Getting clothes to fit you when you are a plus size is hard enough but getting the best flattering leggings for big thighs, calves or legs is an even much harder task. Well, not anymore as we will be helping you with that.
Before we compiled this list of best flattering workout clothes for big thighs, we look at the word “fit” – Will it accommodate your belly, but, thick calves, and your long legs? Do they offer pretty colors or patterns beyond boring black and navy? How do they hold up to many washes and wears? Can they make you feel cute while still being comfortable in it? Will they wiggle down during warrior pose? I’m not a professional athlete, and certainly don’t do ultra-marathons, so performance and highly technical features didn’t matter much to me. After my sister tried them, she rated each pair on a highly scientific scale of 1 to 5 score.
Most Economical – Danskin (1X–4X)
Most Premium – Torrid (00x–6x)
Best Pick – Nike (1X–3X)
Best Flattering Leggings for Big Thighs
Danskin (1X–4X)
The Danskin leggings from Amazon are not only cute, but are comfortable, and have a cottony feel vs. a compression, tech-gear feels. I ordered them in a 3X and I thought they fit true to size. I wasn’t worried they’d go nuts when I bent down to lift up a torturous 3-lbs. barbell at Barre.
They came in only navy and blue, but their price point is super affordable and they make a great starter legging. It’s hard to find leggings above a 3X, so this is a great option for 4X wearers. These leggings are sold in stores, which is rare for plus-size brands.
Rating: 4 stars
Nike (1X–3X) —
This did not make the list of best flattering leggings fir big thighs for nothing. If you have cash to spare, I would recommend this high quality pair of workout pants to a Zumba class as a local YMCA.
These fits great and they have an interior drawstring, which means that they felt really secure – You won’t have to worry about them wiggling down while exercising. They looked sleek, didn’t get sheer at all, and had some neat calf mesh that made me feel very I’m training for the Olympics, not just walking along here on my local trail. If they’re in your budget, I’d say: go for it.
Yogaletics Wear (XL–6X)
These are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I ordered a wild print, and I loved how bold it looked. So often, fat women are told to try to disappear their bodies and seem smaller with lots of black; on the rare occasion we’re granted something different, it’s usually a hideous floral pattern. I love that Yogaletics says eff that — rock whatever pattern you want, girl. That said, it was tricky to order these — a lot of styles and sizes were sold out, so I didn’t get my first choice of pattern, which was a bummer.
The leggings themselves are very silky and stretchy – which, depending on the kind of underwear you wear to the gym, could potentially lead to some slippage. I learned the hard way when I was casually jogging on the treadmill at my gym, and I realized that my pants were slowly and stealthily making their way down my ass. I had to do some fancy footwork and my coordination was put to the test as I tried to keep myself from exposing my undies to the guy running behind me.
It’s no wonder I included it in this best flattering leggings for big thighs review listing.
I LOVED the lined crotch (which means you can skip the undies for hot yoga with no worries about flashing anyone), and though these were very patterned, the pattern didn’t stretch weirdly or become sheer when I pulled them on. These are expensive, but very pretty, and felt high quality.
Torrid (00x–6x)
Torrid’s options are way cooler and more on-trend than what’s generally available to fat women; I was able to get a pair that has an Instagram girl cutout at the ankle. They really do fit well, and the fabric was soft — it felt like a simple cotton and a high-tech fabric had a baby — and held up for everything I needed to do!
After my test, I concluded that they were much better quality than the Danskin leggings, though I think the price is a bit high for what you finally get. On second thought, Torrid tends to run good sales, so it would be worth keeping an eye out for that.
Rating: 4 stars
Superfit Hero (XL–4X)
Oh, Superfit Hero. I had always wanted one of these leggings! They have a POCKET! They’re a nice stretchy cotton, and they don’t need Wonder Woman-style maneuvering to get them on! But I encountered 3 issues with them:
- They had less room for my other pair of pants despite the fact that mu order was based off the size chart.
- They attracted cat hair like no nothing I’ve ever seen.
If given the chance to reorder them, I would go up a size and I do love that they make a point to use models of varying body types on their website, though. (More of this, fitness brands! More of this!!!)
Rating: 4
Fabletics (1X–3X)
To be honest, I did not want to like these. In case you don’t know, Fabletics is a brand created by Kate Hudson that recently expanded into plus-sizes. It operates a VIP membership model, where you get MUCH better prices if you subscribe – though, just like those bogus “compare at” price tags at TJ Maxx, Fabletics’s non-VIP prices left me sceptical on an high level. If you’re not a VIP member, an outfit might cost $95. If you do join, your first outfit (pants + sports bra and/or top) is $15 to $25, and then you’re billed $50 a month moving forward, which gets you one “outfit” credit. It can apparently be hard to cancel, although I was able to do so via customer service chat and didn’t have to make a phone call.
When I first joined them, the subscription process angered me, and I wanted to HATE the leggings. I ended up buying leggings with adorable petal-shaped cutouts at the ankle and a strappy black-mesh sports bra, and I (regrettably!!!) love both.
The sports bra really fits, which, given that my tits are the kind of huge that most mortals cannot imagine (but a certain sea witch could, haha), is remarkable on its own.
This sits at #6 on our listings of the best flattering leggings for big thighs.
I wouldn’t go for a run in but, but it worked excellently for barre. I enjoy wearing these items to barre classes – the outfit felt cute and sleek, and comparable to what the barre mermaids were wearing. I was a majestic manatee, floating through class in what you can describe as “a pool of my own sweat”.
However, I’m taking a star a peach away for the absolutely stupid ordering process, which involves a quiz, varying levels of discounts, annoying widgets there to upsell you but that don’t account for plus-size specific shopping (meaning you get shown lots of items that don’t come in your size, suddenly), and the membership model.
Rating: 3 and a half stars
Conclusively on the best Flattering leggings for Big Legs
Generally, I’d have to go with Fabletics as my top workout gear for women up to a 3X, because I love the leggings and sports bra combo. I love Fabletics more than Old Navy because of the variety of patterns and details available, but Old Navy hands down is easiest and will last you forever.
We hope you enjoyed our review of the best flattering workout clothes for big thighs.
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