I’ve done a lot of weird stuff in the name of wellness, from bathing in mineral water to ingesting molecularized salt in a salt cave. My new favorite wellness practice, laying on a mat of thousands of sharp points, aka an acupressure mat, may be the strangest sounding of all. But (for me personally) it has been one of the more effective modalities I’ve tried when it comes to letting stress and tension (physical and mental!) melt away.
If you’ve never seen one before, an acupressure mat looks like a smaller yoga mat—if your yoga mat was equipped with sharp points that put pressure on your body’s energy meridians, or acupoints. As the theory goes, this is said to help release pain and anxiety. While recent studies have shown the merit behind the theory, the practice itself is actually ancient and dates back about 5,000 years.
Take a look at our ~modern~ picks below.
QUICK LOOK AT THE BEST acupressure MATS
- Best acupressure mat – Shakti Premium Acupressure Mat
- Best affordable acupressure mat – ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat
- Top acupressure mat for travel – DoSensePro Acupressure Mat & Pillow Set
- Best long acupressure mat – Extra Long Yoga Acupressure Mat Set
- This bougie acupressure mat – WTHN Acupressure Mat Set
- The best acupressure mat for your feet – Kanjo Acupressure Foot Mat
- Best acupressure mat for your head – Shakti Acupressure Headband
WHAT WE LOOKED AT
While all acupressure mats are used the same way, there are certain things you want to pay attention to as you shop, such as the quality of the mat’s materials, how many spikes the mat has, and what accessories are available to pair with it.
According to the acupressure mat brand Shakti, the amount of spikes on a mat has a direct influence on how intense (or not) the mat is. The brand states, “Contrary to what you might think, the fewer spikes the Mat or Pillow has, the more intense the effect. This is because your body weight is distributed over fewer points, resulting in a more intense experience.”
So, beginners will want to opt for mats with the greatest amounts of spikes—especially if your pain tolerance hasn’t been built up.
“As humans, we all have different sensitivity to pain,” says a statement from Shakti. “For some people adjusting to The Shakti Mat can take just a couple of minutes, while for others it can take a couple of sessions.” No matter which acupressure mat brand you go with, this will be the case. The most important thing is to pay attention and listen to your own body.
Best acupressure mat – Shakti Premium Acupressure Mat
It was only a few weeks ago when the Shakti mat entered my life. Before laying on the mat, I thought it would be another novelty experience to add to my long list of curiosity-driven tests. However, after my first session on the mat, I was hooked.
While there’s no sugarcoating the fact that it is uncomfortable to lay on, I found that sticking with the pain opened up to an intense feeling of relaxation after I got through the first few minutes. While I can’t promise this will be everyone’s experience, I also noticed that after steeping in the relaxing bliss for about 25 minutes, I felt an intense amount of energy coursing through my body that felt revitalizing.
A lot of people—like my mom—turn to acupressure mats like the Shakti Mat not to notice somewhat psychedelic energy patterns in their bodies but to finally be able to catch some restful sleep. I had her try out the Shakti Mat, too. It’s been years since my mom has gotten more than 2-3 hours of sleep per night, and since she started using the Shakti Mat she is able to fall back asleep after her first 2-3 hour sleep cycle and get another 3-4 hours.
Both of us used the Original Shakti Premium Acupressure Mat, which is noticeably well-crafted and has 6,000 spikes. This is the level the brand suggests most people start at, falling in the middle of its Light Mat, which has 8,000, and its Advanced Mat, which has 4,000.
While the Shakti Pillow isn’t included, you can’t skip it. Feeling the spikes on my neck and scalp is nothing short of divine.
Best affordable acupressure mat – ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat
If you’re not trying to spend a lot of money on your new acupressure mat, then the ProsourceFit Acupressure Mat is one of the best budget-friendly acupressure mats on Amazon. While I think the white spikes look a little “plastic-y,” I acknowledge that this is me being a bit of a snob. The mat’s fabric is made from linen, and in my lifetime I have always been able to count on linen to not look cheap even when something was.
More important, however, is the fact that this acupressure mat has a 4+ star review and almost 50,000 reviews. This mat has 8,910 spikes, so it will be on the less intense end of the acupressure mat spectrum, making it a welcoming place for beginners to start.
One Amazon reviewer, RB, is out in the world campaigning hard for ProsourceFit. “My love of Spikeo (affectionate name for this inanimate object) is known through all my friends, and over time many have tried it. At least 4 of my friends who have tried mine ended up buying one. Even people who think it looks terrifying have found it remarkably soothing.”
It goes on:
“One thing: About a year into my relationship with Spikeo I bought another one to live at my parent’s house for when I have longer visits over the holidays. The new one was SO sharp — turns out that with daily use, the spikes get slightly dull over time. Eventually, I felt like my original wasn’t packing the same punch, so bought a new one for myself about 18 months after the original purchase. My new one is gray, which is actually quite pretty and a little less garish. I would advise everyone to get new spikes every couple years or so if you want that signature OUCH with your pain relief.”
(Oh, and it comes with the pillow—which is a major win.)
Top acupressure mat for travel – DoSensePro Acupressure Mat & Pillow Set
Like our friend reviewer RB, you might come to love your acupressure mat so much that you want it to be your true and constant travel companion, your grown-up, edgy version of an emotional security blanket. While nothing’s stopping you from ordering multiple—if that speaks to you, please be my guest—you can also opt for this DoSensePro Acupressure Mat & Pillow Set that includes a pillow, hot/cold pain relieving gel pack, and a clever little carrying sack for your wares.
The brand says the mat has “thousands” of spikes, but doesn’t reveal an exact number, which I don’t love.
Amazon reviewer Alayna shares her experience with the mat. “I felt that it was too uncomfortable to use routinely, but as I stuck with it and let my body get used to it. Now the pricks are hardly even painful and still illicit the warming/relaxing response,” she writes. “If I use this before bed I have more deep sleep according to my sleep tracker. It has also helped relieve the nearly debilitating pain and tension in my shoulders. It’s also just good for when I want to relax, it reduces my anxiety and intrusive thoughts. Love this purchase and use it daily!”
Another customer, AJ, warns about sharpness. “THE SPIKES ARE VERY SHARP,” they write. “I cut my fingers as I accidentally slid them across the mat. When lying on and coming off the mat, you must do it methodically or you can cut yourself.” Lesson learned: Be mindful!
Best long acupressure mat – Extra Long Yoga Acupressure Mat Set
As you’ve probably observed, acupressure mats are traditionally on the shorter side, about the space you need for your back to lay on the mat, but not necessarily your legs. While this fact hasn’t bothered me—my back is where I hold most of my attention, anyway—some people might crave a longer mat that gives a more full-body experience.
If that’s you, then the Extra Long Yoga Acupressure Mat Set may be the best acupressure mat for you to try. Thanks to its long length, you can lay down just as you would on a yoga mat, or drape the acupressure mat over a chair so you can experience acupressure while sitting. This is also arguably the best acupressure mat for tall people.
One reviewer writes, “So I got this mat and sat on it + leaned against it on my couch. I put the pillow behind my neck with my hair up so I could feel the spikes against my skin and my head. It felt so nice!
I closed my eyes and experienced a euphoric kind of relaxation, and I was actually sitting on this mat/leaning against it (since it’s so nice and long) for 2.5 hours. I had tons of relief and my pulled psoas muscle was also greatly soothed somehow. I have no idea why it helped so much, but I literally had so much relief that I was changed from that one 2.5-hour session.”
The set also comes with two acupressure balls, a pillow, and a carrying case—making it a good value buy.
This bougie acupressure mat – WTHN Acupressure Mat Set
Made from linen and counted fiber and designed in clean, soothing, almost nautical hues, the WTHN Acupressure Mat Set available at Neiman Marcus is like the crunchy acupressure mat’s bougie older sister.
Is the experience actually any different? Who knows! According to the brand, it’s “your most luxurious acupressure session yet.” Whether or not this is marketing at its finest, the mat does have a certain beauty to it, making me feel like it would be a beautiful gift to give a wellness-minded friend. It doesn’t say just how many spikes the mat has, so it feels safe to assume that it’s not an advanced-level mat.
The best acupressure mat for your feet – Kanjo Acupressure Foot Mat
Pain shows up in different places for all of us. If it’s your feet that are doing all the aching, then laying down on your back is probably not going to be the most effective way for you to use acupressure. While a lot of people stand on their regular-sized mats, (not me, it hurt!!) you can opt for a more efficiently sized acupressure mat made just for your feetsies.
According to Kanjo, “Its contoured design features raised, rounded nodes in the center, engaging the arch for heightened relief.” The brand also says that the mat is designed to “alleviate general foot, heel and arch pain associated with conditions like plantar fasciitis, as well as fatigue from activities such as running, walking and prolonged standing.”
Combing through the Amazon reviews, it appears that customers largely agree with Kanjo. Sharon writes, “This mat has helped my daughter who has a plate in one foot relieve some discomfort after wearing certain footwear after walking long distances at school. I ended up buying a second one for myself since I stand up all day and my feet are achy. This has helped to soothe my feet. My daughter states that it also has helped her foo.”
Another reviewer also shared the love with others in her life. “I initially purchased this item to use at my desk. I loved it. I am able to get foot pain relief easily.” She adds, “I purchased a second one for a relative who walks a lot at work. They too experienced foot relief immediately.”
Best acupressure mat for your head – Shakti Acupressure Headband
I’ll be honest: when I first saw the Shakti Acupressure Headband existed, the mental picture of what I would look like with this on my head made me laugh and think the whole thing might be a little too absurd—even for me. However, judgment gets us nowhere in life, and now I plan to buy one. This is partly because Shakti has taken a cult-fav-like status in my heart and soul, but also because I clench my jaw and furrow my brow and wake up with tension in my face on a pretty regular basis.
According to the brand, “The Shakti Headband targets key acupressure points around the sides and back of the head to help you relieve mild headaches, soothe a tight jaw, maintain focus and mental clarity, ease tension in your face, and maximize your downtime.”
These are bold claims, and very sadly, there are no Amazon reviews to chime in either way. However, at only $24, it’s not really a major gamble to tread into the unknown for yourself.
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