Men who are shifting to yoga from their regular fitness routines tend to think that their baggy sweats will work just as well in their yoga workouts. While this may hold true in some cases, they are typically not suitable for yoga because the material is either not stretchable or breathable enough.

When it comes to men’s yoga clothing, two things should be kept in mind: they should be able to absorb sweat (to prevent sweat from dripping onto the mat) and they should allow enough room for movement to let you do a wide variety of yoga poses.

While you might see a lot of men sporting shorts in yoga class, there is a reason for yoga pants. In yoga, whether it’s hot or not, pants work to absorb the sweat, so when you get into an arm balance, you can hold it for longer without the sweat on your knees or legs causing your arms to slide off of them. And besides absorbing your perspiration, they also keep you covered when you are in the most vulnerable positions.

Yoga pants are meant to be comfortable, efficient at absorbing sweat, lightweight, and functional. This means the fabrics used need to provide stretch, while the design must permit you to get in and out of the poses with ease—to the point where you don’t even realize you have them on.

Surely, people have different tastes and needs when it comes to yoga. Some want a pair that can go from class to a cafe. Others would like the pant to absorb sweat like no other.

What you wear is important!

You can choose to wear shorts, pants, or cropped pants for bottoms, depending on your preference, or the type of yogic practice you will be doing. Those doing Bikram or Hot yoga may want to go for shorts to allow heat to escape the body faster, since you will be doing breathing exercises and asanas in a heated room. Typically though, men wear long or cropped pants for doing yoga. Cropped hemp pants tend to have wide-legged seams, which is not that recommended for beginners, especially if they decide to do faster paced styles of yoga.

If you decide to wear shorts to your yoga sessions, do everyone a favour and choose a pair that is sweat absorbent AND fits just right. You wouldn’t want to have any incidents of “indecent exposure” while you’re bending over and doing all types of lower body stretches. Pants can be made of any of the following materials: cotton, a combination of cotton and lycra, hemp, and other organic materials. Organic yoga clothing has gotten quite a following because one mantra of the yoga tradition is respect for all forms of life, and it helps capture that feeling of being close to nature.

Here are two of our top pics from leading eco-friendly activewear brand OHMME.

Yoga Bottoms

The DHARMA-GRAPHITE PANTS have no restrictions, improved grip, perfectly fitted, no sweat patches.

Like the classic Dharma, these pants are designed for comfort in your yoga practice. Our yoga pants for men do not bunch up and give you excellent support. Whether rolled up at a 3/4 length for a tighter feel or rolled down to contain your body heat during practice. Giving you grip during balances and twists, these pants offer you excellent mobility thanks to the sturdy stretchy material, strong seams, and the reinforced gusset panel around the crotch.

This strong polyester jersey is resistant, elastic, and feels great to the touch. And because of the fabric’s low level of absorption, sweat simply evaporates. Fast drying and wrinkle resistant, this sweat wicking garment will keep its shape. Its fast-drying properties allow these pants to evaporate sweat quickly and are really easy to care for. Looking for something full-length and lightweight but with even more space to move? These guys are your match!

Yoga Shorts

2-DOGS LINEN SUPPORT SHORTS are stretchy and silky, lined with a soft compression layer for total freedom of motion.

With an integrated and snug underlayer, the 2-Dogs Yoga Shorts for men provides complete flexibility. The material is stretchy and the cut is fitted with an extra panel from the crotch all the way down the inside of the leg, removing the strain from the seams and keeping your shorts in place for maximum body mobility. Keeping you comfortable and covered in all your poses and movements.

Their tight but stretchy fit allows for excellent blood flow.

2-Dogs are made for all body shapes and types of workout allowing you to focus on your practice and forget about what you are wearing.

Primarily designed for demanding hot yoga classes and animal flow practice, the 2-Dogs Yoga Shorts are made from a resistant, silk-like polyester jersey with a soft touch and durable elasticity. With sweat-wicking, fast-drying, and wrinkle-resistant properties these shorts are perfect for your active life.

Yoga Tops

Basically, men can choose to wear either a t-shirt or a sleeveless top (sando or singlet) when practising yoga. Going topless, though allowed by some instructors and studios, is not really that advisable because it increases the possibility of soaking your mat in sweat. Different materials are used for making men’s yoga clothing tops, although cotton is still the most popular choice because of its sweat absorbing capacity and its light weight.

OHMME is an eco-friendly men’s activewear brand. The clothes have been made in the eco-friendliest way, and designed for movement. They feature all the sweat-wicking features required of men’s active wear by using GREEN DEFENCE in place of heavy metals, which can be toxic both to the environment and to the wearers skin.