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Finding the best gym leggings is no mean feat. I should know. I’ve spent the past half decade trying. The main sticking point? The fact that there are so many activities you might wear your gym leggings for – and they have to be appropriate for them all. But we all know that owning the best gym leggings from the very best activewear brand is integral if you want to motivate yourself to move your body.
When you feel your best, you perform your best – and therefore a pair of sports tights that don’t fall down, don’t turn see-through when you squat and fit you like a glove is guaranteed to make you feel great. So, whether you’re shopping for a morning spin session, a brisk walk with the dog, reformer pilates class, or lovely outdoor run, Glamour writers have been hard at work finding you the best gym leggings to shop this season.
Of course, to the untrained eye, gym leggings can all look the same. But trust us when we tell you that they can vary wildly. It can be a little overwhelming to figure out what the best style, material, and colour is to invest in. After all, they’ll likely end up being one of the most worn and washed items in your wardrobe.
To make sure you pick a pair that truly delivers, we’ve sought advice from some experts, and whittled down a selection of the best gym leggings worth considering this season, and don’t worry there are some plus-size options too.
The best gym leggings, according to Glamour editors:
What to look for in a pair of gym leggings:
While we’re all for the matching sets that the TikTok girlies don to grow their glutes, there’s a lot of science that goes into gym wear. From Lioness players to Olympians, sportswear designer Lily Rice has dressed some of the world’s best athletes — and she firmly believes that fit trumps everything when it comes to choosing your ultimate legging.
“You definitely want to try before you buy and don’t be afraid to pop a few squats and lunges before you purchase. Leggings should feel comfortable around the waist, too loose and you’ll be pulling at them after the first mile, too snug and you won’t be able to stomach wearing them again!” she says.
“An adjuster in the waist is a great asset as it helps personalise the fit. Check the fabric is thick enough that you feel supported and covered. A good test is to hold the leggings in your hands and stretch the fabric, if white starts to show or if you can see through it when given a gentle stretch, then that fabric is way too thin. Make sure the front crotch fits comfortably too, a gusset (the small panel of fabric you get in the crotch of some leggings) can benefit the fit but it’s not vital in seamless leggings.”
How we tested the best gym leggings:
From running your first 5K to unwinding in a yoga class, there are so many different ways to keep fit these days — so your leggings need to be versatile, long-lasting, and comfortable. So I, alongside my fellow shopping writers Georgia, Karina, Ria and Felicity, have put our top picks through their paces. We’ve tested them in a variety of activities like running, walking, spin classes, reformer pilates, barre, and good old-fashioned weight lifting in the gym.
Every pair of leggings that made it into this guide is one that we’d be happy to recommend to a friend. We scored each pair based on fit, how flattering they were, how opaque they were, how well they washed, whether they actually stayed up during workouts, whether they were comfortable, what they were made from, and value for money. You can read more about how we test here.
Why you can trust me:
I have been a shopping writer for the best part of eight years – for six years at Glamour and for two years at other publications. During that time, I have tested hundreds of products in the fashion, beauty and wellness spaces – focusing particularly on activewear. I’ve attended press events, spoken to brand reps and exercised in everything I feature – so you could say I know more than your average gym go-er when it comes to the best kit to buy.
