11 Best Women’s Hiking Leggings and Yoga Pants

If you’re looking for the best hiking leggings and yoga pants on the market, we break them down by price, material, and pros and cons in this post. I’ll admit to occasionally busting out the hiking shorts, but most of my days on the trail are in a pair of yoga pants.

I trust many of these hiking tights to handle everything, but as always, with serious hikes, make sure you check the weather before you venture out. You might be able to find some cheap leggings on the internet, but it’s worth the investment in quality gear.

A decent pair of yoga pants for hiking are more comfortable and last much longer for a minor environmental impact. Almost all of the companies in this list use fair labor and environmental practices.

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Best Hiking Leggings & hiking Yoga Pants

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Helly Hansen Blaze Hiking Tights

Helly Hansen’s Blaze Tights are the perfect blend of comfort and protection for trail adventures and my new favorite hiking leggings. They are high-waisted leggings designed to offer hiking tights’ comfort and softshell hiking pants’ strong durability.

I can stay hiking all day with the ultra-comfy, 4-way stretch fabric. What I love the most is that I can easily trek through the underbrush without worries, thanks to the added softshell reinforcements on the lower leg. This is super important for Rocky Mountain (where I often hike) adventures where the rock can be very sharp!

The Blaze Tights also feature an adjustable waist with a drawcord, a gusset in the crotch for unrestricted movement, and flatlock seams for that extra touch of comfort!

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Athleta Headlands Hybrid Cargo II Tights

Price: $119 | Fabric: Recycled Nylon/Spandex

Athleta’s Headlands Hybrid Tights offer excellent durability, comfort, and six pockets for a formidable pair of hiking leggings. There are many reasons to love these hiking leggings, but it starts with the exceptional fit. Then a selection of six pockets to store all your essentials.

A high-rise waist fits snuggly around the body and keeps the leggings in place. The fit is even adjustable thanks to an internal adjustable draw cord. You won’t have to adjust these pants. The material is comfortable against the skin, but the tough fabric shows excellent abrasion resistance. The fabric is also treated with DWR for water resistance and offers a 50 UPF rating for sun protection.

The added pockets and durable material make them a little warmer than lighter-weight options. It’s also worth noting that they are some of the most expensive hiking leggings.

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Handful Squeeze Play Leggings

Price: $68 | Fabric: Recycled Polyester

As much as I love the brand ethos of Handful, I love their products even more. The Squeeze Play Leggings offer the perfect compression and support for incredible comfort. These pants are great for the yoga studio to the mountains and offer tremendous versatility. We travel a lot, and I love that one pair can handle a vinyasa flow class and the trail.

Fit stands out with these pants as they offer body sculpting and a high waist for great coverage. They feature a “squeeze play” high waist that provides excellent compression and sculpts your body, which is super flattering. Squeeze Play Leggings love your curves! There aren’t many pockets in these, but they have a hidden internal pocket for a key or small items.

I find the polyester blend to handle temperature well and rarely feel too hot in the leggings. However, polyester is known to be less durable and breathable than Nylon, so these aren’t my leggings of choice on rough and hot trail days. Handful has supported our blog for years and offers readers a 15% discount with the code “TWP20.”

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Patagonia Pack Out Tights

Price: $89 | Fabric: Polyester/Spandex

Pack Out Tights are a pair of leggings made to tackle everything from travel to hiking and daily life. The material in the pants is super comfortable and soft but still delivers the perfect amount of material weight. Fit and comfort are significant as the leggings feature a thick waistband, tapered legs, and flat seams. A pair of pockets are a welcome bonus to carry your essentials.

The result is a pair of comfortable pants for literally hundreds of miles. As the name implies, these pants are great for multiday adventures. It is because the material drys fast and remains fresh without a wash. The material is primarily polyester which is more prone to wear and tear than nylon, making them super comfy.

The cut is mid-rise, so you may adjust these often if you need more support. Regardless, these leggings are streamlined and unfussy. The Patagonia Pack Out Tights are the kind of pants that you can throw on and head out for a hike or yoga class without thinking.

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Arc’teryx Essent High-Rise Legging

Price: $89 | Fabric: Stretch Nylon Interlock

The Arc’teryx Essent Leggings are the best for hot and rough days in the mountains. Arc’teryx makes ultralight leggings for climbing, but they offer excellent performance as a pair of hiking leggings. The ultralight material stands out, and the leggings pack down small for multiday adventures.

These pants are made to stretch for climbing moves and are ready to deal with rock with abrasion resistance. The nylon interlock material is durable and has excellent abrasion resistance despite its lightweight nature. Arc’teryx took great care in the material selection and design, and it shows. The pants also feature two pockets that are great for storing a phone or small essentials.

The Essent is a revised cut that addresses the problem with the previous version, the Oriel, which featured a low-rise cut. The new high waist cut keeps the pants secure for a comfortable fit. However, sizing issues remain as Arc’teryx sizing feels less inclusive for those with curves. They offer a 26″ and 28″ inseam if you’re after the perfect fit.

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REI Co-op Flash Tights

Price: $75 | Fabric: Nylon/Spandex & Polyester/Spandex

The REI Co-op Flash Tights are a fantastic pair of hiking leggings for everyday life and the trail. Panels of durable nylons and stretch jersey wick polyester make for durable and breathable pants where needed. It means the pants are great at temperature and moisture management.

The cut and fit are lovely, and the high-rise waist sits comfortably around the hips for a secure fit. We also love that REI offers leggings in plus sizes ranging from XL to 3XL. The panel construction also makes for an exceptionally comfortable pair of pants that move well with the body. Two handy pockets are great for a phone and keys.

All the pants’ materials are bluesign®-approved materials for more sustainable pants. The weight of the pants is a suitable medium that feels comfortable on freezing to warm days. They are a little too warm for hot weather days. Altogether, they’re a fabulous pair of yoga pants for hiking.

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Salomon Agile Warm Trail Running Tights

Price: $120 | Fabric: Gore-Tex Infinium Windstopper, Polyester, Nylon, Elastane

These hiking leggings from Salomon are ready to tackle cold weather, perfect for technical terrain at a fast pace. The tight-fitting material is lightweight, flexible, and effectively wicks moisture to dry fast. They are lined with a soft fleece to add some warmth in combination with durable Gore-Tex panels to block wind and precipitation.

The durable panels run across the knee, down the shin, and across the rear. In contrast, panels on the backs of the legs dump excess heat and allow the leggings to dry. Durability is excellent, and we’ve found minor signs of wear. Fit is very slim, and the waist is low rise as they are for running. An inner drawcord allows for adjustment, and zippered calves achieve the tapered design with Gore-Tex panels.

These features allow for optimal performance for athletic builds, but the pants are rugged for curvy figures. They also feature a large rear pocket, but anything with weight can pull the leggings down because it sits on the back panel. The pants are not currently in stock for the summer season. We’ll update you come the fall season.

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The North Face Hybrid Hiker Tights

Price: $80 | Fabric: Nylon, Elastane

The North Face Hybrid Hikers are a highly versatile pair of leggings. These are the kind of hiking leggings that can easily be used for errands around town or sightseeing while traveling and tackling the trail the next day. The relaxed style looks great, and it’s easy to see the hybrid approach in the design of these leggings.

The material is a comfortable nylon blend that feels heavy enough for a stylish look around town. However, the weight is too warm for hot days, but it does make them very durable. Fit is loose, and they are somewhere between joggers and leggings. It is a nice look, but it lacks performance without the ability to adjust the waist with a draw cord.

The zippered slash pockets are practical and add a stylish flair. The performance and looks of these pants make them an excellent addition to any wardrobe.

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Fjallraven Abisko Hiking Tights

Price: $175 | Fabric: Polyamide, Stretch, Canvas

These stylish hiking leggings from the well-known Swedish brand have a lot going for them. They’re super stretchy, breathable, tight to the skin (for that silhouette), ultra-light, and feature reinforced panels. The pants have an excellent pocket layout that competes with most hiking pants.

The high-waist design means you shouldn’t get any annoying gaps between whatever you wear on top and the Abisko tights. The waist is adjustable with an interior drawcord to make for a snugger fit. Also, they are great men’s hiking tights, which are hard to come by!

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Helly Hansen Women’s Rask Trail Tights

Price: $85 | Fabric: 4-Way Stretch Technical 28g Knit

The Rask Trail Tights are a super comfy pair of hiking leggings from Helly Hansen. The reinforced knee and rear are coated with water-repellent fabric, making them not only durable, but if you need to sit down, your butt won’t get wet.

Two zippered pockets mean anything you feel like carrying on your person won’t get lost. The waist isn’t elastic but is still fitted and not overly tight. Some may find the fit a little big; if you want something closer, go down a size—otherwise an excellent choice for comfortable, active leggings.

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5.11 Abby Tights

Price: $99 | Fabric: Nylon/Elastane

To finish out the 5.11 Abby Tights. 5.11 makes tactical, heavy-duty gear, so I love their yoga pants. They are far from sheer and have side pockets, which I like to put my cell phone in for quick photo access. These are moisture-wicking and have anti-odor properties.

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How to Choose the Best Hiking Leggings

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Price

We want to say money isn’t everything, but it plays a massive part in what trekking leggings you’ll choose. The price ranges from surprisingly affordable to a more high-end investment.

Not all “cheap” leggings are wrong, and while you don’t need to spend a fortune for a reliable pair, it’s worth considering spending a little more for elements that will suit your activities – and for something that’ll last longer. My favorite hiking yoga pants for the price are the Handful Leggings.

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Style

It’s very personal. Style is different for everybody, but the first thing you’ll judge something is how it looks. Something that doesn’t look like you at all?

Or something you could wear on the daily hikes? It should be a combination of style and comfort because feeling good is part and parcel of being comfortable. The most stylish hiking leggings on this list are the Arc’teryx Oriel. They’re also super comfortable and lightweight.

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Comfort

The number one thing when looking for hiking leggings is their comfort. You’ll be wearing these for miles (and miles) at a time, and you don’t want something uncomfortable after the first 100 feet.

So choosing for comfort should be high on your priority list. Some of the most comfortable hiking leggings I have are the Helly Hansen Women’s Rask.

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Breathability

Going hand in hand with comfort, how breathable your hiking leggings are will make a difference to your hiking experience. You may not think about it at first, but once you’ve got a pair of hiking leggings that aren’t breathable, you’ll know about it.

Of course, we’re talking sticky and hot. And if you’re hiking somewhere, that’s hot already, that’s not fun. My favorite breathable hiking leggings are Kuhl Weekndr Leggings.

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Pockets

A lot of the best trekking leggings for women have integrated pockets. It may seem like an essential feature, but depending on where they sit, this can be the difference between something annoying and something that genuinely adds to the leggings.

We want easy access to things like keys and phones without getting in your way. The Helly Hansen Women’s Rask are great hiking yoga pants with pockets.

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Material

Material is a crucial element of what you should be looking at when you buy hiking leggings. It plays a big part in how good they’ll be. It will depend on where you’ll wear your leggings and what you’ll do in them.

Thermal, quick-drying, stretch, form-fitting – there’s a lot to consider. It’ll add to the comfort and overall utility of the hiking leggings.

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Water & Wind Resistance

How water or wind-resistant hiking leggings are is a big deal. You never know what you’ll be getting into on a trek – the weather’s constantly changing for a start. And if you’re heading up mountains, for example, you’ll want something with a bit of windproofing and wicking for water resistance.

Once you’ve got wet legs, having the wind whipping around them is the worst feeling. The Salomon Agile Trail Running Tights are pretty water and wind resistant and great for cold weather.

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Reinforced Panels

Not all leggings have these, but they are good if you’re going on heavy-duty hikes. Toughened, the reinforced fabric around the knees (and on the rear) allows for increased durability, means less wear-and-tear, and – if you’re out to invest in a pair of trekking leggings – the likelihood is they’ll end up lasting a whole lot longer. The most heavy-duty hiking tights are the Fjallraven Abisko.

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Waistband

Not something you’d think would make too much difference to the overall feel of your hiking leggings. The waistband is super important. Once you’ve spent a chunk of money on your new leggings, you don’t want them to slip down, feel too tight (or loose), or rub uncomfortably.

Depending on what you prefer and your body type, a high waistband will feel much more secure and more form-fitting; a low-rise waistband may add more breathability, on the other hand. Choose for your body. The 5.11 Abby Tights have a fantastic waistband.