As someone who is, let’s just say, not endowed in the backside department, the best butt-lifting leggings help me look my best and feel my most confident. Decked out with strategic designs, curve-hugging fabrics, and flattering fits, the leggings on this list help any woman enhance what they’re already working with.
The beauty of athleisure is that it works with you rather than against you, and butt-lifting leggings have unique features that take standard athletic wear to the next level. Without sacrificing comfort, the leggings you’ll find below have the perfect degree of compression, well-thought-out designs, and a wide range of price points so you can find the ultimate pair while working within your budget.
Keep reading to discover the top seven butt-lifting leggings for women for the ultimate athleisure upgrade.
Key Takeaways
The numbers are in! After hours and hours of research, here are my thoughts. To boost those glutes, the best butt-lifting leggings for women are the Athleta Salutation Stash Cinch Tight with a scrunch on the waistband to give the appearance of a raised, round bum. For a more affordable option, the Aoxjox High Waisted Workout Leggings have a high-end feel, with a triple V-seam on the waistband at an accessible budget price.
Best Overall: Athleta Salutation Stash Cinch Tight
Best Budget: Aoxjox High Waisted Workout Leggings
Best Versatile: Fabletics Define Leggings
Best on Amazon: TomTiger Butt-Lifting Leggings
Best Luxury: Alo Airbrush Heart Throb Legging
Best Everyday: Lululemon Wunder Train Contour Fit Leggings
Best Workout: GymShark Lift Contour Seamless Legging
Best Overall: Athleta Salutation Stash Cinch Tight
Why they’re great: A lot of the top butt-lifting leggings opt for cinched fabric on the seat that draws attention to the backside and provides an ample boost. These leggings, however, have a higher scrunch that sits on the waistband for a much more natural feel without sacrificing the butt-lifting effect. Following the same style as Athleta’s signature Salutation legging line, this pair also has side pockets, moisture-wicking material, and three inseam lengths to cater to all heights (23”, 25”, and 28”).
Who are these for? If you’re not a fan of the classic bum scrunch, then this pair is the best alternative since it provides all the benefits with a significantly more comfortable position. Given the shorter inseam option, they’re also a top option for petite leggings and make great leggings for everyday wear.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Rather than buttery fabric, these leggings are made from a shinier “swishy” material.
Material: 75% nylon, 25% lycra | Sizes: 2XS – XL | Colors: 3 | Care: Machine wash cold
Best Budget: Aoxjox High Waisted Workout Leggings
Why they’re great: These butt-lifting leggings do the work all the way from the waistband. Just above the backside are angular, V-shaped seams that give the illusion of pulling the bum up. The unique design, coupled with the crazy soft material and budget-friendly price, makes these an easygoing staple to wear at the gym, while hanging at home, or out and about around town.
Who are these for? If you’re hunting for butt-lifting leggings that don’t give you a massive wedgie, then this option is definitely among the most comfortable, especially because they skip the front seam. They’re also made from the classic butter fabric, which gives them a high-end feel while still maintaining their position as some of the best leggings under $30.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: These leggings are prone to rolling down and tend to run small. It’s advised to size up if you’re in between sizes.
Material: 75% nylon, 25% spandex | Sizes: 2XS – 3XL | Colors: 35+ | Care: Hand wash or machine wash cold
Best Versatile: Fabletics Define Leggings
Why they’re great: Designed to flatter and accentuate curves, these are some of the nicest butt-lifting leggings, especially if you’re searching for a pair without cinching. Outfitted with Fabletics’ InstaBoost technology, these leggings were created to smooth and lift the backside thanks to the strategically placed seams and the supportive fit. Think of these leggings as a push-up bra for your bum.
Who are these for? These come in at a solid mid-range price. The biggest draw to these leggings is the inclusive sizing (available in 2XS to 4XL) and the three lengths: 7/8s, regular, and tall. Because these leggings come in so many different sizes, it’s easy to find a fit that matches your unique body type, which can be a game-changer for petite- or plus-sized women.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: To support the extra compression and body-hugging design, these leggings are made from a thicker material, which some reviewers find to be too warm for high-intensity exercise.
Material: 88% polyester, 12% elastane | Sizes: 2XS – 4XL | Colors: 17 | Care: Machine wash cold
Best on Amazon: TomTiger Butt-Lifting Leggings
Why they’re great: Considering the design of these leggings, you’d think they cost significantly more than $25. If you’re looking for major support on your bum, then you’ll find it here, with a double V-shaped seam, cinched fabric, and a high waist that provides an insane lift for the butt and smooths the stomach area at the same time. These leggings also skip the front seam for a more flattering silhouette.
Who are these for? These leggings are a standout choice if you prefer a squat-proof matte fabric with decent compression. They’re also a top pick if you’re on a budget, considering they’re a fraction of the price of name brands with comparable quality.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: Since the fabric is designed to feel like a second skin, it may be a bit thin for some women’s preferences, especially for gym wear.
Material: 80% nylon, 20% spandex | Sizes: XS – XL | Colors: 20+ | Care: Machine wash cold
Best Luxury: Alo Airbrush Heart Throb Legging
Why they’re great: These butt-lifting leggings have recently had their five minutes of fame thanks to being sported by Kylie Jenner. And if they’re going to lift her bum, you can have high hopes for yours, too. Featuring cute piping down the front legs and a sweetheart design that encircles the backside, these leggings give the illusion of a fuller, rounder, more lifted butt. Combined with the compression fit and smoothing material, it’s no wonder why these leggings have broken the internet.
Who are these for? If you’re ready to be complimented… like, a lot, these are the best women’s butt-lifting leggings. They also have a really unique design if you’re looking for something different than your standard, run-of-the-mill black leggings.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: These leggings serve major influencer fashion, so if you don’t want to look like one of the Instagram girlies, opt for the Airlift Line Up Leggings that offer a similar butt-lifting design but with a way more subtle construction.
Material: 87% nylon, 13% elastane | Sizes: 2XS – L | Colors: 3 | Care: Machine wash cold (gentle)
Best Everyday: Lululemon Wunder Train Contour Fit Leggings
Why they’re great: Lululemon leggings can do it all, including lifting and toning the bum. The Wunder Train leggings have a specialized contour fit designed to hug every curve of the body. This effect does wonders for the backside, and the result is nothing short of snatched. It’s also helped by the V-shaped seam, which has a natural sculpting effect. Other aspects to love are the waistband that stays in place, the squat-proof construction, and the hidden drawcord.
Who are these for? For curvy women who want to accentuate their body, these butt-lifting leggings have a more generous fit around the hip and thighs while staying narrow on the waist. This is what gives them the snatching effect and makes them some of the best workout leggings.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: If you’re 5’3” or shorter, the 25” inseam will be ankle length rather than 7/8.
Material: 77% nylon, 23% elastane | Sizes: 0 – 14 | Colors: 6 | Care: Machine wash cold
Best Workout: GymShark Lift Contour Seamless Legging
Why they’re great: It’s impossible to talk about the best butt-lifting leggings without discussing GymShark. Designed especially to flatter the backside, GymShark has redesigned its classic cinched bum for a more pared-back look. These leggings have a wide yet subtle V-seam that extends down from the waistband and a special fabric that wraps around the glutes and pulls them up. This design provides lift in two places, all with a squat-proof rib knit material and a snatched waist.
Who are these for? I know a lot of people who like the idea of GymShark leggings but can’t get past having something between their cheeks. If you’re one of those people, then these leggings strike a solid middle ground that provides lift without the discomfort.
Flaws but not deal-breakers: The rib knit material is quite different from other legging brands like Lulu or Alo. Some people really enjoy it, but others may prefer the buttery or sleek fabrics used more widely. It also has less stretch than other pairs because of the minimal amount of elastane used in the fabric blend, but, given the extra support, they are great leggings for running.
Material: 61% nylon, 31% polyester, 8% elastane | Sizes: 2XS – 2XL | Colors: 3 | Care: Machine wash cold
Buying Considerations for the Best Butt-Lifting Leggings
Bum Design
The main consideration when choosing butt-lifting leggings is how they look from behind. The top butt-lifting leggings for women often include a seam pattern or butt scrunch to flatter and lift the bottom area. Some designs have more lift than others, especially those with V-shaped seams on the waistband, which give extra support and the illusion of a lifted bum.
Material Composition
The material also plays into butt-lifting leggings since some compositions offer greater lift than others. Nylon blends with medium compression are often the best because this material smooths the backside while the compression provides lift. Although cotton blends tend to lie flat on the body, nylon forms to curves for a supremely complimentary fit.
You’ll also find plenty of butt-lifting leggings made from polyester blends (normally combined with elastane or spandex to provide four-way stretch), which can be more durable than nylon and often has a more matte finish.
Fit and Rise
Speaking of fit, high-waisted leggings give a much greater appearance of butt-lifting than low-waisted alternatives. This is because the high waist pulls the bum up, especially with the help of strategically placed V-shaped seams, which typically sit between the butt and waistband area. The high waist enables these seams to pull the backside up, which is why they’re the best choice for butt-lifting leggings. You simply will not get the same lift from low riders.
How We Chose These Products
To find the best of the best, I weighed a few key features to ensure the very best out of every pair you see. Here’s a quick breakdown of what I was looking for when determining what butt-lifting leggings are really worth it:
Brand Reputation: Although there are a lot of athleisure brands out there, not all are made equal. The brands you see on this list have a strong reputation and foolproof products that go far beyond other leggings, denoting the ones you see as the very best.
Butt-Lifting Features: Of course, when trying different butt-lifting leggings, I had my eyes out for unique features like seam placement, butt scrunches, and the proper degree of compression. These features set women’s butt-lifting leggings apart from normal athletic wear.
Material Composition: Leggings come in all types of materials, but for the best butt-lifting leggings, I chose only options with materials that form to the body rather than lie flat across it. This meant avoiding cotton and instead leaning towards nylon and synthetic blends that can handle body contours better than the alternative fabrics.
Customer Reviews: I have my own opinions (and a lot of them at that), but to ensure the leggings I chose were truly the best, I spent weeks reading thousands upon thousands of user reviews to get a more holistic view of each pair. The ones chosen had the best reviews – by a landslide – by myself and everyone else who’s worn them.
Price: Finally, accessibility is extremely important in my eyes, so I wanted to ensure that the leggings on this list covered various price points from super budget to luxury high-end. I hope that everyone reading this article can find a pair of butt-lifting leggings that work for them.
Why You Should Trust Us
Aside from absolutely living in leggings, Jane Elmets is an experienced fashion writer, wellness freak, and workout enthusiast. Since she spends all day, every day, in leggings, she has taken to her keyboard to share the options that will help women across the world feel like their best selves. Whether you’re wearing them to the gym or out around town, Jane strives to guide women toward their dream pair of leggings. We’re pretty confident when we say there’s no better person to trust with leggings than Jane.
Final Verdict
Although most leggings are perfectly flattering, the absolute best butt-lifting leggings for women are the Athleta Salutation Stash Cinch Tight, which have a well-thought-out butt scrunch that’s comfortable, flattering, and curve enhancing. If you prefer a different design (and a lower price point), then the Aoxjox High Waisted Workout Leggings are a runner-up, with a captivating seam placement that lifts from the waistband.
FAQs
Do bum lifting leggings work?
Bum-lifting leggings definitely work, especially if they’re enhanced with features like a butt scrunch, a V-shaped waistband, and curve-hugging fabric. You may find that nylon and other synthetic materials offer more lift than leggings made from cotton or poly blends.
Do flared leggings make your bum look bigger?
Flared leggings, or yoga pants, can make your bum look bigger, especially if they’re high-waisted, as this can lift the rear for an extra attractive fit. The flared bottoms can also help draw the eyes up the legs to the butt area, putting attention where you want it the most.