LEGGIC FABRIC
Spandex vs Elastane vs Lycra
Spandex and elastane are common names for the same class of highly elastic fiber. Lycra is a trademark used for certain elastane fibers.
Reviewed 2026-09-15
Spandex and elastane are common names for the same class of highly elastic fiber. Lycra is a trademark used for certain elastane fibers.
What matters
- A percentage tells you how much elastic fiber is present, not the total stretch performance.
- Knit construction and yarn placement strongly affect recovery.
- Always follow the finished garment care label.
What each word tells you
Spandex and elastane are generic terms used in different markets for the highly elastic fiber blended into stretch garments. Lycra is a brand name, not a third generic fiber category. A care label may use one term while a retailer uses another in marketing copy.
The percentage remains only one part of the textile. Ten, fifteen or twenty percent elastane can behave differently depending on the base fiber, knit, yarn placement and how much the finished leggings are stretched in use.
Do not convert elastane percentage into a performance score
- More elastane does not automatically mean more compression.
- It cannot prove squat-proof opacity.
- It cannot tell you whether the surface will pill.
- It cannot guarantee that the waistband will stay up.
- Recovery, construction and fit have to be considered with the percentage.
Use this in practice
Compare the garment information you can verify — measurements, construction, care label and composition — with the way the pair actually behaves on your body. Avoid treating a single marketing term as a guarantee.