If you know me, you know I love me some athleisure. But with two dogs and a cat, and lots of snuggles between all of them, finding some leggings that can withstand lint and pet hair is becoming extremely necessary.
I had been a devoted member of the Lululemon tribe since I learned about them in 2009. I was an early adopter of paying far too much for workout gear, and I have to say my lulus really have held up over the years, except with respect to one aspect- lint. I’ve followed all the care instructions (don’t wash with towels or other cottons being the major one), but it doesn’t change anything.
Fresh from the dryer, my lulus already look like I’ve rolled around on the floor. And the only way to truly remove all the pet hair or lint is to individually. Pick. Off. Every. Piece. Of. Lint. Needless to say, I rarely have the patience for that. I need leggings that are ready to go when I need them to be, and don’t need to be coddled like a child touring Willy Wonka’s factory.
So recently I have been experimenting with other leggings brands, to see which really hold up, and which are worth the money. Here are my favorite finds:
K-Deer
These leggings are sold at my yoga studio, and are at the top of my list. I love the patterns, with my personal favorite being the crazy “Punk Rock Stripe” – just looking at all those colors energizes me! The leggings are high-waisted, which I love, because then you don’t have to worry about hip chub showing or having them fall down with weight fluctuations. A high waist ensures everything stays put and looks smooth. The material of K-Deer leggings are a bit thinner compared to the standard Lululemon fabric that I was used to, and also has a bit more sheen. I was concerned that the thinner fabric would be more prone to show cellulite and the like, but thankfully I have found that not to be the case. The fabric is thinner, but still smoothes without constricting you so much you can’t breathe. I want to get a pair of the all-black to truly out their dog-hair shedding abilities, but I feel fairly confident that they would pass muster. One word of caution- with the thinner fabric, you really have to be careful where you sit. No sitting on curbs or porch decks because the fabric is more likely to catch and pull. Just stick to chairs.
Terez
I stumbled across these at Bloomingdale’s and I love them so much! Again, another thinner/shinier fabric than Lululemon, but I think that is key to repelling dog hair and lint. The more matte/fabric-y material just lets everything cling to it! Terez actually has a waistband, unlike K-Deer, and has two styles- a regular (about 1 inch) waistband, and what they call the “Tall Band” waistband, which is about 3 inches. I am a big believer in high waisted leggings, so I only tried out the tall band. I was worried the waistband was going to squish my hips, because even the thin little lip of a waist band that are on Lululemons always makes an unflattering dent. The Tall Band passed the test! They didn’t come up as high as true high-waisted leggings, but they definitely kept the stomach smooth. Terez leggings come with loads of fun prints, so they will be fun to experiment with.
Sweaty Betty
Sweaty Betty is the UK’s answer to Lululemon, and I think it has just a devoted fan base. Both Sweaty Betty and Lululemon were formed the same year, so I can’t pass judgement on who copied who 😉 I tried out the Power 7/8 leggings, which are cropped right above the ankle. I personally love that length and feel like longer leggings always just bunch up around my ankles. I’m not one of those folks who pulls the extra fabric around my heels- it feels too slippery! The fabric on these is again a thinner feel, and a smoother weave overall. Compared to the K-Deer and Terez leggings, I felt like they were tighter in the hold and at the same time a little more revealing of cellulite on the legs. Not enough that I didn’t enjoy them, they moved well during HIIT workouts and didn’t bunch or sag. So these will be added into the rotation as well!
All athleisure, but leggings in particular, are pretty expensive ($90+ for a pair of leggings??? And yet just look at my collection….) so I know I need to pace myself in replacing the lint-covered leggings I have at the moment. I’ve been able to score multiple pairs for over half off by watching out for various sales, so it pays to keep an eye out. Do you have some leggings that can withstand dog hair that are your favorites? What makes them stand out?
Road to Ridges 