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Truthfully, I had never heard of the apparel company FLEO, at least not until they reached out to me to give their clothes a look. As we are a review site of all things workout and recovery, I happily obliged. I mean heck, who isn’t looking for another pair of perfect leggings, right?
You see, for most of my adult life, I’ve been one of those people that has worn workout clothing everywhere I go. Yep, that’s even before it became publicly accepted and relabeled athleisure wear. IDK, before you were just referred to as lazy for wearing “sweat pants” all day, but somehow it became on trend.
Regardless, I’ve tried all the players, and I gotta tell ya, FLEO is now one of my favorite workout apparel brands.
FLEO: Behind The Brand
FLEO’s backstory is both inspirational and humbling. Founded by Babs King, the first pair FLEO booty shorts were actually created at her kitchen table.
Bab’s goal was to create clothing that all us women want: workout clothing that fits doing whatever, whenever, and yeah, it better hug them curves!
To accomplish that goal, Babs took a ground floor, bootstrap approach to designing her clothing line. Not only did she deconstruct every pair of workout shorts available, down to the stitches mind you, but she even taught herself how to sew.
After a lot of trial and error mixed with a wild palette of color and flair, FLEO was born.
Ultimately, FLEO isn’t a brand for the unattainable Instagram bod mindset, but for real woman. Woman that like to get down, sweat, and lift big. That aren’t afraid to carry a little baby weight, while tossing up some serious weights. Rather than shy away from, FLEO embraces the diversity that is, the human body.
FLEO Clothing
There is absolutely no shortage of workout clothing on the market. Pretty much every clothier on the planet has gone all in, with mixed results. FLEO, however, has won me over for offering some of the highest quality, best fitting pieces around.
What started with a single pair of shorts, FLEO’s lineup now extends to leggings, sports bras, tanks, shirts, singlets, joggers and a whole host of accessories.
To peak your interest, FLEO will periodically release limited collections based around certain seasons, holidays, or happenings. It’s fun while keeping things fresh and top of mind.
PROS:
- Designed for woman of all shapes and sizes
- Exceptional quality and feel of material
- Unique colors and patterns
- Flattering fitment
- Woman owned
- No Fakes! Non-Photoshopped models only
- Made in the USA
CONS:
- Higher pricing to offset higher quality
- Sizing runs smaller to be more form fitting
My Personal Experience with FLEO
As mentioned, I wear workout clothing a lot. Like a LOT. But that’s only because I do some form of exercise every single day. I like to mix it up quite a bit, so on any given day I’m either doing some form of strength training in my garage gym, HIIT, 4-minute Tabata finisher, a brisk 3 mile walk or some combination of each.
That might seem like overkill, but it keeps me sane and I thoroughly enjoy doing it.
Because my workouts are so varied, the type of clothing I wear during those sessions becomes even more critical.
If you ask me, there’s nothing worse than ill-fitting attire. Ladies, I think you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about. The shorts that ride up the thigh. The leggings that refuse to hug your waist. The sports bra that cuts into your armpits. Need I go on?
No, if I’m going to perform my best, I need what I’m wearing to figuratively disappear and work with me, not against. Of all the products I tried from FLEO, I think my favorite are their leggings.
FLEO Leggings Review
Leggings have always been my jam. I might be a little too self conscious about my large thighs and because of that, shorts have never really appealed to me. That said, you find me a great pair of leggings and I’m a happy girl.
Fortunately, FLEO has a huge variety of leggings that come in various different cuts and fabrics. After sifting through all the options, I settled on the El Toro 21″ Deep Teal.
I typically wear a medium size legging and if I were honest, I was a little worried when I first took the FLEOs out of the package. They seemed really small. “Nope, there’s no way these are fitting me” I said.
To my surprise, they actually slipped on quite nicely. There’s no doubt, they’re form fitting alright, but they accentuate and mold to my body fantastically! No kidding, not only does the fabric material feel amazing, but they make my butt and legs look GOOD.
So how are the leggings during a workout?
In a word, perfect.
With every twist, turn, jump and squat, I’m 100% confident wearing these leggings. I never feel the need to readjust or hike ’em up. They just stay put and frankly, I just don’t have to think about them allowing me to put all my focus on the task at hand.
Do the FLEO Leggings pass the squat test?
Perhaps the most important aspect of any leggings is whether or not they pass the infamous squat test.
I’m pleased to tell you, yes they do. Or at least this particular pair does.
It seems a bit odd asking your spouse to check out your business while performing back squats, but it had to be done. In the name of science, yeah? Anyways, I don’t think he minded.
My point is, squat away girlfriend because with FLEOs, Mr. Side-eye ain’t gettin a show.
Shorts and Sports Bra Review
I’ve spent so much thought gushing over the leggings that you’d think I forgot about the other offerings from FLEO. Well, no, I’m here to tell you that they’re excellent too.
FLEO SHORTS REVIEW
Although I’m personally not a fan of shorts, I actually came to really like the Opulent V Waistband Short I picked out. For those that prefer not to show off their belly, you’ll absolutely love the high rise waistband. There’s no elastic to it, but it does a great job keeping everything snug and tight.
On the opposite end, the 3.5″ inseam is short enough to facilitate free movement, without bunching up.
Like the leggings, the material of the shorts is supremely soft with even more outrageous colors available. If your thing is to make a statement, the colorways from FLEO won’t be outdone.
Related Reading: The 5 Best Weightlifting Shoes For Women
FLEO SPORTS BRA REVIEW
And finally, there’s the sports bra. Nothing compliments a great pair of pants like a sexy and supportive top to go with it.
If you think FLEO was going to go basic on the tried and true sports bra, well then you would be wrong. Utilizing many of the same fabrics as the leggings, you’re guaranteed to find a style that meets your needs.
From feminine to performance focused, FLEO offers a slew of different options for every body and chest size. Like flirty and strappy? Check. What about full coverage? They’ve got that too.
Like the rest of their collections, every single sports bra from FLEO is supportive, functional, and just plain fun wear.
Are FLEO Workout Clothes Expensive?
The price of anything is something that’s totally subjective. What costs a lot for me might be very little for you. In general terms, if you’re wondering if FLEO is worth the price, that’s really up to what your perceived value is.
I for one don’t mind spending a little extra on something if I know the quality is superior and will last longer. In that regard, FLEO uses only the highest quality, thick materials for every product they sell. While your usage may vary, I’ve found after a couple of washes little to no signs of wear thus far.
Don’t get me wrong, I love me a bargain, but sometimes a good deal results in a poorly constructed piece of clothing. So ask yourself, would you rather go cheap and buy 2 pairs of leggings that won’t last or spend a little more for 1 great pair that will withstand every grueling workout you throw at it?
Still not convinced? Perhaps take the advice from one of over 63000 peers that have mostly left 5-star reviews. That’s a staggering amount of high praise that you just can’t fake.
Final Thoughts
All in all, FLEO has made me a convert. There’s a saying that clothes make the (wo)man and I agree. The clothing fits in such a way that I feel a certain level of confidence in not only my physical abilities in the gym, but about myself.
FLEO is a company for woman, founded by a woman and that shows throughout their product line. That’s something I can get behind and feel good supporting.
Check out our other reviews: Massage Guns, Vibration Plates, Foam Rollers