3 Best Postpartum Leggings: Real Unsponsored Review

Whether you’re a first-time mom or have already given birth a few times, the search for the best postpartum leggings isn’t always an easy one.

And with so many options out there, it can be difficult to know which are best and why.

This guide to postpartum leggings is written by a REAL mom who has actually tried them so, you’ll find a real opinion and photos here.

This guide to choosing the right postpartum leggings features:

• 5 postpartum leggings from maternity and non-maternity brands
• best postpartum leggings on Amazon
• a mini review of each legging
• compression and non-compression items
• timeline for when you should wear them

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and I could earn a commission at no cost to you if you make a purchase using them.

3 Best Postpartum Leggings: Real Unsponsored Review

You’ll notice from the start that these recommendations don’t come exclusively from maternity brands.

And surprise – you may even already have a pair (or two!) of them in your wardrobe.

Let’s get started with a top yet unexpected pick among postpartum moms!

1. Lululemon Align Leggings

Lululemon definitely isn’t the first brand to come to mind as a postpartum legging but social media moms across Facebook groups and Instagram swear by these leggings as one of the best around for a number of reasons.

First off, they’re super-supportive in all of the right places for postpartum moms.

Second, I love that the compression is moderate unlike some maternity brand postpartum leggings (like the Mother Tucker leggings you’ll learn about below).

Lululemon Aligns gently tuck in your tummy without squeezing and can be worn comfortably just after giving birth.

The Nulu fabric is lightweight, breathable and buttery-soft – the perfect material for postpartum moms to wear and their newborn babies to have a lap nap on!

I’ve often heard it described as a naked feel and I have to agree – they mold perfectly to the shape of your body.

While I’ve never had one myself, one of my closest friends recommends these as the best postpartum leggings after c-section.

After all of my pregnancies, these are my top pick for maternity and postpartum leggings!

I wore a size 8 prepregnancy and continued to wear the exact same leggingswhen I reached 41 weeks pregnant!

I even went to the hospital for my induction wearing my Align leggings!

And again 9 months postpartum.

Think of Lululemon Aligns as the Swiss army knife of a mom’s wardrobe, haha.

You can wear them at all stages of life for nearly any event – just dress it up or down according to what you’re doing!

Lululemon Legggings Care Tips

To avoid overstretching and damaging the waistband of your Aligns, I recommend wearing them no more than 2 days in a row.

This prevents waistband from stretching out too far and like your postpartum tummy, gives it time to snap back.

Wash them in cold water, avoid fabric softeners, and ALWAYS lay flat to dry.

Throwing Lululemons in the dryer will cause pilling and you’ll have a heck of a time reselling them should you consider listing your leggings later on.

With proper maintenance, Lululemon pants REALLY hold their value – at $98 retail, I’ve sold my best condition Aligns for $72!

Related: How to Sell Old Clothing on Poshmark: Mark $100 Day One

Women also love wearing these leggings all day (many say they wear them to work or under long skirts) because they’re so comfortable. The beautiful thing is, many women – myself included say they were able to wear their regular size during pregnancy and after with ZERO stretching and damage to the Aligns!

2. Lululemon Wunder Train Leggings

These are easily the best leggings for mom pooch – postpartum and for years to come!

If you prefer a thicker pant that offers more compressive support, Lululemon Wunder Train leggings are a great postpartum pant.

The Wunder Train waistband is the same thickness as the Align waistband but the Everlux fabric does a better job of tucking in your tummy.

The compression also feels great on tired mommy legs – especially if you’re walking around a lot with your newborn!

I wore at size 8 prepregnancy and postpartum but would NOT recommend these for pregnancy.

This leggings are WAY too tight to wear as maternity leggings.

Lululemon Sizing & Length

Since I’m 5″6 and prefer the look of capri and 7/8 length leggings, I like to purchase my Lululemons in the 21″ and 23″ lengths.

The 21″ legging is about 3″ above my ankle while the 23″ pant is 1″ above it.

I don’t like the look or feel of 25″ leggings length because it covers my ankle!

3. Belly Bandit Mother Tucker Leggings

Belly Bandit’s Mother Tucker leggings offer so more compression that I actually found them too tight during my first few days postpartum.

I wore them for just an an hour three days after giving birth and didn’t put them back on again until my baby was about 8 weeks old.

BUT at around 2 months postpartum, these leggings were fabulous – like Spanx for postpartum moms!

If you’re looking for some serious compression and a boost in confidence, Belly Bandit’s Mother Tucker leggings have you covered!

The most similar comparison I can make is to Gymshark’s Energy line – super compression that makes you look like you hit the gym.

Even now 10 months after giving birth, I still like the feel of these postpartum leggings.

They literally tuck in everything with a special focus on your tummy, bum, and thighs!

If you’re looking to feel fit and confident, these are definitely the right choice.

Mother Tucker leggings are available in two lengths – full length and capris.

The full length is similar to a 25″ Lululemon pant while the capris are similar to the 21″ length.

At size 8, I wore a size Medium in these and now as a 6, I find them more comfortable.

While Belly Bandit’s sizing guide suggests a medium for dress sizes 8-10, I would size up due to the insane amount of compression these leggings offer!

More ideas for new moms:

• 10 Things Your Diaper Caddy Needs to Have
• How to Wash a Nursing Pillow (in Your Washing Machine!)
• How to Machine Wash a Pregnancy Pillow (Without Destroying it!)

Postpartum Leggings I’ve Tried but Do NOT Recommend

Unfortunately with the good comes the bad!

I didn’t have a good experience with either of these postpartum leggings:

1. Motherhood Maternity Bounceback Leggings
2. Old Navy Maternity Full Panel Post-Partum Support Leggings

It may just that I’m not into those types of cotton material but I found both to feel quite cheap and look too shear on.

Compared to the moderate compression I like, these just didn’t do it for me.

Do I need postpartum underwear? Or leggings?

While they aren’t a must-have item postpartum like disposable underwear, postpartum underwear and leggings do offer support for your recovering tummy.

As you’ve seen here, you can even wear your favorite Lululemon leggings as a support piece postpartum.

The compression in this style of leggings and underwear simply holds your tummy in place as your body begins to take its post-pregnancy shape.

Related: 10 Postpartum Essentials You Don’t Want to Miss Out On

What to Wear Postpartum

Postpartum leggings are a fantastic and versatile choice for new moms.

But a few other comfortable and practical wardrobe staples you may want to have include:

• Comfortable pajamas – I can’t recommend GAP’s Modal sleep pants and nursing tops enough!
• Comfortable underwear
• Nursing bras – I love Kindred Bravely’s selection and would get at least a couple of sleep bras and daily wear bras
• Nursing tops
• Button up shirts
• Robes
• Cardigans
• Loose sweaters
• Lounge pants or joggers

Until you feel like yourself again which honestly, can take up to 6 months, you’ll probably want to mix up the compression with comfy and cozy as you navigate through motherhood.

Related:

• What to Wear After Giving Birth in a Hospital: 10 Essentials You Need
• Are Kindred Bravely Nursing Bras Actually Worth It?

Where to Shop for Postpartum Leggings

1. Lululemon

You can find the Lululemon postpartum leggings I’ve included on this list at the official website with several color options on sale.

2. Amazon

I purchased my Mother Tucker leggings through Amazon and received them the next day!

You could also get them through Buy Buy Baby though.

3. Second-Hand

I loved shopping on Poshmark and Facebook Marketplace to scope out great deals on postpartum clothes.

You’ll tend to see that items on Facebook are usually a bit cheaper than Poshmark though because the audience is smaller – on Facebook, buyers generally tend to live in the same city or nearby while Poshmark ships across the country!

However, when you sell on Facebook, you don’t need to pay any fees like you do on Poshmark.

Related: How to Sell Stuff Fast on Facebook Marketplace

My picks for best postpartum leggings include:

1. Lululemon Aligns
2. Lululemon Wunder Trains
3. Belly Bandit Mother Tucker

You really don’t need to purchase special maternity clothes for postpartum comfort and support!

Instead, consider the following timelines for the leggings above:

• Align: after giving birth – 1 month postpartum (pp)
• Wunder Train: 1 month pp – 2 months pp
• Mother Tucker: 2 months pp – as long as you want the support

As a 5″6, size 8 mom who gained about 50 pounds with my second pregnancy, this was the timeline that worked for me 🙂

I hope you found this guide to postpartum leggings helpful but if you need any further clarification or have additional questions, feel free to let me know in the comments below.

Wishing you all of the best in your postpartum recovery.

Congratulations, mama!