You turn up to a jam with water and a mat. Someone else has a pillow, blocks, straps, a bag for the pillow, and another bag that seems to contain half a gym. Easy to look at all that and think you're missing something.
Maybe. But you don't need a full AcroYoga equipment collection to get started.
You need suitable instruction, a practice space and mats appropriate to what you're doing, and people who understand the base, flyer and spotter roles. After that, buy for the bit of your practice you actually want to improve. Carrying more stuff is not, by itself, progress.
First, ask what's already there
Before your first class, ask the teacher what to bring. The venue may provide the mats and other equipment. You might only need clothes you can move in, water and whatever the teacher specifically requests.
A yoga mat and a landing mat do different jobs. A thin mat doesn't make a fall acceptable, and grass isn't a reason to skip thinking about the ground. A competent instructor should assess the surface, mat setup and space around you for the activity. Gaps, slippery patches, people drifting into your practice area: all of that matters.
If you haven't found someone to learn with yet, our guide to choosing an AcroYoga teacher is a more useful starting point than a shopping list.
For the base who keeps rearranging a folded mat
This is where a purpose-built pillow can make sense. During L-basing, it changes the support beneath the base's hips and lower back. Height, shape and firmness all affect the feel. Squishier isn't automatically better.
The AcroBack Go is the lower-profile option for everyday L-basing, classes and travel. The AcroBack Big Poppa gives you a taller, firmer support shape if you prefer more lift. Both have Regular and Wide options. Try one if you can. Use a familiar position, with appropriate supervision, and pay attention to how you settle into it. You don't need to add a new skill at the same time just to find out whether a pillow suits you.
The AcroBack is training support, not medical equipment or fall protection. Don't use extra cushioning to push through pain. We've gone into more detail about pillows, folded mats and other options in what works under an AcroYoga base.
The belt needs a team
A spotting belt is the purchase to discuss with your instructor, not add because somebody's training video looked good.
The FlyCarian spotting belt is worn by the flyer and gives trained spotters designated straps to hold during suitable progressions. It requires two trained human spotters, one on each side, for hand spotting. Instruction, appropriate mats, communication and a plan to end the movement are still part of the setup.
Do not attach FlyCarian to overhead lines, pulleys, fixed anchors or suspension systems. It is not certified fall-arrest equipment and does not guarantee a catch. Everyone involved must read and follow the current user guide before use. AcroYoga can cause serious injury or death.
If you're learning fundamentals, work on the spotting your teacher is teaching you. Owning a belt doesn't give you the people or the skills needed to use it.
And for the days nobody can meet up?
You can still get some practice in.
Handstand blocks give each hand a raised surface; parallettes give you handles to wrap your hands around, with space beneath them. Choose according to the balance or strength work you plan to do. Buying both before you've worked that out is an expensive way to postpone the decision.
Our solo training guide can help you pick a focus between partner sessions. One suitable tool, used regularly, is plenty to begin with.
The unexciting thing you may use every session
A bag.
If you've already got a pillow you like, making it easier to carry might be the useful purchase. The AcroBack Travel Bag is a lightweight protective bag with an adjustable shoulder strap. Match Regular to a Regular AcroBack, or Wide to a Wide AcroBack. It isn't a heavy-duty backpack, and carabiners aren't included.
Check the contents before ordering extras, too. FlyCarian already comes with its own carrying bag. Let equipment dry fully before storing it, however tempting it is to zip everything up and deal with it later.
So before you buy the next thing, finish this sentence: “I want this because, during my usual practice...” If you can name the problem, you've got something to work with. If you can't yet, keep practising. The answer tends to get clearer.