What are compression leggings and tights? Essentially, they are tight fitting garments with support built-in. They help to firm and tone muscles, can prevent or treat injuries, and also aid in circulation.
That sounds pretty great, but why should you wear a pair?
By wearing compression leggings or tights during workouts, they will keep you warm by not letting the cold air in through the fabric. You can wear your favorite workout clothes underneath them.
Compression leggings and tights are also great to wear if you're looking for some serious leg muscle definition. Below is a brief review of the best compression leggings around along with information on how to properly wear them for maximum benefit.
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Nike Women’s Pro Tight | Best Overall |  |
| TSLA 1 or 2 Pack Women's Thermal Yoga Pants | Budget Pick |  |
| CEP Recovery Compression Leggings | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. Nike Women’s Pro Tight
Pros:
- Available in a range of sizes including 2XL
- Great range of vibrant colors
- Smooth and comfy material
- Lightweight and breathable
- Tight fit without the squeeze
- Moisture-wicking fabric
- Good for yoga, dance, gym, and other physical activities
Essential gear for today’s dynamic workout, this pro tight is a practical base layer for everyday workouts. It’s made with flat seams to minimize chafing and irritation … a must for tighter-fitting garments. And it’s slimming too!
This tight feels light on your skin, resists fading and is specially designed to keep you dry and comfortable.
The Nike Women’s Pro Tight comes in great colors and sizes ranging from XS to 2XL. It’s ideal for both relaxing and vigorous physical activity.
2. CW-X Womens Expert 2.0 Joint Support Compression Tight
Pros:
- Relieves joint pain and swelling
- Encourages blood circulation
- Allow you to keep your muscle warm and flexible
- Helps to relieve sore muscles and strain
- Great for all types of workouts
- Offer an improved workout and improved sports experience
- They help to compress your lower leg muscles
- They are comfortable enough to be worn all day long
- Great for runners, bikers, etc.
Cons:
- At times the calfs area can be a little tight
- Can cause irritation on your skin at times
- They are not machine washable
- They are not heavily padded
- Can cause temporary bruising at times
The Men Expert 2.0 from CW-X is a compression tight with a breathable 4-channel material construction which ensures maximum compression at any distance. The compression tight has a great fit and offers amazing comfort.
It is designed to provide optimal warmth and exceptional fit and comfort. The material has been designed to improve leg circulation and help you achieve the best performance.
This tight has been designed in a way to enhance your lower leg muscles and increase your performance. It feels more like a sports bra than compression garments as a result of the material used.
3. Reebok Women's 7/8 Workout Leggings w/High-Rise Waist
Pros:
- Made with a comfortable super stretchy fabric
- The high-waist design offers great comfort and full coverage
- Available in a sizing range to suit most women
- Great design and quality
Our choice for the best compression tights for women is the Reebok Women's 7/8 Workout Leggings with High-Rise Waist. You will find that these amazing compression pants have just the compression you need to make sure you get your money's worth when it comes to your workout.
Reebok Women's 7/8 Leggings are designed to give you the ideal amount of compression that you need to work harder and longer in the gym and still have the comfort you need. The lightweight spandex fabric is both breathable and ultra-soft, so it feels great when you wear it.
These tights are really easy to apply and take off, thanks to the flat lock seams and the high-rise waistband that makes it easy to get the perfect fit. Additionally, you will find that the high waistband offers good comfort and coverage for your butt and midsection.
4. CompressionZ Compression Capri Leggings
Pros:
- Well made and durable
- Competitive price for the value it provides
- Offers excellent support for all different types of workouts
- Can be worn as a base layer or as a stand-alone legging
- Made with exceptional material that’s neither too thick nor too thin
- Easy to clean
- Available in a variety of colors and sizes to suit everybody’s taste
- Very comfortable; great for working out in
- Great customer service — quick and reliable
- The fabric is well-made and designed to prevent chafing or rubbing
5. 2XU Women's Mid-rise Compression Tights
Pros:
- Ultra thin and made from Dynafit Element fabric
- Injury-prevention technology
- Flatlocked seams for durability and comfort
- Durable and lightweight
- Ideal for leg recovery after a workout
- Great for travel
- Very well-made
Cons:
- Runs small, order a size up
- Not ideal for people who like compression on their thighs
The 2XU Women’s Mid-rise Compression Tights are ideal for both wear during workouts and post-workout recovery. They’re made from a durable Dynafit Element fabric which is much thinner than other fabrics on the market, so they’re cool and breathable for the hot summer heat. And the compression is not too tight, so it doesn’t restrict mobility, and this also makes it ideal for travel.
These tights are designed to provide targeted graduated compression support to specific muscles like quads, hamstrings and calves. They’re ideal for workouts and recovery from leg injuries. They also work great for running and rowing and for other lower body workouts.
The fabric is really stretchy and soft and features flatlocked seams that don’t pinch or get irritated when you wear them. The tights are tight but are still really comfortable.
6. CW-X Women's Endurance Generator Joint and Muscle Support Compression Tight
Pros:
- Cooling effect for hot days
- Single size design — you can get an amazing fit whatever your size
- Great for yoga, kayaking, running, biking, and hiking
- Breathable and comfortable material
- A ton of exceptional reviews
Our top pick, the CW-X Women’s Endurance Generator Tight, is a great choice because it comes with a few distinct features.
What’s really interesting about this tight is the joint muscle support, which enhances your endurance as well as reducing muscle fatigue.
It also offers some relief for tired legs by providing targeted pressure to your hip and knee joints. And also offers compression to your abdomen and back.
7. TSLA 1 or 2 Pack Women's Thermal Yoga Pants
Pros:
- Designed to stretch comfortably and prevent cutting off circulation
- 92% cotton and 8% spandex for optimal comfort
- Ideal for all workout types
- Breathable and quick-drying
- Excellent value for money
Cons:
- Color is not exactly per the photos
- Sizing runs small
Workout Leggings Capri, Workout Yoga Pants, See Through Workout Leggings, Workout Leggings for running and post-partum women (2 pack with one black and one gray leggings).
The TSLA 1 or 2 Pack Women’s Thermal Yoga Pants are made from 92% cotton and 8% spandex for perfect fit and optimal comfort. They are available in four different sizes. The small size fits women with a 24-26 inch waist, medium size fits women with a 26-28 inch waist, large fits women with a 28-30 inch waist, and extra large fits women with a 30-32 inch waist.
Most leggings tend to be full length, but these are mid-rise (approximately 7 inches below your belly button).
8. CW-X Women's Stabilyx Joint Support 3/4 Capri Compression Tight
One of the most sought-after women’s clothing in the Fitness Wear market, this CW-X¬¬ women’s tights has a 3/4 length that is perfect for training, biking or any other form of physical activity. It comes with an unusually high number of 5-star reviews, praising its quality, comfort, and its range of sizes. This tights comes in three colors: Black, Navy, and Royal blue.
What’s great about this CW-X¬¬-branded tights is that it’s been designed to offer support to your knees, joints, hips, and back. It also comes with an interior pocket with a key-holder inside …which makes it ideal for traveling and jogging.
Another factor to consider with this high-quality compression clothing is size. It is available in S-XL, so it is highly recommended that you choose the right size to get the best compression.
9. CEP Recovery Compression Leggings
Pros:
- Helps to prevent injury and speed up the muscle repair/recovery process
- Highly affordable compression clothing
- Comfortable to use
- Breathable
- Quick-drying
- Easily concealable if worn under clothes
- High customer satisfaction
- Compression leggings are tight enough to squeeze the blood through your muscles, which helps them to recover faster
- Some people claim that it also helps you get a proper shape
Cons:
- Some people report that it may be too tight to fit it comfortably
- The leggings may lose color with machine washing
- As the leggings are tight they may feel warm/sweaty
Long story short, these are compression leggings that are suitable for usage at the gym. They compress and help muscles to pump more blood out in between those muscle workouts.
Some people also claim that compression clothing can shrink your body by up to two inches.
10. Under Armour Women's HeatGear high Waisted Leggings
When it comes to compression pants, they are often designed for athletes, but not all athletes are women.
I reviewed the HeatGear high-waist crop legings from Under Armour and the HeatGear high-waisted leggings from Under Armour.
HeatGear is Under Armour’s best fabric that wicks away sweat through the so-called “Weave” fabric. It’s breathable, and it’s lightweight and flexible. It also provides a compression fit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Which compression leggings are best?
When you think of compression pants or leggings the first thing that probably pops in your head is a full body spandex suit holding it all in. While this is one type of compression gear, they’re certainly not the only one. Trying to cover the products that work, with things that don’t, can be daunting for women who are new to the world of compression gear.
We want to help you choose the right tools for the job … but without scaring you away with ‘words’ like “medial,” “lateral,” and “interosseous.” So, let’s go over some basics before jumping into our list of the best compression gear.
Do compression leggings help with cellulite?
Cellulite is extremely difficult to get rid of without some sort of physical therapy or treatment. The very best way to help your body combat cellulite is to stay fit and eat healthy. Compression garments are a nice addition to an already active lifestyle.
Compression garments are great for doing any kind of physical activity. Some of these garments actually help keep oxygen and blood circulating to the body. This can help enhance your performance and recovery rate in strenuous activities.
There are many different kinds of garments. Some of them are daily wear, and others are better for exercise only. Sorting through all of the options can be time-consuming and frustrating. When choosing a garment, you want to make sure that it is specifically for the backside. When you have good compression in the buttocks, you’ll help to return blood to the heart. This is a great way to help flush cellulite and toxins while improving the appearance of your skin.
Do compression leggings make you look slimmer?
Leggings developed from a simple garment of the medieval era into a versatile and stylish aspect of today’s fashion world.
They’re perfect for subverting the typical restrictions of the workplace, particularly for nurses who need to wear scrubs. The modern version can be found in most stores and is now even available online.
Medieval LeggingsThere are two versions of this product available. Existing versions are the shorter leggings, ranging from three to five inches. One of the most famous leggings styles… the “tennis skirt”is a version of capri leggings.
A lady wearing this type of legging would extend the length to just below the knee. The style was created for tennis players as it would reduce the amount of time spent in play while allowing effective movement during the game.
What is the difference between compression tights and leggings?
Some of the most common questions women have about compression gear tend to be centered around the difference between tights and leggings or the differences between different brands. While these questions are important, it can be enough to make someone new to compression gear give up altogether, since the answers tend to be a bit more technical than anyone may expect.
To try and simplify things, we’ve tried to make sure we feature in all our reviews both tights and leggings. What’s the difference? Well, they’re essentially the same thing; leggings are a heaver material than tights, and feel a bit more like a second skin. Some women love the feel of them on the legs and thighs for compression gear, others prefer the flexibility of the tights, finding the leggings can become a bit too warm.
Conclusion
We researched the different manufacturers who bring some of the best compression tights and leggings. What we did is narrowed down the list of manufacturers by first looking at the overall quality and popularity of the compression leggings and tights they produce, then ensuring that the leggings and/or tights come in different colors and styles. Since we also found out that manufacturers focus on different kind of needs, we focused primarily on good quality leggings for women with some space for their arms rather than leggings or tights that focus on the lower body.
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Nike Women’s Pro Tight | Best Overall | |
| TSLA 1 or 2 Pack Women's Thermal Yoga Pants | Budget Pick | |
| CEP Recovery Compression Leggings | Upgrade Pick | |