Guys, I have found the best workout leggings in the world and they are under $50! If you follow on Instagram, you’ll probably have already heard me raving about the Old Navy Elevate 7/8 leggings. I’m in love. We’re picking out rings.

The quick back story. I just recently started investing in some new workout gear as I had been wearing the same leggings for the past 10ish years #newdecadenewleggings. After having Teddy I had a hard time getting back into working out but the past four or five months I’ve been really diligent about keeping to my routine. Thus my reward of new workout leggings. I honestly don’t remember how these leggings came onto my radar but I remember that I liked that they looked high quality but were pretty cheap. I have a “fun-ds” budget and didn’t really want to spend it on workout gear so affordability was key. Again, I’m so happy with them and I know you’ll like them too!

I’ve mentioned them a couple of times here on the blog (in this Old Navy post and in my fitness favorites post) but I wanted to give you guys a more in-depth review so you can have all the facts if you’ve been interested in making a purchase. Obviously, I’m a huge fan but here’s a more detailed review other than just my happy ravings.

Old Navy Elevate 7/8 Legging Review

So there are two different types of Elevate 7/8 leggings: Compression Sculpt and Powersoft. I have one pair of each and love them equally. They do have some differences however that I’ll touch on here.

The Compression leggings, obviously have maximum compression above all else. Their waistband is a thicker material that really holds you in while you’re working out. I wish I had known about these during my postpartum period because I would have felt much more comfortable working out in these than my old stretched out leggings. These are soft and comfortable leggings, just not as soft and buttery as the Powersoft pairs.

The Powersoft leggings are also compression leggings but just not as much as the Compression ones. I still feel supported when doing high-intensity activity but they aren’t quite as strong as the Compression ones. But the Powersoft are much softer than the Compression leggings. Like buttery smooth and soft. I was really really impressed when I first slipped these on.

I own the Powersoft in the color Maroon Jive (a deep wine/burgundy color) and the Compression Sculpt in Navy. The Powersoft pair in Maroon do show sweat marks fairly easily. I don’t know if the other colors do as well. The Compression Sculpt leggings in navy don’t show sweat marks as far as I’ve noticed.

With both of these legging materials, you can get a bunch of different styles and colors. The Compression Sculpt leggings are more standard in style (no mesh, no pockets, etc) but they come in a bunch of different colors from dark forest green to hot pink to classic black. The Powersoft leggings have more styles to choose from. My pair has pockets, which is great for days when I’m weight lifting, but they also have styles with mesh panels, zipper details, and things like that. Plus tons and tons of colors and patterns to choose from.

Sizing and Fit

Personally I find that everything at Old Navy runs large and these are no exception. I wear a size small in the regular inseam. Oh yes, you heard me correctly! These leggings are available in three different inseams: petite, regular, and tall. I’ve never seen athletic pants come in a variety of inseam lengths. Maybe I just haven’t been around the block but I was floored when I saw this.

As for length, I just recently discovered that this 7/8 length was a thing (again, haven’t been around the block when it comes to athletic clothing). For me, it’s the perfect length. It hits me right above the ankle bone and I never need to roll or fold them up. This is one of the best aspects of these leggings in my opinion. Before I stumbled upon these, I’d never found a pair of workout leggings that I didn’t have to fold under lest they go all the way down into my sneakers.

The 7/8 length combined with the options of inseams makes me think that anyone could be happy with these leggings whether you’re long and leggy or petite and “under tall” (I heard this term on The Home Edit Instagram and think it’s hilarious).

I wear a size small in these leggings but if you need some ideas on how these might look on you, here are my sizing details so you can get an idea. I’m 5’5″, around 140lbs, have a standard pear frame, and am overall very average in size (my arms and legs aren’t particularly long or particularly short). I’m a 36B, 27/28 in jeans, 6 in dresses, and a medium in most brands.

Price

The price is another winning point for these leggings in my book. As someone who lives within a budget, I don’t really want to spend my fun money on something as boring as workout clothing. So why on earth would I pay close to $100 for a single pair of leggings? This is how I ended up using the same pairs for years and years.

Well, these Old Navy leggings are under $50. The Elevate Compression ones are $50 retail and the Elevate Powersoft ones are $38. However, this is Old Navy. It’s one of the stores where you never buy something full price. Wait a week and they’ll have a sale or a discount code that you can apply towards your purchase and boom! These leggings are even cheaper. I think I got my first pair 50% off (Black Friday weekend) and the second pair 40% off. Right now they have a 30% discount applied to them if you want to snag a pair right away.

Other Fantastic Finds from Old Navy Active.

My suspicion is that Old Navy and Athleta, both Gap brands, have similar or the same manufacturers. When I went into the store to investigate the Old Navy Activewear, I noticed that a lot of their pieces look and feel pretty well made given the price. For those reasons, I’m interested in trying out some of their other pieces.

I have a couple of pairs of their Tie Back Tanks and I really like them. They can be worn loose and long or tied up and more cropped. I generally wear mine tied up. There is also the Tie Back Tee, which I also have and like. Same as the tanks, I tend to wear the tee tied up. Both the tank and tee are what I’m wearing in these pictures.

If you’re looking for more lounge-type clothes, I’d be interested in trying the joggers. They seem to have a couple of different options when it comes to materials (Breath ON and plush knit) and many many options for colors. I also really like the look of this loose-fit tunic for throwing on just to get to and from the gym or for quick errands afterward. Plus it comes in like three different shades of pink.

Finally, I am still looking for a good sports bra so I’m interested in trying the Old Navy Active sports bras. Hopefully, they are another fantastic find just like the Elevate leggings have turned out to be.

Update 27 June 2020. Old Navy has recently released a bike short, they call them Bermuda shorts out of the compression leggings material. They are high waisted with an 8-inch inseam. Right now they only come in teal, pink, and maroon but I have a feeling that they will start stocking these compression bike shorts in more colors soon! They are only $20 and have great reviews so far.

Have you tried anything from the Old Navy activewear line? Let me know what you tested out!