Athleta’s bottoms have been rock solid for me lately, and their new SwiftLite fabric caught my eye. Enter the velocity tights. I wanted a pair of lightweight, summer-friendly run tights and these fit the bill. Plus, the coastal teal color option really pushed me over the edge. Sure enough, these are another winner for me. Read on for more details on what makes them great to wear.
I’m wearing a size XXS, my usual size in Athleta. If you are between sizes, I recommend going with the smaller size. They fit me perfectly and do not budge at all. The reviews are mixed, with some reviewers complaining that they slide down. Personally, I ran 6+ miles in these with no issues and no adjustments. I’m not sure what explains the discrepancy in experience here, but I think they’re perfect. Note that they do feature an internal drawcord for those who like to adjust the waistband fit. I do not need to use the drawcord on mine.
As you can see in the photos, these have a shine finish, not matte at all. The material feels very slippery and smooth to the touch. It’s cool against the skin and highly breathable. These are basically the closest thing to wearing shorts without actually wearing shorts. The fabric is very flexible and supple, but still offers a little bit of compression. The fabric is rated UPF 50+, so your legs are still fully protected from the sun.
Because it’s so lightweight, it can be clingy and a bit revealing. If you want something more substantial, I recommend the contender tights instead. (Note: I prefer the thicker material used in the stripe contenders specifically.)
That said, despite the light fabric, I’m happy to report that they’re still fully opaque. The clingy fabric means you’ll want to wear seamless undergarments if you want to avoid visible lines.
The two side pockets are very roomy. I have my iPhone XS in the pocket in the photos, and you can see it fits easily inside. The pocket extends to the seam in front and behind it, so you can see there’s some extra room there for larger devices or other goods. The rear zip pocket isn’t large enough for a phone, but will fit cards, keys, gels, etc.
The side pockets are placed higher than most leggings, but it makes the slash of the pocket much less noticeable. I didn’t mind the higher placement at all, it’s still totally functional, easy to reach, and doesn’t get in the way of your range of motion while running/working out.
Like most 7/8 tights, these skim the top of my ankle. The hem is free-cut with no seam and swoops lower in the front. At the top of the tights, they feature a pretty typical high rise with comfortable coverage, landing just a little below my belly button. The rise is similar to Athleta’s contender tights.
These tights are marketed similarly to lululemon’s fast and free tights: ultra-lightweight, ultra-breathable tights for running and high intensity workouts. I’ve never been able to bring myself to buy a pair fast and frees because every pair I’ve tried has been a bit see-through when I squat or bend. I even tried a size up and still had sheerness issues. Athleta’s velocities are also $30 cheaper, at $98 versus lulu’s $128. Not only that, the velocities pass the squat test. Between those factors, the velocities are a very clear winner in my book.
Overall, I really love these tights. Since I bought and tried out my coastal teal pair, I went back and bought a second pair in beach plum. I recommend them for high intensity workouts in warmer conditions or where ventilation is critical.
In addition to the 7/8 length reviewed here, the velocities are also available in a below-the-knee length and 10″ bike short (note the shorts are missing the side pockets).
Outfit details
Athleta velocity stash pocket 7/8 tights in coastal teal
Alala toughie tank in heather grey
Brooks Ravenna 10
Garmin Fenix 5S
Thanks for the review! I had been wondering about these. I just received my opal print contenders capris. They are truly beautiful. Athleta has definitely been killing the legging/capri game lately. I have not bought a pair from lulu in almost a year and the lower price doesn’t hurt either.
I agree, their selection is really strong and has been stealing my business from lulu as well. Like you said, I don’t mind saving a few bucks. :)
Ahhhh! I don’t need these, but I kind of do lol. I have the Challenge tights though and I think they’re similar, just no pockets.
I do wish that Athleta would make more performance leggings like these without the zipper pockets and just use stash pockets. It’s just a personal preference, but the zippers can sometimes get in the way.
I never tried the challenge tights, but yes they do look really similar, but with the addition of the (crucial!) thigh pockets. I don’t mind the zippers, but yes, I almost never see tights with side pockets but no zipper. The rear zip seems like something that’s always thrown in regardless of whether it’s really necessary.
Your review gave me a push to revisit these after I wasn’t fond of my original try-on. I threw them in my fitting room last night since I needed new work pants (grabbed the Tribeca Utility Crop, Conscious Crop top, Elation shorts, and neon yellow Running Free shorts on top of the Velocity Tights!) and ended up liking them.
I’m not sure if I was just having a bad body day last time or if maybe the ‘mid-rise’ label made me automatically dislike them (because the non-striped mid-rise contender waistbands suck for me). Either way – this time I still wish they were an inch or two higher but I absolutely loved the fabric and I felt they sat on my hips just fine. Looking forward to trying them out this week and possibly just lounging in them Saturday!
Nice, I’m glad you gave them a second chance then! A lot of times I like to try things on twice when I can for that exact reason–it’s surprising how wrong my first impression can be sometimes.
How are these tights with regards to durability? Would you take them hiking? Do you think they would snag easily? Thanks for the review! They look amazing on you!
Hi Sue, sorry for the delayed response! I wear them trail running and I have not had any issues with snags or scuffs. However, I do think if they got caught on a branch or rubbed on an abrasive surface (e.g., rough boulder) the fabric might get a bit roughed up. They seem slightly more delicate than some of my other running tights, but they’re still not the most delicate tights I’ve had, so as long as you’re not doing anything too crazy, they should be fine for hiking.
This tight look quite sexy on you.
Is it comfortable?
Would you recommend 2XU compression or these?
I’m looking for a pair of tights for my up coming marathon.