90 Degree by Reflex High Waist Powerflex Review

Often, with an inexpensive pair of yoga pants, the material tends to look cheaper, and the leggings can have an unflattering and uncomfortable fit. We are incredibly impressed by the Reflex legging, as the stylish material compresses well in all of the right places and allows for ease of movement throughout the practice. If you hate how much yoga pants cost these days, we'd recommend the 90 Degree by Reflex High Waist leggings. You can get three pairs for the price of one of the many other brands we tested this go around. This pant is made of 87% Nylon and 13% Spandex and has an internal key pocket at the hip, a wide contoured waistband, and a gusseted crotch. They are available in XS-XL sizes and over a dozen color options.

Performance Comparison

Breathability

These leggings are not the most breathable and may not be the best for hot yoga classes. However, if you don't mind the sweat stains, they will still get the job done. They earned an average score in this metric.

If you are specifically looking for a legging for hot yoga, you want something that will wick sweat away and dry quickly in case you need to run some errands on your way home from class. In this case, there are other options that we would recommend first. If you don't care as much about the sweat stains or would risk it for this appealing price point, you might want to consider purchasing these pants in a darker color. We previously tested them in a darker color and didn't see much discoloration after yoga class. We tested the mulberry hue this round and noticed several sweat stains after a heated class.

Ease of Movement

These leggings have great ease of movement. The material is not restricting and stretches well through any pose or bind you may take while on your yoga mat. The flat and wide waistband is not too thick, but there is some extra material can get in the way of forward bends.

One of the downsides to the whole high-waist trend is having the extra material get in the way of certain poses. On the other hand, it provides additional coverage and control of anything "extra" in your midsection and eliminates the dreaded "muffin-top." If you want a little more control for that zone, The North Face Perfect Core High-Rise legging is an excellent option, as it has a compression mesh panel in the waist to help keep everything in.

Comfort and Fit

We've tested various versions of this legging over the last couple of years and have had different results with the fit. Previously, the material was on the loose side and not incredibly compressive. This recent iteration is on the compressive side, but the fabric is not the softest. However, it still earned a slightly above-average score for this metric.

We like that there is minimal seaming, which means fewer pressure points or chafing against your skin (but also less shaping). We also appreciate that the internal key pocket is not too bulky or annoying, but overall, these aren't the pair we'd want to spend a day on the couch in.

Durability

Given the lower price point, we were concerned with the durability. In our experience, you get what you pay for when it comes to yoga pants, and a $20 pair typically pills or unravels quickly. While we didn't have any pilling or durability worries during our testing period, we have had some concerns in previous testing periods. As such, we lowered their ranking a bit in terms of durability. Hopefully, the company has resolved the issue, or we just got a bad apple the last time, but it's hard to know for sure.

Another thing we've noticed with personal pairs of these in the past is that they tend to lose their shape when they start to become worn out. Since this material is on the thin side, if you are looking for a versatile pair to take on hikes or rock climbing, we'd go with something thicker that will weather an encounter with a prickly plant or rough rock.

Should You Buy the 90 Degree by Reflex High Waist Powerflex?

The 90 Degree by Reflex High Waist Powerflex is breathable and easy to move in, but the fabric is not as nice against the skin as some of the more expensive models in this review, but they also won't put as much of a dent in your wallet. So if you're tired of spending ridiculous sums of money on something you're just going to sweat in, then these are the perfect yoga pants for you.

What Other Yoga Pants Should You Consider?

The Powerflex leggings aren't the best at any one thing, but they perform incredibly well for a pair in this price range, and they are great for budget-minded yogis. The other affordable option in this review that we would recommend is the Amazon Core 10 Build Your Own, but these did not score as well overall. Higher-priced styles like the Lululemon Align II or Alo High-Waisted Airbrush are going to give you unbeatable performance, but you will pay extra for the luxury.