By: Bradley Axmith
We gave our Review Team one job:
Find the best and most popular products and review them. Our review team always considers durability, price, quality, and value in their reviews.
Where to buy:
We don’t like to assume, but odds are that if you’re into yoga, you like your clothing to be as sustainable as possible. In this case, you’ve come to the right place. Outdoor Voices are widely known for their healthy approach to sustainability as it intersects with the company-adopted #doingthings concept that encourages a physically active lifestyle.
Flex ⅞ leggings are the prime facilitators of this healthy lifestyle-sustainability nexus with their low-to-medium impact yoga pants.
Made from stretchy TechSweat material that just feels right, they have the superior level of comfort that allows you to wear them all day long no matter what your plans are.
Running errands in the morning and having a meditation practice in the evening? Not a problem for Flex leggings. Sitting right below the navel, they will hug your figure well so that you can go about your day without worrying about the waistband rolling down or the built-in compression hindering your movements.
OV Flex ⅞ leggings scream ‘quality’ and you can’t argue with that. What you can do is scroll down to find out just how good of an investment they are.
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
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The quick-drying and dry-wicking fabric is soft to the touch -
The light compression isn’t restrictive at all
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The leggings are extremely durable
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There are plenty of sizes to choose from
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The brand is engaged in ethical manufacturing practices
Things we don't like:
The light compression makes the yoga pants not suitable for high-impact workouts- The non-high-waisted construction means no full tummy coverage
- The light-colored leggings can be a little too revealing for some
The light compression makes the yoga pants not suitable for high-impact workoutsWhere to buy:
Evaluation
If you have a budget to purchase only one thing from Outdoor Voices, it has to be their Flex ⅞ leggings. Made from high-quality materials that are sourced sustainably, they are an investment you won’t regret making. This is particularly true for those who value their comfort more than anything else.
Being on the lower spectrum of premium workout clothing (believe it or not), they hold up to the expectations better than anticipated. As soon as you start sweating, they will whisk it away so that you can enjoy an uninterrupted jog. The same goes for the more low-key yoga and pilates where you can move your body without feeling confined at any point.
And while this means that you can’t expect them to flatten your tummy or lift your butt as much as Athleta Salutation Tights would, it also means that you’ll be able to wear them for longer given their ‘second-skin’ feel that translates into long-term comfort.
Specs & Features
- Best Suited For: Low to medium impact workouts and yoga sessions
- Material: 72% Nylon, 17% Lycra, 11% Polyester
- Sizing: XXS-XXXL
- Inseam: 25”
- Style: Ankle-length
- Care Instructions: Machine wash cold, tumble dry low, do not bleach/iron/dry clean
Quality
The recipe of the fabric gives it away instantly – OV Flex leggings are crafted from the tried, tested and true combination of yoga-friendly materials, and it shows when wearing them religiously. Even after multiple washes, you won’t see any pilling that’s often an issue with similar yoga pants.
The fabric performance is superb: it dries quickly, stretches well, and looks flattering. It’s also thick enough to support you yet lightweight enough to not feel like a pair of pants. As for being squat-proof – the darker colors can definitely enable you to bend over and not flash anyone. With lighter colors, however, this might not be the case.
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Comfort
What’s more comfortable than a pair of leggings that feels like pajamas? A pair of leggings that features an inner waistband cinch-tie. This unique detail makes all the difference when switching between the poses and hoping for your yoga pants to stay put.
The flat fell seams and the diamond-shaped and double-layered gusseted crotch bring the said comfort to an even higher level. They ensure there’s no rubbing between the thighs when walking in your OV leggings all day long. And who wants to struggle with ill-fitting leggings when they could be wearing a pair that facilitates an easy hopping-around-the-town experience instead?
Performance
Don’t let the low compression fool you into thinking that Flex ⅞ leggings are not up to the task of equipping you with sufficient support for your fitness endeavors. Sure, they might not squeeze your legs as much as you might like for high-intensity compression-demanding sessions, but they are more than capable of hugging your figure in all the right places for a worry-free Vinyasa at your local park.
Factor in the moisture-wicking and quick-drying properties, and you’ve got yourself somewhat of a beast that doesn’t give up at the sign of a few droplets of sweat. It will make sure to get rid of them before you notice them and carry on moving with you as you continue nailing those yoga poses one after another.
Price/Quality
We gotta address the elephant in the room and acknowledge that the price tag of OV Flex ⅞ leggings is up high with more luxurious fitness apparel. But this is completely reflected in the quality of the yoga pants.
Not only are they made from durable materials that aren’t prone to tearing and pilling, but they are also made from materials that are environmentally-friendly. And this fact alone speaks volumes in the light of the fashion industry that is known to produce goods in large quantities without taking the environmental impact into consideration.
So yes, the price tag of the Flex ⅞ leggings might be high, but it’s totally justifiable when you reflect on their quality.
To sum up our review, it’d be best to state that if you’re on the lookout for a pair of high-quality yoga pants, the Flex ⅞ model by Outdoor Voices should definitely be on your radar. They embody everything a worthy pair of leggings is – lightweight, comfortable, versatile – and then some more.
Consider them an investment that will quickly pay off once you put them to good use. And with the way they feel on your skin, we assure you that it won’t be long before you’ll want to upgrade to another pair from OV.
Our Overall Review
Things we like:
-
The quick-drying and dry-wicking fabric is soft to the touch
-
The light compression isn’t restrictive at all
-
The leggings are extremely durable
-
There are plenty of sizes to choose from
-
The brand is engaged in ethical manufacturing practices
Things we don't like:
- The light compression makes the yoga pants not suitable for high-impact workouts
- The non-high-waisted construction means no full tummy coverage
- The light-colored leggings can be a little too revealing for some
Frequently asked questions
Yoga pants often include tights, leggings and even bottoms. While this definition is still up for discussion, nowadays both yoga pants and leggings are considered to be the same thing. This is also applicable to tights. For more discussion about yoga pants head over to this list of the best.
Thanks to the trademarked TechSweat™ material OV uses for manufacturing their yoga apparel (and these leggings in particular), it is considered to be of high quality. This is the reason why their Flex ⅞ yoga pants – just like the majority of other garments – are on the pricier side.
Outdoor Voices don’t take sustainability lightly. Having longevity and circularity at the core of production, they are committed to sourcing environmentally-friendly textiles and utilizing sustainable packaging to ship products to their customers. Click here to read more about the company’s ethos.
It’s recommended that you get your regular size when investing in a pair of Outdoor Voice Flex ⅞ leggings. This way, you ensure that they’re snug but not tight – just the way yoga pants are supposed to fit. Consult with the OV size chart to find your perfect size.
When you see ⅞ written next to leggings, it’s pertinent to their length. These types of leggings are usually shorter than the regular ones by 1/8th and are thus regarded as ankle-length from the stylistic point of view.
Please note that even though they aren’t as short as capris or cropped leggings, they might sit higher on the leg if you’re on the taller side.
If you stick to the suggested use, your OV leggings won’t show sweat. Their Flex tights are made from a thick fabric that wicks away any moisture thus leaving you dry and sweat-free up until you take them off.
There’s no denying that OV leggings are expensive. That said, their price is justified. Akin to Lululemon Align leggings, they feel superior to the cheaper yoga pants and are bound to last you a lot longer (and therefore prove to be worth the price tag).
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