Over the last year, I’ve found some awesome workout leggings—all under $50—on Amazon. And not just satisfactorily good in a you-get-what-you-pay-for way. These four workout leggings are now on heavy rotation for me. No exaggeration, if I had to pick my favorite workout leggings in my closet, it’d be these (minus the Spectrum because they’re more for lounging) and my Lululemons. So let’s break down the best Amazon workout leggings I’ve found!​​​​​​​

This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.

Best Amazon Workout Leggings

Core 10

This is an Amazon brand that I really like. I have three different styles of their leggings, all of which I’d recommend, but for different activities. All Core 10 leggings come in sizes XS – 3X. And there are lots more color options than what I’m picturing. Here’s a breakdown of the styles I have and the differences between them:

Nearly Naked Lightweight High Waist Full-Length Legging (28″)

$20 – 45 (depends on the color)

GOOD FOR: All workouts, lounging—everything!

I’M WEARING THEM HERE: Resistance Band Arm Workout

I see a lot of leggings described as “Lululemon dupes.” You’re never going to get an exact replica, but I’d say these are the closest to the Lululemon Aligns that I’ve found on Amazon. They’re the most expensive out of this list ($45, some colors are cheaper), but probably my favorites.

They have the light, second-skin feel, and while not quite as buttery as Aligns, they are soft and super comfortable. Squat proof! I would wear these all day—not just for a workout. Wide, high waistband, flattering seams, and I haven’t had any trouble with pilling. (I put workout leggings in a delicates bag when washing and hang dry, so that helps).

I don’t really run anymore, so I can’t vouch for their functionality if you’re looking for a running legging. But I wear them during high-intensity interval training and sweaty bootcamps, and they stay put so they’re probably fine for running. Like I said, they’re really comfortable, so I wear these for low-impact workouts like Pilates & yoga, too, and just everyday wear around the house. Highly recommend!

All Day Comfort High Waist Full-Length Yoga Legging (27″)

$29

GOOD FOR: Most workouts, lounging

I’M WEARING THEM HERE: No Equipment HIIT Workout

These are similar to the Spectrum High Waist (listed below), but have a bit more compression to them, and therefore better for workouts. Compared to the Nearly Naked (listed above), they’re thicker, but still extremely comfortable. Because they’re on the thicker side, they might be a little hot for summertime sweaty workouts, but other than that I wear them during low and high-impact activities.

Totally opaque (squat proof), high waistband. A close second to the Nearly Naked if I had to pick favorites. One note about these—it’s not exactly pilling, but I’ve noticed some shedding. The first couple wears, I’d find blue fuzz on other clothing that had touched the leggings.

Spectrum High Waist Yoga Full-Length Legging (28″)

$31-42 (depends on the color)

GOOD FOR: Low-impact workouts only (Yoga, Pilates, barre, etc), lounging, everyday wear.

I’M WEARING THEM HERE: At-Home Quiet Workout

I wear these leggings more for lounging and running errands than I do for workouts. When I do wear them for workouts it’s gentle yoga, pilates or something else that is low-impact and not super sweaty.

The material is more cotton-y (I’m just making up words here) than the other leggings on this list. So they do stretch out a little if you wear them all day, but they’re super comfortable. Opaque (squat proof), no pilling.

These are my go-to if I’m going to work from home and want to be comfortable all day (aka quarantine). They fall in between workout leggings and sweatpants.

CRZ YOGA Naked Feeling High Waist Tight Workout Leggings

$24 ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

GOOD FOR: Most workouts.

I’M WEARING THEM HERE: Quick Mini Band Workout and on Instagram

I bought a pair of these after seeing them compared to Lululemon Align leggings. Again, the first Core 10 pair I listed is a closer match to Aligns, but these are great in their own right. ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​They come in two different lengths: 25″ (linked above) and 28″. In these pictures, I’m wearing the 25″ length and for reference am 5′ 9″.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ Lightweight, high rise, flattering. I have two pairs: black and merlot red.

The material of these is more slick and shiny than the Core 10 leggings. In other words, they have sort of a sweat-wicking feeling. Still super comfortable for all workouts, but unlike the Core 10 leggings, I don’t exactly grab them for lounging around the apartment. I’m 95% sure they’re squat-proof. My black pair definitely is, and I’m pretty sure my merlot red pair is, but watching a video back I did have a moment of question (“That’s the seam … not my butt crack, right?” lol).

Any others you’d add to this list of the best Amazon workout leggings?

xo Nicole

Another month, another edition of workout outfits. If you missed April’s, you can check it out here. These posts are, yes, an excuse to share the activewear I’m currently wearing and loving, but they also give you an idea of what I do in a week as far as my workout routine. It’s always changing and no two weeks are the same, but you can see the general balance of things. This was what last week looked like for me:

MONDAY

OUTFIT DETAILS:
Athleta leggings (old but Free People has some cute cropped leggings with a similar criss-cross tie look and alo yoga does a lace-up calf as well)
H&M crop (old but this top is basically the exact same and only $30)
Nike sneakers

The weather was mild and perfect for running so I went on a 3-mile run outside and ended it at the gym where I did a 20-minute lower body workout using a step bench. I shared it on the blog last week so if you’re interested you can see the full blog post or check out the video here:

TUESDAY

OUTFIT DETAILS:
alo leggings (you can’t tell in these pics but it’s their super cute moto leggings that I love but I wish I’d gotten them in high waist)
Crane & Lion tank
Nike MetCon sneakers
H&M jacket (old but this jacket from French Connection is similar)
American Apparel hoodie vest (old but Under Armor has something similar without the zipper)

Every Tuesday morning I take the Ropes & Rowers class at Equinox—I LOVE it. Honestly when I first joined Equinox I was having major buyer’s regret and was contemplating going immediately back to ClassPass. Group fitness classes are my jam because it can be hard to motivate myself through a solo workout after teaching all week. Finding Ropes & Rowers made me feel soooo much better about my decision to join Equinox. It’s of the same caliber as a Barry’s Bootcamp class I’d say. I always leave totally spent and I love the Tuesday morning instructor, Chad.

My outfit is nothing to write home about, but I do love the green & black jacket I wore to and from the gym. Also the Nike MetCon sneakers I’m wearing are perfect for the Ropes & Rowers class because they have a super grippy sole. In the class during the ropes section, you’re doing sled pulls and pushes and if you wear Nike Frees you literally slide backwards trying to push the damn thing (made that mistake my first class lol).

WEDNESDAY

OUTFIT DETAILS:
Outdoor Voices leggings
Outdoor Voices bra

Wednesdays are my long teaching days and after my 5th class of the day, I stay and take the next class on the schedule to get my own workout in. I *never* want to stay the extra 45 minutes after all that teaching but I’m always glad I did. Especially this week—my butt was so satisfyingly sore the next day!

This set from Outdoor Voices was gifted to all the Back Bay instructors and I love the shade of blue and fit of the leggings. They are really tight (I would almost suggest sizing up?) but I like the compression feel of my normal size. I would never teach in just a sports bra (personal preference—not throwing shade at instructors who do!), but sometimes you just gotta take your shirt off to show your cute new matching workout clothes for the ‘gram, ya feel me?! This was a small portion of the class I taught that I shared on Insta:

The second move here is a new favorite twist (literally) on Plank to Pike. 🙃 — •Tightrope Pike—end with pulses •Twisting Side Plank to Pike—End with single-leg hold — This week I’m subbing today and tomorrow in addition to my normal schedule @btonefitness: •Mon 9:30, 11 & 12 NE •Tues 11 & 12 BB •Wed 6, 6:55 & 7a BB / 4:30 & 5:30p NE •Thurs 6 & 6:55a BB — Outfit is from @outdoorvoices #btonefitness #btone #bostonfitness #workoutvideo #bostonblogger #doingthings #coreworkout #obliques

A post shared by Nicole Perry (@nicoleperr) on May 14, 2018 at 4:26am PDT

THURSDAY

OUTFIT DETAILS:
Booty By Brabants leggings
Athleta tunic tank (old but Carbon38 has a cute gray high neck tank that ties in the back)

On Thursdays, I teach two classes first thing in the morning. Like I already mentioned, there’s a 0% chance of me motivating myself through a solo workout after teaching so I took class at Barry’s (Abs day). I actually changed into other leggings for Barry’s because I haven’t done the sweat test on the BBBs I taught in (I had to go grocery shopping after my workout and didn’t want to risk a massive sweaty butt mark haha). That being said, I really love these leggings. I have several pairs of BBBs and the Croco Skin is definitely my favorite. It’s opaque and thicker than the original material but still so flattering and I just love the texture. Most definitely will be getting them in other colors!

FRIDAY

OUTFIT DETAILS:
Fabletics leggings (old)
Fabletics tank (old)

The outfit I’m wearing is from Fabletics but a couple years old. I stopped my Fabletics membership a while ago just to cut down on all the recurring monthly charges I was getting from various subscription services but I’m seriously thinking about rejoining. I still get their emails and the last couple months, their stuff has looked SO CUTE. If you’re new to Fabletics, the links here will get you two pairs of leggings for $24.

For my workout, I did an upper body/core bench workout at Equinox which I’ll share here on the blog Friday. I did an easy mile run to warm up beforehand and another mile afterwards at a push pace to finish.

SATURDAY

OUTFIT DETAILS:
DYI leggings
Reebok tank (that I did a terrible job cropping)
Oofos slides (ok maybe not the most stylish sandals but seriously the most comfortable shoes ever, I wear them all the time when it’s warm out!)

Joe and I were in New Jersey to spend time with his mom for Mother’s Day so I took a class at my Btone-away-from-home, Coastal Core in Belmar. This is the one workout method where I’m like a million times better than Joe so I really relish in the 45 minutes of watching him struggle. 😉

SUNDAY

Rest. I wish I’d done some yoga in the morning though—traffic was so bad driving back to Boston, it took us almost EIGHT hours. Woof.

 

xo Nicole

Some links to outfit details are affiliate.