These sweatpants do everything you want in yoga pants: they stretch effortlessly when you need them to, are lightweight and comfortable, and they stay cool even when your movements are pacey. The material, Tencel, is also anti-bacterial. Tencel is made from wood pulp and there is even an eco story: Warrior Addict makes them from up-cycled sample fabric – most companies don’t use all their sample fabric. The blue is dark and discreet-looking. Also available in grey cotton for lower-intensity yoga. Both pairs are currently reduced from the regular £70 price.

Not every gym supplies great mats for you to try and do your best work on – so taking your own is a great solution. The Liforme is outstanding: lightweight so it’s easily carried when you’re done, resilient enough to lie flat each time you lay it down on the floor and perfectly grippy, so your toes don’t start sliding backwards as you perfect your downward dog. Even better, it has extremely useful markings which can help you to stay symmetrical. In fact, it goes even further, with helpful diagonal lines to ensure your foot is perfectly angled for the warrior one pose, for instance. The thickness, 4.2mm, yields a great balance between support and suppleness. Choose from grey, green, blue, purple earth or pink.

These shorts have a great feel to them, with internal tight shorts (actually, there’s still room to stretch and they don’t feel overly tight) and a top layer that’s a good length. The layers are in contrasting colours, for instance oxblood out and dark grey mark inner. There are three zip pockets, one on each side and one on the rear which Alo describes as invisible. When they’re closed they really do disappear. All are capacious, enough to take your gym card, phone and so on until you’re ready to start your practice.

The feel of these trousers is soft and pleasant to the touch. The waistband and tapered legs are tight enough to hold in place perfectly but not at all constricting. The top half is loose, to provide maximum flexibility and has neat details such as the way the drawstring has a flat cord which lies flat so as not to interrupt your movements in appropriate poses.

Bamboo clothing is made of bamboo fabric which is warm but breathable and soft to the touch. These shorts are supportive but not too tight, and the material stays dry, wicking away moisture efficiently, no matter how arduous your vinyasas become. Bamboo is also very good at UV protection, should you happen to be practising in the sun. These shorts are available in four fetching colours, including a lovely marine green.

The shiny in mind pant is cool to the touch and stretches brilliantly, leaving you ready for anything your class leader throws at you. Although they’re stretchy, they’re not super-tight, making them comfortable rather than form-fitting. They sit on the waist and the tapered leg and tight fit above the ankle helps with the versatility. The material is breathable and wicks away sweat fast.

Yogi Bare makes a fantastic range of yoga accessories, from mats to stretch straps, blocks to wheels. The mats include several which are longer and wider than most other mats. For those of us not quite that tall, the regular version, 180cm long, is fine. It’s beautifully made and well-priced, with a pleasing design and enough thickness (4mm) to be enough supportive for your knees and other bony touch points. The grip is outstanding. It doesn’t have the comprehensive markings found on the Liforme, but there are enough to help, not to mention that cute paw logo in the middle.

This T-shirt, though not specifically designed for yoga wear, is a tremendous budget option. It is a comfy fit (a helpful guide on the website can tell you which size you want) and very soft to the touch. But the reason it’s so good for yoga is largely because it is outstanding for wicking away sweat very quickly so the T-shirt stays comfortably dry as you practise.

These fleecy pants are tremendously comfortable, with plenty of room in the crotch and with slim but not over-tight sections on the calves and ankles. They are thicker than many pants so some wearers may find they warm up when you’re speeding through the vinyasas, but they still don’t feel too hot. Five colours include dark variations and the oxblood finish found on the Unity shorts above, though those are shiny and these pants are matte.

You know the feeling, you’re worried that your top – which has already been threatening to slide away from your midriff to your ears during downward dog – is going to leave your tum fully exposed, or your eyes blinded even, if you manage to get somewhere with the shoulder stand you’ve been working on. Not with this one though, which has a discreetly elasticated waistband that stays in place even when you’re completely inverted. It feels soft and cool, and the extra security is definitely welcome.

These shorts are very stretchy and responsive, and stay in place at the waist thanks to a wide band that’s grippy and secure. There are pockets, though having anything in them while you’re practising seems counter-productive. The fit of the shorts on the leg is loose without being over-baggy. Like some other garments here, it’s great at dispersing sweat to keep you cool and the shorts dry. Lululemon also makes an excellent reversible yoga mat that’s solid and non-slip, by the way.

This two-in-one garment is excellent. The shorts are big enough to allow complete freedom and the inner leggings are very stretchy and nicely tight. They cover your legs almost completely, enough to offer protection for poses where scraping skin against skin can be painful. The material protects against sweatiness by drying quickly and wicking away moisture. There’s reflective detailing on the back of the calves: handy if you’re practising in low light.