“I Might Buy Another Couple Pairs, I Have an Illness.” The Leggings We Own in Multiples.

I immediately Slacked senior editor Crystal Martin for more information upon hearing an office rumor that she owns nine pairs of these Aerie leggings, and she was able to provide a solid justification as to why. Martin has started working out more frequently in order to manage chronic pain, which initially led to laundry issues when she kept running out of clean pants. “Things got crazy” in her Aerie shopping cart when she realized that the brand’s already inexpensive tights, which she says stay up unusually well when squatting at the gym and never bunch at the ankles, frequently go on sale for around $15. This led to her purchasing five pairs at once last month, three in this appealing shiny black shade. They’ve all held up well so far, although she is careful to line dry them rather than putting them through a tumble cycle. And guess what? “I might buy another couple pairs. I have an illness.”

Girlfriend Collective’s size-inclusive leggings are made from recycled plastic and have proved popular with Strategist staffers since the brand’s launch in 2016. Sleep writer Amelia Jerden became obsessed in 2021 and now owns six pairs. The classic compressive style is “just a really good version of a basic athletic legging,” she says, noting that the fabric feels thick and substantial and can be laundered over and over again without stretching. Our newsletter editor, Ashley Wolfgang, is also a “huge fan” of wearing these while running or taking spin classes. Both note that they prefer brightly colored leggings to boring black ones and haven’t repurchased since Girlfriend Collective switched to more neutral shades last year. Although the fabric is admittedly so durable that they haven’t needed to.

Senior editor Hilary Reid purchased her first pair of these slinky lounge pants six months ago — and almost immediately returned to the Skims website for a second. “I pretty much only wear them around the house and for working out at home because the fabric is pretty lightweight, but they feel nice and cottony and are very flattering in the way that just about everything from Skims is,” she says. They haven’t shrunk at all after plenty of washing and line drying, and while she usually wears them while lounging around, they’re also ideal for a quick at-home mat workout. Plus the retro fold-over waist is on trend but practical: “It reminds me of the Hardtail yoga pants I coveted as a teen in the early aughts, but as a now-30-something, I will say it’s actually kind of utilitarian in that you can adjust the ‘rise’ of the pants depending on how you feel that day.”

For actual Pilates classes, Reid swaps between three pairs of Aritzia’s sleek and flattering Butter leggings: the 26-inch inseam, 29-inch inseam, and a boot-cut pair that she says is nice but gets pulled into rotation less often. “The fabric is soft but feels sturdy enough to wear while working out, and they haven’t faded or looked worse for wear after plenty of wear and washing,” she says. But her favorite thing about them is the price point: “They’re about $30 less than typical ‘high-end’ leggings, and the quality feels pretty comparable.”

Speaking of high-end leggings, Lululemon’s Aligns are our longtimeBest in Class pick, and senior writer Lauren Ro is the happy owner of six different versions. Her original purchase of a neutral black pair back in 2018 has survived pregnancies and is still going strong; she calls them “her most comfortable home pants.” She likes Aligns for working out at home more so than to the gym, as the fabric is relatively thin and flexible rather than thick and compressive. (For more intensive workouts,Lululemon’s Wunder Trainsare ideal.)

Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio picked up her first pair of Elation tights during a Black Friday sale in 2022 and has been wearing them (mainly to work out and coach a girls’ soccer team) ever since. Compared to the Lululemon Aligns, “they are a little more compressive,” she says, as well as thicker. This creates a smoothing effect, and she feels more comfortable wearing them in public. The waistband “never rolls,” and the back waistband pocket will handily fit a smartphone if needed. She owns eight pairs of these in different variations; the Ultra High Rise is her favorite, while Athleta’s newer design without a front seam is unfortunately a flop.