Sweaty Betty Power Leggings Review (2026): The British

Why you should trust this review

I bought one pair of the Power 7/8 at retail in black, size medium with the 28-inch inseam. Sweaty Betty did not provide a sample. I have been training in performance leggings for almost a decade and have rotated through every major sculpt-style brand, so I came in skeptical of the hype around a seam that supposedly lifts without padding.

The reason I trust my own verdict is that I tested the lift claim with actual evidence rather than vibes. I took side-profile photographs in identical lighting at month one and month five, so I could see whether the sculpt effect was real and whether it faded with wear and washing. That comparison is the heart of this review.

How we evaluated

I wore the Power three to four times a week for five months across strength sessions, intervals, and running, then put it through roughly thirty-five cold-wash, line-dry cycles. The structured part of the test was the side-profile photography at month one and month five to track whether the seam-induced lift held up. I also ran a deliberate compression test through deep squats, deadlifts, and box jumps to see if the seat thinned out or the waistband rolled.

Beyond performance I checked the practical stuff: squat-proof opacity in black under direct gym lighting, pocket utility with a key, a card, and a phone, and durability for pilling and color loss after thirty-five washes. I also wore competing sculpt leggings in the same conditions so I had something to measure against rather than judging in isolation.

Sculpt fit: the seam does the work

The sculpt is real, and it is not a trick. The Power uses a curved back yoke seam that runs along the lower glute and pulls the fabric up at an angle that rounds the silhouette. There is no padding and no ruched fabric gimmick, just seam placement and fabric tension doing the work. In my side-profile photos the effect was clearly visible.

What sold me was that the lift was identical in the month-five photos as in the month-one set. It did not wash out or relax over thirty-five cycles, which is the failure mode I expected. Compared with leggings that lean on heavy compression to fake the same shape, the Power feels less restrictive on the waist while still delivering the look.

Compression: firm without crossing the line

The fabric is a polyamide-elastane blend that puts the Power squarely in the firm-compression category, and it earned that label under load. During heavy back squats the seat did not thin out or go sheer, and during deadlifts the waistband stayed put without rolling down. That is the support I want from a training legging, and the Power delivered it consistently.

The honest caveat is heat. The denser hand feel that gives the compression its support also traps a bit more warmth than lighter fabrics. In a cool gym it was perfect; in a hot studio class it felt heavier than I would like. That is the trade for the firmer feel, and whether it matters depends on where you train.

Inseam options: a real win for tall frames

This is where the Power quietly beats most of the competition. The 28-inch inseam hit clean at the ankle on a 5’7″ frame, and the brand offers a 31-inch option that is one of the only proper tall lengths at this tier. Anyone who has pulled on a so-called long legging from another brand and found it still landing two inches above the ankle will appreciate that the Power actually understands taller bodies.

The sizing range is broad and the fit stayed consistent across it, which matters for a legging people buy on the strength of the silhouette. The only related gripe is that the longest inseam is not offered in every colorway, so your length and color choices are sometimes linked.

Pockets and durability

The pockets are the weakest link, and it is a genuine annoyance for the price. The two side pockets fit a key and a folded card, but a phone is a stretch, the fabric tension shows when you force one in, and it bounces during running. The hidden waistband pocket is the better home for a phone, but it is a small one, and competitors with proper phone pockets clearly have the edge here.

Durability, by contrast, was a strong point. At five months and thirty-five washes my pair showed zero pilling and minimal color loss in black, the seams stayed flat, and the four-way stretch had not loosened. That is better than some leggings at the same wear count and on par with the best, which is part of how the price math works out over time.

Opacity and waistband under load

A sculpt legging is useless if it goes sheer when you bend, so I checked opacity in black under direct gym lighting at the bottom of a deep squat, which is the unforgiving test. The Power held opaque through the full range, with no thinning at the seat that would show skin or underwear, which is the baseline a training legging has to clear and where many fail.

The high-rise waistband stayed put through most of my sessions, sitting securely without digging in during lifts and runs. The one caveat surfaced on deep squats when I sized up: the waistband could roll at the top under that specific load. At my true size it behaved, so the lesson is to size accurately rather than going up, since the firm compression is designed to be worn close. For anyone between sizes, that is worth weighing.

Who should buy the Sweaty Betty Power?

Buy it if you train three or more days a week and want a legging that looks strong and supports through heavy lifts. Buy it if you are around 5’7″ or taller and need a true 28 or 31-inch inseam, since that fit is genuinely hard to find elsewhere. Buy it if you can rotate two pairs to spread out the wash cycles.

Skip it if your activity is mostly yoga or low-impact, where a softer, cheaper legging is the smarter spend. Skip it if you need a side pocket that reliably holds your phone, or if you dislike firm compression for casual all-day wear.

The verdict

After five months and thirty-five washes, the Power confirmed it still leads the sculpt-legging category it created. The seam-based lift is visible, did not fade, and avoids the over-tight waist of compression-only rivals, the support held under heavy training, and the tall inseam options solve a real problem. The flagship price and the undersized side pockets are legitimate downsides, but for serious training where you want to look and feel strong, the Power earns its following.