Lululemon Wunder Train High-Rise Tight Review

The Wunder Train leggings offer serious compression without the stereotypical gym look. They have a minimalist construction and seamless outer design, which offers sleek, uninterrupted lines down the legs. Think space-age elegance in grounded tones. The Everlux material is slick internally, which feels comfortable on the skin, yet slightly matte and brushed externally, which moves it out of Lycra territory. They combine high compression with the impressive elasticity a superhero would want for athletic movement, minus the spandex.

Comfort & Fit

The Wunder Train has a very compressive fit, which is awesome for HIIT workouts and fast-paced runs, but typically compressive does not equal comfortable. That said, the Wunders are some of the most comfortable high-intensity training tights that we have tested. We just wouldn't pull them out of the drawer for a movie night on the couch. We tested them on a two day drive from Denver to Flagstaff. The compression kept drawing our attention, especially at the hip crease and the waistband felt tight after a few hours on the road. The compressive fit is not the most comfortable for lounging, travel, or yoga.

The leggings fit tight all the way down the leg, and the waistband is much tighter than yoga leggings, giving you a very “sucked-in” feeling. We found the fit comfortable most of the time, but the squeeze was distracting when we bent over to touch our toes. The waistband felt a little too tight to fully relax in yoga. But just in case it's not tight enough, the waistband also has an internal drawcord, which will help keep the leggings high on your waist during workouts with a lot of lunging and jumping. But most of our testers felt the waistband was already tight enough to stay put, and the drawstring felt unnecessary and left a muffin top ridge around the waist, even on a thin frame. We actually cut ours out and felt it improved the look and comfort of the waistband.

When we used the Wunder for what they are made for, namely running, jumping, squatting, or any other fast-paced movements, we love the fit. They stay in place, and the waistband, although tight, moves well with our body. The fit stays tight on the body and has great elasticity. The inside is sleek and smooth, and feels cool against the skin. The texture also helps the fabric move smoothly against our skin, which we like for full squat and stride mobility, but we felt a slight pinch in the deepest yoga lunges. The seamless and svelte profile, combined with the matte outer texture, makes them look like polished casual leggings. They are the easiest high-compression leggings to dress up and are comfortable to wear around town for short jaunts.

Compression & Support

The one thing we love about the Wunder Train is the aerobic fit; it is designed to support your muscles during big movements more than sculpt your booty. The leggings give impressively even compression across the waistband and down the legs. The waistband stays anchored when we do high knees or forward folds, the fabric contains our muscles in jumping jacks, and the compression feels reassuring in loaded squats. They are one of the most comfortable high-compression options we tested.

We tested the Wunder Train while trail running downhill at Rocky Mountain National Park and found the compression kept our muscles firmly in place during the repeated impact of our steps on the steep granite trail. The waistband compression still stays breathable enough for intense cardio. It comes with an internal drawcord if you need to cinch the waist even tighter, but we cut ours out and found the waistband remained incredibly stable (and more comfortable) without it. One tester loved them for handstand training because the waistband stays flush around the core even when inverted and maintains supportive pressure around the mid-section.

We tested the Wunder Train in a deep squat hold and felt supported in the legs and glutes. The waistband anchored in our abs, and the only complaint was that the highly compressive fabric let us feel a slight pinching constriction around the hip crease. The Wunder Train run true to size if you want high compression. However, if you want more moderate compression for a more comfortable casual exercise or hiking, then we recommend sizing up.

Breathability

The Wunder Train's Everlux fabric is lightweight, and though the knit is dense (read squatproof) and not highly air-permeable, it makes quick work of sweat, wicking it away from the skin and allowing it to evaporate in no time. The fabric spreads moisture evenly—no dreaded back and bum puddles in our testing. We never had to wait more than twenty minutes for the leggings to fully dry after a sweaty run or workout.

The Everlux material feels thicker and more compressive than lighter knits that we tested. In our air permeability tests, it scored on the low end for ventilation. On runs, even though the material is light, we noticed these leggings were warmer than less compressive options with looser knits. We tested them on a five-mile run midsummer in Zion and did feel the heat build up around our legs. However, despite the fabric's density, what it does really well is manage moisture. The silky material feels comfy even when our legs are sweaty. They spread moisture so it evaporates incredibly quickly. After the run in Zion, they were dry for the car ride home. That said, they are better for air-conditioned gyms or moderate weather, not full summer.

Durability & Recovery

The Wunder Train is the Superwoman of durable leggings. It is one of the most durable leggings in our lineup and has excellent high-compression recovery. We expect these leggings to last through years of hard workouts.

We tested the outer material for abrasion by sitting on rocks, rough benches, and rubbing against the waist and shoulder straps of a heavy backpack. Our lead tester wore them backpacking and noticed no abrasion on the knees despite repeated kneeling on rocks and dirt to set up tents and cook. After six months, we have observed no pilling or loose threads on these leggings. The matte exterior still looks smooth and polished. We talked to friends who have worn their Wunder Trains for three years and still see almost no signs of wear on these leggings. When we did our squat test, we were completely covered. We also noticed that the dense material hides VLPs (visible panty lines) better than our thinner yoga leggings.

The stretch recovery is incredible. If you pull the fabric up with your fingers and release, it immediately snaps back into place. When we do a squat test, they recover their shape immediately when we stand. After a full day of kneeling, they didn't bag at the knees and kept the clean line flush against our legs. After over twenty wash cycles, they maintain the comfortable compression we love and score a 10/10 for shape retention in our book.

Versatility

The Wunder Train is versatile - that is, for a high-compression tight. Their compressive nature limits their all-purpose comfort, and we prefered to stick to activities like running, HIIT, strength training, gym workouts, hiking, and sometimes power yoga. Their polished look makes them by far the most dressy high-compression leggings for casual wear, which boosted the score a bit.

The Wunder Train are an exceptional mixed-workout legging. They have the compression for weighted squats and running, the moisture management for a sweat fest, and the mobility for the dynamic power moves of Rocket yoga and inversion and arm-balance practice. Because of the high compression, we normally choose a lighter legging for most yoga, Tai Chi, or Pilates classes. They stand out as a training tight because they have the durability to cross over well to opting outside. We love them for trail running and hiking. They don't get too beat up on rocky trails or sitting on logs.

After a workout, these are by far the nicest-looking tights to wear around town. The seamless long lines and matte exterior look elevated. We don't always want to wear flashy athleisure into town, and these can double as lifestyle leggings. We wore them with an oversized sweater, pearls, and boots to the theater and felt very classy.

Should You Buy The Lululemon Wunder Train High-Rise Tight?

If the goal of your workouts is to get your heat rate up and your skin sweating, the Wunder Train are the leggings for you. In addition to being a highly capable gym legging, the seamless fabric makes a smooth sweep from hip to ankle, making them a clean fit at the gym and very easy to transition into casual wear, dressed up or down. They offer excellent, even compression for dynamic movement, are one of the most comfortable and supportive options while you are moving, but look at other options if you want to forget you are wearing leggings and enjoy your downtime.

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