Plus Size Hosiery Review: Snag Tights

Disclaimer: All items were purchased by The Lingerie Addict for review. All opinions are my own.

Snag Tights hit the scene with a riot of color and a promise to solve the hosiery fit problems faced by plus sized folks. As someone who wears tights three seasons of the year, I knew those problems all too well: tights stretched thin over my thighs, cutting into the crease of my hip; tights too short that end up well below my crotch; tights that roll over and creep down at the waist. Snag promised to solve them by manufacturing their tights with variation in length, width, and waist circumference rather than just length.

While not exclusively a plus size company as they serve US sizes 2-32, Snag immediately grabbed my attention with their product photos. Featuring models in a wide range of sizes, including a number of recognizable plus size bloggers, their photos look cheerful, stylish, and accessible. I was very glad not to see any of the “smaller model stretching the waistband to show how big it gets” photos other companies have relied upon.

For this review, I chose a selection of their tights at different opacities and a pair of the “chub rub shorts.” The size chart offered by Snag shows that their sizes fit approximately US women’s sizes 2-32, heights of around 5’3” or under and up to 6’5”. I selected the size F. I wear around a size 20-22 US and am 5’7”.

Colors and Materials

Snag carries tights in a variety of thicknesses: opaque 80 denier ($13); semi-opaque 50 denier ($12); and sheer 30 denier ($12). The “chub rub shorts” ($13) are made of a fabric similar to the opaque tights. They also carry fishnets, kids’ tights, and wool tights, seasonally.

The opaque tights come in a variety of dark and bright colors, and for this review I selected the bright “Raspberry Pie” color. It’s bright, saturated, and feels quite cheerful – although it reads more red than berry in my photos. The fabric is very soft to the touch and has a good amount of stretch. They read fully opaque on my calves but more sheer at the thighs and stomach.

The semi-opaque tights come in fewer colors, just black, brown, and beige (“Hot Chocolate” and “Builder’s Tea,” respectively). The sheer pantyhose, similarly, come in Black, “Vanilla Marshmallow,” “Caramel,” and “Praline.” While these are marketed as “Skin Tones”, there’s room for growth in representing more skin-toned color options. I selected the Black semi-opaque tights and the “Vanilla Marshmallow” sheers.

In comparison to the opaque tights, both the semi-opaque and sheer fabrics have a slightly toothier feel. In wearing them, I worried that the texture would catch and cause friction between my thighs. It didn’t noticeably bother me, luckily, but I wonder if it might cause a problem for folks who walk a lot in their tights.

The toothiness is a slight trade-off for the fact that all three options are matte, without the slight sheen and smoother surfaces some tights and pantyhose have. I much prefer a matte finish to the gleam of an ‘80s pair of “suntan” pantyhose, so I’ll take it!

The chub rub shorts come in the neutral tones of black, brown, and beige as well as some fashion colors. I selected “Raspberry Pie” in these as well. They’re constructed out of the same fabric as the opaque tights, but end above the knee with a foldover hem.

Fit and Comfort

Overall, these are some of the most comfortable tights I’ve worn. All four styles have a high rise with a soft waistband about 1.5” thick. The waistbands are stretchy but with good recovery. While they do have a reinforced panty section, they do not include any extra compression.

The long rise and soft, wide waistband mean these should work well for many body types. I have quite a high waist and a full belly, which combined means that tights often hit below the smallest part of my torso and roll down. These, so far, have stayed firmly in place all day.

Both the semi-opaque and sheer tights fit comfortably snugly on my legs and do not bag. The opaque tights seem to have slightly less recovery – or are slightly larger – and so I do notice some bagging around the ankles after a few hours’ wear.

The only disappointment in the bunch is the chub rub shorts. I wanted to love them! I’ve tried a number of things for thigh rub, from a few different shorts options to rub-on deodorants and creams to Bandelettes.

Of all the shorts options I’ve tried, these are certainly the most comfortable and felt the lightest. Unfortunately, on me the thighs do not stay in place. After just running an errand for an hour or so, the legs had rolled right up to the crease of my thigh. I’m not sure if sizing down would help. Because they are comfortable, I will likely continue to wear them anyway, just with the knowledge that I’ll need to discreetly pull them down every once in a while.

Will I Buy More of Plus Size Hosiery?

YEP. I don’t really wear sheer tights/hose, personally, so I might not need more of those. But I love the opaque tights and want more colors. In the fall and winter, I pretty much live in navy tights, so I’ll get a few pairs of those. But my eye is also drifting to the saturated mustard, the bright purple, and the bottle green.

I also like that they have volume discounts so that stocking up on a few pairs at once gets you a bit off. At $10-13 they’re less expensive than many of the dominant plus-size retailers – and don’t come with a requisite “smoothing” upper.

With the uncertainties of COVID19, Snag shared some financial difficulties earlier this spring. Customers – including me – rallied and bought limited-edition gift certificates for future purchases to help float this difficult time. They’ve announced that it was enough to keep them going; I think it’s clear from that response that they fill a much-needed gap in the plus-size market. I’m excited to redeem my certificate for more tights just in time for fall!