Yup, we get it. There’s something about that ratty old t-shirt that you continue to wear in training. Whether donned as a mental pre-workout for big time lifts or given a second life as a worthwhile cutoff, nearly every gym-goer has one of these garments at the ready in their closet. While one silhouette is fine for nostalgia’s sake, though, it’s time you upgrade your training ensemble with apparel that actually works with your workouts.
Today’s technologies and advancements in fabrics have led to a slew of worthwhile options when it comes to quality workout apparel (trust us, we’ve tested a bunch of it). But narrowing down the entire category to just a handful of items is quite the tall order. Plus, you need to take the human element into consideration where some athletes may have a brand loyalty that goes against another’s opinion. So, rather than ignite a firestorm in the comments, we’ve decided to take a broader approach by identifying brands we think do the category justice.
These listed brands offer a slew of impressive silhouettes from top to bottom (get it?) each with their own blend of premium materials, comfortable cuts and added notes of style. After all, that’s what you should be looking for when branching out into the realm of worthwhile workout garb. There’s brands catering to specific fitness disciplines and brands offering a more versatile lineup of training-ready threads; those offering vibrant aesthetics and those more subdued to keep the focus on the training, not your ensemble. If you can think of a training apparel brand, odds are that it’s found its way to this all-encompassing roundup.
How We Tested
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Ben Emminger
We’re constantly shuffling around our workout apparel rotation, and as such, have had experience with a ton of brands and clothing profiles. We also tend to test a variety of offerings from each brand to get a better understanding of its overall quality. The brands chosen for this comprehensive guide have shown dedication to the fitness realm with sleek offerings across a number of silhouettes like shirts, shorts, undergarments and more.
While we highlight one product in particular for each brand below, don’t hesitate to peruse each individual brand’s lineup to find products more suited to your individual needs. We intend to have this guide serve as a jumping off point for athletes where we supply the brands worth considering and let you, the athlete, choose your own adventure with which silhouettes you end up going for.
Ten Thousand
Ten Thousand
Athletes aren’t made overnight. It takes grit, determination and perseverance. Ten Thousand is a brand built on these principles. The brand believes every day is an opportunity to be better than yesterday. Ten Thousand apparel embodies this gritty mantra, made to withstand the toughest of workouts. Every product goes through rigorous testing for strength and resistance.
Materials matter when it comes to performance workout clothes. While some activewear brands cut costs by sourcing cheaper fabrics, Rhone does not compromise. The brand’s premium-priced apparel features only the best carefully crafted textiles, never compromising on comfort, fit and durability. Every piece is as aesthetically good-looking as it is functional.
CrossFit athletes, you know what’s up. As the title sponsor of the CrossFit Games, Nobull is no stranger to putting in the work. Known widely for performance footwear, this Boston-based company prides itself on making gear without excuses. Maintain those intense circuits with the brand’s impressive apparel lineup designed with the no-frills, no-B.S. mindset you want when training hard.
Gymshark has quickly earned its place as one of the best fitness apparel brands. This UK-based fitness brand exploded on social media a few years ago and boasts over 5.6 million Instagram followers today. Its straightforward, clean-looking workout clothing is both highly functional and comfortable at prices that rival Old Navy and H&M.
This men’s only brand was founded to solve a problem very specific to men — how can you make a comfortable, supportive pair of underwear that minimizes moisture, friction and that uncomfortable clammy feeling down south during workouts? Their innovative BallPark Pouch technology is, “designed to reduce skin-against-skin friction,” using a “3D hammock-shaped pouch that keeps everything in place.
Take a glance at any gym floor and you’ll most certainly see plenty of Lululemon on men and women alike. What started as a small yoga brand out of a studio in Vancouver, Canada has grown into an international fitness icon. With a clean, straightforward design, every piece of clothing is cut to look good while functioning exceptionally well in the gym.
Another brand that’s quickly garnered praise for both its style and performance, Legends brings a slew of silhouettes to the table that blur the line between activewear and athleisure. Designs are kept athletic through key cuts and seams, and there’s no shortage of vibrant, appealing colorways across the board. If you’re looking to take your training up a status, why not aim for “Legendary” with this impressive brand?
Inov-8’s entire lineup screams in-training toughness, but the brand’s stable of Graphene-infused footwear is really its calling card. Despite the sneaker-centric reputation, though, the brand still has plenty of well-to-do apparel options that have quickly become favorites of ours. Seriously, if we had to choose between our stamina and Inov-8 gear on which would fail first in the gym, we’re always putting the money on the British brand … and we work out for a living!
Ever since its inception as a small climbing and backpacking shop in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood, The North Face has sought to provide the best outdoor apparel and gear to those who never stop exploring. The brand remains dedicated to serving those who continually push the boundaries of outdoor action sports.
If there was ever a brand that needed no introduction, Nike would most certainly be it. Founded as a running shoe brand in the 70s, Nike has grown to become a powerhouse sports brand. From golf to skateboarding, Nike makes some of the best and most fashionable workout clothes for men.
Don’t think that this outdoor-oriented brand isn’t comfortable in the gym space, too. With a number of products and silhouettes designed to keep you moving, Patagonia is a fantastic brand to consider adding to your fitness wardrobe. Each piece is carefully designed to ensure it’s not only ready to perform, but ready to do good as well. Many of the brand’s products feature recycled content, so your workouts have less effect on the Earth and more on your overall health.
When the founders wanted to make socks that would enable them to ski longer without getting cold toes, they stumbled upon the power of merino wool. Considered nature’s high-performance fabric, merino wool outperforms just about every synthetic fabric out there in terms of regulating both hot and cold temperatures and wicking moisture while being naturally odor-neutralizing. Today, Smartwool carries a full lineup of performance apparel, all made mostly with merino wool.
Prana, in Sanskrit, is a word to describe breath. The company was founded in Carlsbad, California with an emphasis on creating sustainable yoga and climbing clothes. If comfortable, sustainable clothing is important to you, look no further.
Based out of Boston, Janji is a boutique running clothing brand that strives to continually improve how they, “Treat people, planet and products as we put our best foot forward and make better choices every day,” a motto they call, “Perpetual Forward Motion.” Two percent of all proceeds are donated to help countries access clean water. The brand’s clean-lined workout clothing and colorful prints and patterns are inspired by the countries Janji helps, such as Kenya, Peru, Nepal and Uganda.
This Canada-based sportswear company has its roots in innovative excellence. Boasting a plethora of stylish garb fit for the gym and the streets, Reigning Champ has quickly become one of our favorite workout brands. Utilizing signature fabrics with an emphasis on rugged construction and unrivaled comfort, it’s easy to see why Asics, Prince, District Vision and more have teamed up with this sportswear company for a plethora of visually-pleasing, performance-ready goods.
Okay, so being a multi-time champion in one of the toughest professional sports doesn’t automatically make your brand a contender for best workout apparel … but it does help. Thankfully, Tom Brady’s activewear brand carries the same emphasis on efficiency and performance as his playing career offering up plenty of profiles suited for the gym, track and couch alike.
Rooted in the practice of yoga and its transformative power, this LA-based yoga brand is particularly popular with celebrities. Designed to go from the yoga studio to the streets, Alo’s simple, print-free color palette is both stylish and functional. However, don’t be fooled by its simplistic look — Alo clothing is extremely high-end and long-lasting.
With surf-styling undertones, Vuori is an activewear clothing company aimed at making high-quality apparel that blurs the line between performance workout wear and everyday threads. Vuori’s fabric selection is top-notch. Only the finest materials go into each piece of clothing. For those looking for soft, mobile workout gear with a hint of California style, Vuori has you covered.
Ever since Kevin Plank’s groundbreaking moisture-wicking compression shirt was worn under the pads of University of Maryland football players, Under Armour has been at the forefront of cutting-edge athletic apparel. Trusted by countless professional athletes and sports teams, Under Armour styles cover the gamut from weight training to golf gear.
CXP has been a new discovery for us in training, and the comfort at hand has been unmatched. The brand’s lineup of compression-laden bottoms helps keep our lower body comfortable across a number of movements while still retaining placement without the constriction you’d typically experience in more well-to-do compression shorts. While not widely known, if you want to pair your gym shorts to a quality liner, consider CXP for your next training session.
Ibex harnesses the power of merino wool in impeccable fashion. The brand’s stable of tops, bottoms and accessories unlock great possibilities for warm and cool training. While merino wool isn’t the cheapest material used in activewear, there’s few textiles that can match its quality. For us, this brand is one of the best examples of investing in apparel that’s here to stay rather than fade away.
Pronounced “Two Times You,” 2XU started as a triathlon and running brand and has since grown to become a leader in compression wear across all sports. Using a proprietary PWX compression fabric, 2XU compression garments claim to increase peak power and blood flow while reducing injury and speeding up recovery. Get a better workout and bounce back faster by adding a pair of these comfortable, high-performance compression pants.
Hylete may not be as familiar a brand as some on this list, but that doesn’t mean they’re not as good. What started as a single pair of men’s workout shorts in 2012 has grown into a full line of fitness apparel, gear and cross-training shoes. Hylete’s dedication to customer feedback drives product development. By only selling through the brand’s website, there’s a direct line to customer feedback.
The classic three stripe Adidas logo is a staple of athletic apparel — not to mention the timeless Adidas two-piece tracksuit. This German-based company originated when founder Adi Dassler started making shoes in his mother’s kitchen. Today, Adidas’ focus is on “Owning the Game,” as they call it, a customer-focused strategy aimed at producing the best sportswear for an active and healthy lifestyle.
Gymreapers first popped onto our radar as a worthwhile fitness equipment brand, but it’s also a damn fine apparel company, too. The silhouettes are minimalist in nature, lending themselves to focused workouts, but the textiles and attention to detail across all the silhouettes are a statement in themselves proving that Gymreapers aims to supply fitness enthusiasts with eh best gear personal, wardrobe-oriented or not.
Like most new runners, what started out as a hobby to stay in shape quickly became an obsession. After getting burnt out on road running, founder Scott Bailey discovered the joy and freedom of trail running. However, there was one problem: Bailey struggled to find a truly functional pair of running shorts with liners for all weather conditions and distances. Thus, the concept of the Path Projects’ linerless running shorts was born.
Reebok’s popularity has followed somewhat of a rocky road. During the height of the 80s, Reebok sales were booming. The Reebok Pump was the hottest shoe on the market. However, at the turn of the century, the tides changed for Reebok. Fast forward to today, and with support from parent company Adidas, Reebok is back as one of the hottest fitness brands. The brand has leveraged partnerships with CrossFit, Spartan and UFC to design athletic wear that’s tough, durable and highly functional.
