Y’all, I have done the work. Yes, the Coronavirus is coming and yes, the stock market is crashing, but I am out here doing the tireless, dedicated work of comparing workout leggings from Amazon. About a month ago now, I mentioned on Stories that my current active wear pants were too stretched out from wearing them during pregnancy and I needed new ones. I asked for your favorite brands from Amazon and you guys showed up with some serious recommendations and thoughts. I ordered the top four most recommended brands/styles and got busy testing them. To see my full video review, including some serious awkward moments and in depth discussions, watch my IGTV here.

I tested them for all real-life activities. I didn’t just do a try on. I wore them. I wore them for workouts with my trainer, rides on the Peloton, errands, squatting up and down holding kids, bending over cleaning up toys, on cold days, on hot days, all of it. And then I washed them AND dried them. I can barely keep up with the laundry as is, I definitely do not have the time to air dry my workout pants. I turned them inside out and washed on cold and tumble dried on low.

A few of my personal preferences to address before we get into the reviews. I am a little picky about leggings (although, not picking enough to spend $90 on them). First of all, I don’t like a full-length legging that goes all the way down to my shoes. But I also don’t like a capri. In 5th grade when I tried on a pair of capris, my mother very kindly likened me to a praying mantis. She wasn’t wrong and it has stuck with me since. I prefer a 7/8th legging that hits just above my ankle bone. Secondly, I like a high waist. The higher the waist, the closer to God is my motto. But really, after two kids, having a little bit of compression to hold in my stomach is not just welcomed, but needed during workouts. Thirdly, I am picking about material. I like more of a “shiny” look, something that isn’t a matte fabric. I want a fabric that very clearly shows that it is made for active wear and not just plain basic legging for lounging. Which brings me to my final preference (which may have many of you disagreeing with me), I don’t really like black for a workout pant. I think it also can get confused with a lounge-legging and not an active wear legging. That being said, I’m also not a wild print pant girl. I like a plain navy or gray most of the time. Also, for reference I am 5’7” and ordered my true size in all of these (based on the size charts provided on the product listings on Amazon). OK! Now that that is out of the way let’s get to reviewing!

CRZ Yoga “Naked Feeling” Legging - 25 inches - $24

Pros:

Athletic fabric - a little shine, not matte
No outside seams on legs
Very high waisted
Good 7/8ths length
Super soft and not too tight. Fabric is light enough that they don’t fall down throughout the day

Cons:

Lightweight (i.e. not super compression)
“Nakedness” isn’t a joke. Be careful of VPL (visible panty line) and CT (c*mel toe)
Not a fan of the double seams at the high waist, but my shirt covers it so not a huge deal

Score:

4 out of 5 stars. I reach for these first from the laundry pile because they are the most comfortable, stay in place all day (no sagging), and I think are the most flattering without the seams down the outside of my leg. They lose a star because they can be a bit too thin and make me weary of VPL and CT.

Oalka Workout Running Leggings - $19

Pros:

Thick - good compression
Stay put throughout the day, don’t sag
Has seams, but minimal. No double seams anywhere for “decoration”

Cons:

Too capri of length for my preference (although the do come in a full-length style)
Not high waisted enough for my preference. They gapped a little in the back on me. If you have a shorter torso, these would be great

Score:

3 out of 5 stars. A great pant, they just don’t meet my length and high waist preferences.

Colorfulkoala Highwaisted 7/8ths Leggings - $25

Pros:

“Thick but slick” fabric. Definitely athletic fabric but still thick enough to compress
High rise but not too high. Does it make sense to say medium high rise?
Despite being thick, they don’t sag down throughout day.

Cons:

Double seams on the outside of leg
Too small of pocket for larger iphone
A little CT issues too b/c of tightness and highwaistedness. Probably less noticeable in a darker color
Come in a bunch of colors, but often sold out in many sizes/colors (I guess that means they are good though!)

Score:

4 out of 5 stars. SO close to a 5 out of 5 if it weren’t for all the lines on the side. I think if I had ordered in a darker color (they didn’t have any in my size at the time I ordered), I would have given them a 5 out or 5.

Core 10 “Nearly Naked” 7/8 Crop Legging - $38.25

Pros:

Fabric made in same factory as Lulu Lemon (according to a source)
Very high waist
A lot of compression
Fabric somewhere between the shiny fabric of the CRZ and the thick Colorful Koala

Cons:

They sag. Badly. By the end of the day I feel like they’re falling off of me.
Seams down the side, but only one.
They’re not any better than Colorfulkoala and over $10 more.

Score:

4 out of 5 stars. They were almost perfect, but the sagging issue is real and noticeable to the point where I don’t want to wear them. If you’re looking for a pant that is the most similar to Lulu, these are definitely it. Maybe they just didn’t work for me?

The Winner:

It’s a toss up between the CRZ and the Colorfulkoala. If you’re looking for active-wear but make it fashion, go for the CRZ. They are flattering and comfortable. If you’ re doing an intense, sweaty workout and want a lot of compression, go for the Colorfulkoala. At $24 and $25 respectively, why not get both? Both of them combined are still $40 less than LuluLemon.

Need more legging content? Want to see these in real life (well, you know what I mean, in video), checkout my IGTV about all of these. I am (no surprise) very thorough and also appear to be wearing a ceiling fan as a hat.