The Best Yoga Pants for Women

The Align is the yoga legging that set the standard. The Nulu fabric (80% nylon, 20% Lycra) is four-way stretch with no front-seam fuss, and owners describe it as bare-feeling. You get 25, 28 and 31 inch lengths, sizes 0 to 20 and a hidden waistband pocket for a card or key.

It suits yoga, Pilates, travel and recovery days better than hard training. Compression is light, owners report pilling and snagging with friction, and light shades can show through when stretched. Lululemon makes no opacity claim.

It lists at about $98, and the page flagged one sale colorway as final sale.

Skip it if you want firm compression or you will not pay close to $100. Lululemon allows 30 days for unworn, unwashed items with tags. Read the Align review.

The Elation takes the soft yoga feel and widens the options. Sizes run XXS to 3X, and the inseam comes in Petite 25, Regular/Plus 27 and Tall 30. The Powervita fabric (75% nylon, 25% Lycra) has a three-layer waistband described as unpinchable, plus a small back drop-in pocket.

At about $89 it undercuts the Lululemon option, and the page showed a lower sale price when we checked. The page rating was 4.66 from about 11,500 ratings.

The trade-offs: compression is moderate, the back pocket is small, and lighter colors need a coverage check, per owners.

Skip it if you want a phone-sized pocket or firm compression. Athleta's Give-It-A-Workout guarantee lets you return it within 30 days of delivery if it does not perform. See the Elation review.

Beyond Yoga's Spacedye is a heathered, lightweight knit (87% polyester, 13% elastane) that is very soft, with a 28 inch midi inseam, no front seam, moisture wicking and UV protection. It is the one to choose if softness is the priority and you like a cropped midi look.

On paper it suits yoga, Pilates and lounging, and at about $97 it sits just under the Align.

The trade-offs: no pockets, compression is light, and owners note that lighter heathered colors can look thin when stretched. Plus sizes are sold in a separate collection, and this style's selector showed XXS to XL.

Beyond Yoga lists always-free shipping and returns in the US, with a 30-day window and a receipt required. Skip it if you need pockets or firm compression. Read the Spacedye review.

If you dislike a slippery or shiny feel, the Vuori Daily offers a peach-like matte finish. The BreatheInterlock fabric (72% polyester, 28% elastane) is called Vuori's highest-coverage legging fabric, and owners generally report good coverage in black. It comes in Short, Regular (24.5 inch) and Long lengths.

It has a drawcord, a no-slip waistband and cuffed ankles, which helps in poses where the waistband tends to shift.

The trade-offs: no pockets, and sizes stop at XXL. It lists at about $98.

Vuori gives 120 days to return purchases bought on its own site and stores, which suits a fit you are unsure about, though the help-center text was truncated, so confirm the details. Skip it if you want pockets or heavy compression. See the Vuori Daily review.

Alo's Airbrush is a sleek, medium-compression legging (87% nylon, 13% elastane) with flat-locked seams and no side seams. The 7/8 length is 24 inches in XXS to S and 24.5 inches in M to XL, per the page. It has the polished look many people want from a studio class that turns into coffee afterward.

Reviewers commonly describe Airbrush as smoothing and opaque enough in black, with lighter colors varying. Alo makes no opacity claim.

The trade-offs: it is about $118, there are no pockets, and sizes stop at XL.

Alo allows 30 days for unworn, unwashed items with tags, and it covers return shipping on US orders with a pre-paid label. Skip it if you need pockets, sizes above XL or a lower price. Read the Airbrush review.

For a snug, glove-like fit and a slight sheen, the Airlift is the Alo option. The fabric is 82% polyester and 18% elastane, with a double-layered waistband, in a full length of 28 to 28.5 inches. Owners say it holds its shape well and is generally opaque, though pale shades vary.

It works for hot or active classes better than a soft legging because the dense knit holds you in.

The trade-offs: about $134 at full price, shine and compression that are not for everyone, no pockets, and sizes that stop at XL. The black colorway showed an out-of-stock notice when we checked.

Skip it if you prefer a soft, light feel. See our comparison of Alo and Lululemon, or read the Airlift review.

Yoga pants with pockets are rare, and the Salutation fits the brief. It has bonded-edge stash pockets, a three-layer waistband with mesh lining and a buttery Powervita fabric (nylon and Lycra; percentages not listed). Inseams are Petite 25, Regular 27 and Tall 30.

The page rating was 4.81 from about 5,280 ratings, and it lists at about $89, with a lower sale price shown when we checked.

The trade-offs: the pockets are for small items, not a full-size phone. The page showed all listed sizes out of stock (XS to L), so plus availability is unverified.

Skip it if you want heavy compression or a phone pocket. Nonmembers pay a $6 return shipping fee at Athleta, while exchanges are free. Read the Salutation review.

At about $32, the CRZ Yoga Butterluxe is the cheapest yoga pant here, with a buttery fabric (81% nylon, 19% Lycra) that reviewers often compare to Align. There are 25 colors and a separate Plus version in 1X to 4X.

It is a good low-risk way to try the soft yoga-pant feel before you decide whether a pricier pair is worth it.

The trade-offs are durability and opacity. Owners report the thin fabric can pill and show through in light colors, and reviewers say it is less durable than premium pairs. There are no pockets, and CRZ states that customers pay return shipping within a 30-day window.

Skip it if you need squat-proof opacity or a pair that will last for years of hard use. Read the Butterluxe review.