Best Pilates Towels for Reformer and Mat (2026)

Salt & Honey calls this "The World's First Pilates Reformer Towel." It's also the only reformer towel we found sold by a major reformer maker: Balanced Body sells it (product code 16722) as "designed specifically for Balanced Body Studio Reformer." Peak Pilates has stocked it too, though it was listed as unavailable when we checked in October 2026.

According to Salt & Honey:

• Size: 30.5 x 23 in, covering the carriage and headrest (Balanced Body lists it as 30.5 in long by 23 in wide)
• Materials: microfiber top, rubber non-slip backing (Balanced Body Australia describes it as "non-slip eco-friendly rubber")
• Fit: the brand lists Balanced Body, Allegro, Align and Merrithew machines as compatible
• Grip: the brand says it "won't bunch or slide, even through footwork and jumpboard" (brand claim)

Care matters with a rubber back. Salt & Honey says to machine wash cold, tumble dry low or hang dry, and skip fabric softener and high heat. Balanced Body Australia adds that "some chemical cleaners, oils, and fragrances may damage your reformer towel." Salt & Honey doesn't say whether the rubber is natural or synthetic, so if you have a latex allergy, ask the brand first.

We found no independent reviews of this towel, so everything above comes from the brand and its retailers.

Sfera Fitness is the only brand we found that sells its reformer towel in two sizes matched to different reformer frames. That's useful because carriages aren't all the same width or length.

According to Sfera:

• Compact (22 x 38.5 in): for classical and narrow frames such as Gratz, Pilates Designs, the Balanced Body Centerline and the Allegro Standard
• Wide (23 x 40.5 in): for the Balanced Body Studio, the Allegro 2, Stott (Merrithew) reformers and Peak
• Materials: faux-suede top, "black natural rubber" backing
• Care: don't put it in a dryer

The natural-rubber backing is worth noting. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, latex allergy is a reaction to proteins in natural rubber latex. If that applies to you, look at a silicone-backed towel instead. We couldn't find this towel on Amazon, so the link goes to Sfera's site.

Treeline Review (March 2025) named the Yogitoes its "Best Yoga Towel" after comparing towels in room-temperature and heated classes. Its pros were that it "sticks to mat," comes in a "variety of colors," uses OEKO-TEX certified materials and is "quick to dry (for a towel)." Its main con was price. Women's Health also picked it, calling it "grippy and absorbent," and its editor said it resists odor if hung to dry between washes.

According to Manduka's product page and Treeline:

• Sizes: Standard 24 x 71 in, Long 24 x 79 in, Wide 26 x 71 in, Long & Wide 26 x 85 in
• Weight: about 1.0 lb (standard)
• Fabric: 30% recycled polyester, 60% polyester and 10% nylon (Manduka), OEKO-TEX certified (per Treeline)
• Grip: Manduka says the "textured surface activates grip as moisture builds, while patented silicone nubs on the underside anchor it securely to your mat" (brand claim)

Manduka suggests lightly misting the top side before class, with the nubs against the mat. Deeper colors "may require multiple, separate washings to remove excess dye," so wash it on its own the first few times.

The eQua is Manduka's plain microfiber towel with no silicone nubs. Manduka says it "grips immediately on contact with sweat" (brand claim) and suggests lightly misting it before class. Its help center says to mist both sides, while the product page mentions only the top layer.

According to Manduka:

• Sizes: Standard 71 x 24 in, a wider 72 x 26.5 in, and Long 79 x 24 in (the size selector labels the 26.5 in size as 79 in long, so check the length when you order)
• Weight: about 1.0 lb (standard)
• Fabric: "ultra-soft microfiber," machine washable

Only Manduka's own pages describe this towel, and we didn't find independent reviews, so treat the grip claim as the brand's.

If you want silicone grip for less, Women's Health included the Shandali Stickyfiber and called its sweat absorption "excellent." It has a silicone web backing. An instructor quoted by Women's Health said it's too thin to use on its own and should go over a mat, which is how you'd use it in Pilates anyway.

According to its Amazon listing (search preview only):

• Size: 72 x 24 in
• Fabric: microfiber with a silicone-dot "web-grip" bottom
• Brand claim: "5X less slipping"

Retail listings disagree on whether it's machine or hand wash, so we couldn't confirm the care instructions. Check the label on the towel you receive.

The Stay-Put skips silicone and uses four corner pockets that slip over the ends of your mat. Women's Health picked a Gaiam microfiber towel with corner pockets as its budget option, noting it "absorbs twice as much sweat as cotton" but lacks silicone grip.

According to a retailer listing:

• Size: 26 x 70 in, made to fit standard 24 x 68 in mats
• Fabric: 88% polyester, 12% polyamide
• Absorbency: about twice as much as cotton and dries in about half the time (a brand claim repeated by the retailer)

The pockets are sized for a 24 x 68 in mat. Many Pilates mats are thicker or longer than that, and we couldn't confirm how well the pockets fit them, so check your mat's size first. Our best Pilates mats guide lists dimensions.

A small towel is handy for wiping your face between series or for padding under your knees. Manduka's Yogitoes Hand Towel is 16 x 24 in, weighs about 0.5 lb and has the same silicone nubs as the full mat towel. Manduka says it adds "comfort under knees, hands, or wherever extra traction is needed." Care is the same as the mat towel.

Merrithew also sells a "lightweight and quick-drying" Conditioning Towel for wiping sweat, but it doesn't list a size or material, so we left it out.