The 7 Best Yoga Panties to Buy in 2018 to Eliminate Panty Lines

First out of the blocks is the Namastay Put Hipster from yoga-wear behemoth Lululemon. Since they are largely responsible for the tight pants that cause regular old panties to stick out like a sore thumb, one would think that they had to be all over creating a product that fixed the problem.

The Namastay Puts score high marks in the invisibility category. The laser-cut edge of these nylon and elastane panties (with cotton gusset) completely disappeared under my yoga pants.

Unfortunately, the coverage is not that great. Though these panties cover both cheeks when you first put them on, pretty soon they begin to creep up until you find yourself in malasana with the world's biggest wedgie. The sweatier the class, the more egregious they became.

It makes sense if you think about the physics of their design. They are nearly seamless, with one exception: a big seam up the middle of the back. Since this is the heaviest part of the garment, it naturally gravitates toward the lowest part of your anatomy, namely right up the butt crack. Nothing destroys the illusion of no panty line like having to constantly pull out your panties.

I was beginning to suspect that panty lines exist for a reason. They keep your panties on your butt where they belong. Nonetheless, the search continued.

My next pair from Lululemon seemed to confirm this theory. The Mula Bandhawear Bikini is an incredibly comfortable pair of underpants. Made of soft modal, amply cut (but not in a granny kind of way), with a stretchy waistband, these really do move with you from pose to pose and stay in place without constant adjustment.

All this comfort does come at a cost, though. A small but definite (gasp) seam around the leg openings means that these underpants are a little more visible than some of your laser cut options. Personally, it's a price I'm willing to pay.

Zobha's Boyshort Panties were up next. They are made of very thin nylon and Lycra with a cotton gusset. The laser-cut edge ensured that these panties became invisible under my yoga pants.

Though the design is similar to the Namastay Hipsters, above, there is one major difference: no butt seam. And miracle of miracles, they pretty much stayed in place through a complete practice. No creeping, no wedging, very little adjusting required.

That said, the boyshort isn't really my favorite cut of underpants. If you disagree, these may be the answer for you.

Commando is the genius name of a full line of anti-VPL underthings. Their tagline is "better than nothing," and it's rather fitting. Not only that, they offer many different cuts. For fans of cotton bikinis, this is exciting news.

I first tested the cotton bikini, which is, in fact, 71 percent cotton and 29 percent spandex, but that's far more cotton than any previous pair. Though they are perhaps a fraction thicker than their synthetic competition, the cotton bikinis are still all but undetectable.

My first go with the cotton bikini ​was on a bike-riding outing with the family. The Commando bikinis were stellar. Completely comfortable, I wore them all day long without a second thought. They performed just as well at yoga class.

I also tried the Commando C.Y.A Panty, which is a bikini cut in the familiar nylon/spandex vein. Unfortunately, these offered a quick trip back to wedgieville in yoga class.

I'm all for pratyahara, but prefer that my distractions are not caused by my underwear. However, your butt may vary (YBMV). With the wide variety of cuts offered by Commando, you are sure to find your favorite style, minus the panty line.

I didn't expect it to get any better than the Cotton Commandos, but kept going and discovered another really great option: Knixwear's Athletic Bikinis. These are comprised of the by now familiar nylon, Lycra, cotton gusset combo, but they are far and away the most comfortable cut of the lot.

The leg openings are bonded, which basically means folded over and glued instead of sewn. This makes them a tiny fraction thicker than the straight up laser cut edges but it also seems to make them really stay put. They do not budge.

Perhaps most fascinating, all Knix Wear panties have the option of adding a built-in leak-proof liner, which is intended to absorb small amounts of pee that might leak out during a workout. Any woman with a pregnancy or two behind her will understand why this could be a game changer. 

Panty lines are a scourge, but they're far more tolerable than the discomfort of a 90-minute wedgie. Unsurprisingly, my top choices came down to comfort, as measured by a proprietary wedgometer (remember YBMV). In order of preference, that gives us:

1. Knix Wear FitKnix Air Athletic Bikini
2. Commando Cotton Bikini
3. Lululemon Mula Bandhawear Bikini
4. Zobha Boyshort Panty
5. Lululemon Namastay Hipster
6. Commando C.Y.A. Panty

And, finally, we have a definitive answer to that all-important question. It is entirely possible to find comfortable yoga panties without the VPL while avoiding the thong. Give a few of these panties a try and you might just discover the pair that's perfect for you.