Which Leggings are the Best? Girlfriend, Everlane, or Lululemon?

Hi guys! We’re talking leggings today… yay! 🙂

I have never worn leggings more than I have this past year, and I’m sure a lot of you can relate to that sentiment. So because of said increase in legging wear I’ve tried a lot more leggings than I have in the past.

To be perfectly honest, I used to just wear whatever black leggings I could find that were the cheapest (usually Target or Old Navy), and while there are some real gems at affordable price points (Old Navy are the best in my opinion!) I have learned that a little more money does go a long way in the overall comfort and durability of a pair of leggings.

But because I was that person who had no idea where to begin with leggings, I did end up wasting some money trying styles I ended up not really loving. Leggings are tricky because you really have to wear them (and workout in them) to get a good sense of whether or not they are a good fit, but then you can’t return them!

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m happy to be a legging guinea pig for you guys, and to give you my advice/tips.

SO, what I’ve got for you guys today is a comparison of 3 popular styles of leggings that are all similar enough that you may not know how to choose the best pair.

We’re comparing:

1. Lululemon’s Align legging
2. Everlane’s Perform legging
3. Girlfriend’s Float legging

Okay let’s get to it:

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The sweatshirt was gifted. Review here.

First up is Lululemon’s Align legging:

Retails for $98-$118

Comes in TONS of colors (and they release new colorways all of the time), 3 inseams, & sizes 0-14.

I wear a size 4, and you can view my measurements here.

Best for: yoga, lounging, outfits

My overall thoughts:

These are so soft and comfy and are the leggings I reach for when I’m doing workouts like yoga or Pilates. I also love these for wearing with outfits. They are minimal enough that they look good with any outfit. They’re very high waisted and they don’t slip down at all so they’re comfy to wear for working out and all day. I see people complaining about these leggings pilling a lot, and mine have pilled a little, but I just take a fabric shaver and remove the pills… I think it’s just the nature of this really soft fabric (the Girlfriend leggings also pill) and for me, I am happy to do a little maintenance to reap the benefits of these leggings (just as I’m happy to maintain a cashmere sweater in order to enjoy the softness of said sweater). If you are interested, I have an in depth review of these leggings here.

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Next is Everlane’s Perform legging

Retails for $58

Comes in 4 colors, 2 inseams, and sizes XXS-XXXL

I wear a size small

Best for: running or lounging

My overall thoughts:

These are very comfy and they are my favorites for lounging because they’re thin and so easy to move in and I don’t ever feel constricted while wearing them. They’re also my favorite leggings for running (not in super cold weather though) because they are so thin and I feel like I’m wearing nothing ha! They’re very high waisted and they just kind of keep everything in place. I don’t love these for yoga or other workouts though because I do find that the waistline slips down when I move around while working out (I don’t have this problem when I wear them around the house though). I also don’t love these for outfits because they ARE so thin that I feel like you can see every bump, underwear line, etc. underneath them. I don’t care about that when lounging or running, but I don’t feel as comfortable wearing them as pants in an outfit. I also have a full review of them here if you are interested.

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Finally: Girlfriend’s Float legging

Retails for $68

Comes in 7 colors, 2 inseams and sizes XXS-6XL

I wear a size small

Best for: any kind of circuit training or yoga/pilates

My overall thoughts:

These leggings are ALMOST perfect. ALMOST. But in my opinion, they sadly miss the mark in a big way. First, they are as soft as the Align leggings and they also have a bit more weight to them than the Perform leggings (but they’re still thin) so in terms of comfort and quality they are 100% there. My only issue with these leggings is that there isn’t enough tightness in the midsection to keep them up… so they slip down while you are wearing them. Bummer! It’s especially a bummer because all they would have to do to make them perfect is to cinch in the top of the waistband a tiny bit more. I think they were going for comfort (so not too tight around the midsection), but unfortunately it just causes them to slip down. I do wear them for circuit training/yoga and pilates and they do fine, but I wouldn’t wear these for running or any kind of cardio. What I REALLY wish is that Girlfriend would combine the holding in-ness of their original leggings with the fabric of the float leggings. If a looser waistband doesn’t bother you then definitely go for it because the rest of the leggings are great!

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Okay so now that I’ve reviewed them all individually here’s how I’d rank them from best to worst:

1. Lululemon – the most expensive, but an all around GOOD pair of leggings that are comfy and easy to workout in
2. Everlane – a close second, but I docked points for the wearability issue in real life.
3. Girlfriend – would have been no. 1, but the waistband is a major bummer.

I did want to quickly mention that if all three of these leggings are out of your price range, then I’d recommend checking out these “dupes” for the Align leggings. They are REALLY similar… not quite as soft (although close), and the waistband doesn’t have as much control (but they don’t slip down like the Girlfriend). They’re honestly a great pair of leggings and they only cost $27! Shop them here >>

Well I hope you guys found this helpful! Leggings are such a staple, but they can be really hard to shop for! Hopefully this helped narrow down the search just a little bit. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below!

Until next time,

Karin