The BEST workout leggings from Amazon
I’ve long been loyal to workout leggings from the Girlfriend Collective. They fit well, are durable, made from recycled materials, come in tons of colors and lengths and don’t break the bank. I probably had about six or seven pairs of black leggings that lasted me for years — pandemic (daily use!), pregnancy (the same pairs lasted me the entire time), postpartum, and beyond. But after 4-5 years some of the older pairs started to lose some of their compression and elasticity and I figured it was finally time for some replacements. So I reordered. And unfortunately, I was rather disappointed. It feels like the fabric formulation has changed somewhat and the new leggings are stiffer but also less compressive? The fit is also a bit less seamless and all around I just don’t love them as much any more.
I wear leggings to workout nearly daily so I don’t mind paying for something great quality that is going to last me, but I tried a few options from Free People and Athleta and wasn’t enthralled so I decided to give some Amazon options a try before turning to Lululemon, Bandier and the like.
I ordered nine pairs workout pants from Amazon based on reviews, links shared by people I follow on Instagram and other research. I ordered a size small across the board. Most were between $22-$30. The quality, fit, fabric, compression and construction varied widely. Personally I like a really seamless fit, and a high-compression fabric that is still soft and pliable.
Here is everything I tried and my favorites and not-so-favorites of the bunch.
The full set:
The winners: (Criteria: fit, fabric, compression, other)
Lavento: fit: super seamless fit overall and very high-waisted (love!) but a tad small (it took a little shimmy, shake to get them on); fabric: silky and soft; compression: strong but pliable. These felt like they could work for a range of activities.
CompressionZ: fit: a little lower waisted than the but a nice thick waistband that didn’t feel like it would roll or need adjusting; fabric: super silky and fabric though a touch shiny; compression: the strongest compression of the bunch. These felt very much like an athletic tight.
Sunzel: fit: good fit overall, very high-waisted; fabric: not as silky/shiny a finish; compression: good, strong compression but still pliable. These felt like they could work for a range of activities.
Colorfulkoala: fit: very high-waisted; fabric: super silky and light; compression: lighter compression. These felt like they would be better suited to lower impact activities: yoga, pilates, walking etc. I’m not sure I would wear these to run, weight lift, hike etc.
The not-great: (Criteria: fit, fabric, compression, other)
CrzYoga: fit: I didn’t love the waist band on these as it had a double horizontal seam and the fit wasn’t as good as it could have been; fabric: slightly plastick-y finish; compression: not as tight of compression as I’d prefer
Dragon Fit: fit: ran really large and had strange seams; fabric: very stiff and thick fabric; compression: not strong
The Gym People: fit: ran really large, side pockets that I don’t care for; fabric: thick, stiff fabric; compression: not strong
Baleaf: fit: ok overall but a poor fit at waist (didn’t contour well) and side pockets that I don’t care for; fabric: thicker; compression: not strong
Core10: fit: ok overall; fabric: thick, stiff fabric; compression: poor compression