The benefits of yoga are many and well-known. An early-morning session that starts like a bleary-eyed chore can end with you feeling refreshed and energised for the day ahead.
It can help relieve stress, so you leave the class more relaxed than you arrived. Yoga also improves flexibility and enhances balance, while gently increasing your strength. Other physical benefits include better heart function and back pain relief, especially the lower back, and improved posture which you can carry with you for the rest of your day. The list goes on.
And it can connect your body to your mind in a profound way – after all, the word yoga means to join or yoke together in Sanskrit. Embracing the spirit of yoga along with the physical changes that make up the class gives it a greater, holistic appeal.
A good yoga session, often dependent on your rapport with the teacher, enhances your breathing, teaches you something new and helps you get that little bit closer to balancing in crow for more than a few seconds.
And since it’s this good, you need to dress right for it. T-shirts that ride up during an inversion like shoulder stand can make you self-conscious. Leggings that slide too much or too little during tree pose can be off-putting. But clothes that are supportive while letting you feel free and unencumbered can help your confidence as you edge towards that tricky posture or previously missed accomplishment.
What to look for in yoga clothing
The material should be comfortable, above all, but with some elements that support and sculpt like a second skin, and others that give you room to breathe. Oh, and breathability throughout is key: you don’t need to feel sweaty while you’re concentrating.
Although one of the first rules of yoga is to focus on yourself, not what anybody else is doing, choosing something that makes you feel you look good is important, too. Just try not to upstage the rest of the class.
Best yoga gear for men at a glance:
- Best overall: Warrior Addict Bodhi Pants – £85, Warrior Addict
- Best for energetic classes: Lululemon License to Train Short Sleeve Shirt - £68, Lululemon
- Best lightweight t-shirt: BAM Origin Air Bamboo T-shirt - £29, BAM
- Best lightweight leggings: Gymshark Studio Jogger - £45, Gymshark
- Best for sleek, supportive wear: Lululemon Zeroed In Pant - £88, Lululemon
- Best for outdoor workouts: Warrior Addict Eco-Warrior Sweats - £90, Warrior Addict
- Best for warmth: Alo Accolade Straight Leg Sweatpant - £128, Alo
- Best for inversions and challenging postures: Warrior Addict AG Shorts - £55, Warrior Addict
- Best for cooler classes: BAM Organic Cotton Twist Yoga Top - £39, BAM
- Best for versatility: Gymshark Arrival 7-Inch Shorts - £22, Gymshark
- Best relaxed fit: Alo Conquer Reform Crewneck - £64, Alo
- Best value t-shirt: Warrior Addict Performance T-shirt - £40, Warrior Addict
- Best value leggings: BAM Balance Yoga Pant - £46, BAM
- Best for balance poses: Lululemon Balancer Short - £78, Lululemon
- Best slim fitting tee: Gymshark Geo Seamless T-Shirt - £32, Gymshark
Warrior Addict Bodhi Pants
Best: overall
Independent brand Warrior Addict is tremendous with great clothing and stylish, thoughtful designs. The brand often uses recycled materials as part of its commitment to sustainability.
The Bodhi Pants are super soft, amazingly stretchy and have a useful hidden zip inside the right pocket. They offer great comfort and are fully responsive as you move. I also like the subtle, light-catching logo on the ankle.
Buy now £85.00, Warrior Addict
Lululemon License to Train Short Sleeve Shirt
Best for: energetic classes
Lululemon stresses that this T-shirt is good at handling odour. It mentions anti-stink technology and Silverescent tech to inhibit the growth of odour-causing bacteria (though please don’t think that means you can get away with wearing it endlessly without washing it). It feels smooth and tactile and moves well.
Buy now £68.00, Lululemon
BAM Origin Air Bamboo T-shirt
Best for: lightweight t-shirt
This T-shirt from BAM is made from a blend of bamboo viscose and organic cotton. It’s exceptionally lightweight, so it never gets in your way and stretches when you need it to. It’s also very soft to the touch. Choose from, I kid you not, 26 colours.
Buy now £29.00, BAM
Gymshark Studio Jogger
Best for: lightweight leggings
Stretchy, soft and light, the Gymshark Studio Joggers have a lot going for them - not in the least that they’re also stylish and attractive. The drawstring waist makes them form-fitting without confining you or making you feel self-conscious. They’re well-made and durable, so they’ll keep doing the job. Great price too.
Buy now £45.00, Gymshark
Lululemon Zeroed In Pant
Best for: sleek, supportive wear
The slim, tapered fit makes these pants supportive as well as smart, but the material stretches as you do. The fabric is light but it wicks sweat away effortlessly to let you concentrate on your pose. The pockets have useful coin and phone sleeves, but once they’re empty, you can barely feel they’re there.
Buy now £88.00, Lululemon
Warrior Addict Eco-Warrior Sweats
Best for: outdoor workouts
The Eco-Warrior Sweats from Warrior Addict are warm and cosy, which means they are great for winter classes or outdoor yoga. Even so, they’re breathable, so they’ll remain comfortable even when the class warms up. They’re made of organic cotton meaning they’re very comfortable and the elasticated ankles provide a secure feel.
Buy now £90.00, Warrior Addict
Alo Accolade Straight Leg Sweatpant
Best for: warmth
You know when the gym studio is still freezing because the AC was on full for the Freestyle Step class that’s just ended? You’ll be glad of the Accolade. It’s warm enough to be worn on cold days but soft enough to keep you cosy indoors. Maybe layer over shorts underneath for when your exertions finally make you feel warm again. Note the oversized style - size down for a closer fit.
Buy now £128.00, Alo
Warrior Addict AG Shorts
Best for: inversions and challenging postures
AG stands for anti-gravity, so a big part of the gift these Warrior Addict shorts bring is they stay in place even when you’re doing a shoulder stand, for instance. Like the Bodhi Pants, they have a useful hidden zip pocket. The shorts boast an extremely lightweight outer and comfortable inner layer. They dry quickly too.
Buy now £55.00, Warrior Addict
BAM Organic Cotton Twist Yoga Top
Best for: cooler classes
BAM’s long sleeve yoga top is great for adding a little bit of warmth in an outside class or chilly gym, say. It’s a relaxed fit and super-soft to the touch. The sleeves are just tight enough to stay in place, but easily pushed back as the class warms up. There are four colours to choose from, including indigo ink, oat, olivine and washed black.
Buy now £39.00, BAM
Gymshark Arrival 7-Inch Shorts
Best for: versatility
These Gymshark shorts are very thin and lightweight, which makes them great for yoga but versatile enough to suit cardio classes too. Their construction is designed to wick away sweat quickly so you stay cool. There are nine colours to choose from and three leg lengths; 5 inches, 7 inches and 9 inches.
Buy now £22.00, Gymshark
Alo Conquer Reform Crewneck
Best for: relaxed fit
Although the Conquer Reform is true to size, it has a relaxed feel to it, making it great to wear outside the yoga class, but breathes well in class. It also stays in place without feeling clingy. The finish is soft and inviting. Ten colours available.
Buy now £64.00, Alo
Warrior Addict Performance T-Shirt
Best for: value T-shirt
The mix of organic cotton, elastane and Lyocell makes for a T-shirt that’s both softly comfortable, stretchy and anti-bacterial.
Buy now £40.00, Warrior Addict
BAM Balance Yoga Pant
Best for: value leggings
These yoga pants, made of bamboo viscose and cotton are so sumptuously comfortable that you won’t want to take them off. The ankle cuff is ideal for keeping the pants in place for poses, from tree to half moon to half lotus. A wide waistband keeps the top in place.
Buy now £46.00, BAM
Lululemon Balancer Short
Best for: balance poses
These six-inch shorts are soft and smooth outside, slick and comfy inside. There are two zipped pockets so deftly designed that you can barely feel them (unless you forgot to take your phone out before you began class). For postures like tree pose, they are usefully unobtrusive. They hold their shape well and are light and supportive.
Buy now £78.00, Lululemon
Gymshark Geo Seamless T-Shirt
Best for: slim-fitting
The seamless T-shirt is one to be seen in outside the yoga room thanks to its figure-hugging shape. But it also makes it work well when you’re in class. The subtle pattern won’t be to everyone’s taste but it has a gentle depth to it. It’s breathable and wicks the sweat away fast.
Buy now £32.00, Gymshark
Verdict
The items above tick three boxes: they work brilliantly for yoga, feel good and look stylish. None more so than the Warrior Addict Bodhi Pants, supportive and attractive yoga pants from a cool independent yoga wear company.
Team the pants with the BAM Origin Air Bamboo T-shirt - a comfy, floaty top. Good yoga kit like this frees your body and mind to focus on the joys of good posture, restorative breathing and meditative practice.
