The right to wear

December 25, 2017 8:59 PM

I want the thickest leggings that you know of. I live in New England and I'd like to spend most of the winter in single pairs of leggings, preferably housing normal underwear within. I'm willing to pay top dollar for high quality, VERY THICK leggings. Ideally just black or gray -- athletic or any other toned-down style is totally fine. Any recommendations?

My priorities, in order from most to least important:

1. THICKNESS, both for warmth and concealment
2. Material quality -- ideally I'd be able to keep these around for a couple of years
3. Should be heavy-duty enough to jog in, but don't necessarily need to be made for that purpose
4. Color/style: nothing fancy, ideally as boring or athletic-looking as possible

I don't know what exactly qualifies as "leggings" vs. "tights" or "yoga pants", so anything roughly classifiable as leggings is fine by me.

Thanks!

posted by miniraptor to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (10 answers total)

Best answer: Athleta polartec leggings. Super warm and last forever, but fairly expensive.
posted by fshgrl at 10:04 PM on December 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

I wear a pair of these as leggings. Warm as all get out. Lasted about 10 years, so far :D
posted by Toddles at 10:23 PM on December 25, 2017

Smartwool made cute hundred-dollar merino wool leggings for a while, and I'm sure they still do (though I can't find them on the website). I'd also peek through the Ibex and Icebreaker catalogues.
posted by tapir-whorf at 11:24 PM on December 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

I got issued with this brand, Icebreaker, for Antarctica (on holiday at the moment, and can't check which type). I've worn them as leggings, and they are thick and toasty.
posted by kjs4 at 11:25 PM on December 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Ibex Izzi tights come in black and are the warmest, most robust tights I’ve owned. I wear them under dresses, to excercise in, and as long underwear (in VT). They are way more durable than the icebreaker tights I’ve had. I just got a second pair because Ibex is going out of business and I fear being without them. Get yourself a pair quick! You won’t be sorry :)
posted by zem at 3:37 AM on December 26, 2017 [2 favorites]

I have like half a dozen pairs of lululemon's toasty tech tights which are fleece lined and have four (4!) pockets. They're only available on ebay now unfortunately but they are very much worth it.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:46 AM on December 26, 2017

I have an older version of these wool leggings from LL Bean, and I love them. They did get a little hole-y after the first few years of (pretty heavy) wear, but they've been fine after mending. I was working a fairly physical job when I got them, too -- I think with normal wear they would last in much better condition.
posted by kalimac at 2:53 PM on December 26, 2017

Wirecutter recommends the Arc'teryx Rho LT bottom
posted by airmail at 11:37 AM on December 27, 2017

The $8 Velvet Plush Leggings at Primark are a ridiculous bargain, and the thickest leggings I have ever owned. After two decades of New England winters, they are my benchmark for winter warmth, and I probably tried on every merino legging on the market before I gave into fleece because it's just so much warmer, even with my personal static shock risk. You can find almost-as-good fleece-lined leggings at Nordstrom Rack, Marshall's, etc for a similar price, but Primark's are THE thickest. Case in point: it's 6F outside right now and I am wearing those leggings over knee-high wool socks and under a skirt and my legs are doing okay.
posted by Pandora Kouti at 6:22 AM on December 28, 2017

Response by poster: Thanks to all for the answers! I now own a pair of Athleta Polartec PowerStretch Tights ($89), which are quite thick/plush and definitely what I was looking for. I was running today in 55F (currently out of town), and they were definitely a bit too warm for that. Also, the black ones cover lines quite well.

Ibex looked great, but I was a bit too late for those.

I didn't have any particular reason for choosing the Athleta over the other recommendations, but I've had good luck with the sizing of Gap brands so I went with that first. (I'm usually a size 26, just a bit fuller than skinny, and 5'6" tall; a size S fits me perfectly.) I will definitely be on the market for at least a few other pairs of thick leggings during my next few New England years, so I will try to update here if I get any of the others.

To you East-coasters -- stay warm!
posted by miniraptor at 7:34 PM on January 5, 2018