When you’re doing a rigorous workout, it’s important to choose the right clothes. Whether it’s for yoga or another fitness discipline, wearing the right gear can make you feel more confident and perform better.
When shopping for yoga pants, it’s important to consider fit, material and compression. These factors will help you find the perfect pair for your specific needs.
Comfort
Yoga pants offer a lot more comfort than typical leggings and joggers, and are great for both active wear and everyday wear. They are made with fabrics that wick sweat away from your skin to keep you cool, dry, and comfortable, and often feature four-way stretch fabric or high-performance sports material for flexible movement during yoga classes, workouts, or even day-to-day activities like hiking.
They can be tight-fitting or loose, depending on your preferences, but be careful not to wear pants that are too snug. This can limit your movement, which could have negative health effects.
The best yoga pants are non-see-through, have a high waistband to support tummy control and compression, and have pockets on both sides so you can stash your phone or keys when you’re in class. They’re also made with high-quality materials that wick sweat away from your body, so you can focus on your practice.
Breathability
Breathability is a key factor in making yoga pants comfortable. It helps to wick sweat away from the body, keeping the wearer much more comfortable as they exercise.
In a layman’s terms, it’s the moisture vapor transmission rate (MVTR) of a fabric. Generally measured in grams per square meter per day, or g/m2/day, a higher rating means better breathability.
However, the MVTR of any given fabric will vary wildly from test to test, and is not standardized across brands or laboratories.
The good news is that the breathability of a pair of yoga pants should be largely dependent on how you use them in class. If you’re doing intense poses, for example, you might want to choose a pair of pants made from spandex. But if you’re just doing a gentle flow class, a cotton pair will be fine.
Flexibility
A good pair of yoga pants should be able to accommodate your entire body in every pose. They should be breathable and moisture-wicking to keep you comfortable throughout your practice.
A cotton-synthetic blend that contains at least 15 percent spandex should be flexible enough to withstand the bending, stretching and lunging movements that make up most yoga classes. You can also look for fabrics that have four-way stretch, which will help them retain their shape and stay in place even during vigorous moves.
Another feature that you might want to consider is the ability to store items in the pockets. Pockets are handy for holding items such as your keys when you’re in the middle of a workout or running errands after class.
If you’re looking for an excellent pair of yoga pants, Alo Yoga’s 2-in-1 shorts are a great choice. They’re made with a clingy, compression under-layer to provide full coverage in any pose, plus looser shorts over the top for flexibility.
Convenience
Yoga pants are an excellent option for those who regularly practice yoga. Unlike leggings, they are not see-through and provide excellent support for the body. This means you can move easily during your flexing poses.
The material used in the yoga pants is often much thicker than leggings, which can be a plus for those who have sensitive skin. Some brands also offer moisture-wicking fabrics to keep you cool and dry.
There are many different kinds of yoga pants available today, all designed to fit your needs. You can choose from lightweight bootcut sweatpants, thick-but-flexible leggings, or even short biker-style tights. The best way to find the right yoga pants for you is to try them on and get a feel for how they fit.