Reviews You Can Rely On

Alo Goddess Ribbed Legging Review

Unique style and look that's better for teaching class than practicing
gearlab tested logo
Alo Goddess Ribbed Legging Review
Credit: Alo
Price:  $94 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   ALO
By Cam McKenzie Ring ⋅ Senior Review Editor  ⋅  Dec 15, 2016
76
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Breathability - 25% 7.0
  • Ease of Movement - 25% 7.0
  • Comfort and Fit - 20% 9.0
  • Durability - 20% 7.0
  • Style - 10% 9.0

Our Verdict

There's a lot to like about the Alo Goddess Ribbed Legging. They have a unique style to them, taking the “legwarmer” look to new heights, literally! The upper fabric is very compressive, giving your booty and upper thighs some nice compression, and from mid-thigh down the fabric has a lot of stretch for ease of movement. They are an over the heel legging — you can lift them up and bunch them around your ankles, but they don't feel so good that way — so if you don't like that design these pants aren't for you. And the upper material is not very breathable; these are more like the pants you wear to teach yoga, not actually practice it. We like Alo's Airbrush Legging, as they're an excellent pair that you can sweat and stretch in, or our Best Buy winner, the 90 Degree by Reflex Powerflex.
REASONS TO BUY
Great fit and style
REASONS TO AVOID
Over the heel cut not for everyone
Expensive
Prone to pilling
New Colors

The photo above represents a current colorway from Alo. The pastel blue and grey that we tested is no longer available.

December 2018

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Alo Goddess Ribbed Leggings are made of an 87% Nylon 13% Spandex blend for the top and a 90% Nylon 10% spandex blend for the bottom. They come in XXS-L sizes and too many colors to list here.

Performance Comparison


alo goddess ribbed legging - we love the style of these pants, and the unique legwarmer look is...
We love the style of these pants, and the unique legwarmer look is sure to turn some heads. The upper pant has nice compression to it, but they lack a little breathability.
Credit: Martina Zandonella

Breathability


These pants were not the most breathable pair that we tested. The upper fabric offers a lot of compression and uplift, but to do so, it has to be a little thicker. While a thicker material doesn't always equal less breathability, we did see a strong relationship between the two in our testing. If you don't tend to sweat too much in class or only practice gentle yoga, then this wouldn't be too much of an issue for you, but if you head into yoga to sweat sweat sweat, then you'll probably find that these are too heavy.

alo goddess ribbed legging - the light blue color that we tested does change color a bit when...
The light blue color that we tested does change color a bit when wet, and the doubled waistband, while comfortable, did impede our ease of movement and breathability a bit as well.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Ease of Movement


The upper material of these pants felt a little stiff when compared to the soft Beyond Yoga Spacedye legging. The wide waistband has double the material on it, which means that when we went to bend forward we could feel it bunching up on us a bit. The ribbed material on the legs felt much stretchier than the upper fabric, and we occasionally found ourselves wishing that the whole pant was made out of that ribbed fabric.

alo goddess ribbed legging - the upper fabric felt a little stiff, but overall these pants did...
The upper fabric felt a little stiff, but overall these pants did move well. If you aren't into the over the heel cut, then the extra material at the ankle might feel a little annoying.
Credit: Martina Zandonella

Comfort and Fit


These pants were very comfortable, and we felt like we could wear them all day. The upper fabric provided nice control and support without choking us, and the coverage provided by the lower legs was great. The over the heel fit is not for everyone though, and while we liked it, if you don't and pull the bottoms up so that they hit at the ankle, having extra fabric bunching up at the bottom of your legs is not the best feeling.

Durability


We had to knock a few points off the durability score because the upper fabric did start to change slightly after less than ten washes. While it was only minimal pilling, it suggests to us that these won't have the best long-term durability.

alo goddess ribbed legging - little pills were starting to form after using it only half a dozen...
Little pills were starting to form after using it only half a dozen times.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring

Style


We turned a lot of heads in these leggings, in a good way! If someone hadn't seen this brand before they were very curious to know if these were legwarmers over a regular pair of pants, and with so many colors to choose from you're sure to find one to suit your style.

alo goddess ribbed legging - we really liked the look of these pants. with other companies using...
We really liked the look of these pants. With other companies using wild prints to catch your eye, the color blocking design and two types of fabric really caught ours. And if you have a favorite color combination, chances are good that Alo has made a pant out of it.
Credit: Martina Zandonella

Best Applications


While we did like wearing these in a Vinyasa style class, and don't mind the over the heel style even when practicing, they don't have the best breathability for someone with a vigorous practice or who sweats a lot. We could see these being better to teach yoga in or for those with a Barre/Ballet practice.

Value


These leggings do cost a fair bit of money — $94 for the pair we tested and up to $98 for some of the print variations. While paying almost $100 seems to be the new normal in the yoga pant world, it still makes us cringe a little, particularly when there are some great pants that retail for less than half the price, like the 90 Degree by Reflex Powerflex ($30).

Conclusion


The Alo Goddess Leggings have their advantages, there were a few things that bothered us, like a lack of breathability and some long-term durability concerns. They look and feel great on though, and are sure to turn some heads, so if you like the over-the-heel cut and legwarmer look, you'll be happy with this pair.

Cam McKenzie Ring