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11 best yoga pants and leggings to support you as you stretch

Whether fitted or flared, seamless or high-rise, you need a pair you can rely on

Zoe Griffin
Friday 23 February 2024 13:16 GMT
<p>We did sun salutations, downward dog, and attempted headstands to check the leggings didn’t sag, dig in or become transparent</p>

We did sun salutations, downward dog, and attempted headstands to check the leggings didn’t sag, dig in or become transparent

Our Top Picks

While practising yoga provides us with a moment of zen and calm, shopping for the perfect pair of yoga leggings can have quite the opposite effect.

They need to be soft and flexible, so they can move with your flow without restriction, and it’s a good idea to check the fabric is fully opaque, so you don’t show off your underwear along with your downward dog. Apart from those criteria, the options come down to personal preference.

Some people like flared or loose yoga pants made from a smooth fabric, while others prefer a more compressive design, as they believe it holds their form tighter, makes them more aware of adjustments needed and supports their core.

Further choices to make are whether you like bright colours or calming shades, and if you want a full leg, cropped leg or a 7/8 leg, which falls to just above the ankles. If you’re doing a particularly vigorous or hot yoga class, our opinion is the less fabric, the better. However, it doesn’t matter too much, as long as the material is capable of wicking away sweat and is breathable.

With prices ranging from less than £20 to more than £120, how do you know which yoga leggings will make you feel (and look) great? We stretched and stood on our heads for hours to find the best yoga pants and leggings on the market.

How we tested the best yoga leggings

A selection of the best yoga leggings we tried and tested

These leggings were tested in a variety of studio classes and at home while following the YouTube channel Yoga with Adriene. We assessed comfort, shape, waistband height and how well the leggings stayed up, as well as style and colour scheme. Each was worn for a hot yoga class at least once, to test the sweat-wicking capabilities, too.

We did sun salutations, downward dog, and attempted headstands to check the leggings didn’t sag, dig in or become transparent. We also washed each pair to test whether they remained soft and supportive after multiple uses.

The best yoga leggings for 2024 are:

  • Best yoga leggings overall – Decathlon Kimjaly premium yoga leggings: £39.99, Decathlon.co.uk
  • Best budget yoga leggings – Asos 4505 icon high-waist yoga leggings: £18, Asos.com
  • Best yoga leggings for sculpting – LDNR fatal attraction 7/8 leggings: £108, Ldnr.com
  • Best flared yoga pants – Yours bestseller curved wide-leg jersey yoga pants: £22.99, Yoursclothing.co.uk
  • Best high-waist yoga leggings – Lululemon align high-rise pants: £88, Lululemon.co.uk

Decathlon Kimjaly premium yoga leggings

decathlon women-legging-premium-yoga-indigo-indybest
  • Best: Yoga leggings overall
  • Size range: XS-XL
  • Colourways: Indigo, dark cinnamon, black
  • Material: 20 per cent elastane, 80 per cent polyamide
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Lightweight
    • Bright and uplifting colour
  • Take note
    • Limited colour options

Comfy, stylish and supportive, these felt like a second skin. They’re lightweight and slim-fitting, so you can move fast and free, but they offer gentle support, so you’re aware of where your lower body is and what muscles are firing up (or not). They did a brilliant job of holding in our tummy without it feeling like they were trying to squeeze out our breakfast, too.

We love the bright indigo colour, which cheered us up during early morning winter practices in the dark. Meanwhile, the material was strokably smooth, even after several washes. If we didn’t know these cost less than £40, we’d have estimated the price to be more than £100, as they performed better (in both hot and regular classes) than leggings that cost twice as much.

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Asos 4505 icon high-waist yoga leggings

Asos-leggings-indybest
  • Best: Budget yoga leggings
  • Size range: UK 4-18
  • Colourways: Black
  • Materials: 95 per cent cotton, 5 per cent elastane
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Lightweight
    • Don’t fall down

For the price, you’ll struggle to find a pair of leggings as good as these. They only come in black, but that’s really the only downside. They’re incredibly lightweight – so much so, we almost had to check we’d remembered to put them on. They wick away sweat and moisture brilliantly and they don’t sag, fall down or get in the way in any position.

Available in UK sizes 4 to 18, there’s a size for pretty much every yogi. Made from 95 per cent cotton, these leggings were ultra smooth to the touch, too. We were impressed by their opacity, although they’re not as compressive as some of the other pairs we tested.

  1. £18 from Asos.com
Prices may vary
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LDNR fatal attraction 7/8 leggings

LNDR leggings-indybest
  • Best: Yoga leggings for sculpting
  • Size range: XS-XL
  • Colourways: Black, marine, dark green, olive, deep navy
  • Material: 30 per cent elastane, 70 per cent polyamide
  • Pockets: Two hip pockets
  • Why we love it
    • Excellent sweat-wicking capability
    • Slimming
  • Take note
    • The most expensive pair we tested

If you’re looking for a pair of leggings that make you feel good about your figure as soon as you slip them on, these are the answer. Such is the support and compression offered, we felt we dropped a dress size as soon as we pulled them up over our thighs. There was also a noticeable uplift in the bottom area, as the high waist of this garment is cleverly engineered to pull everything upwards. Hidden waistband technology also flattens, making us feel more comfortable about wearing them with just a sports bra.

Sweat-wicking was a dream, making us feel super comfortable in hot classes. While we didn’t use the pockets for yoga, for fear of something slipping out during inversions, we would consider using these leggings for running. Although they’re one of the more expensive pairs we tested, the fact they’re multitasking makes up for it.

  1. £108 from Lndr.com
Prices may vary
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H&M dry move seamless shaping sports tights

hm-yoga-leggings-indybest
  • Best: For a peachy look
  • Size range: XS-XXL
  • Colourways: Brown, dark blue, black
  • Materials: 10 per cent elastane, 90 per cent polyamide
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Great bottom uplift
    • Comfortable ribbed waistband
  • Take note
    • Less elastane than other leggings

When we slipped into these and looked in the mirror, we had to take a second glance at our bottom. These leggings feature ruching just below the tailbone (in between the glutes) that accentuate the shape of our derrière and made it appear more rounded.

The leggings also felt really comfortable around the midsection, thanks to a high-ribbed waistband that offered just the right amount of support. Designed with the minimum number of seams, they were squat-proof and downward dog-proof but offered excellent freedom of movement.

  1. £27 from 2.hm.com
Prices may vary
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Yours bestseller curve wide-leg stretch jersey yoga pants

yours curve-leggings-indybest
  • Best: Wide-leg yoga pants
  • Size range : UK 14-40
  • Colourways: Black
  • Material: 8 per cent elastase, 92 per cent viscose
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Soft jersey fabric
    • Two leg length options
  • Take note
    • Only for sizes 14+

These have the biggest range of sizes of any yoga leggings that we tested, with the design available from sizes 14 to 40. The waistband sits in a flattering spot, keeping everything in but without feeling too tight, and the drawstring waist is adjustable, so you can customise the fit.

On the subject of customisation, you can choose from a 26in leg or a 30in leg, making these a great option for petite people, too.

What impressed us the most about these leggings was the soft jersey fabric. These are trousers you can lounge in as well as work out in – they look good while doing both. We’re thinking of investing in two pairs – one for yoga and one for chilling.

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M&S Good Move go balance cropped yoga leggings

marks and spencer-leggings-indybest
  • Best: Cropped yoga leggings
  • Size range: UK 6-24
  • Colourways: Black
  • Materials: 28 per cent elastane, 72 per cent recycled polyester
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Good size range
    • Eco-friendly polyester
  • Take note
    • Only available in black

For versatility, you can’t beat a pair of cropped leggings, as you can wear them in the summer as well as the winter (just pull up your socks slightly higher on colder days). Fully blackout and with a decent amount of stretch, these M&S leggings supported us brilliantly, from child’s pose to warrior pose and everything in between.

Made from recycled polyester, these were also one of the most eco-friendly pairs of leggings we tested, but there was no compromising on softness or comfort. They also have a wider size range compared with some other brands – going all the way up to size 24. They’re super easy to care for, too, as you can wash them up to 40C and tumble dry them.

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Lululemon align high-rise pant 28in

Lululemon-leggings-indybest
  • Best: High-waisted yoga leggings
  • Size range: UK 4-24
  • Colourways: Graphite grey, paradise green, iron blue, washed mauve, heathered graphite grey, black, true navy, camo coal, bone, espresso, dark olive
  • Material: 20 per cent lycra elastane, 80 per cent nylon
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Four different leg length options
    • Gently supportive waistband
  • Take note
    • Quite expensive

For the ultimate in studio-to-socialising leggings, you just can’t beat Lululemon. These leggings wick sweat perfectly, so you don’t need to shower straight after class – keep these on while you grab a coffee or do brunch. The Lululemon omega logo on the top of the back waistband has become a status symbol, subtly showing you care about what you wear and are willing to pay a bit more for a flattering fit and premium fabric.

We loved that these gently caressed the tummy area, prompting us to tighten our core without digging in or feeling restrictive.

While these cost almost £90, the durable fabric washes well, so they’ll feel great for years to come. If you look at them as a long-term investment, they’re well worth the money. They come in a choice of 11 shades, so you’re guaranteed to find one to flatter your skin tone and complement other items in your sports kit collection.

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Bam Grace bamboo cropped yoga pants

bam yoga-leggings-indybest
  • Best: Yoga pants for softness
  • Size range: UK 8-16
  • Colourways: Black, Amazon green, indigo, rust, true navy
  • Materials: 68 per cent bamboo viscose, 28 per cent organic cotton, 4 per cent elastane
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Incredibly soft
    • Temperature responsive
  • Take note
    • Fewer size options, compared with some other brands

Made from bamboo, these are great for both vigorous and gentle yoga sessions. The temperature-responsive fabric keeps you warm when it’s cold but cool when the heat is turned up. It’s also better than man-made fabrics when it comes to wicking sweat, and we were able to enjoy hot yoga in these without them feeling damp on our skin. We loved the way these draped around our legs, without wrinkling, as we felt they looked really flattering.

Bamboo is also an incredibly soft fabric, thanks to the smooth and round structure of its fibres. Overall, we felt the Bam yoga pants offered an exceptional level of cosiness and are the best option if you prefer loose yoga pants as opposed to tighter leggings.

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UYN to-be woman pant long

UYN pink-leggings-indybest
  • Best: Stylish yoga leggings
  • Size range: XS-XL
  • Colourways: Pink, chocolate, blue, black
  • Material: 53 per cent cotton, 44 per cent polyamide, 3 per cent elastane
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Cute pink colour
    • Premium feel of material
  • Take note
    • Expensive
    • Slow shipping speed

In a tea rose shade of pink, these leggings earned a lot of compliments – and not just for the bright colour, as they fitted our legs perfectly without feeling too tight. In fact, there’s only 3 per cent elastane in these leggings, so they have more of a trouser-like feel.

We found them satisfyingly thick, which we enjoyed while walking to the studio during the colder months. That said, you could get away with wearing them in the summer, as the organic cotton is brilliant at wicking all moisture away from the skin. The cotton also makes these feel softer than leggings made from polyester or nylon.

The only downside is they ship directly from Italy, so allow a few days to receive them after placing your order.

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M&Co black slim-leg yoga pants

m & co 1-leggings-indybest
  • Best: Yoga pants for all-day wear
  • Size range: UK 10-28
  • Colourways: Black
  • Material: 5 per cent elastane, 95 per cent cotton
  • Pockets: No
  • Why we love it
    • Flattering
    • Good choice of leg lengths
  • Take note
    • Size runs large

These flattering yoga pants straddle being tight and restrictive and loose but baggy. They’re the yoga pants equivalent of straight-leg jeans, and are available in UK sizes 10 to 28, providing plenty of options for all shapes. You can choose from a 27in leg length aimed at petite people; a 29in short fit, or a 31in regular size. Our tester is 5ft 9in and found 31in to be the ideal length.

The elasticated waistband felt comfortable and supportive, although thinner than other options we tested. This makes them look better as an everyday pair of trousers, not just for yoga. We got away with wearing these to work with a smart top and found them so much more cosy than regular zip-fly work trousers.

We’d recommend sizing down if you’re in between sizes, as they do come up larger than expected.

  1. £22 from Mandco.com
Prices may vary
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Columbia boundless trek leggings

columbia-leggings-indybest
  • Best: Yoga leggings for sweat-wicking
  • Size range: XS-XL
  • Colourways: Black, spice, nocturnal eddies print, cosmic undercurrent print
  • Material: 19 per cent elastane, 81 per cent recycled polyester
  • Pockets: One side leg pocket
  • Why we love it
    • Fun printed colour options

Made for the great outdoors, these leggings are built to last. Got a 90-minute class? No problem – the boundless trek leggings have the magic trinity of design elements, as they’re stretchy, breathable and sweat-wicking. They’re opaque enough not to show any knicker line but they also feature a built-in gusset, so you can go underwear-free.

We tested the spice colour, which was a flattering mix of brown and berry colours and a nice alternative to a pair of plain black leggings. If you’re feeling really adventurous, the cosmic undercurrent print is a swirly mix of whites, browns and pinks to brighten up even the darkest of mornings, helping you to feel alive even before you start sun salutations. As a further bonus, we like that they’re a planet-friendlier choice, made from recycled polyester.

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The verdict: Yoga leggings

Soft, stretchy and so comfortable, the Decathlon Kimjaly yoga leggings really surprised us, as we didn’t think it was possible to get such high-quality fabric for less than £40. However, we were also impressed by the flattering fit of the LDNR fatal attraction yoga leggings. If you prefer looser yoga pants, we recommend the Bam Grace bamboo option.

Now all you need is the best yoga mat to complete your zen setup

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