The 6 Best Athleisure Brands for Comfort and Style

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Athleisure is seen everywhere. From coffee shops to grocery runs and even in some workplaces, it seems as if everyone is wearing workout clothes casually. Through the years, fashion as a whole has gotten much more casual and brands within the athleisure realm have benefited greatly. This demand for comfortable and fashionable clothing has forced many brands to expand their horizons to meet the growing desire for athleisure wear. But with so many options, choosing a brand can be hard.

There are many options for athleisure wear ranging from simple staple pieces to more trending and luxury apparel. How do you know which brand is the right fit for you? We did the research to find the best athleisure brands for your gender, budget and intended use. Discover the range of choices each brand offers from types of apparel to sizing options and price ranges. Learn about the pros and cons of each athleisure brand and discover whether or not it will fit into your lifestyle.

Our Picks for the Best Athleisure Brands:

• Best Athleisure Brand for Men: adidas
• Best Luxury Athleisure Brand: Lululemon
• Best Performance Athleisure Brand: NoBull
• Best Affordable Athleisure Brand: Baleaf
• Best Athleisure Brand for Women: Athleta
• Best Athleisure Brand on Amazon: Amazon Essentials

Best Athleisure Brand for Men: adidas

Key Features & Specs:

• Sizes available: 2XS-4XL, standard & tall
• Types of clothing:
• Tops: tanks, tees, jerseys, sweatshirts
• Bottoms: shorts, tights, joggers, sweatpants
• Other: outerwear, undergarments, accessories
• Price range: $20-$900

Originally a footwear brand, adidas expanded to apparel with the release of its now-iconic tracksuit in 1967. Hallmarked by the well-known three stripe design, the tracksuit helped to shape adidas to what it is today; a trusted and widely known athletic wear brand.

Due to numerous partnerships, you’ll find adidas gear comes in a wide range of prices and designs. Over the years, adidas has partnered with numerous athletes and artists including, but not limited to, Beyonce, Pharrell Williams, James Harden, Ana Ivanovic, David Beckham and Lionel Messi. However, partnerships go beyond celebrities—adidas has also expanded into partnerships with luxury brands such as Gucci and Prada. Want more adidas? Check out the best adidas running shoes.

Pros:

• Celebrity endorsements ranging from musicians to athletes
• Luxury brand partnerships
• Pricing to fit every budget

Cons:

• Celebrity-endorsed and luxury lines are typically more expensive

Best Luxury Athleisure Brand: Lululemon

Key Features & Specs:

• Sizes available:
• Women’s: 0-33, 3XS-XXL, plus, short-tall
• Men’s: 7-46, XS-5XL, short-tall
• Types of clothing:
• Tops: sports bras, tanks, tees, button up shirts, sweaters, sweatshirts
• Bottoms: pants, leggings, joggers, shorts, dresses, skirts
• Other: outerwear, swimwear, undergarments, accessories
• Price range: $14-$598

Lululemon has versatile, high-performance pieces that can seamlessly go from the gym to a coffee shop to running errands. With a range of colors that come in multiple styles of tops and bottoms, consumers have the option to build their own matching sets. The simple, yet sleek, design of Lululemon apparel gives consumers the versatility to dress up or dress down their look. There are also specific athleisure lines, such as the Men’s Business Casual line, which includes chinos, blazers and crewnecks. Customers can also opt for sweatpants and hoodies that are ideal for lounging.

The quality construction of Lululemon products is part of what makes it so coveted—and so pricey. A large factor in the long-lasting wear is choosing the fabric that is best suited for your desired activities. For example, the Align fabric is the most popular of the Lululemon brand, however it is not the best product for every type of exercise. Due to its delicate fabric that gives it the buttery feel, Align is designed for lower intensity exercise such as yoga. For higher intensity exercise, such as running and weightlifting, Fast and Free and Wunder Train fabrics are recommended. To ensure satisfaction with your Lululemon products, verify you are purchasing products with the correct fabric for its intended use.

Another feature to love about Lululemon is its effort made to decrease its carbon footprint. The Like New line has been created for gently used items to be resold at a discounted rate. This is a great eco-friendly option for consumers to buy high quality Lululemon products at a reduced price.

Pros:

• Extensive size range that includes numerical sizing
• Quality Promise to correct any manufacturing errors
• Rewards program gives members numerous benefits, such as early access to new products, community events, free hemming and return benefits
• Sweat Collective allows for fitness industry employees to receive 25% off

Cons:

• Price point is high
• Quality Promise does not include Like New items and can be at a manager’s discretion for items
• Some discounts cannot be combined; for example, Sweat Collective members typically cannot apply their 25% off on markdowns

Best Performance Athleisure Brand: NoBull

Key Features & Specs:

• Sizes available:
• Women’s: XS-3XL
• Men’s: XS-3XL, 30-40, regular and tall
• Types of clothing:
• Tops: sports bras, tanks, tees, polos, sweatshirts
• Bottoms: shorts, leggings, tights, joggers
• Other: outerwear, undergarments, swim, accessories
• Price range: $32-$245

NoBull clothing has a very straightforward, functional design. It was originally designed for athletes—specifically crossfitters and their intense training regimens. However, NoBull has expanded beyond crossfitters. As highlighted on the website, NoBull creates gear for runners, lifters, swimmers, golfers, certain racket sports and more. This has helped to expand the brand’s audience. If you are looking for NoBull to be worn as athleisure, check out their Tees and Polos for men or Women’s Sleek Apparel, both of which have smaller logos for a more polished and less athletic look.

The pricing of NoBull is moderate for an athletic wear brand. Regular and workout hoodies range from $79 to $139, which is in the middle range, comparable to Nike. With that moderate price tag comes high-performance products that can be seen as an investment without breaking the bank.

Pros:

• Functional apparel pieces that are great for athletic activities and comfort
• Many varieties of shoes for different activities such as training, running, lifting and golf
• Chipper rewards program that gives members greater rewards as they continue to show loyalty to the brand, including free shipping, early access and community events

Cons:

• Very athletic looking brand with large logos which may take away from a leisurely look
• Lack of retail locations for in-store shopping

Best Affordable Athleisure Brand: Baleaf

Key Features & Specs:

• Sizes available:
• Womens: XXS-6XL, Plus & Petite
• Mens: XS-3XL, Standard & Tall
• Types of clothing:
• Bottoms: shorts, skorts, leggings, pants, tights,
• Tops: sports bras, tees, tanks, jerseys, jackets
• Other: undergarments, outerwear, accessories
• Price range: $14-$74

Baleaf has a simple and straightforward approach to fashion. Its clothes are very basic with minimal text and logos. Rather than creating trendy pieces that consumers will stop wearing within a couple years, Baleaf aims to create timeless apparel. The simple designs align with the company’s mission: to create long lasting athleisure pieces.

Baleaf’s clothing is mainly athletic-based. For outside of the gym, there is a collection of “workleisure” that’s well-suited for those that are seeking a bit more comfort for their workday. Although the selection is limited, there are some reasonably priced versatile pieces, such as men’s quarter-zip and women’s bootcut pants.

Baleaf wants to hear consumer’s feedback to continue to improve their brand. Individuals can apply to test out products they are interested in. If selected, Baleaf will send you the product. The brand asks for honest feedback and in exchange you get to keep the product. This gives consumers a chance to truly be heard by that brand and builds rapport between the customer and the brand.

Pros:

• Wide variety of purchasing options including Walmart, Amazon and the Baleaf website which has free shipping over $69
• Versatile pieces to add wardrobe staples
• Low price point ranging from $14-$74

Cons:

• Fabric is not as high quality as other brands
• Lack of size specificity; no numerical sizing

Best Athleisure Brand for Women: Athleta

Key Features & Specs:

• Sizes available:
• Tops: XXS-3X, regular, petite, tall, 30A-40C
• Bottoms: regular, petite, tall, 00-26, XXS-3X
• Types of clothing:
• Tops: tanks, tees, sweatshirts, jackets
• Bottoms: leggings, pants, joggers, sweatpants, shorts, skorts
• Other: swim, accessories
• Price range: $49-$148

Athleta, an extension of Gap, is a female-only athleisure brand. Athleta has a wide range of women’s and girl’s workout gear including running shirts and casual tops, jackets, leggings, workout shorts, skirts, undergarments and more. Specializing in women’s and girl’s clothing only allows the design team to focus on designing clothes that highlight and contour to the female body.

The design of Athleta apparel is simple and sleek; the pieces are versatile in the sense that they can be easily worn from training to leisure activities. With a stylish color line and functional yet tasteful design, Athleta presents as a strong competitor in the athleisure world.

Athleta has different lines for different purposes. When purchasing, ensure you are buying clothes for what you intend to use them for. For example, the Salutation leggings are designed for yoga while the Ultimate are designed with a more durable fabric to withstand higher intensity exercise. Buying the product that best aligns with your intended use ensures durability and sustainability of your apparel.

Pros:

• Rewards program that spreads across the company’s four brands: Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athleta
• Large size range, including numerical and alphabetical sizing, ensuring a more precise fit
• Online reviews rave about the durability of Athleta’s products

Cons:

• High price point; workout leggings range from about $89 to $119, with some of the most popular styles priced at $109
• Less color options than some competitors

Best Athleisure Brand on Amazon: Amazon Essentials

Key Features & Specs:

• Sizes available:
• Women’s: XS-6XL
• Men’s: XS-6XL
• Types of clothing:
• Tops: sports bras, tanks, tees, sweatshirts, jackets
• Bottoms: shorts, leggings, tights, joggers, sweatpants
• Price range: $10-$104

Amazon Essentials is exactly what it sounds like; essential pieces set at Amazon low prices. The styles are extremely plain with minimalist design features that would stand out as unique. If you’re looking for trendy, form-fitting pieces, Amazon Essentials may not be the brand for you. However, if you’re looking for pieces that will be comfortable and versatile, great for lounging and layering, I suggest you take a look at the line.

Amazon Essentials creates inexpensive apparel for the entire family. There are options for men, women and kids. This allows for convenient one stop shopping for busy parents. There is also a Disney collection that includes Marvel, Mickey Mouse and Star Wars.

Pros:

• Some products are sold in packs, making the products more cost efficient
• Low price point with prices starting at $10
• Convenience of Amazon Prime and all the benefits that come along with a Prime membership

Cons:

• Plain and minimalist design features
• Selection of products within the athleticwear line is scarce

How We Chose the Best Athleisure Brand for You

We chose the best athleisure brands based upon style, functionality and reputation of the brand. Analysis of these brands was conducted in physical retailers and online through the brand website. Brands were also evaluated based upon consumer reviews on independent sites. We chose both lower and higher budget options, ensuring that all consumers have access to reputable and fashionable athleisure wear.

What To Look For In Athleisure

Fabric Material

The material of fabric for athleisure is a crucial factor when purchasing apparel. Some fabrics are softer but more delicate while others are a bit tougher and more durable. Ensure you choose apparel with fabrics that are intended for your activities. Many brands carry different lines of apparel for different functions based upon the material of the fabric.

Price

The price of athleisure will vary by brand and the budget of the consumer will vary by individual. Consider how often you will wear certain apparel when exploring price options. If you will wear a piece often, it would be worthwhile to invest in a higher priced item with good reviews.

Functionality

While fashion tends to be at the forefront of many consumer’s minds, the purpose of athleisure is to be able to move freely in the apparel. Learn about the best uses for specific apparel before purchasing. Consider what you plan to do in this apparel and if it will serve you well for your intended leisurely activities. For example, if planning to walk often in certain pants, consider if they have a pocket to hold your phone rather than having to carry it in your hand.

Comfort

Athleisure is meant to be comfortable and stylish. Ensure comfort by choosing apparel that you can easily walk, squat and sit down in. Check that the clothes fit properly so that there is no need to be adjusting throughout the day.

Athleisure FAQs

What is the difference between activewear and athleisure?

Activewear is specifically worn for athletic activities. Athleisure is apparel that can be versatile between an athletic setting and leisurely activities. How the apparel is styled can greatly impact the perception of athletic wear versus athleisure.

Are sweatpants considered athleisure?

It depends. If sweatpants are overly baggy, they can take away from a put together look. However, sweatpants that are form fitting and are dressed up can be seen as athleisure. Joggers, which are more like running pants with elastic bottoms, are currently trending as athleisure wear.

What is luxury athleisure?

Luxury athleisure tends to have a more sleek look. It typically comes with a higher price tag and a better reputation. Since the rise of athleisure, many luxury brands have partnered with athletic wear companies, therefore co-creating luxury athleisure.

How do I look polished in athleisure?

To look polished in athleisure, try adding some accessories such as jewelry and sunglasses. Athleisure can be mixed in with casual street clothes such as open button up shirts and jean jackets to give it a less athletic look. When choosing for a polished look, pick athleisure with minimal logos as those can look a bit more athletic.

Why is athleisure so expensive?

Athleisure is expensive because of its popularity. Brands are gaining traction and able to increase their prices as their reputation positively grows. Different brands come with different price tags. Ensure you are shopping at a brand within your budget.

Final Thoughts

Through the years, fashion as a whole has gotten much more casual and brands within the athleisure realm have benefited greatly. The old-school corporate dress code has relaxed greatly due to an increase in hybrid and work from home roles. School uniforms, with the exception of some private schools, are a thing of the past, giving students options on how they choose to dress. And when given a choice, people seem to veer toward the side of comfort. As I sit in a coffee shop writing, I am seeing many pairs of leggings, tennis skirts and sneakers worn by the people surrounding me.

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.