A few clothing staples are a must-have in every woman’s wardrobe. These include a pair of blue jeans, a little black dress, a black blazer, a white tee, and a reliable pair of leggings.
Not only are leggings comfortable, but they’re also stylish and versatile. Whether going for a run, brunch, party or just hanging around the house, leggings can rise to the occasion.
The best ones are like a second skin, staying securely in place no matter the activity you’re engaged in and never losing their elasticity.
However, with so many leggings options on the market, how can you tell which ones are the best? In this product review guide, we’ve compiled a list to help you narrow your search. So scroll down and look around, and by the end of this guide, you’ll be able to tell the best leggings for women.
Best 12 Leggings for Women Reviewed
The Lululemon high-rise align pants are specifically-designed for yoga. But that’s not all they’re great for.
One of the reasons you’ll love these leggings is their weightless flexibility and focus, which will help you deepen your practice.
This collection also has an invisible waistband pocket where you can keep your card or key discreetly. They’re so lightweight and comfy that you’ll forget you’re even wearing them.
Additionally, these leggings for womens are made from a four-way stretch fabric that retains its shape, thanks to the added Lycra fiber. This fabric is also breathable with sweat-wicking properties. As a result, they absorb sweat from your skin, disperse it on the fabric’s surface, and allow it to evaporate into the air. Therefore, keeping you dry and odor-free.
Another beautiful thing about these pairs of leggings is the high rise that’ll cover your core, lie smooth under your tops, and won’t dig in!
Looking for leggings to wear off the yoga mat as well as for your indoor and outdoor yoga practice? Then you can go for Athleta ultra-high-rise elation tights. With the proper support, this collection makes you feel secure while in a yoga class or while running weekend errands.
The feel the fabric gives is another reason we love these leggings. It’s buttery soft to the touch, with such support that it feels like a gentle hug. You’ll find yourself hard-pressed to take them off!
It’s also a moisture-wicking fabric that draws sweat away from the body, allowing it to evaporate faster. With these breathable leggings, you will have a distraction-free yoga practice plus a life off the mat!
Girlfriend Leggings are another versatile pair when looking for leggings that can do it all. They’re ideal for a variety of athletic and non-athletic activities.
Medium-weight, smooth, and stretchy, these leggings are comfortable and compressive enough to keep you feeling held in and secured.
What’s more, the Girlfriend leggings have a nicely structured fit, and they’ll give you a more attractive silhouette than many competing pairs that only rely on stretch because the seams wrap around the body.
Not this pair. It comes with a V shape panel across the lower back, giving your bum a perkier look than many other leggings would.
The Girlfriend Collective compressive high-rise leggings come in more sizes (XXS to 6XL) than almost every other legging and, of course, plus sizes. They are also available in three lengths (28.5-inch inseam, 23 3/4-inch inseam, and 19.5-inch inseam). Another nice perk about this collection is that they come in six different colors, allowing you to pair them with any desired top.
Beyond yoga spacedye leggings are the softest, coziest leggings you’ll ever wear. Made from butter-soft spacedye fabric that’s Bluesign certified, these leggings will make you feel like they’re a second skin.
Another feature we love about these leggings is that they’re available in a wide range of sizes from XXS to 4X, and you’d likely find your ideal fit in this wide range of inclusive sizes. They’re also available in six neutral core hues (black, black charcoal, black-white, nocturnal navy, silver mist, and chai) plus nine seasonal colors.
These beautiful leggings are designed with no outside seams, with supportive compression to give you a flawless figure. And who can forget the 5-inch waistband designed to fit around your natural waist?
They also feature flexible stretch and provide moisture-wicking breathability. So, you can put on these pairs of leggings for workouts, running errands, lounging, and pretty much anything else.
Are you a remote worker looking for comfortable leggings to wear while working? Or for a casual dinner with friends? You also want one that’s socially acceptable for running errands. Zella Live in high-waist leggings ticks all these boxes.
They’re also perfect for doing yoga and pilates. These stretchy, figure-sculpting leggings, made from moisture-wicking fabric, keep you cool as your workout heats up.
They also have an elastic waistband with a hidden pocket for your cards, car keys, and other essentials.
We have just the right leggings for you if you’re into high-intensity workouts and activities.
The Outdoor Voices TechSweat 7/8 leggings are perfect for running, yoga, lifting, hiking, biking, and almost anything! You can carry out any physical activity without fear of it folding or slipping down.
With a secure waistband, these leggings aren’t like other high-waisted leggings, which tend to dig into your stomach. Instead, it’s comfortable and stays put regardless of the activity you’re engaged in.
Another beautiful thing about this pair of leggings is that it’s made from breathable TechSweat™ fabric. This ensures that you remain cool and comfortable no matter how much you sweat.
Even better, the Outdoor Voices leggings also look great! The fit is quite flattering as it draws attention to your leg muscles and shapes your bum, thanks to its strategic seam. The high waist feature also elongates your legs and makes your waist appear slimmer.
Outdoor Voices TechSweat 7/8 leggings are the type you won’t want to take off once you wear them.
Nobody wants to wear a heavy-weight sweater in the middle of summer. Similarly, wearing heavy leggings when the weather is hot is generally not a good idea. Fortunately, the Alo High-Waist 7/8 Legging has covered you in such seasons.
Made from Airlift fabric, these Alo leggings are lightweight and breathable. Its moisture-wicking feature also keeps you sweat-free in hot weather. That’s because the fabric draws moisture away from your skin and onto the material.
Perfect for warm-weather exercises, wouldn’t you say?
These leggings also have that second-skin fit and feel that sculpts your rear and legs. What’s more, you enjoy these features irrespective of your body size.
The 7/8 High-Waist Airlift Legging is available in different sizes, ranging from XXS to XS, S, M, L, and XL. They also come in several colors. This allows you to match them with any color of your preferred pair of sneakers or slides.
With over 3300 five-star reviews, Athleta Salutation Stash Tight is another gorgeous pair of leggings worth your consideration. These pairs of leggings are perfect for your Yoga or studio practice.
Made with second-skin Powervita™ fabric, these leggings are buttery soft and give you that feel of a gentle hug—ideal for workouts, a quick or long nap, and errands.
You can pair these leggings with a jumper and favorite sneakers for your stunning everyday look.
Another reason we love these Athleta leggings is because they look great on all body types. With regular, tall, and petite sizes available, you can get the perfect fit no matter your size.
Moreover, this collection is designed with comfortable fabric that’s moisture-wicking, breathable, and compressive fabric. The moisture-wicking property pulls sweat away from the body to the fabric’s surface so it can evaporate.
Because it’s breathable, airflow moves easily through the garment and dries sweat in a flash. Finally, the compressive feature keeps you held in and supported in all the right places, giving you that flattering fit. Additionally, unlike most leggings that don’t come with pockets, this pair comes with pockets on the sides. The pockets lie flat against your leg so they don’t stick out. And guess what? They’re deep enough to hold your car keys, phones, cards, and other small items.
The Ultra-Soft High-Rise Legging lives up to its name.
These incredibly soft leggings are ideal for low-impact workouts such as cycling, hiking, yoga, and pilates. And since they’re so soft, you can curl up on your couch in them for movie nights. They quickly become your favorite loungewear designed for everyday comfort.
Although these pairs of leggings are soft, it doesn’t mean that they lack the performance qualities that leggings lovers love. They also feature moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and anti-microbial technology. This leaves you feeling fresh and cozy.
The hidden waistband pocket is another great Quince ultra-soft leggings feature. You can stash your phone, keys, and other essentials there.
Moreover, they’re available in sizes from XS to S, M, L, and XL. These gorgeous leggings also come in several amazing colors: black, navy, rose, burgundy, blue fog, and olive. And that’s not all! You’ll also find them in heather-grey, heather-rose, heather-oatmeal, heather-navy, and heather-charcoal.
With over 45,000 ratings on Amazon, this is another collection that many women love. One of the several reasons for this is the seamless waistband that doesn’t dig in when doing downward dog.
This wide waistband also supports the tummy, making you appear slimmer and more fit.
These Yoga pants are made of a buttery soft blend of spandex and nylon, giving you the stretch you need to accommodate all your yoga poses. They also fit flush against your skin and move with you without bunching, pinching, or pulling off.
The V contour seam design is another appealing feature of these leggings. This V-contour seam on the back and its form-fitting design sculpt your figure, making your behind look even more attractive.
As such, these soft and curve-hugging leggings are great to wear to the beach, run errands, or lounge on your sofa.
Moreover, these leggings are also non-see-through, giving you a sense of security and confidence. And with different colors to choose from, you’ll never ask about what to wear with this collection!
The glossy material is one of the features of the Spanx faux leather leggings buyers find impressive. This material feels incredibly luxe to the touch and appears to have just the right amount of thickness and elasticity even before you slip into the leggings. The fabric is a stretchy mixture of nylon and spandex with a polyurethane coating that isn’t flimsy.
You’ll particularly enjoy wearing this pair of leggings during the colder months because of their weight (they feel like real leather pants).
You’ll also find these leggings to be very stylish. For a casual look, you can wear the Spanx leggings with an oversized sweatshirt, a pair of chunky dad sneakers, and a puffer jacket, just like you would with other activewear.
You can also combine these leggings with a boyfriend blazer, statement jewelry, and slouchy boots on other days when you feel like dressing up for a night out. These leggings can match just about anything in your closet.
Besides the versatility of these leggings, another nice feature is how low-maintenance they are. To ensure that the matte coating resembles genuine leather as closely as possible, you machine-wash on cold, avoid using fabric softener, and lay them out flat to dry.
And guess what? The wrinkles vanish when you put them on. So you don’t even have to worry about steaming or ironing them out. Best feature? These leggings come in different sizes and inseams, from XS to XL, as well as petite and regular lengths.
Alo AIRBRUSH HIGH-WAIST FLUTTER LEGGING is one of the most comfortable and flattering pairs of leggings you can have. It’s gorgeous from every angle, from its skinny waistband to its elevated front seams.
Even better, this airy-yet-opaque staple’s soft, cotton-like feel makes it ideal for vinyasas, barre, and outdoor activities like hiking.
And if you’re looking for flares, the Alo AIRBRUSH leggings are perfect. It comes with a flared leg with a slit in the front, adding extra ventilation. So, if you have those beautiful sneakers you want to show off, this front split is perfect to showcase them. But why stick to sneakers? These leggings are so versatile that you can wear them to work with heeled booties or casually with tennies.
Furthermore, these leggings are made with the brand’s renowned airbrush fabric. That’s a buttery-soft material that strikes a balance between comfort and compression.
Finally, they come in different sizes.
Things to Consider When Buying Leggings
When choosing your leggings, you need to consider the occasions you’ll wear them. Here are some of the things to keep in mind when buying the best leggings for women:
Leggings to wear as pants: You can wear leggings made from thicker material like Ponte or faux leather as pants or even for work. Try the leggings in daylight or a bright light to ensure the fabric isn’t transparent. You can check for show-through by bending in front of a mirror or bending your knee significantly.
Leggings to wear for a workout: The best material for workout leggings are synthetic performance fabrics such as polyester or nylon. These materials are stretchy, long-lasting, opaque, and often moisture-wicking to help with sweat management. To avoid friction and irritation, look for those with flat interior seams.
Loungewear legging: If you do not want completely opaque leggings, you can choose a pair of super-soft leggings made of cotton, lyocell, or modal, to layer under longer tops or to wear all the time.
Our top pick is the Lululemon high-rise align pants. The lightweight, buttery smooth fabric of these leggings has a barely-there feel, and it’s versatile enough to be worn for just about any occasion.
While designed for yoga, they can also serve as loungewear, daily wear, and workout clothes. The high-rise waist is attractive without digging into you or sagging. They’re also available in different colors and patterns and rise at the waist and leg lengths.
When selecting pants for a particular workout, it’s crucial to consider performance factors like moisture wicking, breathability, stretch, and how comfortable the garment feels against your skin. And the Lululemon leggings tick all these boxes to win the top position in our best leggings for women buying guide!
Special Mention
Here are a few other leggings that are worth mentioning:
Commando Control Top Leggings: Commando control top leggings come with an internal control-top waistband. This internal control-top waistband ensures that it gives you a fantastic fit and maximum comfort.
Vuori Studio Pocket Legging: Designed to move with you, bending, twisting, and stretching through any sequence, these leggings are ideal for any yoga session in which you move your body through various poses.
UGG Women’s Ashlee Double Knit Legging: Because of the double-knit fleece lining, these leggings make winter or living in a cold climate more bearable. You can wear these beautiful leggings for outdoor workout sessions or as a base layer for cold-weather activities like spectating a football game.
Iuga High Waist Yoga Pants: Wearers love the thick band at the top for tummy control and the four-way stretch material for compression and no-slip support. In addition, it comes with a gusset crotch to increase free movement and Interlock seams to reduce rubbing and chafing, making these women’s leggings good yoga pants.
CRZ YOGA Women’s Naked Feeling Workout Leggings: One beautiful feature of these leggings is they are lightweight and feel just like a second skin.
Under Armour Women’s HeatGear High No-Slip Waistband Ankle Leggings: These smooth, moisture-wicking leggings are ideal for any activity that generates a lot of sweat and motion, like running. The fabric quickly dries after sweating and wicks moisture, which helps to lessen friction.
