What’s the Best Workout Underwear for Women?

Through all that lifting and tucking, barre classes devote a lot of attention to sculpting a strong butt — attention that shouldn’t be stolen by visible panty lines. Physique 57 instructor Morgan Bontz loves teaching class in these seamless thongs that “lay flat” under leggings and “don’t bunch up or show texture like lace thongs.”

Bontz’s other go-to is this thong style from Commando — a Strat-favorite brand. It’s lightweight and breathable enough to handle a full slate of sweaty classes. The “great nude shades” are invisible under even her lightest-color pants, a good option if your workout-leggings wardrobe extends beyond basic black.

These hipsters from Spanx have a full-lace backside if you love lace but want more coverage than a thong. Like all Spanx pieces, they create a smooth, even shape without making themselves known through your clothes.

When you’re on all-fours doing donkey kicks with a taut pulley attached to your ankle, there’s nowhere for panty lines to hide. Amanda Freeman, founder and CEO of SLT, says that these sleek Cosabella G-strings are the “only way to ensure that your neighbor and instructor won’t catch a glimpse of your undies mid-class.”

Aditi Shah, director of the 200-hour teacher-training program at Yoga Vida and co-creator of Mindful Morning, looks for brands “that are organic or have a sustainable mission” and are still invisible under tight-fitting yoga pants. She said the “very comfortable ecofriendly options” from Boody are a favorite among yoga instructors, since they’re both seamless and made from sustainable bamboo.

All of Danish brand Organic Basics’ underwear is made in Turkish factories that earned the Global Organic Textile Standard certification for ecology and social responsibility. Their SilverTech collection blends soft organic cotton with naturally antibacterial silver thread to banish odor in sweaty classes.

Available in hipsters, bikinis, and thongs, the underwear from GapBody’s jersey Breathe line are among the softest I’ve tried. They probably wouldn’t stay in place for intense running or interval training, but they’re perfect for low-impact exercise like yoga and gentle stretching.

Running underwear is a tricky subject. Most quality running shorts have a built-in liner, and running tights are often designed with a moisture-wicking gusset that makes going commando an option year-round. Jess Movold, running coach at Mile High Run Club, usually goes without underwear, but when she does opt to wear a pair, she chooses this Lululemon thong that she calls “almost unnoticeable.”

[Editor’s note: Lululemon has discontinued its Namastay Put underwear line, but you can buy pairs from its current activewear lines — InvisiWear and UnderWear — for $18.]

When it gets cold out, I find that adding underwear under my running tights is a must for staying warm. These boy shorts protect my butt from freezing temperatures and strong winds, and are made from wool, which wicks moisture away just as well as synthetic blends, but feels way softer in sensitive areas.

[Editors note: The Boy Short cut of this underwear is out of stock, but it’s still available in Hipster and Bikini cuts. Both offer less thigh coverage, but still provide plenty of warmth.]

I’ve written about these incredible fleecy Sugoi “bun toasters” before here, but they are the ultimate underwear for keeping your thighs and butt warm on the coldest days.

SoulCycle instructor Bevin Prince said, “The only time you should ever think about your underwear is when you are putting them on,” echoing the feeling among many women I spoke to that the best workout underwear are ones you forget you’re even wearing. For that frictionless comfort, Prince will only wear this Lululemon style on the bike, loving how it feels “like a second skin that moves with my body.”

The Bandhawear thong is also the favorite of my self-confessed “workout aficionado” friend, who in any given week can be found doing some combination of spinning, running, boot camp, Pilates, and barre. She loves that they never bunch or ride up, no matter how she’s moving, and she even takes them on skiing and hiking trips. There’s also a bikini version.

[Editor’s note: Lululemon has discontinued its Mula Bandhawear underwear line, but underwear from its current activewear underwear lines — InvisiWear and UnderWear — are both available for $18.]

If you’re not into working out in a thong, try this lightweight, high-waisted brief from Soma that my sister-in-law recommends for “medium-level effort” exercise. The full-coverage style has silicone along the leg openings to make sure that it doesn’t shift around when you’re moving, and smooth panty lines for your fitted workout pants and tights.

A friend of mine from college is a lawyer at a big firm and is therefore notoriously busy. So I wasn’t surprised when she told me that she discovered her favorite when she “bought underwear at Duane Reade instead of doing laundry.” She loves how they’re “smooth and don’t show under leggings,” and never “get gross.” And at $10 for three pairs, they make it very tempting to skip laundry day.