JOYSPELS High Waisted Gym Leggings Review: budget leggings that mostly get the basics right

I picked up these JOYSPELS high waisted printed leggings (Black/Blueink, size 12 equivalent) because I was tired of paying big-brand prices for tights that still go see-through the minute you squat. The Amazon reviews looked decent, the price was low enough, and I liked the idea of side pockets for my phone. So I threw them into my regular workout rotation: strength sessions, treadmill runs, a couple of spin classes, and just wearing them around the house.

In terms of context, I'm usually a UK 12, sometimes 14 depending on the brand, with thicker thighs and a bit of lower belly. I normally wear Nike or H&M sports leggings, so I wasn’t expecting miracles from a cheaper Amazon brand. But I wanted to see if a budget option could actually handle squats, lunges, and sweat without turning into see-through plastic or sagging after two washes.

Over a few weeks, I wore these for mixed use: gym workouts with squats and deadlifts, a couple of 5k runs, and some lazy days at home. I machine washed them every time on a normal 30–40°C cycle, air dried them, and didn’t baby them at all. Basically, I treated them like any normal person would, not like a delicate item.

Overall, they’re pretty solid for the price, but not flawless. The fabric thickness and opacity are genuinely good, and the pockets are actually useful. On the downside, the waistband doesn’t always stay perfectly put during more intense sessions, and the fit can feel a bit “budget brand” compared to big sports names. So if you want perfection, this isn’t it, but if you want something that gets the job done without costing a fortune, they’re worth considering.

Considering the price bracket these sit in, the value for money is pretty solid. You get non see-through fabric, a proper high waist, and functional pockets – which are all things some well-known brands still mess up while charging a lot more. If your budget is limited and you just want leggings that are safe for squats and can carry your phone, these tick those boxes without draining your wallet.

Where the lower price shows is in the finer details: no drawstring, slightly inconsistent fit over time, and a fabric that’s good but not on the same level as top-tier sports brands for breathability and long-distance running comfort. If you’re used to £60+ leggings from Nike, Lululemon, etc., you’ll feel the difference. But you’re also paying a fraction of that, so it’s about being realistic. For many people who go to the gym a few times a week and want something that works, this trade-off is acceptable.

Compared to basic supermarket or fashion leggings in a similar price range, these are clearly better: thicker, more supportive, and actually designed for sports rather than just looking sporty. The 30-day return policy is also a small safety net if the size or feel doesn’t work for you. I wouldn’t call them premium, but I also don’t feel ripped off at all – they do what they claim in most areas.

If you’re super picky about fit staying identical over time, or you do high-intensity training several times a week, you might prefer to invest in a more expensive, well-known sports brand. But if you’re okay with “good but not perfect” and want to save money, the price-to-performance ratio here is hard to complain about. For everyday gym users, they’re a sensible budget choice.

The overall design is pretty straightforward: high-rise waistband, full-length leg, fitted cut, and a printed pattern on a black base. The high waist sits above the belly button on me (I’m around 5'4" / 163 cm), and it gives a bit of tummy control without completely strangling you. It’s not shapewear-level compression, but it smooths things out enough that you feel covered and not jiggling around. The waistband is wide, which helps prevent it from rolling down, though it’s not perfect during very intense movement.

The pockets are the main functional design win. There’s a side pocket on the thigh that easily fits a modern smartphone plus maybe a key or gym card. I used it on runs and on the cross-trainer, and the phone stayed put without bouncing out. There also seems to be a small internal pocket around the front waistband where you can shove a locker key or a card. For everyday training, the pockets are honestly one of the best parts of these leggings – once you get used to having your phone on your leg, going back to pocket-less leggings is annoying.

As for the print, the “Blueink” pattern is actually pretty decent. It’s not high-fashion, but it doesn’t look tacky either. The colors are well saturated and don’t look washed out. After multiple washes, I didn’t notice obvious cracking or peeling in the print, which is something I’ve seen on cheaper printed leggings. The pattern also helps disguise sweat patches and small lumps and bumps more than plain solid-colored thin leggings usually do.

Design-wise, the only thing I feel is missing is a drawstring in the waistband. A few reviews mentioned this and I agree: during high-impact moves or lots of jumping, you do find yourself giving them a quick tug up at the crotch or waist. A simple internal drawcord would fix that issue for most people. So, design is good in terms of pockets and pattern, but not perfect when it comes to staying locked in place during really active sessions.

On the comfort side, these leggings are generally pleasant to wear. The high waist holds you in without digging, and the fabric has enough stretch that bending, squatting, or sitting on the floor doesn’t feel restricted. I wore them for an hour-long strength workout with lots of squats and lunges, plus some core work on the mat, and I didn’t feel any seams cutting into me or rough spots. Around the belly, the waistband is wide and smooth, so you don’t get that sharp elastic line that some cheap leggings have.

For day-to-day wear, they’re also fine. I wore them at home and on a casual walk, and they were comfortable enough that I forgot I had them on. No itching, no weird sweating more than normal synthetic leggings. They’re not super breathable like mesh-paneled running tights, but for indoor gym use and normal temperatures, it’s totally manageable. If you tend to overheat easily, you might find them a bit warm for intense cardio in a hot room, but that’s more about personal preference.

The main comfort issue is how they behave once you really start moving hard. During a more intense HIIT-style session with jumps and fast moves, I had to pull them up a few times around the crotch and waist. It’s not dramatic, but it’s noticeable. This matches at least one Amazon review where someone said they started to fall down around the crotch after a few wears. For me, it wasn’t that they fell down completely, more that they slowly slid just enough to feel a bit loose and annoying, especially around the top of the thighs.

So in short: for regular strength training, light cardio, or daily wear, comfort is pretty good. For very dynamic or long, sweaty sessions, you might find yourself adjusting them occasionally, especially if you’re between sizes or if your waist-to-hip ratio makes leggings slide more easily. A drawstring would really help here. They’re not torture to wear, but they’re not “put on and forget” perfect either.

The fabric is a 75% polyester / 25% elastane mix with what they call 4-way stretch. In practice, that means the material stretches both horizontally and vertically, and it does snap back reasonably well after movement. It’s a medium-weight fabric – noticeably thicker than cheap fashion leggings from supermarkets or fast fashion stores, but not as technical or breathable as high-end running tights from big sports brands. It feels smooth and slightly cool to the touch, with a bit of that typical synthetic “gym wear” feel.

One of the key points is opacity. These have passed the “squat test” for me: I wore dark underwear underneath, did deep squats and deadlifts in normal gym lighting, and I didn’t see any underwear lines or color showing through in the mirror. That matches what several Amazon reviewers said. So if your main fear is see-through fabric, these do a good job. The trade-off is that the thicker material is a bit warmer, so for very hot weather or long outdoor summer runs, you might feel a bit stuffy compared to lighter, more technical fabrics.

In terms of feel on the skin, I didn’t have any chafing issues on the inner thighs, which is usually where bad seams or rough fabric show up. The seams are flat enough and the fabric is soft enough that I didn’t get rubbing, even during longer cardio sessions. The material also doesn’t bag out badly after a workout: when you take them off, they haven’t turned into a saggy mess. After several washes, I haven’t noticed pilling or obvious thinning, which is a good sign for durability.

Overall, the materials are decent quality for the price: thick enough to be non see-through, stretchy enough for squats and lunges, and comfortable against the skin. You definitely feel the difference compared to top-tier sports brands in terms of breathability and overall polish, but for budget leggings, the fabric choice is solid and practical, not flimsy.

I’ve put these through repeated normal use and washing: standard 30–40°C machine wash, no special sports detergent, air-dried on a rack. After multiple cycles, the fabric still feels the same thickness, and the stretch hasn’t gone baggy. The knees haven’t gone shiny or thin, which is often where cheap leggings start to degrade. The waistband elastic also still has good tension; it hasn’t turned into a floppy band after just a few wears.

The print has held up better than I expected. No obvious cracking, peeling, or big fade spots so far. Obviously, long-term fading will depend on how often you wear and wash them, but compared to some low-cost printed leggings I’ve owned where the pattern started to look tired after 3–4 washes, these are doing well. The seams are still intact, no loose threads popping out, and no splitting at the crotch, which is usually the first place that dies if stitching quality is poor.

One thing I did notice is that, like a few reviewers mentioned, there can be a slight change in how snug they feel after a handful of wears. It’s not that they suddenly stretch two sizes up, but you do feel a tiny bit more looseness around the crotch and thighs compared to the very first wear. For me, this didn’t make them unwearable, just slightly more prone to needing an occasional tug up during intense sessions. That’s more a fit/performance issue than a pure durability failure, but it’s worth mentioning.

Given the price point and the fact that they’re from a budget Amazon brand, durability is actually better than I expected. They don’t feel like they’re going to fall apart after a month. If you rotate them with other leggings and don’t throw them in a hot dryer all the time, I can see these lasting a good while for regular gym use. They’re not indestructible, but for the cost, they hold up quite well.

In actual training, these leggings handle the basics well. For strength workouts – squats, deadlifts, hip thrusts, lunges – the fabric stretch and opacity are the main strengths. I didn’t feel restricted when going into deep squats, and there was no see-through issue, even under normal gym lighting. The waistband stayed mostly in place during controlled movements, and I didn’t have to constantly adjust them while doing slower exercises like rows, presses, or machines.

For running and cardio, it’s a bit more mixed. I did a couple of 5k treadmill runs and one outdoor run. The side pocket is genuinely useful: it holds the phone firmly against the thigh, and I didn’t have any bouncing or fear that it would fly out. That’s honestly a big plus. On the flip side, during longer or higher-impact runs, I did notice a slight downward creep at the waist. Not a full-on slide, but enough that I gave them a quick pull up a few times. It’s not a disaster, but if you want leggings that stay completely locked during sprints or intervals, these are okay but not perfect.

In terms of sweat management, they’re fine for normal gym sessions. The fabric will show some sweat if you’re absolutely drenched, but the dark color and pattern help hide it better than plain light-colored leggings. They dry at a decent speed once you’re done, not super fast like high-tech running tights, but not slow either. No major odor retention so far – after washing, they smell normal, and I haven’t had issues with lingering sweat smell.

Overall, performance is good enough for most gym-goers: they’re reliable for lifting and general fitness classes, decent for short to medium runs, and comfortable enough for casual wear. If you’re a serious runner or do a lot of high-intensity jumping workouts, you might want something with a drawstring and more compression. But for regular people who just want leggings that don’t go see-through and have pockets, they get the job done.

When the leggings arrived, the presentation was pretty basic: a simple plastic bag, folded decently, no fancy branding or extras. Honestly, I don’t care about the packaging for gym leggings as long as they’re clean and not smelling weird, and that was the case here. No strong chemical smell, just a faint “new clothes” scent that disappeared after the first wash. For a budget product, the first impression is neutral but acceptable: nothing premium, nothing sketchy either.

The model I bought is the Black (Blueink) pattern, which is basically a black base with a printed pattern that looks a bit like ink or argyle-style graphic. The color and print are actually nicer in person than I expected from the photos. The print is clear and doesn’t look pixelated or cheap. After several washes, I didn’t see obvious fading, which matches what the brand claims about “fadeless printing”. It’s not 100% fade-proof forever, obviously, but after repeated washing it still looks sharp enough.

The size labeling is a bit generic (S/M/L etc.) and linked to UK sizing in the description. I followed the size guide and went with the size that corresponds to a UK 12, and it landed pretty close. I’d say if you’re between sizes, going with the size chart rather than your ego is the safer move. They’re pull-on style with no zips, no drawstring, just a simple elastic high waist. There’s also a side pocket on the leg and a small hidden pocket in the waistband, which is a nice surprise at this price point.

In short, the presentation is simple but practical: no fancy box, no extra marketing junk, just leggings that look roughly like the photos, with a print that holds up decently in real life. If you’re used to premium unboxing experiences, you won’t get that here, but for everyday gym wear, it’s totally fine.