Reader Help: Best Yoga Pants

By Megan

When my last pair of yoga pants from Old Navy got horribly stretched out and faded, I didn't replace them. I'm trying to avoid yoga pants as an outfit, unless I'm actually working out. Except, that in my current life, I spend a lot of time at home, and at home I like to be comfortable. As it stands now, once we're in for the day, I usually swap my jeans for pajama pants. This is fine, because my kids don't generally care what I look like, but I would like to be able to go for a walk without completely changing my clothes. Also, when my husband comes home to me in pajamas, I feel like it's hard to justify the claim that I actually do things around the house all day.

All of this to say that I'm on the hunt for new pair of comfy pants.

There's obviously the gold standard, lululemon. (Oh, and here's Jenny's awesome "Worth the Hype?" post.)

I tried on a pair this summer, and they were everything everyone swears them to be, but I'm not quite a $98 believer yet.

I'm hearing good things about the new C9 by Champion premium line at Target.

I haven't tried these on, but their look and feel is similar to the lululemon pants. For $39, I'm certainly willing to try them, but I'm more concerned with their long-term wearability.

Finally, my go-to budget winner is always Old Navy, where I see a new style outside of their traditional foldover yoga pant.

I'm not sure if this is a case of getting what you pay for, or if this pair of Old Navy pants which retails for under $20 is enough to do the trick.

Weigh-in readers. What's a comfortable clothes loving girl to do?

(photos from: lululemon.com, target.com, oldnavy.com)

Comments

[Erin]

I just bought a pair of GapFit GFlex pants (http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=83067&vid=1&pid=794285002) and I really like them! They are much cheaper in store than online (got mine for $25) They make my butt look not terrible! And they are comfy. Best of all, they come in Ankle length. I am short and most yoga pants puddle around my shoes, so the Ankle length is a must for me.

[Alice]

i have a pair of the cropped Champion pants from Target, and while they ARE very comfy and not-unflattering in the butt region, they DO stretch out around my knees a lot. so if i'm standing, i get the knee-pocket poof sag thing going on.

[Jesabes]

I have the Old Navy ones and they're great! I've worn them a lot for several months and no stretching or fading.

[Nicole]

I have a pair of mid-calf yoga pants from Sports Authority that I LOVE. And they make my legs/butt look firm (which is a rarity). They're Dri-Fit by Nike with a cute pink band around the waist.

I have an older pair of yoga pants from JcPenney that I wear around the house. However, they're too loose to wear working out. (I tried, but they were precariously close to actually falling off). But they are extremely comfortable!

[Sarah]

Lululemon by a long shot. They will be worth EVERY penny, I promise. You can get them hemmed for free in the store in case they're not quite the right length. They will NEVER will, fade, stretch or show wear. The amount of money you'll spend on 2-3 pairs of ON or GAP or some other brand of pants (replacing after 6-8 months) will easily equal a pair of Lululemon pants that will compliment your body, look good, feel good and never show wear despite daily wear and frequent washing.

If the sticker shock is still too much (for pants that will pay for themselves within a year), you can always keep an eye on the "We Made Too Much" section of their website (clearance) or search your size and the pants you're looking for "NWT" (new, with tags) on Ebay. I've scored lots of my favorite pieces that way.

There are few other brands in the world I would attest to like this, but Lululemon is up there with LLBean and Apple for me as far as brand loyalty. Nothing compares, literally nothing.

[Sarah]

Sorry, "will" should be "pill." You know, in the areas that rub? Yeah, NONE of that in any of my Lulu clothes--armpits, crotch regions, nothing, and I am a daily wear-er and runner.

[Elsha]

I'm a huge fan of Victoria's Secret yoga pants. I've never tried lululemon (I can't even bring myself to pay that much for a pair of jeans, let alone yoga pants.) The VS ones wear well & don't sag or fade.

[Em]

I have a few pairs of Tek Gear pants from Kohls that I wear for running but are more yoga style than running. They are super flattering. These are similar. http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-569303/tek-gear-shapewear-pants.jsp

[Meg]

I love the Zella brand at Nordstrom!

[Tara C.]

So many good suggestions here! I just bought a pair from Target's Champion premium line, and were really small. I bought the same size I've bought before in the non-premium line, and these were much tighter. So maybe try them on before you wash them. I wish I had.

[Molly]

I love my gap yoga pants and as I always buy them at the outlet they are super budget friendly!

[Brit]

Lulu only! I have a 9 year old pair that is still not faded or pulled in the slightest!