The best yoga blocks 2022: blocks to help you get more from your yoga practice
Support your body with these brilliant yoga blocks
Yoga blocks, the brick size accessories that you may have seen at your yoga class, aren’t just for beginners. They can help you balance better in an unstable position, act as an aid in difficult poses, and even allow you to take stretches further, in order to warm your body up.
However, it isn’t just a matter of one size fits all. You may prefer square over rectangle, cork over foam, or even choose to spend a little more to make sure it’s made from sustainable materials. Foam blocks tend to be better sprung and can help you ease into movements you’re not familiar with, while cork blocks are sturdier and are better for balancing positions such as a half-moon pose.
We set ourselves up on our yoga mats, and practised everything from forward bends to revolved triangles, in order to discover which are the best yoga blocks on the market right now. We also looked at flexibility, price, support and how easily you can store them, so that you can make the right choice when you’re buying your next yoga block.
1. Lululemon yoga block
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
At first sight, we loved the look of this rectangular, foam-made yoga block, with its black and white-watercolour effect, Lululemon logo, and a positive affirmation printed on the side. And it's got lovely feel to it, too. While sturdy, this block has also soft edges, which meant a good grip when we were in tricky positions such as a single leg warrior pose.
We found the foam material supported heavier poses, but also allowed for flexibility when we were breathing into deeper poses. This is one of the more expensive yoga blocks on the market, but one we'd happily take to a yoga class, and a design that would fit well in most gym bags.
2. Decathlon Domyos block
Specifications
Reasons to buy
This was one of the smallest and lightest blocks we tried. Made from a lightweight foam, it was easy to move around when we were flowing into different positions. The material meant it was easily wipeable after class, and absorbed any sweat.
It was one of the most flexible blocks too, with the foam material springing back after we’d performed a pose. It was helpful for positions such as bridge and puppy pose, allowing us to test out our ability to go further in those positions. The low price is a great benefit, and as it's so small, you can store it easily in a cupboard without having to worry about space.
3. With Every Atom cork yoga block
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Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
Made from 100 per cent renewable and recyclable material, this cork-based yoga block couldn't be more environmentally friendly. It's also non-toxic and very lightweight. The rounded edges meant that the rectangular shaped block had a good grip, moulding in to our hands as we stretched, while the sturdiness of the cork gave us more stability while doing balance work.
These sustainable blocks have natural, anti-microbial properties that make them easy to clean, while storage is also easy. The price may be quite steep for a yoga accessory. But if you’re looking to help out the environment, one yoga pose at a time, then namaste to you.
4. MiraFit Hi Density yoga blocks
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Having two yoga blocks allows for more support, helping you distribute your weight over both of them. So, it’s great that it's cheaper to buy these MiraFit yoga blocks as a pair, rather than individually.
They come in two colours, and we particularly loved the orange ones, which helped brighten up several morning's yoga flow classes. And their larger than average height, at 15cm, meant that we could use them when we were feeling less flexible in poses.
With soft edges, the grip felt comfortable, while they felt firmer than some of the other blocks. These lightweight blocks came in particularly handy when we tried out new arm balances and needed some support underneath.
5. Yogi Bare block
Specifications
Reasons to buy
With a faded, black and white look, this stylish block is made with Eva foam: a kind of flexible foam which is used on some gym floors. That means it will give you support, but also flexibility when you work out.
The rectangular, brick-like, shape was the perfect size and support for doing floor poses. It would be particularly useful, for example, in supporting your back during bridge and butterfly poses. When we used it as a support for our heads in the crow pose, it gave us a little bit more confidence to hold the position for longer. The material is easily wipeable and overall, the price of these blocks was a surprise, proving that good quality doesn’t always have to cost a fortune.
6. Umi yoga block
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
It’s great to have the option of a longer and flatter yoga block, especially if you’re a beginner, or you’re not very flexible. So this brightly coloured block, which is 30cm tall, means you’ll have support higher up.
That said, its material was less flexible than some of the other yoga blocks on this list, and we found ourselves having to bend our arms more when using it. Also, as the width of the block is slimmer, we sometimes found it unstable, although only in some of the harder poses.
On the plus side, the flatter design of this yoga block means it’s perfect for supporting you in sitting poses and even in downward dog. It's also easy to store; for example, you could slip it neatly under a sofa, and out of your way when not in use.
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Sarah is a freelance writer - writing across titles including Woman&Home, Fit&Well, TechRadar, the Independent and the BBC. She covers a variety of subjects, including trends in beauty, business and wellness - but her biggest passions are travel and fitness. She can normally be found trying out the latest fitness class or on a plane to an exotic destination. While she loves to combine the two - signing up to do hiking holidays in LA, intense boot camps in Bali - last year she went on her dream activity holiday: paddleboarding around deserted islands in Croatia.