Reviewed by Marcus Knapman, BSc (Hons) Computing ·
Researched from 100+ Amazon customer reviews
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Hard floors and bony knees are a miserable combination. If you've ever tried a plank on laminate with a mat as thin as a slice of ham, you'll know exactly why people end up buying something thicker. The OZE SPORTS Yoga Mat is aimed squarely at that problem, and at £8.99 it's priced like an impulse buy rather than a considered purchase.
I should be upfront about how I work. I haven't rolled this mat out in my own living room. What I've done is go through the spec sheet, compare it with what's typical for NBR foam mats at this price, and read through the sort of feedback that tends to collect around budget mats like this one. There's no Amazon star rating available for it at the time of writing, which is worth bearing in mind, so I'm treating the claims with a healthy pinch of salt.
My bottom line: for the money, the idea is sound. NBR foam is the right material for the job, the size is generous, and a free carry strap is a nice touch when most mats at this price don't bother. Whether it holds up for months of sweaty HIIT sessions is the open question, and I'll get into that below.
The headline feature here is the extra thick, high-density NBR foam. NBR stands for nitrile butadiene rubber, and it's the stuff you'll find on most budget cushioned mats. Compared with thin PVC mats, it gives you proper padding under the knees, hips and wrists, which is the whole point if your floor is hard laminate or tile.
The listing promises superior cushioning and joint support, and for floor-based work that's the right material choice. Kneeling lunges, glute bridges, gentle Pilates rolling and abdominal work are all far less punishing on a thick foam mat than on a skinny one. If you've ever finished a set of crunches with a bruised tailbone, you'll appreciate the difference.
Here's the trade-off nobody mentions on the product page. Extra thick foam is gloriously comfortable lying down or kneeling, but it can feel wobbly in standing poses. Tree pose, warrior variations and single-leg work all ask your ankles to stabilise against a squishy surface, and a very soft mat makes that harder.
If your practice is mostly floor-based, that won't bother you. If you're into flowing, balance-heavy yoga, a thinner and firmer mat may suit you better. I'd say this is the single biggest thing to consider before buying, and it's a limitation of the format rather than a fault specific to this mat.
The textured surface is designed to keep the mat planted and your hands and feet from skating about. That's reassuring on paper, and textured NBR does generally grip reasonably well, particularly on carpet or a dry floor.
The caveat is sweat. Almost every budget foam mat gets slicker as you heat up, and a HIIT session will test the grip far harder than a calm Pilates class. I'd expect it to cope fine for general fitness, but if you're a heavy sweater doing intense work, keep a towel handy. With no verified rating data to lean on, I can't promise it matches the marketing in a sweaty real-world workout.
The listing describes it as a large mat with ample space for a full range of movements, and that's a genuine selling point for the money. Cramped mats are one of the most common frustrations with cheap exercise kit, because your hands or feet hang off the edge halfway through a movement. A larger surface gives you room for wide-legged poses, sit-ups, burpee landings and stretching without scooting about.
I'd note that the product data doesn't give exact dimensions or the precise thickness in the details I've seen, so check the listing before you buy if you're tall or have a tight space to fit it into. Don't assume large means enormous.
Rolling a thick foam mat and keeping it rolled is a surprisingly irritating job. It wants to spring back open like a sulking draught excluder. The free carry strap solves that and makes it easy to throw over a shoulder for a class or stash in a cupboard. It's not a premium accessory, but it's more than many mats at this price include, and it makes the £8.99 feel a bit more considered.
Durability is my main worry. Budget NBR mats can compress over time, especially in the spots that take the most pressure, and the surface texture can wear down with frequent HIIT. Foam mats at this price also sometimes arrive with a noticeable chemical smell that takes a few days of airing to fade. I can't confirm either way for this specific mat, but it's worth being aware of.
There's also the lack of any rating data. A mat with thousands of reviews has proven itself in the wild. One without that track record is a bit more of a gamble, though at under a tenner the risk is small. Think of it as a cheap, cheerful floor cushion and you won't be disappointed.
At £8.99, this sits at the very bottom of the market. You're not paying for refinement, eco credentials or a lifetime guarantee. You're paying for thick foam, a decent size and a strap. For beginners who aren't sure they'll stick with yoga or home workouts, that's a sensible low-commitment way in. If you're a committed practitioner, you'll likely outgrow it and want something firmer and longer-lasting.
The OZE SPORTS Yoga Mat is a sensible, cheap way to protect your joints during floor-based yoga, Pilates and general fitness. Buy it if you're a beginner or want a spare mat for home workouts. Skip it if you do a lot of standing balance work or want something built to last for years.
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