Spanx is best known for its shapewear, but its leggings are the real unsung heroes - we asked 4 women to try different styles
EveryWear Mesh Side Stripe Leggings
For both stylistic and functional, breathability purposes, I love leggings with mesh details or panels, so I was immediately drawn to this pair. They have a lengthening and slimming mesh stripe down each leg that somewhat mimics the popular side stripe pant look of the moment, but has its own unique effect.
Your legs and butt will look great in these leggings because the fabric compresses and hugs your curves, but they'll also feel surprisingly comfortable the whole time. They're stretchy, and though I wouldn't work out in them, they easily adapted to the unexpected squats and light jogs that can be required during an active day in the city.
The other parts of the comfort equation were the soft, antimicrobial finish and breathable fabric that allowed me to wear these leggings from day to night. —Connie Chen, Insider Picks reporter
Look At Me Now Cropped Seamless Leggings
I'm firmly in camp "leggings as pants," and this semi-high-waisted pair has everything going for it. The extreme opacity means I never have to worry when I bend over to pick something up (which is often, I have a cat and a slippery phone), and the seamless construction is incredibly smoothing and comfortable. There's no elastic strip in the waistband, so there's no digging. The waist is basically just a continuation of the leggings themselves.
They're also not as tight as Spanx shapewear, but they still hold me in without pressing too hard anywhere. I don't wear these to work, but I do wear them as often as possible when I'm not in the office. I'm also 5-foot-1, so cropped leggings fit me perfectly as regular-length pairs. —Sally Kaplan, Insider Picks editor
EveryWear Icon Leggings
I was prepared not to love Spanx’s leggings. I spend most of my time in athletic leggings, and I had decided I'd outgrown athleisure pairs. I stand corrected.
The Every-Wear leggings are flattering and slimming, and surprisingly thin enough to wear all day comfortably. The four-way stretch lets you move around unencumbered. The design is smart: the absence of a center-seam and a waistband-free construction makes the transition from what is essentially shapewear to a more natural second skin (and no muffin top). It hit at my natural waist, and the seams in back work both functionally and as a kind of slimming and uplifting contour.
All in all, they’re movement-friendly, make for a lean and streamlined silhouette, and avoid most of my athleisure complaints. $110 is expensive, but I’d personally rather own one pair of these than three inferior pairs. —Mara Leighton, Insider Picks reporter
Active Printed Leggings
Spanx makes my all-time favorite pairs of tights, so I had high hopes for its leggings. And my faith was not misplaced … the Active Printed Leggings are amazing. They’re breathable, supportive but not suffocating, and surprisingly comfortable, offering more stretch than similar compressive leggings I've tried that makes them much easier to get into and out of. I'm not sure what witchcraft went into the design, but they also manage to create a smooth-all-over look I love.—Ellen Hoffman, Insider Picks director of content strategy
Looking for more leggings and tights options? Let Insider Picks help you:
- The best women's workout tights you can buy
- The best women's tights you can buy
- The best black tights that don't rip — these are the 5 pairs we swear by
- 8 workout leggings I swear by as a fitness enthusiast — they're all breathable, comfortable, and compressive
- The internet can’t stop talking about these leggings made of recycled water bottles — and now I understand why
- I was extremely skeptical of these 'moisturizing' compression leggings — but they actually helped me with winter dryness
- These $40 tights aren't cheap, but their patented waistband that won't dig in makes them worth the cost
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