Workout Leggings: A Complete Guide
Thought leggings were just for lounging? Think again.
Modern innovations are challenging the way we use our clothes, and leggings are no different. Leggings are leading the wave of athleisure styles that combine the best comfort of loungewear with the best performance features of loungewear to create the ultimate versatile, casual style.
Today, we’re laying out the complete guide to modern leggings, including what sorts of fabric and features you want. We’re also laying out a list of the best leggings on the market today to add to your workout wardrobe.
What Should I Look for in a Workout Legging?
When it comes down to it, one factor over all others affects the features and functionality of any style, especially leggings: Fabric.
Fabric is the foundation of what makes your leggings great—or not so great at all. Choosing the right fabric, a material of the highest quality, is the number one way to ensure you’re getting the best leggings.
Perhaps most popular amongst legging styles are synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers may seem performance-oriented, with a moderate list of functional features. Unfortunately, there is a hidden cost—a cost that is particularly high to our planet.
Synthetic fibers rely on chemical treatment to achieve their performance qualities. These chemicals are harmful to the environment, the people who produce the fabrics, and potentially even your skin.
Another common material in leggings is traditional cotton. Some glaring practical downsides make traditional cotton a poor fit for leggings—such as a lack of sweat-wicking capabilities, poor breathability, and a lack of stretch that makes doing squats far harder than it has to be.
We have better fabrics—namely, a blend of organic cotton and bamboo, which creates a soft material with the performance benefits that you need.
Organic cotton is a better alternative to cheap, traditional cotton. Organic cotton is much more environmentally friendly and sustainable to produce and maintain than traditional cotton. Organic cotton achieves the same soft feel you’ve come to love and improves other practical features such as breathability.
Then, there is bamboo. Possibly the perfect fabric, bamboo boasts a list of features that cover every essential and some extras. Plus, bamboo gets there in a lightweight, all-natural package, with no chemicals needed.
Bamboo is one of the most sustainable materials on the market, as it grows incredibly quickly and requires very little water throughout the process of its production.
Let’s look a little closer at the specific features essential to any good pair of leggings below.
Moisture Wicking
Whatever type of use you have in mind for your leggings, moisture-wicking is a feature you need to have.
Whether you’re going for a run or going on a shopping spree, there’s always a chance that a little bit of sweat appears. Even in the colder seasons, you’d be surprised how much your body can still sweat. That’s why moisture-wicking is so essential.
Moisture-wicking properties allow it to draw sweat and other moisture from your skin. The absorbed moisture is then pushed out to the surface of the fabric, where the air claims it once again as it evaporates.
Fast-drying fabric has a plethora of benefits, not least of which are health and performance. Trapped moisture can quickly lead to problems for your body’s natural thermoregulatory processes, which are essential during activities of any intensity level. That’s why quick-drying material is so essential.
UPF Sun Protection
Don’t underestimate the importance of sun protection clothing. UV rays penetrate through clouds and clothes alike, all year round, and can be harmful to your skin.
The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation rates UPF 50+ as excellent—a rating which bamboo just so happens to achieve.
4-Way Stretch
For close-fitting styles like leggings, stretch capabilities should never be in question. Nothing will ruin your workout faster than a pair of leggings that can’t keep up with your movement.
Ensure your range of movement is unhindered with 4-way stretch capabilities—easily available thanks to the power of bamboo. They’re comfortable, opaque, and truly squat-proof.
Superior Breathability
Another key player for comfort and thermoregulation is breathability. Allowing air to circulate through micro gaps between fibers, bamboo achieves superior breathability that achieves a feel as breathable as mesh without losing out on comfort or coverage.
Pockets
Not every feature relies on fabric—some are just the result of experienced, intentional design choices. One such feature is pockets.
Bringing along a bag or two is a great way to accessorize and still has its practical benefits. However, the benefits of pockets are undeniable. Particularly in the age of smartphones, having yours at your side whenever you need it is invaluable.
All of our leggings at Tasc Performance come outfitted with at least one pocket to ensure you’ve got the convenience you need, on top of every all-important feature listed above.
What Can I Do in Leggings?
While traditional or cheap leggings are mostly for leisurewear, falling short when it comes to performance during any intense activity, modern innovations have opened a whole new world of possibilities for the style.
A pair of modern, mindfully designed leggings using the highest-quality fabrics such as bamboo can be incredibly versatile.
Commute
One of the most uncomfortable parts of any day is the commute. Traveling back and forth from work, the gym, the store, and other errands, and then back home—it can take a toll.
Give yourself the easiest experience possible with the cozy touch of some super comfortable leggings. Whether your commute is just a few minutes or a few hours, you’ll be glad you brought Tasc Performance leggings along.
Relax
You can’t have athleisure without leisure—no need to go to an entirely different wardrobe once it's time to relax. Just throw on some freshly cleaned leggings and lay back.
Just be warned. Once you start relaxing in any pair of our leggings, you’re going to find it a lot harder than usual to stop. Don’t worry—you deserve it.
Do Yoga
With 4-way stretch capabilities, superior breathability, and ridiculous softness, our leggings are built for yoga.
Not only will you look your best, but you’ll also feel your best—everyone else in the studio will be asking where you got your leggings, and your friends may grab some for themselves the next time they’re shopping for yoga pants.
Even hot yoga isn’t too much to handle, thanks to the moisture-wicking and breathability offered by the bamboo fabric blend in every pair of Tasc Performance leggings.
Workout
Your leggings can keep up with you during high-impact workouts, from spin class to the weight room.
With compression leggings to facilitate quicker recovery and less soreness, in addition to the performance features bamboo packs into every pair, you’ll be outfitted for optimized performance, regardless of the type of exercise you’re doing. Plus, thanks to the high opacity of the right leggings, they pass the squat test with a perfect score every time.
A pocket or two goes a long way to making your workout more convenient, especially if you enjoy playing music from your phone or just need an easy way to keep your phone and wallet with you on a run.
What Are the Best Workout Leggings?
Now that you’re an expert on everything leggings, let’s look at a few examples of the best leggings for athleisure styles out there.
Allways Full-Length Pocket Legging
First on our list is the classic, full-length style in our Allways Full-Length Pocket Legging.
You may find full-length leggings ideal for yoga or any other activity where you’re going barefoot for full coverage on the ankles. The high rise ensures that they stay in place, whether you’re sweating it out in the studio or you’re heading out for cardio.
Allways Crop Pocket Legging
An alternative to the full-length look, our Allways Crop Pocket Leggings have all the essential features that Tasc Performance styles promise in a slightly shorter silhouette. The second-skin feel and high waistband make them perfect for any activity.
Allways ⅞ Pocket Legging
Looking for that perfect in-between is our Allways ⅞ Pocket Legging. Here’s an alternative style that falls between the full-length leg and the crop style.
For every leg length, we’ve got a selection of super cute colors and patterns to choose from, so why not try all three? You’ll be glad you bought a few pairs so you can wear them every day of the week.
Recess ⅞ Pocket Tight
With unique, stylish patterns and an alternate construction, our Recess ⅞ Pocket Tight is a legging designed for durability. We’ve found the ideal seam placement in an intentional design that ensures the most hold to keep up with whatever your day brings.
Four-way stretch capability, a high waist, and side pockets round out the top performance capabilities of the style. Give it a shot today!
Conclusion
Leggings have come a long way from leisure staples to encompass every activity your lifestyle may hold. For all the latest innovations in leggings that live up to the hype and all things activewear, stick with Tasc Performance.
Sources:
Toxicity of Synthetic Fibres & Health | Austin Publishing Group
Organic Cotton - An Overview | Science Direct