Since 2023, we’ve researched hundreds of pairs and tested 60—suffering through gaping waistbands, comical lengths, sagging bottoms, and more. Because jeans aren’t one-style-fits-all, we’ve also enlisted testers with diverse body types to try the jeans alongside us, and their feedback has helped us zero in on the winners.
Our picks include wearable, time-tested silhouettes—we’ve focused on jeans with wide-leg and straight-leg cuts—in various styles, denim fabrics, and prices to suit a range of tastes, budgets, and bodies.
They deliver a lot of bang for the buck. It’s refreshing to find reliably great jeans for around $100—especially when high-end denim often goes for three times that. Our Levi’s picks over-deliver on comfort, style, and durability. The construction is rock-solid, with even stitching, smoothly functioning hardware, and sturdy fabric.
Our picks belong to the Levi’s Premium line. Jeans in the Premium line are pricier than the company’s regular offerings (some cuts come in both versions). But the quality difference is clear: Premium jeans are made from better denim, with more stitches per inch. In our experience, they hold up significantly better over time.
The Levi’s brand has range. Whatever your age, mood, or personal aesthetic, Levi’s likely has a style for you, and all of our picks have their own unique flavor. The striking Ribcage Wide Leg pair is at once on-trend and totally classic. The very slightly tapered, ankle-length Wedgie Straight Fit pair feels cheeky, modern, and young at heart. And the slim, straight 501 Original Fit pair will successfully channel your inner icon (Marylin? Bruce? Cindy?).
They’re crowd-pleasers. Again and again in our testing, Levi’s has risen to the top. (This was also the case as we were putting together our guide to the best men’s jeans.) When we asked panelists with diverse body types to assess 10 straight-leg women’s styles from a variety of brands, the Wedgie Straight Fit jeans emerged with the highest overall score—this pair’s appeal was so broad it felt as if we’d stepped into The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.
The 501s also tested exceptionally well, making converts out of multiple panelists. Remarked Wirecutter supervising style editor Ingela Ratledge Amundson, “I’ve wasted a lot of money over the years on unflattering, overpriced jeans, when the answer has been right under my nose—for less than $100.”
Similarly, during wide-leg-jeans testing, the Ribcage Wide Leg was a favorite. “The cut is on point, the fabric has the perfect heft, and they’re so comfortable,” one tester said. “At this price, they’re a no-brainer.”
They’re designed to make the most of your assets. Many women’s Levi’s styles, including our three picks, have a deep yoke (the V-shaped back panel) and back pockets that are placed high and angled inward. “It creates that perfect, upside-down heart look to your butt,” one panelist said.
They come in many sizes and various lengths. Most women’s Levi’s come in waist sizes from 23 to 34; many, including our Wedgie and 501 picks, also come in plus sizes.
And Levi’s offer an unusually broad range of inseams—all of our picks have three inseam options—to accommodate different heights and make nailing a just-right length easier. (The Ribcage Wide Leg pair should be long enough to fall over a heeled shoe, the Wedgie Straight Fit pair looks best hitting right at the ankle, and the 501 Original Fit pair should graze the top of the foot.)
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Sizing across styles, washes, and fabrics can vary, so it can be tricky to find the right fit.
- Levi’s—especially the washes containing elastane—tend to stretch out over time.
- Plus-size styles often come in fewer inseam and wash options.
Fit need-to-knows
- Levi’s made from 100% cotton tend to run smaller than those containing stretch—which is the norm—so be sure to size accordingly. (Exception: Though it’s 100% cotton, the Ribcage Wide Leg pair runs large in the waist and will likely stretch. You may need a size smaller than usual—especially if waist-gapping is an issue.)
- Our curvier testers often preferred to size down in the low-stretch washes, while our straight-hipped testers preferred to size up.
Specs
- Material: varies by style and wash
- Waist sizes: 23 to 34; also available in plus sizes for the Wedgie Straight Fit and 501 Original Fit jeans
- Inseam options: Ribcage Wide Leg: 30 inches, 32 inches, 34 inches; Wedgie Straight Fit: 26 inches, 28 inches 30 inches; 501 Original Fit: 28 inches, 30 inches, 32 inches
- Rise: Ribcage Wide Leg: 12 inches; Wedgie Straight Fit: 10.875 inches; 501 Original Fit: 10.75 inches
Chic, comfy, wearable high-end denim, in two flattering cuts: AYR The Secret Sauce and AYR The LaLa
They’re stylishly laid-back. AYR jeans pull off a neat trick: They look relaxed and lived-in yet also unmistakably sophisticated.
The Secret Sauce pair has a wide (but not too wide) leg—it measures 9.5 inches across—so this pair is ideal for those who are wary of drowning in denim. (Just be aware that if you have thicker thighs, these jeans may read as more of a boot cut.) Meanwhile, The LaLa pair has a classic, straight-leg style, with an easy-slim fit from thigh to ankle. “They go with everything,” one tester enthused.
If you prefer a skinnier straight-leg pair, it’s worth considering AYR’s The Pop—a stretchy, body-hugging, ankle-length style with 2% elastane.
The fabric is special. All of our panelists were struck by the quality of AYR’s denim, and they offered descriptors like “supple and glorious.” (The material drew similar raves when we tested two men’s AYR styles for our guide to the best men’s jeans.)
The LaLa and The Secret Sauce jeans are made from a blend of 1% elastane, 59% cotton, and 40% Lyocell (a more-sustainable rayon known for softness, strength, and breathability). Both pairs feel broken-in from Day One—comfy enough for a Sunday sofa hang or a long flight. (The Secret Sauce is also available in cotton/elastane blends without Lyocell; we have not tested this one.)
The styles come in multiple inseams. The LaLa pair is meant to hit right at the ankle bone, and it comes in two inseam lengths: Short (28 inches) and Regular (30 inches). The 30-inch inseam was fine for our 5-foot-9 tester, but it was not ideal for our 6-foot tester, who said, “They’re still wearable, but I’d kill for a couple extra inches.”
Since The Secret Sauce jeans have a more-voluminous cut, they look best with the hem falling over your shoe. This style is available in Short (29.5 inches), Regular (31.5 inches), and Long (33.5 inches); the Long option was introduced in January 2025, and we tested it prior to its launch. Our 6-foot, size-27 tester said that “another inch or two would’ve been even better, but it’ll work,” while our 5-foot-9, size-28 tester deemed the 33.5-inch inseam the “peeerfect length for me.”
They’re especially booty-flattering. The LaLa and The Secret Sauce jeans are cut almost identically through the close-fitted top block—and both pairs made me feel, in a word, snatched.
The higher rise on these two styles lands right around the belly button and dips into a subtle, visually cinching V. Spin around, and you’ll see that the yoke (the V-shaped back panel) has an unusually deep cut, which complements a curvier backside—or creates the illusion of one.