Leggings for Yoga – Why Bamboo Works

Short answer: Yoga makes few but very specific demands of your trousers: they have to follow deep stretches without pinching, they must not slide down when you are upside down, and they need to be wearable for an hour without turning clammy. Bamboo viscose meets all three.

What yoga asks of clothing

Yoga is slow movement, deep stretches and postures in which you have to forget what you are wearing. The trousers should sit close without pressing in the groin, and they should follow the leg all the way into a deep lunge without pulling at the waist.

Why bamboo rather than polyester

Polyester is smooth and strong, but it holds onto odour and feels clammy once the body warms up in a long sequence. Bamboo viscose moves moisture away from the skin and keeps feeling dry, which is most noticeable in the quiet minutes at the end.

The stretch in the fabric

Bamboo viscose is naturally soft, but the stretch comes from the elastane in the blend. Five per cent is enough for the fabric to follow the knee and hip joint and return to shape afterwards, without the trouser bagging over the knee after an hour.

See the range

There are several lengths and rises in bamboo leggings for women, and for cooler months the same qualities exist as bamboo training trousers for women, if you prefer a looser trouser for yoga at home rather than in a studio.

The waistband matters most

A high waist is close to a requirement for yoga, because it stays put in forward folds and in every posture with the head down. A low waist has to be adjusted between postures, and that alone is enough to break concentration in a sequence.

Are they see through

That is the question everyone asks, and the answer depends on fabric density rather than colour. Test them at home: squat down in front of a mirror in daylight. If you can see skin tone through the fabric across the seat, they are too thin.

The top for yoga

A bamboo sports bra with light support is enough for yoga, where there is no impact, and over it a loose top from bamboo tops for women that does not fall over your head in a forward fold.

For the final relaxation

The last part of a class is still, and the body cools quickly once you lie down. A bamboo sweatshirt for women in your bag is the difference between being able to relax and lying there feeling cold on the mat.

Washing after class

Yoga clothes should be washed after every use, because perspiration settles into the elastane and breaks it down over time. Wash at 30 degrees without fabric softener and let them dry on a hanger. The tumble dryer makes yoga trousers lose their shape fastest. See also bamboo for training.