The 10 Best Hiking Leggings

If you look through my Instagram and Blog, you will notice a trend in all the pictures. I wear leggings almost 99.9% of the time. Why? Because I freaking love how comfortable and fantastic leggings look on me. I think they are the best pants to wear hiking, and no one can ever change my mind. Yes, on occasion, I wear hiking pants when the weather and trail are a little iffy, but most of the time, it’s my leggings. So after I got many questions about my leggings, I have come up with a list of the best hiking leggings to wear on trails. These leggings are comfy, durable, and cute 😉

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Hiking Tights Table

Best Hiking Leggings

Fjallraven Abisko Trail Tights – Women’s

The Fjallraven Abisko Trekking Tights are some of the most popular hiking leggings in the market. They are well known to be durable, comfortable, they have big pockets and excellent mobility. They are the go-to pants for strenuous scramble hikes. I like these leggings because they are reinforced at the knees and the butt, so you don’t have to worry about destroying your expensive leggings. The main negative of tights is durability, and these leggings solve this problem.

These leggings are pretty expensive. But I feel like regular hiking pants are usually just as expensive, if not more, and they are not as comfortable as leggings. The Fjallraven Abisko can also be a bit hot in hotter climates in the summer like Arizona, Utah, and Texas.

Overall the Fjallraven Abisko Trail Tights are well known around the women hiking community for a reason. They are an excellent investment for the life of the outdoors.

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Arc’teryx Oriel Leggings – Women’s

If you are looking for well-priced leggings that are comfortable, durable, lightweight, and have great pockets, then you are in luck! These leggings are awesome! They were made for rock climbers, which means they are durable and flexible. Many women hikers realized this, and now these leggings are the go-to leggings for trails.

Sadly, the seams of these leggings do seem to fray for many people. I would keep an eye out for that and maybe buy these leggings from REI, where the return policy is better.

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REI Co-op Take Your Time 7/8 Leggings – Women’s

I LOVE the REI 7/8 leggings. They are so soft and comfortable. I am all about comfort when it comes to hiking leggings! I also love how high waisted they are and how they keep my tummy nice and flat. These are great tights for you to lounge around at home or go hiking with.

I would not take these leggings rock climbing with me or on a trail where there is a lot of scrambling. They are durable but not that durable. I still wear them on many of my hikes because they are the most comfortable leggings I have (and I have a ton of leggings). There have been many complaints from people about the seams coming apart, but I haven’t had that problem after 6 months.

But the price is pretty low for these leggings compared to many others.

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prAna Electa Leggings – Women’s

These leggings are the cutest and are pretty comfortable. When I wear these leggings, I get asked where I bought them! I love that they have nice-sized pockets, and I also like all the color options. I am always about mixing and matching colors up! The fabric is also pretty durable and of good quality.

Something that does annoy me about these pants is that it sometimes sag while I am hiking. I noticed other reviewers saying that as well.

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Patagonia Pack Out Tights – Women’s

What I love about the Patagonia Pack Out Tights is how versatile they are. They are incredibly durable to take out rock climbing, scrambles, or on hikes, but still comfortable enough to use for yoga.

The main problem with these pants is the ventilation. Patagonia uses a very durable material, so it can get pretty hot hiking through deserts in the middle of the summer. Also, if it gets wet, it takes a while for the pants to dry out. But if you are hiking during mild, sunny weather, then these tights are an easy choice!

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Studio Pocket Legging – Vuori

I love how I feel and look when I wear Vuori Leggings. They are so comfortable and soft. The material they use is high quality, and they are less expensive than Lululemon. I also love their color options which are usually pastels.

I wouldn’t wear them on chilly days. Only on hot summer days because the material is on the thinner side, but these leggings are one of my new favorites!

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Columbia Women’s Windgate Leggings

The Columbia Windgate Leggings are one of my new favorite leggings on the market! I love the pocket sizes on these pants. There are four pockets, and one of them has a zipper. I love these leggings so much that they have become my new favorite leggings for traveling on planes and road trips. They are comfy, durable, and functional.

I wish Columbia had better colors and designs for these leggings. I have the black leggings, but I would like to see a better array of color options in the future.

Stio Women’s Glide High Rise Tech Tight

Stio is one of my new favorite hiking leggings. They are so comfortable, soft, and I love the color options. Plus, the pockets are pretty amazing. They are two large pockets, and one of them is zippered. The fabric is pretty thin compared to the other leggings on this list so it is probably best for hot summer days.

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Lululemon Swift Speed High-Rise Tight

Lululemon leggings were the first leggings I wore hiking. I had many from working out, so I decided to try them out on a hike. It was the best decision! Lululemon leggings are so comfortable, durable, and breathable. I have taken these leggings on many hikes, and they hold up pretty well.

They are high-quality leggings. Plus, they come in so many colors and patterns. The main thing I look for when buying leggings from Lululemon is the type of material. I always get the Luxtreme material because it holds up the best when hiking. If I am going to spend that kind of money on leggings, they better last a long time! And they have! I have had many of these leggings for over 5 years!

The main negative is that they are pretty expensive, but as I said, the Luxtreme material has lasted me a very long time.

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Smartwool Merino Sport Fleece Wind Tights – Women’s

I am so thankful that I found these leggings! I was having trouble finding the perfect winter tights for my cold-weather hikes. I love my summer leggings, but I needed something warmer and durable.

I also didn’t want to wear clunky skiing pants. I don’t mind them for skiing but for hiking? No thanks! Someone eventually suggested these pants to me in a Facebook group, and I jumped on the opportunity and bought them right away.

They are warm, comfortable, and have great freedom of movement. They are weather-resistant as well, so I can wear them when it is snowing. I still add base layers below these leggings (like Merino Wool) when the weather is super cold. But in the Fall or Spring days, these are perfect by themselves.

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More About Hiking Leggings

Price

The pricing for leggings listed in this article range from $70 to $150. It is nice to have durable good quality leggings that will last you years, but you don’t need to spend $150. Trust me, I get by with the REI 7/8 leggings, which are incredibly comfy but not as durable as the Fjallraven Abisko Trail Tights.

Comfort

Comfort is the number one thing I think about when it comes to hiking pants. I am usually hiking miles upon miles to get to my destination, and if my pants are not comfy, it can be a miserable experience. Luckily most leggings I list are pretty comfortable.

Breathability

Having breathable leggings is super important, especially when hiking in desert-like climates. You don’t want to feel gross, sweaty, and sticky only after hiking for a few miles. I recommend working out with your leggings before a hike to see how breathable it is.

I once received some cute Glyder leggings as a gift and put them on to do some workouts. Right away, I felt very uncomfortable and hot. I ended up donating those leggings after one use. I am so glad I did not end up wearing them on the trail, as it would have been miserable.

Pockets

Ok, when it comes to hiking pants, any pants that you buy from now on should have pockets! Trust me, it will save you the frustration when you hike.

So before I was a hiker, I was really into yoga, so I had a lot of yoga pants. I now use those pants for hiking because I have so many yoga pants.

What frustrates me about those pants is that most don’t have pockets. I use my phone as my map, so I have to have easy access to it. I also like to take pictures and videos. Not having pockets to easily store my phone while hiking is annoying. That is why all leggings on this list have pockets. So no worries!

Style

I know what you are probably thinking,” Style? Style is the last thing I think about when I hike”. I know I probably shouldn’t care about how I look on the trail, but I do. It is important to me but might not be as important to you. Everyone is different!

The cuter I look on the trail, the more comfortable and confident I feel. That is probably why I usually pick leggings over hiking pants. Hiking pants make me feel boxy and frumpy, so I avoid them.

If you feel the same way, hey, it is ok! There is nothing wrong with trying to feel confident and pretty. It will never hurt anyone on the trail if you look extra cute, by the way, so don’t let anyone make you feel otherwise. I only say this because people tend to judge me for looking cute on my hikes. Not sure why since it doesn’t hurt anyone 😛 .

Best Material For Leggings

Make sure to look at the type of material you are buying. Quick-drying is, of course, the best type of leggings to get. You don’t want to be soaked in sweat while in the chilly mountains, so you want something that is moisture-wicking. That is how people get hypothermia outside! Most high-quality leggings do not have this problem, though. But if you are buying bargain tights, I would pay attention to the materials. Do not purchase cotton leggings for hiking.

Reinforcement Panels

Most of the leggings I listed do not have reinforcement panels. It is a good thing to have but not necessary. It means that your leggings are more durable in certain places, like your butt and knees. I only think this is needed in challenging scramble hikes or backpacking trips. I have been hiking with non-reinforcement leggings for years, and only one of my leggings received a minor tear when I fell on a rock.

Waistband

My favorite type of waistband is high rise. They are comfy, and they make me look skinnier. Plus, they tend not to sag as much as low-rise leggings.

Final Thoughts On Leggings For Hiking

Thanks for reading all about my favorite hiking leggings! I hope you find the perfect comfy leggings for your next adventure. Make sure to read up on some of my other hiking articles:

• What To Wear Hiking
• Best Women Hiking Boots
• Best Women Hiking Shoes
• Best Down Jackets For Women
• The Best Hiking Gear
• 50 Best Gifts For Outdoorsy Women

Pin For Later: Pants To Wear While Hiking