Most of the tops and tees in your activewear wardrobe are in all probability replaceable—you purchase one thing new, put on it for a few years, and ultimately it winds up in your donation pile. It was tremendous and it did the job, however it’s unlikely that you simply’d purchase it once more.

Now leggings—oh, boy, leggings: These are the items we type deep, lasting attachments to. Perhaps you’ve got a number of of the identical type (you put on and love them that a lot) otherwise you refuse to let go of 1 pair from years in the past, actually hanging on by a thread, that your favourite model not makes. You put on leggings to work out, you put on leggings to run errands, you put on leggings to observe a film or tidy up round the home. (Let’s simply say it: You put on them for…the whole lot.) And when you have your few go-tos, it’s arduous to seek out one thing new that’s simply pretty much as good, one other Excellent Pair.

We get it—and that’s why we’re going again to fundamentals for the 2024 SELF Activewear Awards: With a extra selective course of and smaller winner record than ever earlier than, we’re awarding simply 17 gadgets this yr that will help you discover the cream of the crop. Beneath, try the 9 pairs of leggings we’re formally deeming right now’s biggest.

Bounce to the winners.

How We Picked the Greatest Leggings

For this yr’s Activewear Awards, we requested SELF editors and a bunch of handpicked knowledgeable judges (learn extra about them under!) to appoint their favourite leggings of all time. The one rule? The piece should nonetheless be accessible for buy.

Concurrently, we revisited the splashiest new releases from the previous yr. We combed by means of these, alongside the editor and knowledgeable decide submissions, protecting an eye fixed out for items that had been nominated greater than as soon as. We additionally did some extra analysis: Is the product well-reviewed on-line? Is it accessible in a variety of sizes? Does it go well with a number of physique sorts? Is it an affordable value?

Then we got down to discover our first-ever Reader’s Selection Award winners. We despatched a survey to SELF readers and followers, asking them to appoint their picks, and we dug by means of 1000’s of responses. Probably the most-nominated leggings are the Reader’s Selection Award winner you’ll see under.

There are a couple of technical components that make a pair of leggings nice. We requested our editors, judges, and readers to think about the next when nominating their picks:

Waistband Match and Consolation

• Low-rise leggings are typically impractical throughout a exercise (they could transfer or slide down)—do these leggings have a higher-waisted match? Do they sit at a spot in your waist that’s snug and non-restrictive?
• Does the waistband roll down? (It shouldn’t!)

Cloth High quality and Moisture Administration

• Do they cross the squat take a look at? Right here’s the way to discover out: Placed on the leggings, bend right into a deep squat, and word whether or not the fabric round your glutes stays opaque.
• Does the fabric (or colorway) present sweat? Do they really feel heavy and moist while you sweat in them, or do they dry rapidly and stay unobstructive to your exercise?

Size

• Leggings are available quite a lot of lengths (e.g. cropped, 7/8, ankle/full-length), and the size you favor will doubtless come all the way down to your top and what feels finest to your go-to forms of exercise.

Added Options

• For some folks, pockets on a pair of leggings is nonnegotiable—they may mitigate the necessity for a waistpack or arm belt on a run.
• Different added options would possibly embrace reflective particulars, a built-in drawstring on the waist, or a material that helps you are feeling extra snug doing a selected exercise (like additional stretchy leggings for yoga, or heat-tech leggings for winter sports activities).

How You Really feel

• Above all, an amazing pair of leggings ought to make you are feeling assured and able to transfer. They need to be no-fuss and cozy sufficient that you simply don’t have to consider them all through the day or throughout your exercise, however flattering and classy sufficient that you simply get pleasure from what they carry to your outfit.