Fouganza 500 Leggings: first look

Fouganza 500 Leggings

Nice, thick waistband kept the leggings in place

These Fouganza leggings are available in four colours: asphalt blue, bright damson, dark petrol blue and Bordeaux (pictured). They are made from 77% recycled materials, and are super stretchy and comfortable. They have a fairly high waisted waistband, which is nice and thick so feels secure when on. There is a small logo printed on the back right, as well as a tonal ‘Fouganza’ logo on the left thigh. They have a delicate diamond shaped seat and knee grip, in tonal colours that look really nice. The leggings weren’t see through at all even after washing.

Clever zip closure pocket keeps belongings secure whilst riding

There is a zip closure phone pocket midway down the right thigh, with the zip at the front this pocket works really well when riding (unlike other Fouganza breeches I’ve tried that have the zip at the bottom). This zip placement means that anything inside it is really secure and not at any risk of falling out. The pocket was easy to use when on or off a horse and anything in it didn’t interfere with the fit. The lower leg features a small stretchy panel to allow a snug fit around the ankle. There are a few bulky seams but I didn’t find they rubbed under socks or long boots at all.

I am 5ft8in and the leggings were a good length, possibly a little short. I wore a medium/UK 10, which fitted me snugly, but after a few wears I felt that the material stretched a little. Although testing all other Fouganza legwear in this size, I may have been better to size down with these to retain a tighter fit. They washed well at 40°C.

The leggings are priced at £39.99, which is the lower middle end of the market. I feel they are a little over priced for the quality, but they were comfortable and easy to wear. I found these to be considerably nicer than the Fouganza 100 leggings – the material is much better quality and they also had a better fit. It’s also worth noting that you might have trouble fitting one of the larger iPhone models in the pocket, especially if you have a case on it – smaller phones are no problem.

Verdict

Initial thoughts – I think these leggings are a good, mid-budget product suitable for riding, yard work and lounging.

View now at decathlon.co.uk

Who tested these leggings?

Sophie Cheeseman is Horse & Hound’s deputy art editor. She has a four-year-old Connemara mare with Glencarrig and Coosheen lines, imported from Ireland, who she bought to produce for dressage. Together they also hunt regularly with The South Downs Bloodhounds alongside doing low level dressage. Sophie also rides for other people, producing young horses and gaining further experience on a variety of rides.

Find out more about how Horse & Hound tests products

What is a first look review?

These are our first impressions of a piece of kit or clothing based on spending some time with it. We will have had our hands on it and given it a really thorough going over before trying it on ourselves or our horses and using it. The information we can give you after this first look will give you some sense of what it’s like to use, even if it’s only an initial view. As soon as we’ve given it a more thorough test, we will update the review with a full scoring and additional thoughts.

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Score

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