For years, I didn’t wear leggings. I was perfectly comfortable in jeans, and I worked so much, that spending money on weekend wear wasn’t a priority. (I also hated the thin, jersey leggings that most stores were selling.) Now that I’m wearing leggings a bit more, I want to wear the best ones. But I still don’t want to pay a fortune for them.
In October, I wrote about Core10 leggings after they were recommended on another blog. They were good quality, comfortable, and a lot cheaper than the Lululemon leggings that I was buying. But I had two complaints: the compression just wasn’t as good and the fabric pilled (lightly, but visibly) over time.
So when a reader messaged me to say that I should try the CRZ Yoga pants instead, I was intrigued.
I ordered a pair of High Waist Tight Tummy Control ($32) to try them. I chose these leggings because I hate pulling up my leggings when I’m working out or when I’m just wearing them around. And the comments suggested these ones wouldn’t roll down.
Other styles of leggings from CRZ Yoga include Hugged Feeling Running Tights ($30) and Fleece Lined Warm Sports Pants ($29). Both also drew my eye. But back to the high waisted tights…
CRZ Yoga fabric (a mix of elastane and Spandex) is very similar to the fabric used in more expensive leggings (which is often Lycra, a type of Spandex). When I took them out of the box, the fabric felt heavy and well-made.
Wearing them, I did notice that they stay up better than the Lululemon Wunder Under leggings. I also noticed that the compression was very good, which is an improvement over the Core10 leggings. But even with a high level of compression, the leggings were still quite comfortable.
As for the claim that they don’t slip down, I wouldn’t say that the waistband never slipped. However, I did notice far less slippage than with other leggings. The only times I noticed it was when we were reorganizing some moving boxes and there was a lot of bending over and kneeling.
So let’s compare CRZ and Core10. CRZ Yoga doesn’t have as many styles as Core10. Core10 also offers customizable leggings ($57) in different lengths and waistbands. The quality of the CRZ leggings seems slightly better. The compression on the CRZ leggings is noticeably better. And the price point, most under-$40 for every pair, is the same. Sadly, I won’t know if they wear better until I’ve washed them several more times.
If I were to rank the leggings I’ve tried, Lululemon would be an 8.5, Core10 would be a 7, and CRZ Yoga would be an 8. None of them are perfect, but for the price, I would buy the CRZ leggings over the Core10s if compression is important to you.
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I understand the Lululemon complaints… but in case you or other readers have not tried them, their align legging is my new favorite weekend item. I own three colors, and have hardly worn my wonderunders since. Would definitely recommend.
Another blogger (Jenny Komenda from Little Green Notebook) recommended these on Amazon and I now have four different colors. The fabric is thick and has good compression, they’re high waisted and they have pockets on each side, just large enough to stuff a phone or some cash and cards into. And they’re $20. Seriously, they’re fantastic.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0799HVLTP/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thanks!
Carolyn, Thanks for the comment! I purchased these on your recommendation and I LOVE them! They are super soft, thick, and the pockets are an absolute game changer. I’m ordering two more pair now. I have machine washed and line-dried them and they came out great. Love that these are more affordable. Thanks!
I like to own two different kinds of leggings, one comfy cotton type for lounging at home and then a serious legging for working out. I can’t imagine finding one kind of legging to suit both jobs. For lounging I love Pact leggings, they have a comfy wide waistband and are eco and labor conscious. For working out I love Athleta leggings, they have a huge variety for different types of workouts and are really well made. Their high-waist types never roll down and give a lot of support for high-impact activities.
+1 for Athleta leggings. I try to buy them on sale, so instead of $89 they are $59 or $69, not a huge drop but every little bit helps 🙂
They’re having a sale now. I just bought a pair of faux leather leggings to wear on New Years for $69. Way better than the comparable $98 Spanx ones.
Respectfully disagree – I’ve found that the high-rise waistband on my Athleta leggings ALWAYS fall down and get looser after wearing for more than ten min.
I have the High Rise Precision 7/8 Running Tight, maybe it is different then the yoga style leggings or maybe you need to size down? Mine hold me in snug for an entire high-impact workout without loosening at all. But as said, they offer a wide variety of fits and fabric, so I guess everyone’s miles may vary.
+1 athleta leggings. I love their powervita leggings for actually doing yoga or working out.
For lounging or quick trips to the supermarkets on weekends, I just wear Old Navy yoga pants, so at least it looks like I’m wearing pants.
How does Zella fit in your rating system? I have several at your recommendation and love them!
I like them, but they don’t have much in the way of compression, and over time, I found the waistbands stretched out.
Agree on the stretching. I love the thickness of the Zellas but buy a new black pair most winters. The old pair becomes the workout pair and the new pair becomes the lounge/wear with tunics out of the house pair. I will say the stretching is much more of an issue for me with the high-waisted styles that are popular now. There can be an obvious line under my shirt where the top of the waist has stretched. The lower waisted ones do not have this issue for me, but the knees are stretched out quite a bit.
More Zella price level, but girlfriend collective are my new go to! They were all over Facebook with “free” leggings (plus crazy shipping) a few years ago, and now they’re at Nordstrom!
My husband just bought me a pair of Crz Yoga Naked Feeling High-Rise pants. I might be in the minority but I don’t like high waisted pants of any type. I’ll probably keep them and fold the waist down but was wondering if you had a suggestion for normal or lower waisted pants…
I know this is late, but I figured I’d leave some feedback for anyone else who comes looking at the comments. I really, really wanted to like the CRZs but they just didn’t work for me. I like a lot of compression, but it like it really pinched in at the waist rather than compressing over a wider waistband like so many other leggings do, leading to a real line of demarcation. The bigger issue, though, is that I’m on the shorter side (5’4″), and while I could deal with the fact that they were overlong, the extra material gathered around the knees, and, when coupled with the compression, was a dealbreaker in terms of (dis)comfort.