Winter-Proof Your Wardrobe With These 10 Cozy Leggings

Some people prefer winter to summer because they’d rather be cold than hot. In fact, more than one person has confessed to me that winter is easier to deal with because you can just “throw on layers” to get warmer. And they’re not wrong at all. A good winter coat is key to keeping you cozy in extra harsh winters. Another crucial component? Cold-weather leggings. These are importantly different from their fair-weather counterparts—at least, the best winter leggings are.

Keeping warm is easy when you opt for thicker materials, like faux leather or nylon. It also helps to have weather-proofed or insulated textiles, like thermal fabrics, cotton, and wool. This will help keep the warmth in and the cold out—but you have to know what you’re looking for. Usually, you want to shop for heavier or fleece-lined leggings so that you can be snuggly. But if you’re not in the mood to scour the internet or rummage through stores, it’s your lucky day.

Below, find our list of the 10 best winter leggings to snuggle into this snowy season.

The best winter leggings, at a glance:

Best overall:Alo Airlift Winter Warm High-Waist Legging, $138Best budget:Baleaf Women’s Fleece-Lined Leggings, $43Best splurge:Free People Movement Keepin’ Cozy Fleece-Lined Leggings, $148Best for running:On Women’s Performance Winter Tights, $130Best for walking:Skechers GoFlex GoWalk High-Waist Leggings, $49Best for hiking:Patagonia Women’s Pack Out Hike Tights, $129Best thermal:Nike Therma-FIT One Women’s High-Wasited ⅞ Leggings, $60Best for lounging:Feathers Women’s Seamless Fleece Leggings, $20Best for harsh winters:The North Face Women’s Winter Warm Pro Tights, $100Best shapewear:Spanx Faux Leather Fleece Lined Leggings, $110

Shop 10 of the best winter leggings

Best overall: Alo Airlift Winter Warm High-Waist Legging — $138.00

Materials: 82% polyester, 18% elastane | Sizes: 2XS-L | Colors: 5

We selected Alo’s winter legging as the best overall because it really does it all. You can, of course, wear these tights to your yoga or Pilates class, but you can also comfortably lounge around in them all day. Moreover, we even trust these to go on a run, since they offer good compression and are moisture-wicking. Alo’s winter leggings also help keep you warm since they have a brushed interior—meaning that the soft, fuzzy, fleece-like material touches your skin when you put on your leggings.  

Pros: 

• Moisture-wicking
• Brushed interior
• Highly versatile

Cons: 

• No pockets
• Limited plus-sizes

Best budget: Baleaf Women’s Fleece-Lined Leggings — $43.00

Materials: 87% polyester, 13% spandex | Sizes: XS-3XL | Colors: 32

Most of the winter leggings on this list are more than $100, so we selected this under-$50 option as the best budget pick. Don’t take that to mean that these leggings are subpar, though. In fact, more than 30,000 Amazon reviewers have awarded them 4.5 stars. That’s because these leggings are fleece-lined, have pockets, come in more than two dozen colors, and go up to size XXXL. There’s also a drawstring in each pair, allowing you to customize the fit around your waist. Our only concern about these leggings is that most pairs seem to only have one back pocket, which isn’t ideal for storage.

Pros: 

• Highly affordable
• Brushed interior
• Available in tons of colors

Cons: 

• Only one small pocket

Best splurge: Free People Movement Keepin' Cozy Fleece-Lined Leggings — $148.00

Materials: 48% polyester, 44% nylon, 8% elastane | Sizes: XS-XL | Colors: 3

We know that $148 on winter leggings is a splurge, but these are worth it. These tights are compressive, flexible, and fleece-lined to keep you warm. Moreover, they feature zippered pockets and ankles—which helps control ventilation, so to speak. The tights are also high-waisted and have an adjustable strap to ensure the right fit. You can choose from three different colors, but we’re partial to black.

Pros: 

• Highly versatile
• Fleece-lined interior
• Zippered pockets and ankles

Cons: 

• Only one small pocket

Best for running: On Women’s Performance Winter Tights — $130.00

Materials: 74% recycled polyester, 26% elastane | Sizes: XS-XL | Colors: 3

You may have recently heard about On because of Zendaya, the new face of the brand. Trust us, though, the sportswear company is not all hype. We really love their running gear, especially On running shoes and leggings. We consider this pair some of the best winter leggings for running because they’ve got reflective accents, pockets, and a drawstring. They’re also highly flexible and offer wonderful compression—especially if you size down. Like the other tights on this list, this pair is also brushed on the inside and made of moisture-wicking materials.

Pros: 

• Brushed interior
• Pockets
• Extra flexible material
• Sweat-wicking fabric

Cons:

• Only one small pocket

Best for walking: Skechers GoFlex GoWalk High-Waist Leggings — $49.00

Materials: 88% nylon, 12% spandex | Sizes: XS-XXXL | Colors: 2

If you like to go for long walks, you know how important it is to have pockets. After all, you need places to store your phone and keys. These leggings from Skechers are perfect for walkers for a handful of reasons. For instance, they feature two side pockets—which are designed to hold most smartphones. There’s also UPF 40+ protection since the sun can still damage your skin in the winter. They’re also moisture-wicking and highly breathable, so they’re the perfect pair for your leisurely strolls and brisk struts.

Pros: 

• UPF 40+
• Pockets
• Extra flexible material
• Sweat-wicking fabric

Cons: 

• Only available in two colors

Best for hiking: Patagonia Women's Pack Out Hike Tights — $129.00

Materials: 85% recycled nylon, 15% recycled spandex | Sizes: XS-XL | Colors: 3

When hiking, you often require more pockets and storage than when walking. Enter: These tights from Patagonia that have three side pockets—two drop-in pockets and one zippered pocket. They’re also super stretchy and water-repellent, which is great for being outdoors. Plus, considering that these winter leggings are from Patagonia, you know they’re built to last.

Pros: 

• Three large side pockets
• Can resist light moisture
• Reinforced panels on the knees and seat

Cons: 

• You may need another layer in extra harsh winters

Best thermal: Nike Therma-FIT One Women’s High-Waisted ⅞ Leggings — $60.00

Materials: Recycled polyester and spandex | Sizes: XXS-XXL | Colors: 3

We love a good ⅞ legging—yes, even in the winter. When you’re on the petite side, full-length leggings can be hard to stuff into crew socks. These leggings solve that problem. Plus, they’re great to run in and wonderful for lounging around at home. We also appreciate that these leggings are made of recyclable material, meaning we can feel good about the sustainability of this purchase. The downside? There are limited colors and they only feature one small pocket.

Pros: 

• Made of recycled materials
• Comfortable enough to be versatile
• Highly flexible with every movement

Cons: 

• Only one small pocket

Best for lounging: Feathers Women’s Seamless Fleece Leggings — $20.00

Materials: 97% polyester, 3% spandex | Sizes: S/M-2XL/3XL | Colors: 6

One of the best things you can do in leggings is lounge. I mean, isn’t that the whole point of leggings? This pick from Feathers is perfect for those days where you’re binge-watching your favorite show or putting on a slew of rom-coms. Since they’re made of fleece, they’re ultra-cozy and also highly flexible. Plus, since these winter leggings are seamless, they won’t give you those dreaded marks. We don’t love that this pair of leggings doesn’t have pockets. That said, since they’re meant to be worn inside the house, we can forgive the oversight.

Pros:

• Seamless
• Affordable
• Soft fleece
• Great for all-day wear

Cons: 

• No pockets

Best for harsh winters: The North Face Women’s Winter Warm Pro Tights — $100.00

Materials: 73% recycled polyester, 27% elastane knit | Sizes: XS-XXL | Colors: 3

When I envision winter gear that’ll keep me warm no matter the temps outside, I honestly think of The North Face—these tights included. They’re available in sizes extra small through extra large and come in three colors: black, gray, and burgundy. Though some reviewers have docked stars from these leggings because they’re not full length, we still like them. They have several pockets, are high-waisted, and have a bit of weight on them to keep you extra warm. The one downside is we wish they had more colors.

Pros: 

• Fits true to size
• Several pockets
• Added weight for warmth

Cons: 

• Only three colors available

Best shapewear: Spanx Faux Leather Fleece Lined Leggings — $110.00

Materials: 87% nylon, 13% elastane with polyurethane coating  | Sizes: XS-3XL | Colors: 1

Since they’re made out of faux leather, fleece, and Spanx’s proprietary shapewear, these leggings might just be the best shapewear leggings for winter. Though we don’t love that they’re only available in one color, it’s great that you can get petite, regular, or tall for the inseam. These faux leather leggings would be great for a winter night out with your friends or even for a casual work outfit.

Pros: 

• Versatile
• Fleece-lined interior
• Shapes and lifts your body
• Available in petite, regular, and tall sizes

Cons: 

• No pockets