Leggings Size Guide: How to Find Your Size Online
To find your leggings size, measure your waist, hips and inseam, then compare those numbers with the size chart on the exact product page. Don’t rely on the letter you wore last time. A medium in one brand can fit like a small in another, so the chart for the pair you are buying is the only one that counts. This guide shows how to measure, how to read a chart, how to tell when a pair is too small or too big, and what to do when you land between sizes.
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TL;DR
Measure three things: the narrowest part of your waist, the fullest part of your hips and seat, and your inseam from crotch to ankle.
Use the size chart on the product page, not your usual size. Check whether it lists body measurements or garment measurements.
If your waist and hips point to different sizes, go by the hips, and size up if you are between sizes and want full coverage.
A good fit is snug and opaque when you bend, with no sagging at the knees, seat or crotch.
For kids, compare height, waist, hips and inseam with the chart, and plan for growth.
Table of Contents
Why a leggings size guide matters more than a letter size
Leggings look forgiving because they stretch. That is exactly why people guess, and why guesses go wrong. A pair that is one size too small turns sheer across the seat and rolls down at the waist. A pair that is one size too large bunches at the crotch and sags at the knees.
The core problem is that sizes are not standardized. Each brand cuts its own pattern, picks its own fabric stretch and writes its own chart. Your waist stays the same, but the label changes from site to site. That is why this guide treats a number as more reliable than a letter: a measurement in inches means the same thing everywhere, while “M” means whatever the brand decided.
If you want the wider picture of sizing across clothing types, our online shopping size guide covers how to shop with confidence beyond leggings.
What you need to measure
Three measurements cover almost every pair of leggings. Take them in light clothing or underwear, standing relaxed, with the tape snug but not digging in.
Waist
Wrap the tape around the narrowest part of your torso, usually just above the belly button. Don’t pull in your stomach. Breathe out normally and read the number.
Hips and seat
Measure around the fullest part of your hips and seat, keeping the tape level all the way around. A mirror helps, or a second person. Most people find this number is the one that decides whether leggings stay opaque and stay up.
Inseam
Measure along the inside of your leg from the crotch down to your ankle bone. If you plan to wear full-length leggings with a little bunching at the ankle, that is fine. If you want them to hit the ankle exactly, use the number as is. Our guide to measuring inseam for pants walks through this step in detail, and the pants sizing guide shows how those numbers translate across other bottoms.
No tape measure at hand?
Use a shoelace, a piece of string or a pair of pants that already fits. Mark the length, lay it flat and measure it with a ruler. It is less neat than a soft tape, but it gives you a usable number in a minute.
Write your three numbers in your phone notes. You will reuse them every time you shop.
How to read a leggings size chart
Once you have your numbers, the chart does the matching. Five habits make it reliable.
Open the chart for that specific product. Sizes shift between brands and sometimes between styles from the same brand. A general size conversion is a starting point at best.
Find out what the chart measures. Some charts list body measurements, meaning the range of bodies a size is designed for. Others list garment measurements, meaning the flat measurements of the item itself. You compare your body to the first kind directly. With the second kind, remember that the garment is usually smaller than your body when stretched, so you compare against a pair you already own and like.
Compare with a pair that fits. Lay your favorite leggings flat, measure the waist across and double it, and measure the rise and inseam. Then compare with the garment chart.
Check each column. Waist, hip and inseam can each point to a different size. Decide which one matters most for the pair you are buying (see the next section).
Read the product description. Fabric, compression level and cut change how the same number feels.
A partner resource on reading body measurement charts explains how to record your numbers and account for differences between brands and styles, which pairs well with the routine above.
Our clothing size conversion chart helps when a brand lists sizes in a system you don’t use every day, such as numeric, letter or international sizes.
An example of reading a chart
Imagine a chart that lists a waist range and a hip range for each letter size. Your waist falls in the small range, but your hips fall in the medium range. Which do you choose?
For leggings, hips usually win. Nike’s U.S. measuring guidance says that when your waist and hip measurements correspond to different sizes, you choose the size closest to your hip measurement. Gymshark’s fit guide gives similar advice for people with a smaller waist and fuller hips or glutes, noting that sizing to the hips helps avoid sheerness and keeps the leggings in place. The trade-off is a waistband that may feel a touch loose, which a high-rise cut or a drawcord can fix.
What good leggings fit feels like
A chart gets you close. The fit test confirms it. When you try a pair on, or when a delivery arrives, run through these checks.
Snug, not squeezing. The fabric should hug your legs like a second skin and support you without restricting movement.
Opaque in motion. Bend forward, squat and lunge in front of a mirror, ideally in daylight. If the fabric turns see-through, the pair is too small or the fabric is too thin.
No sagging. Fabric should not pool at the knees, the seat or the crotch. Looseness at the crotch is a clear sign the pair is too large.
Waistband stays put. The waistband should stay where it started, at your waist for a high rise or at your hips for a mid rise. A band that keeps sliding down can mean the pair is too large, lacks compression or has a waistband that is not supportive enough.
No marks or chafing. Deep red lines, a wrinkled belly area or rubbing at the inner thighs mean the cut or size is wrong for you.
Sagging at the thighs does not always mean you need a smaller size. It can also be thin fabric or too little stretch, in which case a different pair beats a different size.
A useful habit is to move the way you will actually move. If these are for the gym, squat, reach and stretch. If they are for travel or errands, sit down, climb stairs and bend to tie a shoe. Ten seconds of motion reveals more than a minute of standing still.
Between sizes: should you size up?
This is the question readers ask most, and the answer depends on what you want from the pair.
What you want Usual move Full coverage, comfort, an opaque feel Size up A sculpted, compressive feel Stay true to size or choose a compressive style Waist and hips point to different sizes Choose the size closest to your hips A looser, relaxed feel Choose the larger size A tighter, closer feel Choose the smaller size
Gymshark’s guide says sizing up is usually safer for coverage and comfort when you are between sizes, and recommends staying true to size or choosing a compressive fit if you prefer a sculpted look. Reviewers who test leggings reach similar conclusions on individual pairs: in its tests of the best leggings, Wirecutter notes that for one popular pair, readers between sizes may want to size up.
Two practical tips settle most cases. First, check whether the fabric is thick and compressive or soft and stretchy, because a compressive fabric holds you in and sizing up costs you less. Second, look at reviews that mention your height and build, since fit comments are most useful when they come from a body like yours.
Length, rise and height
The waist and hips decide the size. Your height decides whether the length works.
Many brands offer short, regular and tall versions. Nike defines its short sizes as for people 5’4" or under, with a shorter inseam and rise, and its tall sizes as for people 5’8" to 6’0", with a longer inseam and rise. Another outdoor retailer’s sizing lists petite as roughly 4’11" to 5’3", regular as 5’4" to 5’8" and tall as 5’9" to 5’11". The ranges differ slightly, which proves the point: always check the brand’s own definition.
Common length names are worth knowing:
Full length runs to the ankle bone.
7/8 length stops a little above the ankle. It sits between cropped and full length, and your inseam decides whether it lands at your ankle or mid-calf.
Capri or cropped ends below the knee, around mid-calf.
Shorts or biker length ends above the knee.
If you are 5’4" or under and leggings keep bunching at the ankle or the rise feels too deep, petite cuts are worth finding. Our article on petite sizing for women 5’4" and under explains which additional measurements make the difference.
Does fabric, style or activity change your size?
Yes. Two pairs with the same label can fit differently because of fabric and purpose.
Compression leggings are made to hold you firmly, so they feel tighter by design. Non-compression leggings should feel snug but not tight.
Four-way stretch fabrics stretch both across and lengthwise, which generally gives more freedom of movement and better shape retention than two-way stretch.
Thin, soft fabrics feel comfortable but can turn sheer when stretched, which is a reason to size up if you are between sizes.
Fleece-lined or thick winter leggings often feel snugger at the waist and thighs.
Activity matters. A yoga pair, a running pair and a lounge pair may all be cut differently for movement, support and comfort.
Before choosing a size, read the product description for intended fit, fabric stretch and design features such as pockets, seams or a drawcord. If a pair is described as stretchy and relaxed, your usual size is likely right. If it is described as compressive, think about your preferences before sizing down.
Our perspective: photos beat guesswork
We built ClothME because size labels are the weakest part of online clothes shopping. A tape measure is a good tool, but plenty of people never take the measurements, take them inconsistently or get different numbers each time. Leggings add another trap: the stretch makes it feel like the size hardly matters, until a pair turns sheer or slides down on the first wear.
Our approach is to skip the manual measuring. You upload two photos and ClothME generates a size profile, so you can see items that match your body, style, colors and fabric preferences. You can save profiles for family members too, which matters when one person is shopping for a partner, a teenager and a six-year-old at the same time. Our aim is fewer returns and less guesswork, because a size that is right on paper but wrong on the body still ends up in a return bag.
That said, the measuring routine above is worth knowing. It helps you check any recommendation, ours included, against the brand’s chart and your own numbers.
— the author
Try the Free Size Tool
If you would rather not measure with a tape, try our Free Size Tool. Upload two photos, get a size profile and browse items that fit your body and your style, with no measurements required. You can save profiles for each person in your household and shop for everyone from one place.
Start with the Free Size Tool and keep your profile for the next order.
Sizing leggings for kids
Kids’ leggings follow the same principle, but the measurements are different and the child keeps changing.
Children’s size charts may include height, chest, waist, hip and inseam. Target’s kids’ measuring guide recommends measuring height from the floor to the top of the head, the chest at its fullest part, the waist where the body naturally bends, the hips at the fullest part and the inseam using a well-fitting pair of pants from crotch to leg opening. REI Co-op’s kids’ size chart lists the same set of ranges, which shows how widely the format is used.
A few tips make this easier:
Measure the child, then check the chart. Don’t pick by age. A seven-year-old can sit in several size bands.
Use a pair that fits well to measure the inseam. Kids wriggle, and a flat pair of pants is more reliable than a moving leg.
Check the waistband. Leggings that roll down are annoying at school and on the playground. An elastic waistband that sits without digging in is ideal.
Think about growth. Leggings that are slightly long can be cuffed, but a waist that is too big will keep slipping. Compare the chart’s height and length columns and pick the size that fits now with a little room.
We cover this in more depth in our kids clothing size chart guide, and if your child is shooting up, growth spurt sizing shows how to avoid buying a size that fits for only a month. For older kids, see our teen size guide.
A simple routine for ordering leggings online
Put everything together and the process takes about five minutes.
Measure your waist, hips and inseam, and save them in your phone.
Open the size chart on the product page and check whether it lists body or garment measurements.
Match your hips first, then check the waist and inseam.
Read the description for fabric, compression and rise.
If you are between sizes, decide whether you want coverage and comfort (size up) or a sculpted feel (stay true to size).
When the pair arrives, try it on in daylight and do the bend, squat and sit test before removing any tags.
Save the size that worked, with the brand and style, so the next order is quicker.
Our measure-to-fit guide shows how to apply the same method across brands, and the find my clothing size guide is a good next step if leggings are only one of several categories you struggle with.
Common mistakes to avoid
Buying by letter alone. A small in one brand is not a small in another.
Measuring over thick clothes. Bulky fabric adds inches. Measure in light layers.
Pulling the tape too tight. The tape should lie flat against the skin without pressing in.
Ignoring the inseam. A pair that fits your waist and hips can still pool at the ankle or stop mid-calf if the length is wrong.
Judging fit only while standing still. Bend, squat and sit before deciding.
Forgetting the fabric. A thin fabric that looks fine standing up can go sheer when stretched.
FAQ
Should you go up a size in leggings?
Go up when you are between sizes and care most about coverage and comfort. Stay true to size if you want a sculpted, compressive feel. If your waist and hips point to different sizes, the hip measurement is usually the better guide.
What does a 7/8 inseam mean?
A 7/8 length stops a little above the ankle, between cropped and full length. Where it lands on you depends on your own inseam, so compare the listed inseam with your measurement. If you are shorter, a 7/8 pair may look like a full-length pair on you.
Are leggings too small if you can see through them?
Often, yes. When the fabric turns sheer as you bend or squat, the pair is stretched too far, or the fabric is too thin for you. Try the next size up and run the same bend and squat test before wearing them out.
How do I know if my leggings are too big?
Looseness at the crotch, fabric sagging at the knees or seat, and a waistband that keeps sliding down all suggest the pair is too large. If only the waistband slides, a higher rise or a more compressive style may fix it without changing size.
Can I find my leggings size without a tape measure?
Yes. Use a shoelace or string, mark the length and measure it against a ruler, or measure a well-fitting pair laid flat. You can also upload two photos to the Free Size Tool and get a size profile with no measuring at all.