A few months ago I introduced you to a new brand Thiandro Equestrian with a rave review of their Azure Rose Garden Essential Base Layer. This new brand (and owner Holly) is focused on producing quality, comfortable, performance-driven products at a reasonable price tag, and so far they have delivered. Today I’m going to be reviewing the Essential Riding Tight.
If you’ve been following me a while, you probably know these kinds of tights aren’t my favorite. I’ve had a few pair I really like…but mostly…I don’t like them. I prefer something with a zipper like a regular breech or hybrid type. Mainly for the way they look, but partially for comfort/function on my body. I do have some issues with tights never quite staying up right on me.
Unfortunately these tights did come with some of those issues…but I’ll start with the good stuff. First off…I love the zipper pockets. What a great idea. I do think that I would have appreciated them being a touch wider as fitting my phone in is tight…but for actually keeping my phone in…and my keys…and cookies…and money to pay clinicians…I love the pockets. Super.
Secondly the fabric is extremely comfortable. It is certainly a lighter weight…so maybe save them for spring/summer/early fall rides instead of testing them out over the cold winter (like I have been doing). I quite enjoy the comfort of these breeches while riding and while in the car. The sticky seat is sticky…but not TOO sticky which is always appreciated. Performance in the saddle is great. I don’t notice them at all when riding which is exactly my aim with riding clothes. If they are making me notice them…I’m uncomfortable…and they will swiftly go in my give away pile. These don’t have that issue. They’re a nice piece of athletic-wear.
Okay now onto the slightly less than perfect things about them for me. The tights aren’t bad for tights (again…tights are not my favorite), but the cut isn’t very flattering on me. I think it is the waistband in the back…or that it’s so wide…I’m really not sure. It makes me look lumpier and chunkier than I am (which I don’t think any woman enjoys). They are certainly better if I wear my shirt untucked. I think that a slight waist adjustment…or the addition of belt loops to break up the wideness of the band would go a long way into making these more flattering on a curvier figure. The addition of belt loops would also solve the riding down issue for me that I have with pretty much all tights. Not being able to wear a belt exacerbates this issue for me.
If the loud branding makes you uncomfortable (like it did me) know that it was a manufacturing mistake and the silicone was supposed to be clear…but it was too late by the time it was discovered by Holly, so she just went with what she had. The next round should have less obvious branding on it…so if that bothers you maybe wait to purchase until that changes.
Back to the good stuff! They’re easy to care for and just like everything else in my horse life, I wash cold and hang to dry and they’ve held up well to a lot of wear tests this winter. I wash everything this way because I want it to hold up…some stuff still doesn’t hold up well doing this…but these so far have. Quality is good (they aren’t the highest end tights I own, but are certainly on par with competitors) and the extra expense of including zippers on the pockets takes it up a notch from almost everyone else. The price is very reasonable for the quality (for $75 a pair) and you can often get them cheaper than that with coupons and sales which makes them even better. They are certainly better than the cheap ones you can get on Amazon…with the quality more in line with something like Blackheart or Free Ride. So if you like riding tights…you’re probably going to like these…and you’re really going to like the price. They also have some interesting colors with a pistachio green that is not at all like what everyone else on the market is producing…so I’m excited to see what she’s working on next.
Thiandro Equestrian is inclusive with their sizing going from XS to 3XL with UPF 50. I also want to give props to the brand for being very forward thinking – the fabric is sustainable made from recycled materials! Seriously very cool.
I’m really looking forward to seeing what else the brand has in store for us in the near future (hint…there’s a more traditional breech with belt loops and a zipper coming soon…which you know…is my preference…so I’m EXCITED)! I think it’s been a great first launch of Thiandro Equestrian! I’m looking forward to what Holly produces in the future!