Best yoga pants 2024: breathable, flexible and comfortable options

Love yoga? Then you need the best yoga pants that will stay in place, keep you covered, flex with your body and be breathable enough when things get sweaty. Just to avoid any confusion, we should point out here that when we say the best yoga pants, we mean pants in the American sense; that is, leggings, trousers and shorts, and not underwear. You'll have to sort yourself out in that regard!

A great attraction of yoga is that you don't really need to invest in much to get started. Of course, you'll need one of the best yoga mats, and it helps to get some dedicated yoga clothing, because your choice of gear can make a big difference to how enjoyable and successful you find your practice. Pick the wrong clothes and your yoga session can be uncomfortable, awkward and distracted.

Whether you opt for sweatpants, leggings or harem pants you should get on well, as they all allow you a full range of movement. You might prefer short yoga pants for a cooler practice, but you'll need to be a little mindful about coverage because obviously nobody wants to accidentally flash their crotch to the class.

We've picked out a selection of the best yoga pants to help you choose with confidence, and if you're busy putting together your yoga setup, we have other guides that can help as well, including the best yoga blocks (for getting into tricky poses, and deepening stretches) and the best yoga towels (these lay on your mat, to add a sweat-absorbing, grippy layer). But for now, let's take a look at the best yoga pants you can buy today in 2024.

Best yoga pants ranking 2024

The best yoga pants you can buy right now are the BAM Poise. This brand specialises in activewear made from bamboo, and these are made from bamboo jersey, which is a blend of bamboo viscose, organic cotton and a bit of elastane for stretch. It's soft, stretchy, and boasts some strong eco credentials to boot.

In my tests, I found them ultra-comfy and unrestrictive. There's a deep waistband that's designed to hug your waist, and which can either be worn super-high or folded down. I found it fitted slightly on the large size, which might be a blessing because the size range isn't hugely inclusive – it tops out at a UK16. A loose fit on the leg means you can stretch any way you like without having to readjust, while the ankle cuffs ensures these yoga pants aren't flapping around and also enables you to easily adjust the length by pulling them up or down. The fabric is soft and breathable, although be aware that it doesn't offer any support – if you want some gentle compression, look at some of the leggings in this list instead.

If you have a higher budget, you'll struggle to do better than the Lululemon Instill High-Rise Tight 25" – our pick for the best premium yoga pants. These spenny leggings are absurdly soft and extremely stretchy. We've been wearing them regularly for the past few months for a range of different yoga classes, and even in more active classes they move effortlessly with every pose, and require minimal readjusting. The high waist offers gentle compression and keeps everything in place well, and our tester didn't have issues with it rolling down (although this kind of thing will vary from person to person).  

The fabric behaves differently from any other pair of leggings we've worn – it feels almost like a very thick pair of tights (don't worry, they deliver Utkatasana-proof coverage). In fact, they're so comfy you can almost forget you're wearing them. The matte finish and high-waisted, curved cut is flattering, and although we're not a fan of all the colour options, there are navy and black versions in the mix, too. A card-sized pocket integrated into the waistband gives you somewhere to stash your gym pass but nothing else. While these didn't ride down during our tests, we'd also prefer if these came with a drawstring built in, so there's the option to adjust the fit it needs be. But these are minor complaints in what is an outstanding pair of yoga leggings.

If you want decent leggings for under £40, head to Marks & Spencer. This high street favourite has a range of leggings that aren't a world away from Sweaty Betty's finest, but cost half the price. Our pick for the best budget yoga pants are the Go Balance leggings from the M&S Moodmove line.

There are no bells and whistles here – they lack pockets and a drawstring, and there's only one or perhaps two colour options – but they are a great basic option with a high waist, four-way stretch, and squat-proof, matte, blackout fabric. They're also made using a percentage of recycled polyester. The one minor design flourish – a crossover waistband – has proved a little divisive, with some reviewers saying they'd prefer a regular flat waistband. However, most reviewers praise these for being soft, flexible, comfy and great value.

While they're suitable for almost any kind of workout, Alo Yoga's 2-in-1 shorts are an excellent choice for yoga. A clingy, compression under-layer combined with looser shorts over the top offer complete coverage in any pose. Those shorts are made with 4-way stretch fabric for maximum flexibility, too. A comfy elasticated waistband should ensure nothing falls down, and there's a drawstring for added peace of mind.

Invisible zip pockets in the front and back give you somewhere to securely stash your phone and keys on the way to your workout. These aren't cheap, but they do come extremely well reviewed, with customers praising the quality, comfort and fit, especially for yoga. In fact, the only real complaints are around sizing – it looks like these run small. 

If you find leggings restrictive, how about the Yogamatters Eco Yoga Shorts? Typically, shorts aren't that well suited for yoga, because the tighter ones tend to ride up (just us?) while the looser ones come with a very real danger of flashing your crotch to fellow yogis in certain poses. These address the problem by opting for a cut that has close-fitting, wide and stretchy cuffs on the legs and waist, while everything in between is roomy and voluminous. An unfortunate down-side of that style is that it does, at some angles, resemble nothing so much as a big nappy. 

Despite that, we're big fans of these short yoga pants. They require zero readjustment, are ultra comfy and unrestrictive, and we found the feeling of practicing in bare legs very freeing. There are two big pockets within the balloon-style legs, although we wouldn't want to put anything valuable in them, and Yogamatters has eschewed labels in favour of printed info so there's nothing scratchy to irritate your skin. We also applaud Yogamatters' eco-conscious and ethical ethos. Be aware though, the lighter colours do show sweat. 

Our top pick from Sweaty Betty is the Super Sculpt yoga leggings range. This brand is a firm activewear favourite – chances are you've spotted some of its prints at your gym already – so you know you're getting a quality product for that slightly premium price tag. These particular yoga pants are 'high compression', with a particular emphasis on giving you a pert looking bum. Ideal for those who like to feel they're supported and a little sucked in during their practice, but not so good for those who want something that feels more loose and free.

The high waist helps keep them firmly in place, they're available in full, 7/8 or cropped lengths to suit your preference, and the fabric uses 17 recycled plastic bottles, so there's a nod to sustainability there too. There's a flat side pocket on the leg that can be handy for popping a phone in when you're on the go, too. These used to be available in a range of snazzy prints, but last time we checked it was plain colours only, which is a shame. 

If you want a pair of general-use leggings that'll see you happily to a yoga class, the Nike Yoga Luxe pants might be a good choice. These combine an ultra high waist with a 7/8 leg, which bodes well for staying up and in place. The size range is much more inclusive that many of the yoga pants on our list, and the slightly cropped leg length means more petite yogis can wear these as full-length pants without extra fabric ruching at the bottom.

They're made from Nike's 'Infinalon', which is buttery soft, squat-proof, and designed to deliver just the right level of supportive compression. They also have a special treatment designed to wick sweat away from the body. A couple of potential flaws to be aware of: a few reviews commented that the fabric can ball up between the thighs, and a few also found they didn't stay up reliably. Before you buy, check our Nike discount codes page to make sure you're not missing a deal.

How to choose the best yoga pants: FAQs