Athleta Girl Leggings vs. Old Navy High-Waisted PowerSoft Girls' Leggings

Athleta Girl costs up to 3x more than Old Navy, and that math gets brutal fast when your kid hits a growth spurt. A $50 legging that fits for one season is a worse value than a $20 legging that fits for one season — even if the Athleta construction is technically superior. The premium only makes sense if the legging actually gets used long enough to justify it.

Old Navy's tall and long sizing online is genuinely hard to find in kids' activewear, and Reddit parents have called it out specifically as a reason they keep coming back. Athleta Girl has limited availability overall — primarily online or in Athleta stores — which makes sizing up or finding specific fits more of a hassle. If your kid is tall for their age, Old Navy is the more practical choice.

Athleta's Powervita fabric is legitimately excellent — it's the same material adult Athleta fans are obsessed with, and it shows in how the leggings move and feel. But Old Navy's PowerSoft isn't a cheap knockoff — Runner's World testers specifically noted how smooth and lightly compressive it is, which is high praise for a $20 kids' legging. The gap exists, but it's not as wide as the price difference suggests.

Parents who've used Athleta Girl report it holds up significantly better through repeated washing than budget alternatives — that's a real advantage if the legging actually gets worn long enough to matter. Old Navy does have some reports of snags after multiple washes, which is a legitimate knock. But for most kids, 'lasts one full season without falling apart' is the bar, and Old Navy clears it.