What to Wear to Hot Yoga + What You Need To Bring

It’s been a few years since I’ve been consistent with my yoga practice to help my body stretch and relax, and I miss it! My second child just turned one, and now that he’s eating more solids and I’m not having to maintain my breastmilk supply as much, I’m planning to add yoga back to my routine. I’ve been loving Pilates in the meantime, though!

Yoga is great for flexibility, muscle strength, energy, stress reduction, and so much more. One type of yoga that I love specifically is Bikram yoga or any hot yoga, really. I was initially skeptical, but I decided to try it and have been hooked ever since because of the feeling it gives me when we finish a class. I especially love hot yoga in the cold winter months!

If you’re wondering what to wear to yoga, I’ve got you covered in this post, whether it’s hot yoga or comfortably cool.

What Is Hot Yoga?

Hot yoga class temperatures are usually above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and the goal of these classes is to increase flexibility and help you release toxins through sweat. As you can imagine, I always end up very sweaty during and after class and you will likely be, too. If you have never attended a hot yoga class but plan to, deciding what clothes to wear and which outfits are appropriate for extreme sweat and heat can be challenging.

What to Wear to Hot Yoga + What You Need To Bring

I have a simple set of go-to outfits for my yoga practices. Each of us will have different preferences for clothing styles, but these outfits have served me well during my hot yoga classes, and I hope they will serve you well, too. Lululemon is my go-to place for hot yoga clothes, but Amazon also has some great options from brands like CRZ Yoga and HeyNuts.

Yoga Leggings

I am an avid legging wearer, both in daily life and in yoga class (see my post on how to style leggings for all occasions here). Even in hot yoga classes, I like to wear full-length leggings. Even though I sweat like crazy during class, wearing tight-fitting yoga pants gives me a better grip when I need to get into certain yoga poses. My favorite pants for hot yoga classes are the Lululemon Align Pants. I also discovered SET Active recently, and their Breathe High Rise Leggings are another great hot yoga option that’s a tad bit cheaper than Aligns. If you want to go the budget route, HeyNuts makes a fantastic pair of affordable leggings that I buy on Amazon – see my favorite Amazon leggings roundup in this blog post.

Yoga Shorts

When I want to wear shorts (I opt for shorts most often in warmer weather since I just can’t fathom pulling on full-length leggings in the summer heat), I usually go for this pair of 6″ biker shorts that I buy from Amazon since they’re my tried and true favorites. However, Lululemon also makes their Align leggings in a shorts length, so that’s what I’m buying next since Lululemon just lasts forever. And if you want something with a bit more length, Athleta has a 7″ pair of yoga shorts.

Loose-style workout shorts aren’t ideal for yoga classes since they’ll likely show a little too much leg and booty in certain yoga poses.

Sports Bra

For obvious reasons, I recommend wearing a sports bra with moisture-wicking fabric (do not wear cotton hot yoga clothing). These bras are perfect for any type of workout, including yoga. My favorite sweat-wicking sports bra is this Performance Flex Sports Bra by On. Not only does this bra hold everything in place with high support, but it also helps make me a little less sweaty during my hot yoga classes. I mean it when I say every little bit helps, ladies! I like the slightly higher neckline, too, so things aren’t falling out! Ahem.

If you have a smaller chest and need less support, I love the sleek look of the Lululemon Flow Y Bra Nulu
Light Support bra. This Like a Cloud Longline Bra is another great option that has light support and a fun back.

Hot Yoga Tanks

For sweaty reasons already mentioned, I prefer to wear tank tops to hot yoga classes (or even wear my sports bra on its own). Tank tops give my arms more freedom of movement when attempting (and sometimes nailing) poses. Since my legs are usually covered up, I at least like to wear moisture-wicking, lightweight tank tops to help make these sweat sessions just a little less sweaty.

This quick-drying workout tank from Amazon is perfect for hot yoga practices since the fabric is designed to absorb sweat. And trust me, absorbent materials are absolute lifesavers! I also love that the neckline is high so that you’re not falling out of it while in poses like downward dog.

Another option that sort of bridges the gap between a sports bra and a tank is this Lululemon Align tank that fits like a longline sports bra. It’s cropped and hits above the top of your leggings, giving you more coverage than a sports bra, but it’s fitted and has a built-in bra, so you don’t need to wear another tank on top. I love this top for yoga and pilates. Amazon makes a very similar option that I own and love too.

Yoga Mat

I am very adamant about bringing my own yoga mat to class. And I really don’t like the idea of using the mats provided by the studio. I know I sweat in those hot yoga classes, so I don’t want to use a yoga mat that other people have sweat on, either. I’d rather sweat on my own mat. My very favorite yoga mat is the Bala Play Mat, but it’s too heavy and dense to carry to class (I use it for at-home workouts because it’s so good for my knees). I’m linking a few lighter options for carrying with you below:

Yoga Towel

One great yoga hack is using a yoga mat towel. This Lululemon yoga towel is a good one. A yoga towel is perfect for those super sweaty hot yoga classes. Unlike a simple yoga mat, the combination of the towel and mat creates friction that keeps your hands and feet from slipping during poses. This is perfect for helping you maintain your downward-facing dog without slipping from your sweat and landing on your face. I also suggest bringing a small hand towel to help keep the sweat out of your face.

And yes, you can use a beach towel if you don’t want to buy a yoga towel – it doesn’t have the same grip, but it works in a pinch.

Change Of Clothes

My favorite tip for hot yoga-goers is to pack a change of clothes. I personally hate wearing sweaty clothes any longer than I have to, and I definitely don’t recommend driving home in wet clothes, either. Yuck! I usually pack loose-fitting clothes so I can quickly throw them on after peeling off my sweaty yoga garments. I just feel more comfortable when I do this after practice, and I think you will, too!

Even if yoga studios don’t have a changing room, I will at least bring a dry top to throw on in the car. Here’s a blog post with my favorite loungewear.

Facial Wash

I always include something to clean my face in my yoga bag. Besides loving the clean face feeling, one of the biggest reasons I bring face wash is to clean off the sweat. After hot yoga sessions (or any high-intensity workout), my face always has a layer of salty sweat. I don’t know about you, but I prefer not to have this sweat layer sitting on my face on the way home. Quickly cleaning your face will also help prevent breakouts.

I clean my face with an Ursa Major wipe immediately after class. I love these wipes because they clean my face thoroughly without stripping skin and leaving it feeling dry and awful. You also get a nice, clean face for the drive home, which always feels refreshing. I usually use the same wipe to do a quick wipe of the rest of my body too. I love to use this LA DOPE Cleanser when I’m washing my face at home.

I’d also recommend bringing a headband to hold your hair back if you have long hair, as it gets very wet. See my full skincare routine here and how I do my makeup for a quick jaunt to the gym here. I don’t do any makeup before hot yoga since it’ll all sweat off.

Water

This is a pretty easy tip. Stay hydrated, and bring your full water bottle to class! Water is essential for any workout, but you definitely need extra water for those hot yoga classes! I love bringing my own water bottle to have handy during practice. It’s super important to ensure your bottle is full at the start of class because you will most definitely drink it! I love this Owala water bottle that I buy from Amazon. It has an internal straw (more sanitary than a straw out in the air), but you can also bypass the straw for the “chugging” feature which allows you to get more water more quickly.

Since it’s a hot yoga class with 105+ temperatures, you will be losing a lot of water during class by sweating. To make sure you don’t get dehydrated, it’s important to replace all the water (or sweat) your losing by drinking up! It’s also important to be drinking water before and after your class. I also usually put LMNT in my water bottle for some electrolytes. Read my review on LMNT Electrolytes here.

What Not To Wear To Hot Yoga

• Cotton! You’ll be drenched! Make sure you’re wearing a material that will dry quickly.
• Flare yoga pants. The extra material will add more heat and may get in the way.
• Long sleeves. Stick to tanks or sports bras for the class itself.

If you’ve ever felt intimidated by hot yoga I hope this helps ease the worry. There will almost always be modifications for the harder poses (some of the poses like crow pose and king dancer pose are HARD, and I can’t do all of them yet!) so there’s no need to fear if you’re new. As sweaty as it sounds, hot yoga is so much fun and it’s so good for you!

Let me know your hot yoga or Bikram experience below!

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