BAM Enduro leggings review

Francesca Donovan finds herself reaching for the BAM Enduro leggings often – a ‘greener choice’ she can feel good about. Find out why.

Billed as an everyday all-rounder, the BAM Enduro leggings certainly live up to the brand claims. In the mess of my outdoor clothes draw, I often find myself rifling through the sea of black leggings to find these when I’m off to the gym or for a long cool-weather ramble.

Quick Specs
Price: $‌89 | £55 (available from BAM) Weight: 355gsm Materials: 64% Bamboo Viscose, 24% Organic Cotton, 12% Elastane Features: deep waistband, naturally-sourced materials, Pockets: 2 thigh pockets Size: XS – XXL (UK 8 – 18) Men’s version: no bambooclothing.co.uk

Designed for everything from brisk walks to strength training, the Enduro fabric struck me immediately as impressively supportive. The compression is good but doesn’t restrict movement, even around the knees. The waistband is the deepest of any pair of leggings I’ve worn and means that, despite not having any of the fussy shaping and extra seams of some leggings, the Enduros stay put. No hoicking required here, even after hours of fast-paced walking on the trail.

After months of testing and washing, the shape, seams and stretch of the Enduros has (ahem) endured well. Likewise, despite the fabric being soft and comfortable next to the skin, I’ve experienced no pilling or thinning associated with cheaper fabrics. Indeed, the thickness is welcome. I can’t recall how many times I’ve taken the plunge to try a new brand of legging only to render them see-through (and completely unwearable out in public) when stretched over the body! The Enduros are called ‘squatproof’ by BAM – I’ve tested them both in the gym and outdoors on scrambles and they haven’t let me down yet. I can’t speak for the leggings in different colourway and patterns – of which there are plenty for the sartorially braver than me – but the black pair are as opaque as a softshell.

They aren’t the most breathable leggings I’ve tried but they do feel more windproof than other leggings made from synthetic fabrics. The real benefit here is the next-to-skin softness. And all this from the innovative bamboo jersey which gives this British B-Corp its name – and incidentally warranted my Greener Choice award when comparing the Enduros to other synthetic fibre leggings which break down over hundreds of years in landfill. BAM say: “we’ve got nothing to hide” – so much so, the supply chain for its plant-based activewear is fully transparent. You can scan the label on every pair and follow its journey from raw crop to clothing. I’ve done it and it makes for reassuring reading.

The Enduros are not showerproof and aren’t the quickest to dry, but I’ve found the fit incredibly comfortable under waterproof overtrousers in the shoulder seasons and winter. BAM do make a winter running version with reflective details, double knit jersey and a brushed inner – but I expect these still wouldn’t be winter mountain-ready as the Enduro design generally lacks some of the more technical features, such as zipped pockets or reinforced knees, associated with hiking leggings or tights for climbing.

For me, the Enduros offer a more versatile investment I can use all year round – in anything but very warm summer days for which they make Enduro shorts. From shoulder season rambles to the air-conned gym or as part of a layering system in colder weathers, I reach for their comfort and support often. The leggings were a snug fit on me so I sized up to a UK18. Given the versatility and mass appeal of the BAM Enduro leggings, I’d like to see the size range extended to include more bodies.

Testing conditions

Francesca has been testing the BAM Enduro leggings over four months on late-summer, autumn and early-winter walks and minor scrambles across the Peak District, Eryri, and the Lake District, as well as trialling them in the gym and at her local climbing wall. She is 5’7 and has a small waist relative to large thighs (usually taking between a UK16 and 18, depending on brand) and runs hot.