As a trainer who teaches exercise for a living it should come as no surprise that I have tried and tested a fair few workout clothing brands over the years.
When it comes to workout leggings I have a pretty strict criteria for them to meet. They need to be breathable allowing me to move with ease, feel good on my skin (we are talking buttery soft fabrics), they need to be able to handle multiple washes, and also be able to carry me from school drop off to training my clients.
Here are my tried and tested go-to brands for workout leggings in 2024.
Varley - A brand I return to time and time again. These leggings are cut beautifully to provide support but are comfortable enough to wear all day. They always have a curation of seasonal colors on their site and I can confirm they wash very well with no pilling. Also, don’t sleep on their cute sweaters too!
Comfort: 10/10
Support: 7/10 - This fabric is not compression like some others
School drop off to studio approved: 10/10
Washability: 10/10
2. Set Active - These are my go-to’s for when I am looking for the ultimate support from my leggings, high-waisted and made using a smart compression fabric ‘SculptFlex’, you will feel lifted in all the right places. I might just have these in 4 different colors!
Comfort: 8/10
Support: 10/10 - ultimate support
School drop off to studio approved: 7/10
Washability: 8/10 - hang dry recommended.
3. FP Movement - The athleticwear extension to the well-known Free People brand. Their Good Karma collection gives you the perfect, high-waisted seamless leggings in a rainbow of colors. You can mix and match different styles of sports bras to match your leggings and they even have cute unitards (yes, my friends, unitards are back in style!) And not forgetting all of the soon-to-be mothers within our community they have a prenatal collection too!
Comfort: 9/10
Support: 9/10
School drop off to studio approved: 8/10
Washability: 9/10
4. The Upside - This is my go-to brand for lightweight, breathable fabrics that hug in all the right places. I am not one to go crazy for patterned leggings but when I do diverge from my minimal designs I love the prints/patterns The Upside creates. They are a true ‘midi’ legging which is great for petite ladies like myself.
Comfort: 10/10
Support: 8/10
School drop off to studio approved: 8/10
Washability: 7/10 - These are not as hard-wearing as other brands due to the lighter fabric. Cold wash and hang dry recommended.
5. Splits 59 - This brand has been around forever and was super popular in the NYC boutique Barre studio scene. It was only in the past year that I made my first purchase from this brand after they shifted their style from old-school barre (flares and all) to more modern cuts and designs. The fabric is breathable, yet supportive, and soft to the touch, providing comfort and ease with movement. They also offer a 5-day try-before-you-buy period. This means you have 5 days to try on and return before they charge your card.
Comfort: 8/10
Support: 9/10
School drop off to studio approved: 10/10
Washability: 8/10 - Hang dry is key to avoid pilling.
Have a brand that you love that I didn't feature? Drop it in the comments below or email your recommendations to peri@phmethod.com