Revealed: Cheaper tights are actually LESS likely to ladder than expensive ones
Research in Australia found discount store brands were surprisingly more resilient than designer pairs that cost over £42
WE often shell out a fortune on expensive tights in the vain hope they won't ladder the first time we put them on.
But it turns out we could actually save our pennies by purchasing cheaper brands, as a new study proves they can be more resilient than pricier alternatives.
As reported by , a in Australia found tights available for $3.30 (£1.85) from discount store Kmart lasted longer without laddering than similar ones sold by luxury lingerie retailer Wolford for $75 (£42).
Kate Browne, a spokesperson for the consumer advocacy group, said in a statement: "When it comes to laddering, the price of tights does not determine performance."
CHOICE tested 10 brands of 70 denier black opaque tights for durability, with several of the cheaper brands coming out on top.
To conduct the experiment, a sample of each of the tights was stretched, pricked and loaded with weight at Melbourne’s RMIT textile lab to see how soon they started laddering and how large each hole became.
To determine the rankings, two pairs of stockings from each brand were all tested 10 times and an average result was calculated.
They were then listed in order of the load at which they began laddering and the resulting hole and ladder size.
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Cheap Clio Super Soft opaque tights (3-pack) from Kmart ranked the best, while pricey Wolford’s 66 denier Velvet Deluxe came in at the bottom.
Bonds Comfy Tops and Razzamatazz Perfectly Matte, both priced at $7.20 (£4) and Mix Basic 3-pack ($10, or £5.60) were also top performers, with the slightly more expensive Voodoo Lavish ($19.95, or £11) coming in at fifth.
Ms Browne said the more affordable options performed well and showed price is no reflection of quality.
She explained: "One of the least expensive products we tested, Clio Super Soft 3-pack available from supermarkets, only cost $10 (£5.60), or $3.30 (£1.85) per pair, and were more durable than a pair of Wolford’s.
"While there are other things to consider when buying tights, when it comes to laddering, you don’t need to feel like you’re compromising by purchasing inexpensive tights.
"With Australians spending almost $600 million (£336.3m) on hosiery in 2015, it pays to know where you stand when it comes to durability."
Clio and Wolford were contacted for comment.