After 20 hours of research evaluating 150 products, we picked Ideology Rapidry Yoga Pants as our top choice.
Whether you’re lounging around the house, running a quick errand, or actually practicing your sunrise salutations, finding the best yoga pants for your body type is a wardrobe staple for most women (and men).
Here’s the deal:
Although athletic leggings have evolved into the go-to piece of clothing for all occasions, we cannot forget why yoga pants were created in the first place – of course, for practicing yoga. The health benefits of yoga are well known and quite impressive. Not only will yoga help you build muscle strength and increase flexibility, but it will also improve bone health, boost immunity, and lower blood pressure.
Something many people do not know, however, is that this sport has psychological benefits as well. According to the Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, this exercise can decrease anxiety, increase alertness, and overall, make you a happier person. Who would say no to that?
Want to know the best part?
Deciding on the perfect pair of yoga pants can seem like a daunting task. In order to make your life easier we at Lovablepicks have done the research for you. We spent hours researching the best yoga pants for you.
#1 Best Yoga Pants Overall
Ideology Rapidry Yoga Pants
- Extremely flattering
- Perfect amount of support
- Great value
Pros
Yoga leggings aren’t always the most flattering option for women, especially when the fabric is too thin or they don’t offer the right amount of support. These bootcut yoga pants from Ideology don’t have either of those problems and happen to be the best pair of yoga pants we’ve found overall.
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Quality
#2 Best Luxurious Yoga Pants in White
Alo Yoga Goddess Legging in White
- “Beautiful comfortable leggings”
- “Fabulously flattering”
- “Great on and off the mat”
Pros
Just like the name suggests, these leggings are worth worshiping! Not only are they incredibly comfortable, but they are designed to slim the inner and outer thigh and seriously lift the booty. Could it get any better?
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Quality
#3 Sexiest Yoga Leggings for Women
Victoria’s Secret The Knockout by Victoria Sport Pocket Tight
- Soft, comfy stretch
- Fit like a glove
- Convenient built-in pocket
Pros
Maybe it’s the yoga instructor you want to look cute for or maybe you’re just excited to show off your slim, toned body what with all the yoga you do. Regardless of the reason, these Victoria’s Secret yoga leggings are sure to have you feeling and looking sexy before, during, and after your workout.
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#4 Best Cooling Yoga Pants
Fishers Finery Women’s Ecofabric Bootleg Yoga Pant; Bootleg Athletic Pant
- Bamboo fabric keeps you cool and dry
- Super stretchy and slimming
- Great for wearing to yoga or while out and about
Pros
While reviewing men’s boxers last year, we found that bamboo makes for fantastic feeling and drying fabric (check out the #2 pick). The same holds true in the form of these Fishers Finery women’s yoga pants.
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Quality
#5 Best Petite Yoga Pants in Black
Athleta High Rise Chaturanga Tight Yoga Leggings
- “Excellent fit!”
- “Want a pair in every color”
- “High quality”
Pros
The High Rise Chaturanga Tight by Athleta is the go-to tight for all things athletic. They can be worn to studio workouts and any errands in between! Above all, these tights are comfortable, stylish, and look good on any body type.
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Design
#6 Best High-Waisted Yoga Leggings
Baleaf Women’s High Waist Yoga Capri Leggings Tummy Control Non See-through Fabric
- Supportive high waist
- Thick and opaque
- Nice-looking capri legging
Pros
These yoga leggings by Baleaf are the epitome of comfort. Thanks to the thick fabric blend of these capri leggings, they not only provide a perfect snug fit high up on the waist, but they also ensure that there’s no peepshow going on as you move into downward dog.
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Quality
#7 Best Cheap Yoga Pants for Women
Fabletics Salar Yoga Capri Leggings for Women
- “My favorite workout bottoms by far!”
- “The fabric is comfortable and durable”
- “So cute, such high quality”
Pros
Women just cannot get enough of Kate Hudson’s new Fabletics active wear line. The bestselling Salar Capri is comfortable, durable, and stylish. Reviewers even say they rival Lululemon bottoms, but at a much lower cost.
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Best Yoga Pants Buying Guide
Yoga pants are, without a doubt, the single most important piece of clothing for yoga practitioners. With the right pair of pants, you’re more likely to have a more effective and rewarding experience.
Finding the best pair of yoga pants for your lifestyle, tastes, and specific discipline doesn’t have to be tedious. In fact, it can be a pretty enjoyable process.
And that’s exactly what this buying guide is all about. We want to help you make the best purchasing decision possible. After all, no one wants to deal with buyer’s remorse.
Below, we’ll share several key things you need to know before buying a pair of yoga pants. We promise: selecting the best yoga pants will become so much easier after this buying guide.
Let’s dive right in!
Why should you get yoga pants?
Wearing proper yoga pants is essential to enjoy an effective and comfortable workout. More than any other type of fitness discipline, feeling relaxed, at ease, and focused is important in yoga. As such, it’s easy to imagine how wearing the wrong kind of clothing can ruin your sessions.
Rather than wearing old sweatpants or random leggings to your workout, yoga pants have been specially made for the practice. Here are the top reasons why investing in a good quality pair of yoga pants is a smart idea.
- They provide flexibility – A good pair of yoga pants will allow you to breathe properly, stretch freely, and execute even the most complicated poses with ease. This is something that you won’t find in regular pants. Remember: free and comfortable movement is essential to the very core principles of yoga. Without it, your sessions are practically pointless.
- They’re versatile – The right yoga pants will remain useful and comfortable beyond the confines of your favorite studio. There’s a bunch of styles available depending on your preferred fit and silhouette, so styling yoga pants to fit casual situations isn’t too difficult. Plus, wearing yoga pants to run errands is now very commonplace.
- They’re comfortable and hygienic – Yoga can be sweaty affair—especially if you’re into hot yoga. A good pair of yoga pants will keep you feeling dry and comfortable until the very end of your class. This also protects you from nasty infections that may arise from the combination of moisture and warmth that you’re usually exposed to while working out.
Different Types of Yoga Pants
Yoga pants come in a variety of cuts and shapes to suit every preference. Curious about which one fits your needs best? Check this out.
- Yoga tights/Yoga leggings. This style of yoga pants is the most popular—at least in the past couple of years. As the name suggests, yoga tights have a skin-tight yet comfortable fit. They’re flexible and lightweight, and there’s no excess fabric that could get in the way of executing all your usual poses.
- Harem pants. Harem yoga pants mimic the traditional dhoti that traditional practitioners wear. Harem pants are very loose from below the waistband down to the ankle bands, which allows free movement and easier breathing.
- Bootleg/straight cut pants. Bootleg and straight cut pants are mostly like yoga leggings, but they fit loosely from the knees down.
- Yoga shorts. Yoga shorts use the least amount of fabric. Because of that, they’re generally well-regarded for allowing free movement. If you prefer not having any leg coverage, yoga shorts may be your best bet.
Natural vs Synthetic Fabrics
The fabric composition used in a pair of workout pants will say a lot about its performance. That said, it’s important to pay attention to the type of fabric used in a pair before making a purchase.
Yoga pants come in different fabrics. The most common are synthetic fabrics, natural fabrics like bamboo and cotton, and cotton-synthetic blends. Here’s a brief guide to their corresponding characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses.
Cotton
Yoga pants that are made of cotton are soft and comfy. They’re pretty unbeatable in terms of feel, which is why they’re a great option if you love lounging in yoga pants even when you’re not actually planning to exercise.
On the other hand, cotton may not be the smartest choice if you practice hot yoga or wear your yoga pants to perform other types of high-intensity exercise. Cotton isn’t the best fabric for anything that makes you sweat a lot. Instead of wicking away moisture, cotton simply absorbs it. This causes the fabric to become heavy and clingy. What’s more, it doesn’t help your body cool down as effectively as more breathable fabrics do.
All that being said, we recommend that you reserve cotton yoga pants for light activities like stretching, walking, and slower types of yoga. If you’re a fan of sweaty workouts but would rather stick to cotton, try to take a look at cotton-synthetic blends for a good in-betweener.
Synthetic fabrics
Synthetic fabrics have always been the obvious choice for high-impact workouts. If your chosen fitness activity exposes you to a lot of perspiration, synthetics like polyester and nylon work great.
Synthetic fabrics are known to be excellent at wicking away moisture. They allow perspiration to evaporate from your skin. These materials do not absorb sweat, so they do not get weighed down as much as cotton does. This property also allows them to resist unsightly sweat marks.
Another advantage of synthetic fabrics is their breathability. Working out in hot, humid environments can feel uncomfortable and “stuffy.” Wearing synthetic fabrics helps prevent this from happening.
Lastly, synthetic fabrics are generally more durable than natural fabrics. They’re more likely to resist deformation, fading, and fraying as time goes by. Synthetic fabrics that contain spandex are also super stretchable and tend to retain their shape even after the deepest of squats.
The downsides to synthetics? First off, they’re not as soft as cotton or bamboo. Some synthetic fibers like polyester are also more prone to bacteria buildup. This could lead to smelly situations if you’re the type who likes to remain in your yoga pants long after your last pose.
Bamboo
Bamboo is one of the most popular fabrics for yoga pants because it feels very soft and is moisture-wicking. Yet another natural fabric, bamboo is an organic and renewable source that is known to be more sustainable to produce than cotton.
Bamboo feels thicker than cotton. It also boasts a more luxurious feel. But what makes bamboo really stand out—apart from the pros already mentioned—is that it offers a nice balance between durability and comfort. It’s a breathable fabric that adapts well to seasonal changes—keeping you warm during winter and cool during summer.
Due to its softness, bamboo fabric is great for those with sensitive skin. In addition, it will work with both restorative and slow-paced yoga and high-impact workouts.
As for cons, bamboo is quite pricey compared to other fabrics. Also, white bamboo fabric is prone to yellowing over time.
Yoga Pants Buying and Wearing Tips
Don’t compromise on quality
We get it. Yoga pants can get really pricey—especially branded pairs. We’re not saying that the most expensive yoga pants are automatically the best. However, in this particular niche of workout apparel, the price generally corresponds to quality.
As we’ve mentioned above, quality clothing is essential in practicing yoga. You might think that spending more than $20 is unnecessary. But trust us: mid-range to high-end yoga pants will always give you superior quality and performance over cheap pairs.
You can expect that more expensive yoga pants will have better-quality fabric. They’re also going to be more durable and well-constructed, especially at the seams and in terms of stitching.
That said, it’s always better to prioritize quality. For instance, if you have $60 to spare, you’re better off buying one good quality pair than two to three pairs of cheaper leggings.
Watch out for sheer fabric
Many of us have been victimized by sheer leggings at some point. Don’t let your yoga pants put you in this embarrassing situation!
It isn’t always easy to tell whether or not a specific pair of yoga pants will sheer out in certain poses. That’s precisely why many of us end up as unsuspecting victims. You put on a pair of yoga pants that look and feel like it’s of good quality, so you trust it not to do you dirty. And voila, before you know it, you’ve given everyone behind you quite the show!
That said, it’s important to really test a pair of yoga pants before using it out in public for the very first time. Before buying yoga pants, do some squats in the fitting room to make sure that it doesn’t sheer out. If you bought the pair online, try the merch right away so you can return it if it doesn’t pass your standards.
Take proper care of your yoga pants
Taking good care of your workout apparel is crucial if you want them to last longer. Many of us are guilty of letting laziness consume us. But paying attention to how you treat your yoga pants will give you the most bang for your back in the long run.
Now, the absolute best way to care for any single pair of yoga pants is to follow the recommended cleaning instructions given by the manufacturer. Different fabrics and styles will require different cleaning and drying methods. Trust us, resisting the urge to simply throw your yoga pants in a random laundry load will usually pay off.
This one’s also important: wash your yoga pants after every use! Even if they don’t look or smell dirty, they’re probably already laden with stink-causing bacteria. Wearing used yoga pants not only makes you smell bad, but it makes you more prone to infections, as well.
Quantity is important, too
If you practice yoga every day (or almost every day), we recommend that you invest in at least two pairs of yoga pants. That way, you can rotate between them easily.
This does two things. One, you won’t be pressured to immediately wash and dry your yoga pants every day, which means you have the freedom to let them air dry. And two, this helps your yoga pants last longer.
Having multiple pairs of yoga pants is also handy if you practice different types of yoga. You may choose to invest in different cuts and fabrics to fit the different styles of yoga that you’re into.