How did leggings become such a staple in our lives?
If you have ever seen “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” it turns out that tight pants are nothing new. A very brief history of the ancestors of leggings is that men in the 1400s-1700s wore tight-fitting hose to essentially show off the shape of their legs. In the 1950s and 1960s, women like Audrey Hepburn made slim black pants fashionable and posh in modern fashion. By the 1980s, leggings went neon, dancing to “Let's Get Physical” as a workout staple. By the 2010s, athleisure had made them a wardrobe staple, and we have the “Are leggings pants?” debate. Basically, leggings have spent centuries as fashion, workout uniform, outdoor protection, and everyday pant-not-pant.
What to Look for in Different Types of Leggings
Many of us live in our leggings these days. There are an overwhelming amount of leggings to choose from. Some can do it all, and some have a leg-up on the rest for specialized pursuits. If you aren't sure what pair will be the right-tight fit, then we break down the different types of leggings so you can assess what styles and features meet your needs, along with simple tests you can do to evaluate fit, comfort, and performance for your body and goals. Remember, your own body awareness is your best tool for finding the right leggings.
Everyday Leggings
Pants or not-pants? Who cares, if they look and feel good. Comfort is our number one priority for everyday leggings, but you also want them to hold up to daily movement. Leggings that double as pants may not be a soft as lounge leggings. We find that casual leggings balance comfort, durability, fashion, and versatility. The best casual leggings include:
- Soft Fabric: Choose a brushed or smooth fabric that remains comfortable against the skin. Trust yourself— run your fingers against it and decide your softness preference. A fabric you wear every day should feel comfortable without itching, chafing, or feeling too slick/technical.
- Light-to-Moderate Compression: They balance shape retention with comfort for long periods of both sitting and standing. Ask in the dressing room, " Can I sit comfortably without the waistband or compression bothering me?"
- Durability: They have excellent stretch recovery and resist pilling. Look for materials that snap back into shape when you stretch them and don't become baggy at the knees or waist after an hour of wear.
Yoga Leggings
In yoga, we often practice drishti, or a focal point, to cultivate undivided attention or focused awareness. The best yoga pants support focused awareness by disappearing on our bodies so that they don't distract from the practice. Look for leggings with simple designs, smooth seams, and few bumpy, bothersome features like zippers, bulky seams, or raised stitching.
- Four-way stretch: Yoga pants should be able to “splits off” in any direction and stretch with you in any direction that your legs can move. You can test this in the fitting room with a quick sequence. Try a deep lunge, forward fold, chair pose, and any pose that you love that stretches your full range of motion. Were you able to breathe comfortably in the waistband? Did the leggings pinch anywhere, or did they move with your body?
- Stretch recovery: No one loves a movement class where you have to yank up your sweaty britches. Stretch recovery keeps pants tight like circus leggings, keeping their shape and preventing bagggy fabric at the waist, knees, and ankles. This is the acrobatic and lithe fit we love to flex our muscles and expand our bodies in. Try this: pinch and pull the material with your fingertips in different directions. If it snaps back into place on your skin evenly, then that is a good indicator of stretch recovery.
- Light-to-Moderate Compression: Too much compression can be uncomfortable in deep stretches. The worst thing is that it can restrict breathing, and a waistband that is too tight can make deep abdominal breathing uncomfortable in yoga and any mobility practice.
You may want different qualities for different types of yoga. Look for soft materials and a relaxed fit for restorative classes, meditation, or Yin. If you practice dynamic styles like Ashtanga, hot yoga, or Vinyasa, look for the best combination of moisture management, stretch, and secure fit. For partner practices like dance or Acro yoga, look for a secure waistband and enough compression to stay tight against the legs in inversions.
If you practice yoga or want leggings for stretching, then we have an entire team of yoga teachers who have tested the best yoga leggings in our in-depth review.
Training Leggings
Training leggings are for the hardest workout days and for activities like HIIT, CrossFit, strength training, and gym. The fit check for the hard hitters in a workout room includes:
- Secure fit and moderate or high compression
- Squat-proof opacity
- Excellent moisture management
If you want to test your leggings, we have two tests you can do in a 2-minute round in a fitting room. First, try a deep squat and lunge test; give it your deepest twisting lunge. This is one of the most useful because it lets you evaluate waistband security, stretch, and pressure points under tension in one full-body movement. Good compression should feel even and supportive down your entire leg.
To test opacity, the squat test in front of a mirror or an honest friend is the best way to see if a material's knit won't be sheer. Our pro tip is to find a room with bright lighting for the squat test. Check your seat and make sure they don't flash your panties.
Hiking Leggings
"These leggings are made for walkin', and that's just what they'll do"… hiking, scrambling, and climbing, too. Not every pair of leggings is made to hit the trail. Hiking leggings balance comfort, breathability, and mobility with pure grit. They also play a role in temperature regulation. They help you release heat on climbs, and their ability to dry quickly after sweat or soggy weather makes a real difference in comfort and safety when you're out in the wilds. Consider your leggings as part of your “shelter system.” Whether we're cinching our hip belts or heading into the woods for miles or days, these would be the criteria for our hiking pants:
- Durability: abrasion-resistant fabrics, durable stitching or even reinforced seams
- Functional pockets: snack attack stashers, phone pockets, and hidden key or cash compartments
- Breathability and moisture management: they should breathe on hikes, wick sweat, and dry quickly after rain
Running Leggings
Running is hard enough without having to hike up your pants. Running involves thousands of repetitive strides so a streamlined fit is important. Even though training leggings have similar needs for smooth fabric and moisture management, fit needs to be even more dialed in for race specific tights. Even minor fit issues like wrinkles in the knee crease or a too-squeezed drawcord can be highly distracting and keep you from a running flow state. The best running leggings include:
- Stay-put waistband: a wide and compressive waistband or even a drawcord can prevent slipping and keep it supportive around your core
- Excellent moisture management: breathable materials and optional ventilation panels help manage heat and perspiration
- Chafe-resistant construction: flat-lock seems, smooth materials, and a well-designed gusset help prevent chuf rub from repetitive strides
One quick test before you buy is to jog in place for thirty seconds. Notice if the waistband slips or if the fabric bunches around the hip crease, knees, or ankles. Don't commit if you notice scratchy sensations anywhere because that can be a red flag for chafing down the road.
Choosing the Right Fit
How the leggings feel on your body is possibly the most important part. You should love how they feel from waist to ankles.
Fabric
When it comes to how fabric feels against your skin, your body wisdom is the expert. In the store, run your hand over the material. What is the first word you would use to describe the texture? Does it feel soft and pleasant or rough and abrasive? Does it snag on calluses or cause friction?
The most common materials used in leggings are Nylon, Polyester, and Elastane. Nylon is both soft and stretchy, but it really depends on elastane for super-stretch. Polyester is durable and has moisture-wicking properties, making it ideal in athletic clothing. Elastane (Spandex/Lycra) helps give material stretch, and like silly putty, it will stretch, stretch, stretch and then contract to recover its shape.
Three common fabric textures:
- Brushed fabrics: Ultra-soft, buttery, cottony, and sometimes fuzzy. Best use: lounging or yoga.
- Smooth or slick fabrics: Low friction and feel cooler aginst the skin. Best use: running or training.
- Ribbed material: Add texture and visual interest. Ribbed fabrics vary widely in compression, so double-check that the texture feels comfortable in different types of movement.
Fabric weight and knit construction also impact how the fabric feels, breathes, and provides coverage. Lighter materials often feel cooler and less restrictive. Heavier materials generally offer more coverage and warmth. That said, some of our favorite leggings balance being lightweight, durable, and supportive. Thicker leggings aren't necessarily more opaque or compressive. How tightly fibers are knit also impacts the leggings' opacity, durability, and breathability.
Compression
Compression is the amount of hug leggings give your body. Of all the metrics, it is intimately personal because it is all about touch and whether that feels freeing, comfy, or supportive to you.
- Light compression: Stand still and notice how little pressure you feel. This type of compression is what is commonly described as a “second-skin” sensation. We choose it for practices where, even if the fit is skin-tight, we want to feel unrestricted and all-natural in our own bodies.
- Moderate compression: These feel more comfortably snug. You should notice a gentle pressure around your waist, hips, and thighs. You may notice the hug, but it can fade into the background as you move, making this level of compression the most versatile.
- High compression: What takes us from moderate to high is how conscious we are of the pressure— we're distinctly aware of being held-in by the material. That squeeze feels great when we stand up from a deadlift, but it is way TOO MUCH to chillax on the couch. Quality compression shouldn't restrict movement; it just feels supportive around the muscles in rigorous activity. Compression should feel like a firm handshake and not a death grip — we like to see the fabric supporting movement, not strangling it.
One test that we find valuable is the sit, squat, and breathe test. Sit down and enter your deepest unsupported squat. Take three full deep breaths. Red flags for too much compression are a tourniquet waistband, pinching at the hips or knees, and restricted movement. Brownie points are a silky fabric that hugs your muscles evenly and the ability to breathe deep yet still feel supported around the abs.
Waistbands
The best waistbands should feel secure without squeezing the air out of your stomach, especially when bending or sitting.
Rise: How high do you prefer the waistband to sit on your body? Consider your personal preference for comfort and coverage.
- High-rise: Sits at or above the natural waist. This offers more belly coverage, especially when bending and stretching.
- Mid-rise: Sits just below the natural waist. This balances coverage with less fabric encircling the abdomen.
- Low-rise: Sits closer to the top of the hip bones, leaving the belly freer but may expose more of your lower back or belly when bending or squatting.
Construction: From our observations, wide and flat waistbands (around 3-5 inches) are our preferred design for distributing pressure evenly. In the store, we use our hand to see if they are around 4-6 fingers tall. Some thin waistbands can be flat and firm but we find they are more prone to pinching. Our favorites have minimal seams although some feature strategically placed seams or elastic reinforcement in key areas, which is great if they don't pinch or add bulk.
Stay-put fit: This one is a no-brainer because who wants the saggy-bottoms blues? We test this in a slow, exaggerated rolling movement through the spine and belly— ya know, the worm. We round through the spine, then relax and expand the belly to see if the waistband also expands or if it pinches out tummies. Then we fold forward, squat, and twist from the waist. If the waistband rolls, pinches, or sags — imagine doing that for a full yoga class! You can easily test security like this when you try them on.
Legging Construction: Seams and Gussets
This essentially translates into long term durability, but also plays a part in comfort. Well constructed connection points will cause less friction, and hold together better after repeated stretching.
Seams
Seam construction plays an important role in comfort, security, and durability. The best seams are the ones you never, ever feel— no scratch or itch, just smooth contact when you move. Just as important as the type of seam is where the seams are placed. Well-designed panels and seam placement help tension the fit and prevent chafing in sensitive areas like the inner thighs.
One practical test before you buy is to turn the leggings inside out. Look for raised ridges, bulky points where the cloth is joined, or rough stitching. When you put them on, do a couple squats and dock major brownie points if they pull or rub. If pieces of stiff and plastic-like exposed threads poke between the seams, don't buy them, as that is a red flag for pain.
Below are common seam designs to look for:
- Overlock seams: These are among the most common seam types that we see in stretchy clothing. The fabric panels are joined by stitching that wraps around the fabric edges to prevent fraying. The downside is that this can create a raised seam inside the leggings, which may rub or cause irritation. That's not necessarily the case, but always worth checking.
- Flatlock seams: The fabric edges are joined with stitching that lies relatively flat. This creates a smooth joining between fabric panels, reducing bulky ridges against the skin. This is our preferred seam to prevent chafing and for staying comfortable through stretches or repetitive movement.
- Seamless construction: Some leggings use compression and larger fabric panels to reduces the number of sewn seams, minimizing friction points. This can create a smoother feel, inside and outside as well as a clean look on the leg or waist.
Gussets
Our testers agree that gusset design is one of the most important features to look for in a comfortable legging that can stretch, stretch, strech. Imagine the discomfort of four seams meeting in the crotch— that can create an uncomfortable nexus between the legs. A gusset is a panel of fabric that changes seam placement in sensitive areas like the crotch zone, which reduces the potential for pinching or bunching. We love a gusset that distributes tension across the crotch and between the inner thighs. Our favorite designs create a good fit and more space for movement.
Common gusset styles include:
- Diamond — We find the offer an excellent range of motion and see this design frequently on premium leggings. This is a good choice for yoga or stretching. We really love this style for training tights because it can increase mobility for squats in weight lifting and cross training while providing a little more structure.
- Square — These give a little extra mobility around the crotch for comofrt, although we find they don't offer as much mobility for full leg extension. This can be a comfortable design for daily wear, hiking, and general fitness.
- Triangle — This a smaller insert commonly found on budget-friendly models.
- H-shaped — Hands down our testers' favorite gusset style. The gusset extends farther along the inseam for maximum mobility through multi-directional movement— they typically score a 10/10 for extension (front and middle splits) and hip rotation (pigeon and 90/90 hip switches) and deep squats (malasana and dragon lunge).
- No gusset — We see this when four seams meet at one point, creating greater seam stress. We find that these tend to be the most uncomfortable and we notice the camel toe woe more often with this style.
Additional Features to Consider
Drawcords: An internal drawcord lets you cinch your waistband for running, hiking, or HIIT. This adds security but is not a band-aid fix for a bad fit or poor shape retention. Our testers find it a love-or-hate feature, as a well-designed waistband can hold its own. The downsides we have found are that they can create pressure points, muffin tops, or dig into the abdomen. We actually like visible drawstrings most on lifestyle leggings as an aesthetic add-on.
Pockets: Pockets are great for stashing essentials, and placement is key for different items. Waistband pockets are great for small snacks, cards, and keys. Side thigh pockets are ideal for phones. Of course, pocket security is clutch, especially if you are moving at a fast and bouncy pace. Zippers, envelope closures, compressive pocket material, and deep pockets all add security to your leggings' storage capacity. We test security by going into a headstand and seeing whether our phone stays snug on our hip. Then we run to see whether the pocket stays tight or the contents bounce and pull the fabric. Pockets that bounce or cause your leggings to sag are closer to useless.
Reflective Details: Reflective accents or panels can help if you exercise outdoors. These details improve visibility for runners and bikers on roads because the accents reflect the light of oncoming vehicles.
Sun Protection: Many outdoor leggings offer UV protection. We look for fabrics rated UPF 50 or 50+ because the Skin Cancer Foundation confirms this rating blocks 98% of UV radiation. Our testers really love having sun protection when hiking in the mountains or high alpine. The weather is cool enough to wear leggings most days, and the high UV above tree line can be intense.
Reinforced seams: These are really specialized seams that can be useful for heavy duty training. They offer extra reinforcement in areas like the crotch and knees. We like to see reinforced seems in tights that we use for weight lifting, climbing, or mountaineering.
Sustainabilit:y Recycled materials: Many leggings are made from recycled materials, reducing the need to produce more synthetic materials. Keep in mind, they can still shed microplastics and are not biodegradable, so reducing fast fashion is something we all can do. Look for certifications from reputable organizations that evaluate environmental practices and fair labor conditions, like these below:
- Global Recycled Standard (GRS): Verifies recycled content and includes processing-related environmental, chemical, and social requirements.
- Bluesign: This standard considers responsible chemical use, resource management, and manufacturing practices.
- Fair Trade Certified: Considers humane, equitable labor conditions and worker benefits during production.
- Durability: Leggings that last for the long run mean less consumption. Some companies offer trade-in and recycling programs to keep worn-out or unwanted leggings out of landfills.
Conclusion
From Robin Hood's adventures defending the oppressed to the deep inner revolution of the yoga practice, leggings have outfitted humans on many a hero's journey. We fill so many moments in our leggings, and what we wear should underscore how we move with intention and express ourselves authentically. We hope this guide helps you tune in to your body, learn the practical features of exceptional leggings, and find the right fit for your life.
