Rapha Womens All-Day Leggings

The Rapha Women's All-Day Leggings blur the lines between cycling clothing and active wear. They're very useful and versatile for low-intensity exercise such as short commutes, gentle jogs or yoga practice, but they're not the most breathable. This, and the lack of a chamois mean they're not suitable for a long time in the saddle.

Who is just a cyclist these days? It's my main exercise of choice, but you can also find me holding Warrior Two as I settle into another Yoga with Adriene YouTube video (she is the best), or going for a run around the estate. I'm not looking to optimise in either, though, so leggings with true versatility are exceptionally handy.

Rapha has entered the women's lifestyle market with these 7/8-length leggings. They're super comfy; I'd happily laze about in the house all-day in them... They're called all-day leggings, so I've been testing them all day long, even as I write this.

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These leggings are chamois-less. Now that's going to limit how far you can cope riding in them, but then there's no unwanted bulk as you go about your other activities. Personally, I can happily ride in these for up to 30 minutes at a gentle pace.

I'm 178cm tall, and to my surprise the size small comfortably reached my ankles. There's good length to these, so you don't have to worry about the ends riding up and getting a bare skin gap as you ride. The six sizes run from XXS to XL.

The high waist covers your back as you shift forward into the riding position. The waistband is double-layered to prevent rolling, and is effective at doing so.

The fabric

Rapha uses recycled nylon for these, mixed in with elastane (42% is elastane) for a wonderfully soft and stretchy fabric. It conforms to your figure and doesn't turn see-through when stretched – instead it has a slight shiny look to it. The stretchy material gives you full freedom of movement.

It's all the same fabric. There are no mesh panels (it could do with some behind the knees for breathability when you put on the pace), but at a gentle jog this issue isn't as noticeable.

Down at the cuff is a layer of fabric that can be flipped back to reveal an ultra-bright pink cuff with the Rapha logo. It's the same unmissable colour no matter whether you choose the black, navy blue or purple leggings.

This cuff is 5cm wide and adds some visibility, and can cleverly be hidden away for your other day to day activities. It's a neat touch, but the pink does inevitably find a way of peaking through.

It's so easy to catch and ride up, so you do end up having to readjust the outer fabric to cover up again and again – it looks odd with just a little accidentally showing, so you may decide it's too much hassle looking smart with these leggings.

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Sewn in on the right side is a pocket for essentials. It comfortably fits large phones (mine's a Xiaomi Pocophone F1) and there's a 1.5cm elastic band at the top to prevent anything falling out. This is the only pocket, though – there's not a zippered one at the back, as you often find in running tights, for stashing your keys.

Heat-transferred onto the pocket is Rapha's reflective logo. This is quite large, but subtle enough it looks smart.

At £80, these are expensive compared to specific running tights. For instance, dhb's Aeron Run Tights are £45 and feature a hip pocket large enough for a phone and reflective details. Gore's Women's R3 Mid Tights are £64.99 and come with a zippered rear pocket as well as a side phone sleeve; these also both look more breathable options thanks to mesh-ventilated knees.

But Rapha's leggings are more cycling-focused, with a high waist that better suits the forward riding position. They're not for long or intense rides, but for general riding – and lots of other activities – they're a great, if rather expensive, option.

Verdict

Stretchy, comfortable leggings and great for all your low-intensity activities