The Greatest Girls’s Exercise and Journey Leggings in 2023

From hikes and yoga to jet-setting and workouts, leggings are a comfortable and functional choice. Despite their apparent simplicity, they’re not all alike, and there’s nothing worse than a pair of ill-fitting leggings. The ones that ride up, squeeze tight, slide down, and need constant adjustment. It’s not only annoying, but it also gets in the way of being active.

That’s why we took due diligence to test as many activewear leggings — for the outdoors, workouts, and travel — as possible. After traveling, surfing, running, trekking, yoga bending, CrossFit sweating, and generally living in leggings, we narrowed down the best women’s leggings for a variety of action-packed and outdoor pursuits.

We’ve divided the best women’s leggings list into four categories: workout, everyday wear, yoga, and winter. Of course, some leggings intersect multiple categories, and this list doesn’t include every legging on the planet. But it’s extensive, and we created it after thorough research and first-hand experience.

At the end of our list, be sure to check out our comprehensive buyer’s guide, FAQ, and comparison chart. Otherwise, hop into scanning our top picks among women’s workout and travel leggings in the table of contents:

The Best Women’s Workout and Travel Leggings in 2023

Women’s Leggings Comparison Chart

Why You Should Trust Us

From backpacking to jogs and indoor weight training, women’s workout and travel leggings are a protective, comfortable, attractive, and functional choice — which is confidence inspiring. We don’t want to need to think about whether or not our pants are sagging, see-through, or about to rip open. That’s why we spent hundreds of hours testing countless activewear leggings both outside and indoors.

After traveling, running, hiking, yoga bending, HIIT-ing, and generally living in leggings, our GearJunkie testers across various sizes found the standouts that stay put and secure on-the-go.

Throughout our testing, we examined the quality, fit, value, and function of each pair of leggings. Taking a close look at aspects of the design, we considered the elasticity, stretch, durability, thickness, features (such as pockets), breathability and wicking power of the textile, odor resistance, seams, gusset, and size range as well as how quick drying the fabric is.

In addition to our personal experience, we also dive into researching and interviewing experts on the most novel, style-specific, popular, highly rated, and legacy products across a range of price points.

These women’s workout and travel leggings serve a range of athletes, applications, and budgets.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Best Women’s Workout and Travel Leggings

Stretch and Compression

The absolute worst thing about women’s workout and travel leggings is when they sag or stretch out after a wash or a few days of accumulative wear. High-quality leggings should do neither, but that isn’t always the case. Ideally, a good pair of leggings will be made from both stretchy material and material that has a little bit of compression to give that nice, tight fit.

When trying on a pair of leggings, you should have to put them on like tights; if you’re sliding them up on easily, they’re probably too big.

Rise and Length

Leggings vary so much now, both at the bottom and the top. Think about how much rise you want near your waist. High-rise leggings are great to keep your stomach covered if you’re moving from pose to pose in yoga, but low-rise might be more comfortable on a run.

Similarly, think about the length of the legs, which is a personal style preference. Leggings now come in a cropped/capri length, a ⅞ length that falls above your ankles, and a full length that covers your ankles.

Durability

If you’re using leggings to hike or backpack, you’ll want a fabric that is thicker to the touch and has added reinforcement on the knees and backside. For lower-impact activities like yoga or lounging, you’ll need to worry less about the fabric wearing out or tearing and focus more on the fit, feel, and comfort.

Pockets and Extras

We love large side pockets, but not all activities need pockets. For daily use and running, pockets are ideal. But for a yoga class, our phones and keys are in a locker room.

Other extras to look for include waist drawstrings, small pockets on the waistband for keys and cards, reinforced knees and bottoms for hiking and durability, and any special cutouts or details.

Make It Last: 3 Leggings Care Tips

Now that you’ve found the best women’s leggings for you, you’ll want to make them last as long as possible.

1. Hang up or rinse immediately after working out. It’s tempting to wad up your sweaty leggings and toss them in the bottom of your bag, but take a few extra seconds to treat them with care. At the very least, hang them out to dry while you get changed, and then lay them flat in your bag. Even better, give them a rinse to remove sweat and bacteria that can break down the materials.
2. Wash in cold water with mild detergent. Avoid fabric softeners and bleach, as these speed up the fabric breakdown and can inhibit the wicking properties. Consider using a specialty soap like our favorite Granger’s Active Wash ($10).
3. Skip the dryer whenever possible to avoid overheating, stretching, and misshaping your favorite leggings. They’re made of quick-drying materials, so simply hang up or lay flat to dry.

FAQ

Anytime! Just kidding — leggings are not exactly appropriate for every situation, though that does seem to be changing as loungewear is getting fancier and slacks are getting more comfortable.

Leggings are a perfect option for most activities where you’d normally wear shorts or hiking pants — think cycling, yoga, running, and backpacking. The specific legging might vary for each activity (see below for needs like durability and pockets), but overall, leggings are a comfortable option for most active and non-active outings.

Fitting true to size, prAna is always a consistent go-to for leggings. The brand’s leggings are available in a variety of styles and patterns, and they work for all activities. Lululemon is also well-known for its leggings, which are extremely comfortable and come in a lot of variety, though they sometimes run small.

Both Athleta and Vuori are also top contenders, with Vuori really making a name for itself lately with high-quality loungewear and activewear. Though any of the options in our guide and top contenders among the dozens of existing options.

Before buying, first think about what activities you’ll be using them for. If you’re hiking, look for reinforced knees and rear and deep pockets. For yoga, you’ll want a supportive pair with four-way stretch so you won’t be restricted in your movements. No matter what you’re using them for, the leggings should be tight and comfy, like a second skin.

Next, think about what size and how many pockets you want and other details like an ultra-high-rise waist, a drawstring waist, and the length (capri, ⅞, or full).

Also, consider the conditions you’ll be using the leggings in. If you’ll be outside in cold weather, consider getting a thicker or insulated pair. If you’ll only be using your leggings indoors for hot yoga and on trips, a thinner pair would work just fine.

That’s mostly a personal preference. Active tights should be made from moisture-wicking and quick-drying fabric, so you should stay dry during a sweaty workout.

Some also have a crotch gusset — a triangle of fabric sewn in where all the seams meet together. This can help eliminate any unflattering tight seams and make going commando more comfortable.