking and chipping, but this is normal for any mat. It’s good for all yoga styles, so you can experiment until you find your favorite without buying different mats or worrying you chose the wrong one. This brand will also stand the test of time because I’ve owned my mat for over ten years now and still use it daily.

Yoga Blocks

Foam vs. Cork…Which to choose?

Blocks come in two popular styles: foam and cork. Here’s a simple breakdown of these two block styles to see which is best for you:

Cork is heavier but also sturdier than foam. If I were to go for comfort, I recommend foam. If you’re trying to hold balances, then I recommend cork. 

For beginners, I recommend foam just because it’s more comfortable, easier to move around, and less of an investment. Something to keep in mind is that foam is more slippery, so if you have sweaty palms during practice, you may wish to explore cork yoga blocks. 

What to look for: 

• I recommend a sturdy block as a beginner. Blocks vary in thickness and I recommend the thicker versions. I list the best foam and cork blocks below. 

Best Foam Yoga Block: Gaiam Yoga Block (Amazon)

Pros:

• Comfortable: can even rest your forehead on it
• Lightweight but won’t collapse under you
• Has some bounce which helps with weight bearing poses (won’t hurt your hands in the supported plank)

Cons:

• Easy to scratch and puncture
• Slippery if your hands are sweaty
• Not one of their eco friendly products

Overall thoughts: 

This is perfect for beginners because of thickness, comfort, size, and price. The only negative comment I can make about these blocks’ durability is that they scratch pretty easily, but it doesn’t affect its performance. 

Best Cork Yoga Blocks: Manduka Yoga Cork Block (Amazon)

Pros:

• Won’t collapse under you – extremely sturdy
• Sustainably sourced and no toxic chemicals
• Won’t slip or slide on your mat
• Durable

Cons:

• Rough texture compared to foam (not as comfortable)
• Heavier, so it’s harder to move around on the mat 

Overall thoughts: 

If you want to support the environment and be able to have full trust that these will support your weight, you may wish to explore these. Some people say cork is actually more comfortable than foam, so it just depends on whether you like the softness of foam or sturdiness of cork. They’re dense, so you definitely get what you pay for, and these will last much longer than foam blocks. 

Yoga Bolster

What to look for: 

Bolsters support your body while seated or in lying positions. Comfort is key, and because they’re made from cloth and are essentially thick pillows, it’s beneficial to find a bolster where you can remove the covering to wash and reuse. 

Best Yoga Bolster: Gaiam Yoga Bolster Rectangular Meditation Pillow (Amazon)

Pros: 

• Comfortable material 
• Perfect level of thickness 
• Doesn’t flatten out or deflate over time

Cons: 

• Not eco friendly

Overall thoughts: 

I don’t have any cons for this besides that it isn’t eco friendly. It provides you with the perfect amount of lift for inversions and to rest on during child’s pose. You can even double it as a meditation cushion.

It’s such a comfortable bolster, and it seems to only get better the more I break it in. I’ve owned it two years now and still have no complaints. You can also remove the covering to wash and keep your practice fresh. If you don’t like the color options, you can have a custom cover made from elsewhere. I did this with mine through Etsy to have a more neutral earth tone.

Yoga Strap

Please read: I don’t include yoga straps while teaching my trauma-informed yoga classes, but I use them for my personal practice. 

What to look for: Straps need to be sturdy and comfortable. They’re not elastic like exercises bands, so the less stretch the better. I also recommend one that comes with a buckle to create a loop for easier use.

Best Yoga Strap: Gaiam Yoga Strap Premium Athletic Stretch Band (Amazon)

Pros: 

• Strong buckle that won’t undo itself mid pose
• Firm yet soft material 
• Comfortable while holding

Cons: 

• Some very slight fraying at the ends, but I’ve had it for two years now

Overall thoughts:

Gaiam gives you everything you need for a perfect, simple strap. A quick way to begin using this is to wrap it around both of your feet while in seated forward fold. If you can’t reach your toes, this will give you extra space to get a stretch without forcing yourself into the pose. I’ve never had any issues with this and wish I found it sooner for public classes (something about straps in studios and gyms eeks me out). 

Yoga Blanket

What to look for: The best yoga blankets are woven Mexican blankets. These provide enough cushion and thickness so that they won’t move once in place and are perfect if you have wool allergies. I recommend these blankets for creating more lift or for filling space, and to use your favorite cozy blanket for covering you in poses like savasana. 

Please read: The blanket I use came from a boutique store years ago, so I researched a Mexican blanket that most resembled mine on Amazon and sorted through the pros and cons. 

Best blanket: Benevolence LA Authentic Handwoven Mexican Blanket (Amazon)

Pros: 

• Good reviews when used in yoga practices
• Lightweight, soft, but also thick
• Lots of colorful design options

Cons: 

• Some say it gets messy and creates lots of lint when washing (mine does this too, I think it’s just the material these are typically made from)
• A few customers say the colors aren’t as bright as in the pictures 
• Not 100% cotton (made from recycled acrylic and cotton) – depending on your material preferences, this may be a con.

Overall thoughts: 

This is the perfect choice for a starter yoga blanket if you’re looking for a thicker, durable blanket in your practice. You’ll get the perfect amount of lift and be able to fill open space in pigeon pose and have enough height to sit on for a more elongated spine. Overall, this is a perfect beginner-friendly yoga prop.

Best Yoga Brands For Beginners

If it seems like I’m a raving Gaiam fan, it’s because I am! They were the go-to for all of my first prop purchases. I’m not sponsored by them (just use affiliates), but Gaiam is by far my number one recommendation to new yoga students who want a quality, accessible, and durable yoga prop. 

If you’re looking for more environmentally friendly options, then I recommend Manduka (also not sponsored.) They’re pricier than Gaiam but you know you’re receiving your props from ethical practices and a focus on sustainability. Gaiam also has eco friendly props available, but I haven’t personally tried any of those products. 

Overview

Beginner yoga props don’t need to be confusing – all you need is something sturdy and reliable. You and your props will do just fine as long as you use them properly. If you’re worried about finding the perfect prop, I welcome you to remember this:

Props don’t make a yoga practice: you do. 

Thanks for joining me, and take care.