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Yoga is arguably more popular than ever before. Around the world, millions of people use yoga to escape the stresses of daily life, while the NHS website describes it as a “safe and effective way to increase physical activity, especially strength, flexibility and balance”. And with the world smaller than ever before due to coronavirus, yoga can be an easy – and relaxing – way of keeping fit in your living room.
The best thing about yoga is its simplicity. All you really need is a mat, a YouTube video and something comfortable to wear. But when buying kit for yoga, it can be surprisingly complicated. There are long tops, short tops, cropped tops, tight tops and loose tops – and that’s before you’ve even considered the type of fabric.
The first thing to consider when setting out to buy a yoga top is what kind of yogi you are. It’s far more important to find a top that suits your practice than it is to stick with one brand.
If you prefer a dynamic session, you’ll want a top with good ventilation. Those who like a gentler class should be looking for a loose, long top that gives them room to move. Depending on how rigorous your practice is, you might also want to look for tops with sweat-wicking and odour-resistant properties.
We tested all of the below tops during dynamic ashtanga and vinyasa sessions in the comfort of our living room. Our checklist included whether the tops allowed us to move freely, how breathable they were and, most importantly, whether they were comfortable.
We’ve whittled the options down to our favourite pieces – so whether you prefer a rigorous session after work or love nothing better than a gentle YouTube class on a lazy Sunday morning, we can guarantee you'll find a top that suits you.
You can trust our independent reviews. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections, which are formed from real-world testing and expert advice. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
There are so many great products on the market, it can be hard to know what the perfect yoga top is. But for both beginners and seasoned yogis, we think Lululemon’s love tank offers a high quality and, crucially, affordable choice.
Luckily for you, lots of the other products we tried were also fab – from Sundried’s eco-friendly tee, to Icebreaker’s cosy tank and Gore’s technical top – making it easier for you to find something that suits your style. Namaste to that.