How to Choose the Most Comfortable Yoga Clothes for Your Practice

If you’re new to yoga, you’re probably looking forward to reaping some of the benefits, like a strong core, improved flexibility, and even stress relief. What you wear can have a big impact on just how focused and comfortable you are. And this can directly impact the quality of your yoga session. 

You want your attention to be on how your body is moving—not how your clothes are fitting. Nobody at yoga wants to deal with clothing that is saggy, too tight, or otherwise disruptive. Ideally, your yoga outfit should be a sort of second skin that requires no notice from you whatsoever, so you are free to direct your focus elsewhere. 

With the right type of yoga attire, you’ll feel confident and comfortable so you can get the most out of your next session. From stretchy pants to supportive tops, we've got the scoop on what to wear to yoga, so you can downward dog or pigeon pose like a pro.

Why You Need Yoga Clothing

What you wear to yoga serves very specific needs. While you may get away with wearing loose, flowing tops and gym shorts that are a little too large for you when cycling, rowing, or running, those clothing choices will quickly become problematic for you during yoga. 

Here are some reasons why you’ll want to pick certain fits and fabrics over others for your next yoga session. 

Perhaps the biggest difference between yoga clothes and other workout clothes centers on how it fits you. You’ll need an outfit that is both supportive and flexible. That’s because you'll be stretching and moving in all sorts of directions during your yoga practice, so you’ll want clothing that allows for a full range of motion. Look for garments with stretchy fabrics and a relaxed fit to ensure you can move freely. But flowy garments don’t really work, either—you need your clothes to move with you as you move through your various yoga poses. 

Hand-in-hand with fit is comfort. What you wear to yoga ultimately should feel comfortable to you. There should be no pinching, itchiness, or tags that can irritate the skin. Breathability is also key to good yoga wear. Choose yoga clothes made from moisture-wicking and breathable fabrics, such as nylon or polyester. These materials will help keep you cool and comfy during your practice, especially if you’re practicing hot yoga or more strenuous forms of yoga, such as power yoga. Avoid cotton, as it tends to hold onto sweat and can quickly become heavy, burdensome, and uncomfortable.

What to Consider While Choosing Yoga Clothes

When deciding what to wear to yoga class, there are a few key things to keep in mind.

Ready to Choose Your Yoga Wear? 

Now that you know what to look for in yoga clothes and what to consider while choosing your outfit, let's take a look at some specific recommendations for different types of yoga apparel.

For women, a good sports bra is essential for any type of workout, including yoga practice. Look for a bra that provides enough support for your specific needs and allows for a full range of motion.

During yoga, you’ll want appropriate upper body coverage, such as a moisture-wicking sports top. It should also be more form-fitting than loose. When you bend over, it should cling to your body rather than fall away from you. As for yoga pants, shorts, or leggings: there are a huge array of options available. Look for bottoms that are comfortable, flexible, and made from moisture-wicking and breathable materials. You may also wish to layer up. If you're practicing in a cooler environment or tend to get chilly during your practice, you may want to bring a light layer to wear over your sports bra and top. A lightweight sweater or jacket can be a good option.

Lastly, your footwear is important. While most yoga sessions are done barefoot, others may require socks or shoes. If you're practicing a style of yoga that requires footwear, look for socks or shoes that provide enough grip and support.

What Not to Wear

While there are many great options for yoga apparel, there are also a few things you'll want to avoid, such as:

What About Yoga Clothes for Men?

Men's yoga clothes should follow the same guidelines as women's yoga clothes, with a focus on comfort, breathability, and flexibility. Some specific options for men include moisture-wicking T-shirts, yoga pants or shorts, and socks or shoes. Many yoga-specific men’s shorts feature an inner compressive lining for extra coverage during inverted poses.

Peloton Yoga Apparel

Peloton offers a wide range of apparel suited for almost any physical activity you can think of. For yoga, you’ll find high-quality tops, bottoms, jackets, and cover-ups, plus yoga towels, moisture-wicking socks, hats, sweatbands, duffle bags, and water bottles. Peloton even offers clothing you can simply lounge comfortably in on your rest and recovery days. 

Visit the Peloton apparel store online to browse what’s available – and check back; we periodically switch things up, based on popular demand.