The 10 criteria for good leggings: your must-have checklist before buying
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Leggings are judged on a few, but always the same, criteria. Here are the ten points we check, in order of importance. The first six concern the garment itself. The last four concern the seller — and they are at least as revealing.
The Garment
1. Opacity in Full Squat
The disqualifying criterion. Leggings that become sheer when squatting under direct light will never be wearable at the gym. No other quality compensates.
2. Waist Height
It should reach or exceed the natural waist, the narrowest point of the torso. Lower than that, the waistband ends up on the widest part of the body and rolls down.
3. Waistband Width and Structure
Wide and double-layered. A narrow band concentrates all the tension on a few centimeters of skin: it's uncomfortable and doesn't stay in place as well.
4. Elastic Recovery
Stretch a piece of fabric and release it. It should return exactly to its original shape, without any slack areas. A knit that doesn't return to place today will be misshapen at the knees in a month.
5. Seams
Flat, flexible, with no excess thickness. Ideally, a V or Y-shaped back seam, which visually lifts the glutes, and no central front seam.
6. Knit Density
A dense knit resists abrasion and maintains its opacity longer. This is what separates leggings that last two years from leggings that last one season.
The Seller
7. Fiber Composition, Published Before Purchase
For distance selling, the composition must be accessible before ordering — this is a European obligation, not a favor. Its absence is a signal.
8. Measurements in Centimeters, Size by Size
An S-M-L-XL chart without centimeters is useless: no brand uses the same scale. The primary reason for textile returns is incorrect sizing, and this is resolved by numbers, not letters.
9. Return Policy, Clearly Stated
Time limit, cost, address, refund period. In France, the withdrawal period is 14 days, and a seller cannot refuse a return on the grounds that the garment has been tried on. A vague return page is a bad sign.
10. Announced Delivery Times — and Met
An honest and respected delivery time is better than a flattering and exceeded one. The same delivery time should appear on the product page, in the terms and conditions of sale, and in the confirmation message.
The Reflex That Sums It All Up
Count the number of adjectives on the product page, then the number of verifiable figures. When the adjectives largely outweigh the figures, something is missing.
This is also the grid by which we accept to be judged: our composition and our size chart in centimeters will be published as soon as they have been measured on a real sample, and we will not put any figures online before then. See the size guide and the delivery and returns page.
