Women's Active Merino Movement Tight

The Main Body is a four-fiber blend: 28% Merino Wool, 28% TENCEL™ Lyocell, 25% Recycled Nylon, 19% Elastane — the Merino+TENCEL™ pairing is the foundation of the Merino Movement collection’s positioning. TENCEL™ Lyocell is a wood-pulp-based fiber with natural cooling properties (it pulls moisture away from the skin and releases it to the surface for evaporation faster than a pure synthetic), while Merino provides natural temperature regulation and odor resistance. The 28% Merino and 28% TENCEL™ balanced split means neither fiber dominates — the blend is engineered to deliver the benefits of both, distinct from the brand’s heavier Merino-dominant base layer constructions. (Note: this is the first product in this batch using TENCEL™ Lyocell in the Main Body — the family’s other Merino+stretch constructions use only Merino + Recycled Nylon + Elastane.)

Soft, stretchy, and made to move — the description’s positioning captures the three attributes the fabric delivers. The 19% Elastane content is the highest Elastane in any Smartwool tight or pant in this family — higher than the 15% Elastane in the SW003178 Women’s Active Fleece Wind Pant overlay, the 8% Elastane in the SW003259 Men’s Active Fleece Jacket main body, and the 6% Elastane in the SW003264 Women’s Active Fleece Wind Insulated Vest. The high Elastane delivers the four-way stretch that yoga, studio, and flow-based movement demands — the tights move with the body through sun salutations, warrior poses, and the deep stretches without the binding a less-stretchy tight would create at the knee, hip, or waist.

The 19% Elastane content delivers true four-way stretch — the highest stretch content of any Smartwool bottom in this family. The high-stretch knit construction supports the full range of motion yoga, pilates, barre, and studio movement demands, from the deepest hip opener through the most extended sun salutation. The fabric recovers its shape after the movement stops, so the tights don’t bag out at the knees or sag at the hips across a multi-hour class or a day of mixed activity.

TENCEL™ Lyocell is the cooling fiber in the blend — its natural wood-pulp-based structure pulls moisture away from the skin and releases it across the fabric’s surface for faster evaporation than a pure Merino or pure synthetic would deliver. The cooling performance is the response to the high-heat output of yoga and studio work, where the body’s sweat output exceeds what pure Merino’s natural wicking handles comfortably. The TENCEL™ cooling handles the high-heat output while Merino’s natural odor resistance handles the multi-class odor challenge — a synergistic fiber pairing engineered specifically for studio use.

The 28% Merino content handles the natural odor resistance that pure synthetics can’t — Merino’s natural resistance to odor-causing bacteria means the tights stay fresh across multiple yoga or studio classes between washes. The odor resistance is what makes the Merino Movement collection the right tool for a studio practice where the same tights cover multiple classes per week without the daily-wash demand a pure synthetic would create.

The high-rise waist is engineered to keep the tights in place while you find your flow — the high-rise cut sits above the natural waist, high enough to stay put through sun salutations, inversions, and the deep forward folds that a lower-rise tight would ride down on. The high-rise cut is the response to the most common active-tight complaint (the waistband rolling down or sagging during movement) and is what makes the tights wearable for the full length of a class without the adjustment interruptions a lower-rise cut would create.

The description’s playful “and yes, they have a pocket!” call-out is the explicit acknowledgment that’s been missing from most active tights — the pocket is the small detail that makes the tights wearable beyond the studio (running errands after class, walking the dog, meeting a friend for coffee) without the need to bring a separate bag for a phone, a card, or a key. The pocket’s placement and size is engineered to hold a phone securely during the studio movement without bouncing or shifting.

The interior lining is 85% TENCEL™ Lyocell, 9% Merino Wool, 6% Elastane — a TENCEL™-rich blend engineered specifically for next-to-skin comfort in the studio. The TENCEL™-rich lining delivers the cool, smooth feel against the skin that studio movement demands (the body’s heat output stays in contact with the lining during floor work, inversions, and the deep stretches) while the small Merino percentage maintains the natural odor resistance. The lining’s 6% Elastane adds the four-way stretch the inner layer needs to move with the body without binding.

Built for the full arc of a studio or active day — the morning yoga class, the midday pilates session, the afternoon barre workout, the post-class walk, the coffee meetup, and the evening at-home flow. The Merino+TENCEL™ blend handles the in-studio heat output and the in-between moments of cooler outside temperatures; the high-rise waist stays in place across the full day’s range of movement; the pocket holds the phone for the full day’s range of stops. The tights are designed for the active lifestyle that moves between studio and street throughout the day.

The blend incorporates two sustainability-positioned fibers: 25% Recycled Nylon in the Main Body handles the structural durability with a lower-impact material choice than virgin nylon; TENCEL™ Lyocell (28% Main Body + 85% Lining = 113% of the lining weight) is a wood-pulp-based fiber produced in a closed-loop solvent process that recovers and reuses 99% of the solvents. The sustainable fiber positioning delivers active performance with a lower environmental footprint than a pure synthetic alternative, and the dual-fiber sustainability story (recycled nylon + closed-loop TENCEL™) is what makes the Merino Movement collection’s positioning distinct from the family’s other active bottoms.

Merino + TENCEL™ Lyocell Cooling Blend (28/28/25/19); Made To Move Soft & Stretchy Construction; 19% Elastane Four-Way Stretch; Cooling TENCEL™ Lyocell Fiber; Merino Natural Odor Resistance; High-Rise Waist Stays In Place; Pocket For Phone/Card/Key; TENCEL™-Rich Interior Lining (85% TENCEL™ / 9% Merino / 6% Elastane); Sustainable Fiber Positioning (Recycled Nylon + Closed-Loop TENCEL™)