NB: Sweaty Betty recently updated the 'Gary Yoga pants' to the 'Gaia Yoga Pants'. The below review is reviewing the original product. If you were interested in the new and updated version, i've included links to the Gaia pants in the article below.

To kick this off, I’ll admit that I don’t usually like to wear loose bottoms whilst practicing yoga. I’ve always preferred form fitting yoga clothes, mainly because I don’t like fabric bunching and limiting my movement. I also find it quite distracting when the fabric of your clothes shifts and needs to be readjusted. However, I wanted to give the Gary Cropped Yoga Pants a go, simply because they seem to have a firm fan base in the yoga world, particularly in the cropped version. 

Summary

I actually love these pants. Not only for practising yoga, but also for wearing casually. I’ve owned these for 6 months now and have worn and washed them many times and can confirm that they are a quality product. 

Whilst these are a loose fit, they are not so loose that they are baggy. The fabric is next level soft, and the cuffs on the leg provide a stylish shape. I’d recommend these to anyone who wants some looser pants to practice yoga in, or anyone who is looking for some casual bottoms to wear out and about. 

Pros

• Incredibly soft fabric that feels silky against the skin
• A loose fit, without being baggy 
• Fitted cuffs mean that the fabric is secured to your body whilst moving around
• Two side pockets
• Great amount of 4 way stretch
• No pilling to date
  

Cons

• The material attracts a fair bit of lint
• No drawstring at the waist 
• The cropped pants are a bit chilly in winter (to and from the studio) around the ankles
  

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Material

Made from 89% Polyester and 11% Elastane

As already mentioned, the fabric is very soft - softer than I had anticipated. It isn’t overly thick and it has a lightweight, slightly delicate feel that is lovely for practicing yoga. 

Support/compression

There is zero compression in these pants as they are a relaxed fit. 

Coverage

The Gary pants are squat proof (at least in the navy) which means that you can feel safe practicing the likes of down dog or goddess pose. With respect to length, one downside is that they can be a little chilly to walk around in, in the colder months as your lower legs are exposed to the elements! This isn’t really a big deal once you are in the yoga studio, but something to consider. 

Breathable?

Great sweat-wicking capability and breathability. I’ve worn these to dynamic flow classes and haven’t once I found them to be soaked in sweat or uncomfortable when the temperature gets warmer. 

Appearance

Length

They have an inseam of 61cm / 24” and on me these go down to just below the mid-calf area (I’m 5ft 4). They also come in full length which offers a ‘short’ option with an inseam length of 27” and a ‘regular’ option with an inseam length 29”.

Colours/Patterns

At the time of writing this review, there are a handful of different colour options such as black, navy, grey and green. The colour that I own is in navy (see pictured). 

Fit & Style

The Gary pants have a mid-rise waist and in my opinion, a slightly looser fit around the waist and hips than normal. This is nice as it means that there is less chance of any ‘muffin top’ or digging in of the waistband. The downside of this is that you might find that the waist/hips are too loose on you, and if this is the case then there is no drawstring at the waist. I’ll expand on this further below under sizing. 

The fitted cuffs around the legs, create a stylish silhouette which allows you to wear them casually as well, instead of them looking purely like activewear. 

Comfort/Function

As soon as I tried these on for the first time, I made the executive decision that I would be wearing these for more than just yoga and that they were to be incorporated into my everyday wardrobe ASAP. I don’t like to use hyperbole in my reviews but these are quite possibly the MOST comfortable bottoms I have ever worn. Yoga or not. 

In terms of function, I had some concerns that they might be annoying to practice in. Whilst I like the idea of loose yoga pants, I really don’t appreciate it when fabric bunches or twists around. I’m pleased to confirm however, that I haven’t experienced this with the Gary pants.

I find that whilst they are loose, they are still relatively fitted to my legs with not too much additional fabric. I also think that the cuffs play a large part in the functionality of these pants. Because the cuffs are fitted around the calves, they provide an anchor for the trousers, in that they don’t move around on that part of the leg. This means that there is no sense of fabric flapping around your calves/ankles in poses like 3 legged dog.

There are 2 side pockets, which to me are fairly redundant for practicing yoga, however when wearing these casually it’s great to have somewhere to store items whilst you are on the go. 

Quality

After washing

Sweaty Betty recommend that you wash the Gary Pants at 40°C on reduced spin. I would also be careful not to wash these with anything fluffy and to put them in a delicates bag. I’ve found that the shape has held up well after washing and they are fast drying. 

Durability

I haven’t experienced any kind of pilling, even in the usual places, such as between the thighs. I’ve worn them a lot casually and I was curious as to whether this would happen - alas, it hasn’t. However, I must say that the fabric does attract a bit of lint, especially if you are wearing them off the yoga mat, although this is nothing that a lint roller couldn’t fix every now and then.

What type of activity are they best for?

The Gary Cropped Yoga Pants are designed for both Yoga and also lounging to which I can attest they are great for both. In terms of yoga, these could be warn for most styles, although I’d maybe hold off wearing these to hot yoga or on a very summery day. Whilst the fabric is sweat-wicking & breathable, I can imagine that these would still feel like too much fabric in extreme temperatures. In terms of casual wear, the Gary pants look effortlessly cool with a simple t-shirt or vest paired with trainers.

Sizes

Available in sizes XXS - XXL which is the equivalent of UK 6 - UK 20. As mentioned above, these are a relaxed fit and are therefore a bit looser around the hips and waist. If you are someone who is at the smaller end of your usual size then you may find that you need to size down as there is no drawstring waist if they are too big in these areas. Personally, I stayed with my normal size of UK 10 (S) and they fit nicely.