Next’s £28 leggings dethrone sweaty betty in viral fit test
One swipe through the reviews and the pattern is brutal: women who once budgeted £90 for Sweaty Betty or Lululemon are now bulk-buying a £28 pair from Next. The trigger? A black, high-waisted legging that survives squats, lattes and the 40-degree wash without surrendering its shape or opacity.
The maths that hurts premium brands
At £28 the Black Sports Dry Tech Tummy Control style costs 70 % less than its established rivals yet claims the same compression yarn and a 300 % jump in five-star ratings since March. Next will not release exact sales figures, but internal data seen by TerraBloom shows the line has outsold every other legging in the womenswear active department for four consecutive weeks. Buyers are averaging 1.7 pairs per transaction, a stat usually reserved for sock multi-packs.
Fit is the secret weapon. A 360-degree knit panel flattens the lower abdomen without the sausage-casing effect common in cheaper shapewear. The waistband is silicone-dotted so it stays put during burpees; the gusset is double-layered so gym lights don’t expose underwear geometry. One reviewer posted a back-lit mirror selfie captioned: “Zero headlights, zero regrets.” It collected 11,400 likes and counting.
Why this matters now
The drop lands as household discretionary spend contracts for the sixth month running. Kantar’s latest grocery inflation report puts the average weekly shop 19 % higher than a year ago, forcing Fashion shoppers to trade down. Next has weaponised that pressure, offering Sweaty-grade performance at supermarket prices. The result is a repeat-purchase loop: women test one pair, evangelise on TikTok, then return for navy or petite lengths before the algorithm moves on.
Supply-chain nerds should note the fabric blend: 65 % recycled nylon, 35 % Lycra. Recycled yarn is suddenly cheaper than virgin thanks to a glut of post-consumer textiles in Asia, letting mid-market brands close the quality gap with premium labels still paying fibre premiums locked in last year.
The catch no one mentions
Colourways are limited to black and navy; sizes stop at UK 18. Beyond that the leggings are already showing signs of the classic Next sell-out arc: smaller batches, longer restock queues, third-party sellers on eBay inflating prices to £45. If history repeats, the £28 tag will disappear once spring activewear drops land.
Bottom line: the perfect black legging was never a myth, just overpriced. Next just proved it, and the receipt is on the internet forever.