To not toot our personal horn, however we all know a factor or two about the most effective train leggings right here at SELF—the truth is, we acknowledge a choose few of them yearly throughout our Activewear Awards. Whereas it might sound dramatic, we predict a high-quality pair of leggings could make all of the distinction in how your day goes. (In the event you’ve ever tried lifting weights or having fun with a vinyasa stream whereas carrying leggings that slip down, pinch, or pull in all of the unsuitable locations, this to be true.)
With that in thoughts, we curated a listing of nice train leggings for all kinds of actions, chosen from tons of pairs we’ve examined and had advisable to us by specialists over time.
Our prime picks
- Finest General: Athleta Salutation Stash Tight
- Finest Price range: Previous Navy Excessive-Waisted PowerSoft Leggings
- Finest for Yoga: Lululemon Align Excessive-Rise Pant
- Finest for Working: Tracksmith NDO Tights
- Finest for Health club Exercises: Reebok Lux Excessive-Rise Leggings
- Finest for On a regular basis Put on: Spanx Booty Increase Lively 7/8 Leggings
On this article
What to search for when purchasing for train leggings
In the event you’re able to replace your leggings assortment, listed below are a couple of suggestions we suggest maintaining in thoughts as you store.
Excessive-impact actions, like operating, and gentler actions, like stretching, name for various kinds of leggings. For the previous, it’s your decision a pair that’s thicker, extra compressive, and sweatproof. In the meantime, you’ll most likely favor softer, lighter-weight leggings for yoga, Pilates, and different lower-intensity exercises.
Leggings are available a variety of lengths, from full-length (which means they go all the way in which to the underside of your ankle) to 7/8 (which hit round or simply above the ankle) to capri (which normally cease on the center of your calf). When unsure, measure your inseam size—the space out of your crotch to the spot in your leg or ankle the place you need the leggings to hit—and have your quantity useful when you browse.
Any leggings ought to have a great quantity of spandex, Lycra, elastane, or different stretchy materials to make sure they match near your physique with out limiting your motion. Past that, search for pairs made with moisture-wicking, breathable, squat-proof, further mushy, or chilly weather-ready supplies. As talked about above, your go-to exercises may also enable you decide which materials will work greatest.
That is extra a private choice than anything, but it surely’s nonetheless necessary to test how excessive the waistband goes on a brand new pair of leggings, particularly if protection and help are key for you. Yow will discover low-, medium-, and high-rise choices, however high-rise is the commonest.
Don’t overlook nice-to-have parts like a drawstring, well-placed pockets, and breathable mesh panels. Relying on what you want, these add-ons can flip a stable pair of leggings into an distinctive one.
FAQs about purchasing for train leggings
Ought to I measurement up or down in leggings?
In the event you’re between sizes, it’s best to normally measurement down in leggings. Since they’re usually manufactured from stretchy materials, they need to develop to suit you, they usually are inclined to get looser over time, so beginning with a tighter pair is normally higher. (In any case, leggings are supposed to be comfortable—and also you don’t need them to be falling down as you’re employed out.) That being mentioned, in case you’re contemplating an excellent compressive pair of leggings, you may wish to measurement up, for the reason that material will match tighter and will really feel too restrictive in a smaller measurement.
Why do my leggings roll down on the waist?
Leggings which might be too large, have misplaced their elasticity, or are lower-rise could also be extra more likely to roll down. So, if it is a frequent concern for you, search for types which might be high-waisted, with a thick, compressive waistband and a drawstring.
Alternatively, typically tremendous high-waisted types can roll down to satisfy the indent of your pure waist. Ideally, the highest of your leggings’ waistband will hit you proper at your pure waist or solely barely above. While you attempt them on, soar round, bend, and stretch in your leggings to ensure they’ll keep put.
Store the most effective train leggings
Whether or not you’re a runner, a yoga fanatic, a hiker, a die onerous lounger, or all the above, a wonderful new pair of leggings awaits you under.
Finest General: Athleta Salutation Stash Tight
- Extraordinarily snug and versatile
- Breathable material
- Sturdy
- Subsequent to none—virtually excellent
Wherever your day takes you, you’ll be ready in Athleta’s best-selling Salutation Stash Excessive Rise Legging. It’s one of many model’s hottest leggings for its splendidly deep pockets (that one way or the other don’t add a ton of bulk); vast, cozy waistband; and thick material.
Unimaginable sturdiness was another excuse we named the Salutation Stash the Finest Leggings for Fairly A lot Something in our 2024 Activewear Awards—certainly one of our judges was assured that these can final for years of damage. “These are my every part leggings,” they wrote. “I’ve been shopping for the Stash from Athleta for years, they usually maintain up. I train barre, raise weights, hike trails, and browse the aisles of Dealer Joe’s in them continually.”
Sizes: XXS to 3XL | Lengths: Petite, common, and tall | Supplies: Nylon, Lycra, recycled polyester, elastane, polyester (relying on the colour)
Finest Price range: Previous Navy Excessive-Waisted PowerSoft Leggings
- Nice worth
- Ultimate for high-sweat actions
- Received’t present sweat
- Some reviewers notice the material might be thicker
These Previous Navy leggings had been our readers’ decide for this yr’s Activewear Awards—and, wow, did they’ve lots to say: “I actually have 25 pairs, they usually’re the one bottoms I’ll do races in. The aspect pockets are so nice, I don’t even have to put on operating belts throughout my coaching runs to maintain my cellphone, gum, and keys useful,” one defined.
One other reader shouted out their worth level, sturdiness, compression stage, and, maybe most significantly, sweat resistance: “I put on them for my lengthy runs on the treadmill, they usually don’t present sweat stains.”
Sizes: XS to 4X | Lengths: Petite, common, and tall | Supplies: Polyester, spandex
Finest for Yoga: Lululemon Align Excessive-Rise Pant
- Extraordinarily mushy and stretchy
- Wide selection of shade choices
Arguably the most-loved Lulu bottoms throughout the board, the Aligns belong within the dictionary beneath “yoga leggings.” Additional mushy and non-constricting, they’re designed to really feel like a second pores and skin that strikes with you as you stretch, bend, and stream.
“It really doesn’t really feel such as you’re carrying pants, they usually by no means trigger chafing,” wrote one 2024 Activewear Awards choose. Whereas they’re principally excellent for yoga, our judges and one SoulCycle teacher additionally advisable the Align leggings for indoor biking and easily carrying round the home.
Sizes: 0 to twenty | Lengths: 23, 25, 28, and 31 inches | Supplies: Nylon, Lycra elastane
Finest for Working: Tracksmith NDO Tights
- Plenty of pockets
- Adjustable match
- Reflective particulars
- Moisture-wicking
- Not tremendous compressive
- Expensive
Each distance runner is aware of that pockets are every part, and this pair packs a lot. With two giant, envelope-style pockets and a 3rd, zippered one at the back of the waistband, you received’t should put on a operating belt on longer loops.
These high-waisted leggings are created from a double-sided material that’ll hold you heat on chilly mornings or evenings—plus, they’ve a drawstring, so you may alter the match (which means they’ll nonetheless really feel good after the post-gel bloat). Zippers on the ankles additionally make them simple to get off whenever you’re sweaty.
Sizes: XS to L | Lengths: Common | Supplies: Lycra, polyester, nylon, polyamide, elastane Lycra, polyurethane
Finest for Health club Exercises: Reebok Lux Excessive-Rise Leggings
- Comparatively reasonably priced for the standard
- Compressive, supportive match and really feel
- Additional high-rise waistband
- Some could discover the compression too robust
In the event you’re searching for workhorse leggings that’ll sustain with you thru HIIT lessons, lifting periods, and cardio exercises, you want a pair of supportive, ultra-high-waisted Reebok Luxes, which received a 2023 Activewear Award for his or her reliability and flexibility.
“Generally full-length leggings look ‘bunchy’ on the ankles, however these had been excellent,” one SELF tester wrote. “The excessive waistband is extraordinarily snug and flattering. They’re completely squat-proof as nicely. I felt very assured, and I used to be in a position to full all exercises with out having to tug them up or alter them in any respect (even throughout a sweaty vinyasa yoga class).”
Sizes: XXS to XL | Lengths: Quick, common | Supplies: Nylon, elastane
Finest for On a regular basis Put on: Spanx Booty Increase Lively 7/8 Leggings
- Thick and slightly compressive
- Sweat-resistant
- Cozy, flattering match
- Could run small, in response to reviewers
A two-time Activewear Award winner in 2021 and 2022, Spanx’s Booty Increase Lively leggings are about as dependable as leggings get (and win bonus factors for his or her extremely flattering match). “These are perfection,” wrote one tester, who wears a measurement 2X. “They didn’t transfer. The leggings are high-waist and canopy my complete tummy as a plus-size lady. The place have these leggings been all my life?”
One other SELF tester raved about their versatility: “I might put on these leggings to the workplace and nobody would know that they’re for exercises.” They match like a glove and look nice even after hours of damage, making the Booty Increase Lively our prime decide for all-day put on (no contest!).
Sizes: XS to 3XL | Lengths: 25 inches | Supplies: Nylon, elastane
Finest Compression Leggings: SuperFit Hero SuperHold Pocket 7/8 Leggings
- Extraordinarily supportive
- Thick, opaque material
- Large measurement vary
- Have a tendency to draw lint and pet hair, in response to reviewers
At this level, it’s an odd yr when SuperFit Hero’s extremely compressive, squat-test-passing SuperHold pocket leggings don’t win an Activewear Award (their earliest look was in 2019). All through the years, they’ve wowed our testers with their extraordinarily safe match, inclusive measurement vary, and total nice look (an influencer who examined a pair in 2022 mentioned the SuperHolds had been their go-to leggings for on-camera work).
“The leggings undoubtedly did every part they had been presupposed to do,” one 2023 tester wrote. “They had been supportive, snug, cute, and helped me keep dry once I was actually sweaty. I particularly appreciated how the waistband stayed in place, and total I didn’t have to regulate something throughout my exercises.”
Sizes: L to 7X | Lengths: 29 inches | Supplies: Polyester, spandex
Finest for Lounging: Past Yoga Spacedye Caught In The Midi Excessive Waisted Legging
- Very mushy
- Tons of shade choices
- No exterior seam
- Material has four-way stretch that strikes with you
- Inseam could also be too brief on some individuals
When you have got an extended day of nothing deliberate, a supremely cozy pair of leggings makes for an incredible uniform. Those that come to thoughts for us are simply Past Yoga’s tremendous mushy, easy Spacedye tights.
“These leggings undoubtedly lived as much as my expectations,” wrote one 2023 Activewear Awards tester. “I discovered myself reaching for them many times, since they had been so snug, cute, and I didn’t should fiddle with them whereas instructing or training yoga.” In 2024, we additionally gave a nod to the Out of Pocket model of those leggings, that are simply as cuddly however characteristic two drop-in aspect pockets too.
Sizes: XXS to 4X | Lengths: 24 inches | Supplies: Polyester, elastane
Finest for Chilly Climate: Baleaf Fleece-Lined Winter Leggings
- Lined for heat, but breathable
- Price range-friendly
- Plenty of colours to select from
- Could bunch on the ankles, in response to reviewers
In the event you courageous icy temps within the title of your exercise (or commute), you want a pair of Baleaf’s refreshingly reasonably priced fleece-lined leggings. “The wind doesn’t pierce by them like a whole lot of different leggings. They’re additionally sweat-wicking, so they’re nice for understanding,” Lindsey Quebedeaux, a monitor and cross-country coach, runner, and walker from New Braunfels, Texas, beforehand instructed SELF.
They’re accessible in a number of types: The one-pocket model has a mid-rise waist; the three-pocket is high-rise; and the water resistant model has an extra-high waist that ought to turn out to be useful when it’s chilly and moist exterior.
Sizes: XS to 3XL | Lengths: 27-28 inches (relying on the scale) | Supplies: Polyester, spandex
Finest for Mountain climbing: Out of doors Analysis Advert-Vantage Leggings
- Very sturdy
- Stretchy
- UPF 30 helps defend your pores and skin from the solar’s rays
- Too light-weight for climbing in chilly climate
- Restricted shade choices
Hikers ask a whole lot of their leggings: They need to be simple to maneuver in, however they’ll’t rip or snag when the path will get tough. Few pairs strike a stability between stretchy and hard fairly just like the Advert-Vantage from Out of doors Analysis.
Made with mountain climbing in thoughts, they’re abrasion-resistant by the knees and hips and supply full vary of movement. As our 2023 Activewear Awards tester put it, “I’m able to transfer at any angle in these they usually keep in place. I additionally really feel like they’re excellent for journey as a result of they’re sturdy, light-weight, and have some compression.”
Sizes: XS to XXL | Lengths: 25 inches | Supplies: Nylon, Lycra
Finest Colour and Sample Choices: Sweaty Betty Energy Exercise Leggings
- Massive collection of shapes and sizes
- Has two pockets
- Sweat-wicking material
- Adjustable drawstring contained in the waistband
These are an all-around wonderful pair of leggings, and you’ll’t beat the choices on the subject of colours and patterns—there are 28(!) to select from. These stretchy tights are nice for just about any exercise, with a big aspect pocket, a again zippered pocket, and an adjustable inside drawstring. Sweaty Betty is beloved for his or her vibrant patterns, so in case you’re searching for a really distinctive set, this model is the one to buy.
Sizes: XXS to XXL | Lengths: ⅞, full-length | Supplies: Polyamide, elastane
Finest Dimension Vary: Girlfriend Collective Luxe Legging
- Comfortable and compressive
- Has three pockets
- Moisture-wicking
- Wide selection of sizes
- Heavy material isn’t the most effective for decent exercises
These high-waisted leggings are thick and compressive—excellent for anybody who likes their tights to really feel like a powerful hug. With a delicate sheen, these would work equally nicely for a gymnasium day or a cute errands outfit. They’ve three small pockets (two on the entrance waistband and one on the again) and are made with cozy, peach-fuzz-like material.
Sizes: XXS to 6XL | Lengths: 23.75 inches, 28.5 inches | Supplies: Recycled plastic bottles (RPET), spandex
Finest for HIIT: Vuori Day by day Legging
- Keep-put waistband
- Exceptionally snug
- Adjustable drawstring exterior the waistband
- 4-way stretch strikes with you
- No pockets
- Not tremendous compressive
- ⅞ size could also be too brief for tall individuals
In the event you really feel like your tights by no means keep in place, it is advisable attempt Vuori’s Day by day Legging. One SELF author swears by it for operating, HIIT exercises, or actually any train that’ll have you ever bouncing round.
“The tremendous excessive, vast, segmented waistband and drawstring combo actually helps them keep put and never roll down, it doesn’t matter what I’m doing. I by no means have to tug these up and alter them throughout exercises, which makes me attain for them time and again,” she says. They’re minimize to a ⅞ size, in order that they’re excellent for anybody on the shorter aspect who hates when their full-length leggings bunch up. The thick material makes them excellent for sweaty exercises, and, per our author, they’re extremely mushy and flattering.
Sizes: XXS to XXL | Lengths: brief, common, lengthy | Supplies: Polyester, elastane
Finest with Pockets: Nike Go Agency-Assist Excessive-Waisted ⅞ Leggings
- Supportive, hold-you-in really feel
- Six pockets
- Additional-wide waistband
- ⅞ size could not work for tall of us
In the event you’ve received stuff to carry, these leggings have the space for storing you want. Nike’s Go tights have two angled aspect pockets alongside the thighs, three drop-in pockets alongside the again waistband, and a zipper pocket on the thigh, so you may simply pack your cellphone, gels, headphone case, lip balm, keys, and playing cards. Compressive and supportive, with an extra-wide waistband, these will sustain with you as you run, squat, and hike.
Sizes: XS to XXL | Lengths: Common | Supplies: Nylon, spandex
Most Stretchy: Gymshark Important Seamless 2.0 Leggings
- Snug
- Seamless across the waist
- Moisture-wicking material
- Plenty of colours to select from
- Not compressive
- No pockets
Gymshark’s Important Seamless 2.0 leggings will transfer with you all day lengthy, with a large, ribbed, seamless waistband and stretchy, safe material that’s shaded to contour your physique. Moisture-wicking nylon makes them a stable decide for sweaty conditioning periods too.
Sizes: XS to XXL | Lengths: Common | Supplies: Nylon, elastane
Finest Splurge: LNDR Limitless Pocket ⅞ Legging
- Tremendous light-weight
- Sweat-wicking material
- Has two waistband pockets
- Gentle compression
- Some reviewers say they’re not thick or opaque sufficient
- Restricted measurement vary
This pair from LNDR is ideal for anybody who doesn’t like cumbersome aspect pockets, however needs extra space for storing than a zippered again pocket. The drop-in pockets on these are uniquely positioned excessive on the waistband, so you may simply cowl them with a shirt or tank.
These leggings are additionally very smoothing and light-weight, in order that they’ll really feel significantly good in sizzling settings. “These are my favourite leggings of all time,” wrote one LNDR buyer. “They’re tight in all the appropriate locations and tremendous snug.”
Sizes: XS to XL | Lengths: 8/8 (full-length), ⅞, 6/8 (capri) | Supplies: Polyamide, elastane
How SELF checks and selects train leggings
For SELF’s Activewear Awards, we faucet staffers, on a regular basis exercisers, and specialists of all stripes (together with hikers, marathon runners, weight lifting trainers, and health coaches) to check dozens of leggings. They put their gear by the wringer, sweating, transferring, and residing of their attire for weeks all through the testing interval, then use our official Activewear Shopping for Information to find out which gadgets had been really the most effective. You possibly can relaxation assured that the leggings that made the minimize had been road-tested to the fullest.
After we search for suggestions exterior of our yearly awards, we ask trusted health specialists within the discipline for his or her absolute favorites. Whereas a flashy new pair that they’re enthusiastic about is at all times of curiosity, we wish to know which leggings they arrive again to time after time—these are those we characteristic.
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