A great pair of training tights is one of the most personal pieces of kit you’ll own. They need to move with you through every squat, stay put on every run, and never once leave you tugging or checking whether they’ve turned see-through under load. TWL makes four women’s tights franchises — Refine, Elevate, Energy and Maverick — and while all four are squat-proof, high-performing and built for training, each has its own fabric, feel and personality. This guide breaks down the differences so you can choose your next pair with confidence.
Start with the fabric: Refine™ vs Elevate™
The quickest way to understand the four franchises is to know that they’re built on two different signature fabrics, and each fabric produces two tights. Get your head around the fabrics and the rest falls into place.
TWL Refine™ is a nylon-rich blend (75% nylon / 25% elastane) with a brushed inner finish and a seamless front. Nylon gives it a smooth, matte, second-skin feel and outstanding opacity — it stays completely covered under load. This fabric powers the Refine and Maverick tights. TWL Elevate™ is a polyester-rich blend (71% polyester / 29% elastane) with a notably higher elastane content than most performance tights. That extra stretch delivers a buttery-soft hand-feel and genuine compression that actively supports your muscles rather than just sitting on them. This fabric powers the Elevate and Energy tights.
So the simple mental model is: Refine fabric = smooth, brushed, sculpting and seamless; Elevate fabric = soft, stretchy and compressive. From there, the two tights within each family are separated by their waistband, pockets and intended use.
Refine Tights: the seamless, sculpting all-rounder
The TWL Women’s Refine Tights are the flagship of the Refine™ fabric family and the pair to reach for when you want a do-everything tight that looks as good outside the gym as in it. The headline feature is the seamless front design — there’s no front seam to create distraction or discomfort, just a clean, smooth panel. Body-contouring panels enhance your natural shape while keeping the fabric flexible and responsive, and the brushed finish gives that genuine second-skin comfort.
Practically, the Refine adds a contoured waistband that never rolls down — no drawstring needed — and functional side pockets for your phone, keys or a gel. That combination of a sculpted look, secure pockets and moisture-wicking breathability makes the Refine the most versatile pick of the four: equally at home in a weights session, on a run, or worn all day. If you want one premium pair that transitions seamlessly from training to everyday, this is it.
Elevate Tights: buttery-soft, sleek and minimalist
The TWL Women’s Elevate Tights launch the Elevate™ fabric family and are all about that buttery-soft, second-skin feel. Developed in collaboration with female athletes, they’re designed to deliver zero compromises on comfort, style and functionality across squats, runs and stretches. The polyester-rich blend with 29% elastane makes them wonderfully soft and completely non-see-through, so they stay squat-proof at any depth.
Where the Elevate stands apart is its thick compression waistband with an internal cord for a sculpted, secure fit, and its clean, minimalist silhouette. Rather than bulky side pockets, it uses a discreet hidden SideSlide™ pocket tucked into the waistband for a key or gel — keeping the lines sleek and uninterrupted. Reflective details add low-light visibility for outdoor sessions. If you love a smooth, streamlined look and prize softness and a sculpting waistband above extra storage, the Elevate is made for you.
Energy Tights: high-waisted compression with pockets for everything
The TWL Women’s Energy High-Waisted Tights take the same soft, high-elastane Elevate™ fabric and turn up the function. Think of the Energy as the Elevate’s more practical sibling: same buttery-soft feel and genuine compression, but with functional side pockets sized for a phone, keys, gels or cards, positioned on the hip for easy mid-run or between-set access — with openings that sit flush so they don’t distort the silhouette.
The Energy delivers a medium-high compression hold that actively supports your muscles, and a high-rise waistband with an internal compression cord engineered to prevent any rolling, slipping or gapping — including keeping your core covered through overhead movements. Reflective back-waistband detailing adds visibility outdoors. It’s the most broadly marketed of the four — weightlifting, running, CrossFit, Hyrox, yoga, pilates and everyday wear — making it the ideal choice for the athlete who wants genuine compression, a locked-in high waist and the convenience of carrying their essentials without a single compromise. It’s the everyday performance workhorse of the tights range.
Maverick Tights: built for heavy lifting and Hyrox
The TWL Women’s Maverick Tights share the same premium Refine™ fabric (75% nylon / 25% elastane) and brushed second-skin feel as the Refine, but they’re tuned for the athlete who lives under a barbell. TWL engineered this fabric specifically for the demanding movements where lesser tights fail — deep squats and heavy deadlifts — where the high nylon ratio keeps them completely opaque under load with zero see-through, no matter how deep you go.
The Maverick leans into body-contouring panels that provide targeted support and enhance your natural shape, plus a contoured, drawstring-free waistband that stays locked in through explosive movement. Four-way stretch responds to your full range of motion and snaps back to shape immediately, so there’s no bagging or sagging halfway through a session. It’s marketed squarely at weightlifting, barbell training, high-intensity conditioning, running, cardio and Hyrox — making it a superb choice for hybrid athletes and anyone whose training revolves around strength. If your priority is a sculpting, ultra-opaque tight that performs when the load gets serious, the Maverick is your pair.
What lengths are they available in?
Every one of the four franchises is available in TWL’s popular 7/8 length, which sits just above the ankle on a 23″ inseam. The 7/8 is the most versatile length going — it delivers full-leg coverage and a streamlined look without bunching at the ankle, and it’s flattering across a huge range of heights. It’s the length most women reach for because it works for lifting, running and everyday wear alike.
If you prefer maximum coverage, all four franchises are also offered in a full length option, taking the leg right down to the ankle — a great choice for cooler training environments or anyone who simply prefers the longer line. Whichever length you choose, the fabric, fit and features of each franchise stay the same, so you’re only deciding on coverage, not compromising on performance. (Availability of lengths and sizes can vary, so check the individual product page for the current options in your size.)
Which TWL tights should you choose?
Because all four are squat-proof, moisture-wicking and built for training, the right pick comes down to fabric feel, waistband and storage:
- Refine — Refine™ nylon fabric, seamless front, side pockets, never-roll waistband. Best for the athlete who wants one versatile, sculpting pair for training and everyday wear.
- Elevate — Elevate™ soft fabric, thick sculpting waistband, hidden waistband pocket. Best for those who prioritise a buttery-soft feel and a sleek, minimalist look.
- Energy — Elevate™ soft fabric, high-rise, medium-high compression, functional side pockets. Best all-round performance tight for those who want compression, a locked-in high waist and pockets for everything.
- Maverick — Refine™ nylon fabric, body-contouring panels, ultra-opaque under load. Best for heavy lifting, strength training and Hyrox.
Prefer a smooth, brushed, sculpting finish? Look at the Refine family (Refine or Maverick). Prefer a soft, stretchy, compressive feel? Look at the Elevate family (Elevate or Energy). Then let pockets and waistband make the final call: choose the Refine or Energy if you want to carry your phone, or the Maverick or Elevate for a cleaner, more minimalist line.
Common questions
Are all four tights really squat-proof? Yes. Every franchise is built from fabric with the opacity to stay completely non-see-through under load — the Refine and Maverick through a high nylon ratio, the Elevate and Energy through their dense, high-elastane weave. You can hit depth in any of them with confidence.
Which has the best pockets? For carrying a phone, the Refine and Energy lead the way with functional side pockets. The Elevate keeps things minimal with a hidden waistband pocket for a key or gel, so choose based on how much you like to carry while you train.
Which is best for running specifically? Any of the four will run well, but the high-waisted, pocketed Energy and the versatile Refine are the easiest to head out the door in, thanks to secure storage and reflective detailing for low-light visibility.
The bottom line
There’s no single “best” pair — there’s the best pair for how you train. The Refine is the versatile everyday sculptor, the Maverick is the heavy-lifting and Hyrox specialist, the Elevate is the soft minimalist, and the Energy is the do-it-all high-waisted compression tight with pockets. All four come in the flexible 7/8 length, with full-length options across the Refine and Maverick, so whatever your session and whatever your preference, there’s a TWL tight built for it. Explore the full TWL women’s tights range here and find the pair you’ll never want to train without.
