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For the former, you may want a pair thats thicker, more compressive, and sweatproof.
Courtesy of the brands / Laneen Wells
Meanwhile, youll probably prefer softer, lighter-weight leggings for yoga,Pilates, and other lower-intensity workouts.
As mentioned above, your go-to workouts can also help you determine which fabrics will work best.
Additional features
Dont forget nice-to-have elements like a drawstring, well-placed pockets, and breathable mesh panels.
Depending on what you like, these add-ons can turn a solid pair of leggings into an exceptional one.
FAQs about shopping for exercise leggings
Should I size up or down in leggings?
If youre between sizes, you should usually size down in leggings.
Why do my leggings roll down at the waist?
On the other hand, sometimes super-high-waisted styles can roll down to meet the indent of your natural waist.
These are my everything leggings, they wrote.
I have been buying the Stash from Athleta for years, and they hold up.
Zippers at the ankles also make them easy to get off when youre sweaty.
Sometimes full-length leggings look bunchy at the ankles, but these were perfect, one SELF tester wrote.
The high waistband is extremely comfortable and flattering.
Theyre absolutely squat-proof as well.
These are perfection, wrote one tester, who wears a size 2X.
They did not move.
The leggings are high-waist and cover my entire tummy as a plus-size woman.
Where have these leggings been all my life?
The leggings definitely did everything they were supposed to do, one 2023 tester wrote.
They were supportive, comfortable, cute, and helped me stay dry when I was really sweaty.
The ones that come to mind for us are easily Beyond Yogas super-soft, smooth Spacedye tights.
These leggings definitely lived up to my expectations, wrote one 2023 Activewear Awards tester.
The wind doesnt pierce through them like a lot of other leggings.
Few pairs strike a balance between stretchy and tough quite like the Ad-Vantage from Outdoor Research.
I also feel like theyre perfect for travel because they are durable, lightweight, and have some compression.
With a subtle sheen, these would work equally well for a gym day or a cute errands outfit.
Moisture-wicking nylon makes them a solid pick for sweaty conditioning sessions too.
These leggings are also very smoothing and lightweight, so theyll feel particularly good in hot tweaks.
These are my favorite leggings of all time, wrote one LNDR customer.
Theyre tight in all the right places and super comfortable.
you’re able to rest assured that the leggings that made the cut were road-tested to the fullest.
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