Premium prayer mats
Luxury Prayer Mats
A luxury prayer mat is not about ornament. It is about materials that feel right under your hands and forehead, and a mat made well enough to use five times a day for years.
What makes a prayer mat luxurious
Few things you own are touched as closely as a prayer mat. Your palms, knees and forehead rest on it at every prayer, so how its surface feels matters far more than how it is decorated. Many prayer mats are made to a price; a premium one is made to a standard, and you can check that standard for yourself, whichever mat you buy.
- The material. Wool, silk, cotton and velvet each feel different under the hands. A good mat uses the one that suits how it will be used, not the cheapest.
- The pattern. On a fine woven mat the design is part of the weave itself, so it stays crisp instead of wearing off the surface.
- The edges. Reinforced, bound edges help a mat keep its shape and lie flat instead of curling.
- How it ages. Hand-woven wool, in particular, tends to look better with the years rather than worse.
Our premium prayer mats
We make three mats, each built around a different material and its own idea of luxury: deep cushioning, a fine fabric light enough to carry, and hand-woven wool.
The Rawdah Orthopedic
The Silk Route Travel
The Andalusia Flatweave
Velvet over memory foam: the Rawdah Orthopedic
Here the luxury is comfort. The Rawdah Orthopedic is covered in Pakistani chenille velvet, soft under the palms and forehead. Beneath the cover, a 12mm dual-density memory-foam core eases the pressure of kneeling and prostration on the knees and ankles. A micro-textured rubber underlay holds the mat in place on tile or wood, and double-bound edges help it keep its shape. Read more about orthopedic prayer mats.
Mulberry silk and Egyptian cotton: the Silk Route Travel
The Silk Route Travel pairs two fibres, each with its own job. Mulberry silk gives the surface its smooth feel and a shimmer that catches natural light. Long-staple Egyptian cotton makes the weave strong enough for a mat that is folded, packed and unpacked all the time. The result is a 3mm mat of about 420 grams that travels in a hand-stitched leather sleeve. More on silk prayer mats.
Hand-spun Pakistani wool: the Andalusia Flatweave
The Andalusia Flatweave is the most traditional of the three. Its wool is spun by hand and the mat is woven by hand, so the geometric star design, drawn from Andalusian architecture, is built into the cloth rather than printed on top. Vegetable dyes give it its colour, and it is finished with hand-knotted braided tassels. The wool's natural lanolin repels dirt, and the mat stays warm on a cold floor. More on wool prayer mats.
Where the materials come from
Our velvet and chenille are sourced from established mills in Faisalabad, Pakistan. The cushioned cores of our orthopedic mats are engineered and put together in our own workshop. Our wool mats are woven in Pakistani villages by family weaving collectives working on fair-trade terms, carrying on a craft that goes back centuries.
Looking after a premium mat
Fine materials reward a little care. Velvet and silk only need spot-cleaning with mild soap on a damp cloth. Wool asks for no more than a shake or a pass of the vacuum on a low setting. A memory-foam core should be kept dry, and never soaked or machine-washed. Our guide to cleaning a prayer mat goes through each material step by step, and if the mat is a present for Ramadan, Eid or a wedding, the gift guide can help you choose.
Choosing between them
- Comfort first: the Rawdah Orthopedic, the most cushioned of the three on a hard floor.
- A fine mat you can carry: the Silk Route Travel, light enough for a bag or carry-on.
- A mat for years of daily use: the Andalusia Flatweave, in hard-wearing wool.
Every mat ships free, comes in a choice of three colours and has a lifetime warranty on its edges.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a luxury prayer mat and an ordinary one?
Mostly the materials and how they are put together. A luxury mat is made from well-chosen materials, has its pattern woven in rather than printed on, and has properly finished edges, so it feels good to pray on and stands up to daily use.
How is each Sujood mat made?
The Andalusia Flatweave is woven by hand from hand-spun wool by family weaving collectives in Pakistani villages. The Rawdah Orthopedic's foam core is engineered and assembled in our own workshop, under a velvet cover from Faisalabad mills. The Silk Route Travel is a mulberry silk and Egyptian cotton blend, and its leather travel sleeve is hand-stitched.
Which Sujood mat lasts the longest?
Wool is traditionally the longest-lasting material, so the Andalusia Flatweave is the one to choose for a mat to keep for many years. Foam and silk mats also last years with the right care, and all three have a lifetime warranty on their edges.