As someone who spends 90% of my waking hours in workout gear, I’m constantly seeking affordable dupes for expensive athletic wear, and yoga leggings are an especially overpriced category. I have a $99 pair from Prana, $128 Alo leggings, and $128 Lululemon pants, and for the price-to-performance ratio, I have a hard time recommending any of them. When I discovered Baleaf’s $36 Freeleaf yoga pants that not only compare to the $100+ competition but outperform them, I was beyond thrilled. They’ve become my go-to tights and one of my top recommendations.
I discovered Baleaf when my friend hiked the 789-mile Arizona Trail in their $25 sun shirt, and since then I’ve worn their joggers, pull-overs, and almost all of their yoga line.
The Freeleaf Yoga Leggings are a standout in versatility that I haven’t found in other pants. I look for leggings that feel light and comfortable for all-day wear, but tough enough to hold up to dynamic yoga poses. I also don’t like lugging around extra clothes, so I want a pair that stays put during cardio sessions. I don’t think I’m asking too much — especially for $128 — but pants that stay in place while running often have a high percentage of elastane, which feels too constricting during slower yoga sessions. Conversely, lighter yoga pants tend to slide down my butt, can pill after use, and verge on translucent during deep stretches. Not a great look during downward dog.
I haven’t had any of those issues with Baleaf’s Freeleaf Yoga Leggings. I’ve worn them during lifting sessions, indoor cardio, outdoor runs, during chill and intense yoga classes, and I’m wearing them right now on my couch writing this article. Since I’m a forever thru-hiker, I’ve also tested their odor-resistance by wearing them multiple days in a row, and they passed with flying colors.
The special sauce lies partially in the material. These are midweight leggings built with a polyester blend that includes 18% elastane, which puts them right between compression levels of more supportive tights (which can feel too restrictive for all-day wear) and super soft leggings (which can sag and lose their shape). For reference, my go-to running tights have 25% elastane, while my lightest yoga pants have 12% elastane. These tights fall right in the middle, feeling sturdy and heavy-duty without tightness or pinching. The high, seamless waistband is flat and wide, and stays in place during a variety of static and dynamic exercises. Finally, lest we leave out the most critical aspect of a good pair of yoga pants, these have deep pockets on each side where I tuck my phone when I’m at the gym, and they hold my truck key securely during outdoor runs.
The pants are smoothing and flattering and don’t lose their opacity even in the deepest squat. I also love the welded flatlock seams, which help prevent chafing and are reinforced to avoid splitting. The Freeleaf line is super stretchy, so the leggings come in blended sizes (S/M, L/XL, etc). I’m a pretty standard medium and the S/M leggings fit perfectly. I was a little alarmed when I opened them and the waistband looked so small I didn’t know if it would fit around one thigh, but they fit like magic with no adverse stretching that would compromise my ability to wear them in public.
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