REASONS TO BUY
Breathable material
Lots of sizes and styles available
REASONS TO AVOID
Waist tends to ride down
Tight on the calves
Prana Pillar Capri Review
A classic capri that you can use for a variety of activities
Prana Pillar Capri
Credit: Prana
RELATED: Best Yoga Pants of 2024
Our Verdict
Prana has retired some of our old favorite yoga pants, like the Audrey, and started a whole new line, the Pillar. While we tested the capri version, it's also available in a legging, a printed design, a flared-leg pant in Short, Regular and Tall inseams, and in Plus sizes. Those readers who loved the availability of the old Lucy Perfect Core line should look to the Prana Pillar for those harder to find sizes. While the Pillar performed okay overall, we did have some issues with the fit of this pair. The leg opening on the capri is on the tight side, and the waist tended to stretch out and start to sag when we wore them all day.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Prana Pillar Capri is made with Prana's Chakara fabric, which is a recycled 88% Supplex nylon and 12% Elastane blend. The capri length that we tested is available in XS-3X sizes.
Performance Comparison
The Pillar are a classic pair of capris, perfect for a variety of yoga classes.
Credit: Martina Zandonella
Breathability
The Pillar Capri received good scores across the board in almost every category that we tested them in, including breathability. The material vents well and is moisture-wicking, though not quite as thin as the Onzie Capri. Onzie uses a swim-suit like material that is best for hot yoga classes, but the Chakara fabric on this pant works well for everything else.
The material is breathable, and you can't see sweat when it does accumulate. One of these legs is wet, can you tell?
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Ease of Movement
The ease of movement on this pair is also very good, but they aren't quite as stretchy as some other contenders.
While not quite as stretchy as some of the other models that we tested, we still got great range of motion out of this pair.
Credit: Martina Zandonella
Comfort & Fit
This is the one area that we felt a little disappointed by the Pillar. The material is your typical nylon/elastane blend, and it's not particularly soft, unlike the Beyond Yoga Spacedye leggings. What bothered us more was the fit; we ordered our usual size in Prana clothing, and the opening at the legs is cut on the narrow side. It dug into our calves and didn't stretch out with wear, so it was a continual distraction. Conversely, the waistband did stretch out during class, and we found ourselves having to pull them up repeatedly; it's odd to have something too tight in one end and too loose in the other! We have noticed with other Prana clothing lately that they're cutting things very tight in the legs, which doesn't work too well for anyone with muscular calves or thighs.
There is a thin elastic at the waistband, but it didn't seem to help keep the pants up and they sagged on us throughout the day.
Credit: Cam McKenzie Ring
Durability
We gave the Pillar the highest score for durability out of any pair in this review. We've had multiple pairs of Prana yoga pants over the years that used the same “Chakara” found on the Pillar, and in our experience, this fabric holds up better than any other. It resists pilling more than the Lululemon “Full-on Luon” fabric and also lasted longer than the Onzie material. (The Onzie material doesn't pill, but it does fade over time, and the fabric is very thin.)
Style
We tested this pair in a plain black capri length, and it isn't an eye-turner per se, but it isn't an eye-sore either. There are plenty of prints available should you want to mix it up a bit.
Best Applications
The Pillar Capri is a great all-around pair of yoga pants. They are breathable and have good ease of movement, and the number of options for both sizes and styles is staggering — and much appreciated!
Value
The Pillar line is priced a bit lower than other higher-end yoga pants. You can get the capri for $65 and the full-length legging for $69. This is a nice savings over the $90 Lululemon leggings and the $100 TNF Perfect Core pants. However, you can get the 90 Degree by Reflex High Waist Powerflex pant for only $30, and they scored pretty evenly in our testing metrics.
Conclusion
The Prana Pillar Capri is a great pair of tights for yoga, particularly if you can get a good fit in them. They didn't quite fit our lead tester's proportions, but they were still a go-to pair for her when heading to a Vinyasa class. If you have a hard time finding a shorter, taller, or wider pair of yoga pants, check this one out as there are multiple options available.
Other Versions
Prana is now making multiple options in the Pillar line, including a legging, a printed legging, and capri, and a boot cut pant. Some of these styles are also available in Plus sizes.
—Cam McKenzie Ring
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