Affordable Yoga Pants Review: Which Brand Wins?

When I started yoga way back in January, I knew I needed to buy my first pair of leggings/spandex. I had avoided these revealing pants in the past A) because I had no real use for them and B) they are a bit more scandalous that I’m used to.

Since January I have become a leggings enthusiast. Although I don’t wear them in the general public, they are my go-to yoga wear.

I didn’t invest in expensive brands largely because I’m a poor graduate student, but also because at the time I didn’t know of many yoga brands (aside from Lululemon, but I choose not to buy clothes there for other reasons).

For the last eight months I’ve been practicing yoga with these pants in my arsenal:

Old Navy: Compression Leggings
Old Navy: Go-Dry Cool Compression Crops 
Target: C9 Champion Women’s Legging 
Fabletics: Salar Legging 

Read on for detailed descriptions of how each pant has worked for me. 

Old Navy: Compression Leggings
Five/Five Stars
Best Uses: Ashtanga/Power/Hot Yoga

These are my absolute favorite. I got them for $20 in the after-Christmas sale, and they are my go-to for any sweaty yoga class. First, they are very lightweight and they don’t show any sweat. They are breathable so I don’t feel like I’m suffocating even in a heated class. Although they are compression pants, they don’t feel restricting. I’m curious if this line is now called “Go-Dry”, but it was just traditional compression when I purchased them.

Old Navy: Go-Dry Cool Compression Crops
Four/Five Stars
Best Uses: Vinyasa/Hatha Yoga

These pants are pretty darn solid. Even though they are called “Go-Dry Cool” the material is slightly heavier than the plain Old Navy Compression leggings. They also don’t show sweat, but they do feel a little swampy in a hot yoga class. I like these for mid-level sweatiness.

Target: C9 Champion Women’s Legging
Four/Five Stars
Best Uses: Restorative/Yin Yoga

If I had to recommend these for a hot yoga class they would probably get two/five stars, but for the restorative/yin classes I attend they are perfect. They are extraordinarily soft and stretchy. I have these in a dark color, but I’m positive that if they were a lighter color they would show sweat. These pants are perfect for non-sweaty days.

Fabletics: Salar Legging
Three/Five Stars
Best Uses: Running/Jumping

These are without a doubt the most compression-y of all of my pants which makes it a little more difficult to get into poses while wearing them. Also, I have them in a purple color that shows sweat (which makes me less likely to wear them running). If I were to repurchase in black, I think the rating would go up to four/five, but I would most likely still not wear them during yoga, and wear them during activities such as interval training.

Anyone tried any of these pants? Did you have similar or different experiences?

Are there some other affordable pants I should try?

Are there any “fancy pants” that are so amazing it would be worth spending more money?