I don’t know about you, but the summer heat gets me SWEATY! Add in a bit of cardio, and you better bet you’re going to see my butt sweat. But what if there was another way? What if there was a pair of leggings that was affordable AND protected you from those embarrassing sweat marks on your yoga pants?
I’m going to be upfront and admit it right now – I LOVE my Lulu’s. They are water resistant and comfy, but honestly, with a $100 price tag per item, my bank account just cannot afford them. So, we decided to find a cheaper equivalent and try out 3 low priced leggings and put them to the ultimate sweat test.
To put these leggings to the test we ranked them by price, quality, sweat resistance, see-through-ness and ability to transform them from gym to athleisure wear. Did any of them live up to our standards? Read on to find out what we thought.
Winners: $30
Price: $33.90. Fairly inexpensive for a pair of athletic leggings. 8/10
Quality: 7/10. I was actually fairly impressed with the quality of these leggings. They were fairly thick yet breathable and even had a mesh cut out design near the bottom of my legs which I loved. The only thing that bothered me was the two large plastic-y, neon stripes on my thighs. I understand that they’re for an extra boost of style, but they were really uncomfortable and not my favourite. They also don’t fully hug me like my other leggings do, and I’m not sure if they’re just a little too big or the material. Overall, they were breathable and quite comfy despite that one flaw.
Sweat Resistance: 7/10. I am giving these leggings a 7/10 just in comparison to my Adidas Climacool pair. The Winners leggings did not leave me with any intense sweat stains, but in comparison to Climacool, these did not leave me feeling cool and refreshed after my workout. Let’s just say you might not feel comfortable running errands around the city afterwards.
See Through-Ness: On a scale of 1 (naked) – 10 (100% opaque) I would rank these leggings an 8/10. I’m a girl who likes to rock yoga, but what you’ll hear from many yogis (and Seth Rogen’s mom) is how they are constantly seeing unwanted body parts of ladies in front of them. Look, they’re not fully transparent and are made out of a fairly thick lycra, but you could probably tell what underwear I am wearing if I was in downward dog for too long. Thankfully, I didn’t get any strange looks from my classmates, but I reckon they could be a little less transparent.
In yoga when you can see the very private parts of the woman in front of you through her pants , should you tell her?
Maybe the person behind me can see the outline of my private parts. Dilemma.— Sandy Rogen (@RogenSandy) May 7, 2018
Athleisure Transformation: 7/10. As mentioned in the sweat resistance portion, while I didn’t have large sweat stains, I’m not sure I would feel fully comfortable running around and doing errands without changing after my workout – whereas, with my Adidas, I would. I still felt a bit sweaty and sticky and just not fresh. What I will say, is that these leggings are quite cute to walk around in normally and are a cute athleisure staple.
Overall ranking: 7/10. They’re definitely not Lulu or Adidas quality, but they are a great alternative if you’re a boss-babe on a budget. They would be great for doing a lighter workout and perfectly reasonable for all things cardio – I do love myself an elliptical.
Urban Planet: $16.99 Crop Active Infinite Legging
Price: 9/10. $16.99 is very inexpensive for active wear, you can’t buy leggings ANYWHERE for this cheap. But will the quality reflect the prize?
Quality: 9/10. The quality of these leggings actually surprised me! I have bought previous leggings from Urban Planet and they’re usually very thin and when you squat you’re worried the seams are going to give up and you’ll end up half-naked in a squatting position; in other words – not a good look! These leggings have flatlock seam protection to keep the seams strong, and the fabric seems smoother and more luxurious than other cheaper brands. The leggings also stretch over your body easily and relax to your shape. Overall, very impressed by the quality. The only brand I can consider the fabric even close to is Lulu, and I know that seems ridiculous but the quality really feels like it’s there.
Sweat Resistance: 8/10. I was worried these leggings were going to cause me to sweat a ton and feel uncomfortable because of the thick material. I thought they were going to be very hot compared to the leggings I’m used to at Urban Planet, being so thin and breezy. As I worked out, I noticed the leggings didn’t keep in moisture like I thought they would and didn’t make me feel hot or constricted like some cheap leggings. I did sweat a bit just because of the thickness of the material, but I couldn’t even see sweat stains.
See Through-Ness: 10/10. Ok, is this a dream or real life?! These leggings AREN’T see through at all and believe me, with thick thighs and a bit of a bubble butt my leggings always end up see through. I feel so confident and comfortable in this knowing I can move freely my goods aren’t out for the world to see. I can finally stop worrying, what a great feeling!
Athleisure Transformation: 9/10. I wear these going everywhere now. I love the fact that they are truly high waisted, not high waisted that don’t make it over your belly button like some of the other inexpensive leggings I’ve bought. They are truly high waisted, to the point where I could wear a sports bra and these to the gym and feel comfortable without having to pull them up every 5 minutes! Oh, and they suck you in, making you feel thin and toned, unlike some leggings that stretch over time.
Overall ranking: 9/10. Urban Planet is definitely stepping up their activewear game. These leggings were way beyond what I expected and I can’t wait to see how their active line progresses! I will for sure be buying these in every colour instead of Lulu’s this year to save some cash.
Forever21: $12
Price: Originally priced at $33.90, on the website they are still priced at $33.90, however, I found these leggings on sale for $12 in store! 10/10
Quality: 6/10. Honestly, these aren’t the best quality. The material is kind of crappy, the “high rise” aspect to them wasn’t very high at all. I found myself having to constantly reach for the hips to pull them up. The design is cute enough to keep up with the latest trends with leggings. Even though the quality isn’t something I love, I can definitely appreciate the price. Overall, they were definitely not my style of desired material for athletic wear, but again, I can appreciate the price and the style for ongoing trends.
Sweat Resistance: 6/10 . Maybe I am picky but as I said before, the material on these leggings wasn’t that great. The material mixed with the fact that when I am working out I am also sweating means that this combo was not amazing. The “Wicking Fabric” that is advertised on their tag was not great, those mesh strips, in my opinion, did less wicking and more cutting off of my leg. I’d have an easier time wearing these as my house cleaning pants… I know we all have some of those.
See Through-Ness: I would rank these leggings a 0/10. The image included above was a generous offer in comparison to the other photo I decided not to share. When performing squats, downward dog, anything that encourages a 45 degree angled tilt I’d say that in these leggings, you better apologize to Ms. Rogen ahead of time. That being said, I am the type of girl who honestly, I don’t really care that much if my leggings are see-through. If you have the time to look at me in all my sweaty glory to notice that my leggings are see-through, then maybe you are just paying attention to me a little too much and not yourself and your workout. Worst case scenario, wearing these to the gym I’d just know in the back of my mind that whatever is worn underneath is now fair game for all gym rats to see.
Athleisure Transformation: 6/10. I mentioned before, I really only see myself wearing these as a house cleaning kind of pant and even then I have plenty of sweatpants that are just right for that. After working out in these, I definitely needed a shower right after as they held the sweat in and I just felt sticky and gross. An entire grocery store would know I just came from working out.
Overall ranking: 6/10. First things first. These leggings will give Seth Rogen’s mom nightmares for years to come if you set up shop in front of her at yoga. Secondly, for the price, you honestly can’t go wrong. Part of the issue I’d also like to mention is the sizing. The more expensive athletic brands have a better range of sizing and can fit your body much better. If you are the average size medium in most of your clothes then this legging is probably a good match for you. For me, a girl with a little more meat around the back side, I need a fit that isn’t so generic. Let’s put it this way, if you are on a budget and need athletic wear that is trendy (and you don’t care about a little see-through action) then these are the leggings for you!
