16 Sustainable Activewear Brands For Your 2024 Fitness Goals
By Ellie Smith
4 months ago
Style need not come at the expense of the planet
While traditionally fitness wear has been made from non-biodegradable fabrics like nylon and polyester, in recent years we’ve seen an influx in sustainable activewear brands. From plastic bottles to bamboo fibres, brands are looking for new materials to produce workout gear that’s not only performance-driven and stylish, but kind to the planet. Looking for some new athleisure pieces for your 2024 resolutions? Here’s our pick of the eco-friendly athleisure producers who are taking steps to reduce their environmental impact.
The C&TH Sustainable Fashion Hub
Sustainable Activewear Brands
P.E. Nation
Sustainable sports luxe is what Australian activewear brand P.E. Nation does best. ‘Our Conscious Nation’ – the label’s commitment to implementing sustainable business practices – has so far seen the brand launch an entirely sustainable capsule, 100 per cent organic cotton tanks and tees, and redesign its packaging to be fully recyclable (including compostable envelopes and satchels). What’s more, the high quality nature of the brand’s pieces ensures that they are designed to last. But, as stated on the brand’s site, ‘this is just the beginning’ – founders Pip Edwards and Claire Tregoning are on an ongoing mission to reduce the brand’s environmental impact as much as possible, ‘in-line with further advancements in the field of innovative fabric development.’ Find out more about the brand’s eco-efforts here.
EXPLORE: pe-nation.com
Perff Studio
Whilst Perff focuses on creating high end and confidence-enhancing luxe activewear, sustainability is never compromised. The brand – whose garments are crafted in the north of Portugal – is transparent about its continuing eco-efforts, stating that: ‘it is an evolving goal and definition, and we don’t have all the answers. But we want to focus on efforts that have the biggest impact.’ The label takes an eco-conscious approach, using a short-as-possible supply chain and producing high quality pieces which are ‘designed to last’, with 50 per cent of products crafted with recycled materials.
EXPLORE: perff.com
Giesswein
Paving the way for sustainable footwear brands is Giesswein, which makes trainers from merino wool, a temperature-regulating fabric with sweat-proof qualities. The brand prides itself on its zero-waste production process: products are made using recycled water and renewable resources, paying particular attention to resource-saving production methods.
EXPLORE: uk.giesswein.com
Boody Active
Emma Watson is among the ever-growing fan base of sustainable Sydney-born brand Boody. Inspired by simplicity, designed for sustainability, this brand is distinctive for its certified organic bamboo-based fabrics. ‘Bamboo is naturally silky soft but also thermo-regulating, meaning you stay cool in summer and warm in winter,’ explains founder Shaun Greenblo. These fibres are particularly helpful for exercise, as they contain mico-gaps, which provide ventilation and moisture absorption to keep you cool and dry during your workout.
EXPLORE: boody.co.uk
Vivobarefoot
Tread lightly on the planet with a pair of Vivobarefoot shoes, designed to mimic the natural shape of your foot – allowing the feet to move more naturally. Not only is there zero bio-mechanical interference, there’s zero impact on the environment. The B Corp certified brand is currently working towards its goal of using 100 per cent recycled, natural or biosynthetic materials in its products, such as recycled PET bottles and BLOOM, the latest in algae-based alternative materials. Choose between a range of different types of workout shoe, including running trainers, gym trainers and tennis shoes.
EXPLORE: vivobarefoot.com
Nimble
Pioneering activewear brand Nimble originates from Australia’s sunny Bondi Beach, but last year they launched in the UK – you’ll find it in either Selfridges or Browns. All Nimble items are made from recycled plastic bottles, which are cleaned, melted into pellets, spun into yarn and knitted with spandex – so far they’ve saved 800,000 bottles from going into landfill. Items come in compostable poly bags, while swing tags are made from recycled PET and organic cotton. The range includes everything from tank tops to outerwear to bags, but our top pick are the leggings: lightweight yet hard wearing, with a flattering waistband.
EXPLORE: uk.nimbleactivewear.com
CONTUR
This chic brand is produced in London, meaning founder Claire Turpin can regularly visit the manufacturers to check on production and quality. The product range – which includes sports crops, vests and leggings – uses super-soft textiles fashioned in Italy from ECONYL (repurposed nylons), ocean plastics and recycled cotton, meaning everything is sustainably produced. This doesn’t compromise performance though: fabrics are put through strict quality tests to ensure items provide the correct support, breathability, compression and shape retention. It’s all ultra-stylish too, with bright colours and flattering fits.
EXPLORE: conturuk.com
BAM
Sustainability is at the core of BAM, which is centred around clothes made from bamboo. Founder David Gordon recently announced the company’s goal to become impact positive by 2030 – across all areas of impact, not just the carbon footprint. A naturally eco-friendly material, bamboo absorbs five times more carbon than hardwood trees, and needs half the land cotton needs to produce the same amount of fibre – without needing irrigation or pesticides. It also happens to work well as a performance fabric. The gym wear range includes everything from shorts to socks to our favourite: the super-soft leggings, which come in many different bright, bold patterns and colours – perfect for yoga.
EXPLORE: bambooclothing.co.uk
TALA
TALA was an instant success when it launched in 2019 – the debut collection sold out in just 20 minutes. The brainchild of fitness influencer and entrepreneur Grace Beverley, TALA’s ultimate aim is for products to be made from 100 per cent upcycled materials. Pieces are created from recycled plastic bottles and factory offcuts, and all packaging and product labels are recycled and can be planted or composted. The brand sells everything from leggings to sports bras to headbands, with colours ranging from chic greys to bold neons.
EXPLORE: wearetala.com
SOS Activewear
Bronte Simm is the brainchild behind SOS Activewear, a London-based brand dedicated to sustainability in every possible aspect. All pieces are created in London, meaning they can keep an eye on the working standards of the factory and ensure all workers are happy, fairly treated and fairly paid. Fabrics used are planet-friendly, including regenerated nylon created from ocean plastic rescued from the sea, sustainably sourced bamboo and recycled organic cottons. The collection is small but lovely, and includes sports bras, leggings, t-shirts, sweaters and gym bags – all of premium quality and super stylish.
EXPLORE: sosactivewear.com
Reformation
Eco-friendly athletes, rejoice: one of the coolest sustainable brands around, Reformation, has launched an activewear range. Titled Ref Active, the collection is made from two different fabrics: EcoMove for more high-intensity workouts, and EcoStrect for more low-impact activities. Both are made from REPREVE which uses 100 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic bottles that are fully traceable from plastic to finished product. Think bike shorts, bodysuits and perfect fit leggings, in a range of different colours and sizes.
EXPLORE: thereformation.com
Lagatta
Ex-athlete Stephanie Reynders and her mum Dimitra founded Lagatta after noticing a gap in the market for activewear for women over 40. Sustainability is at its core, with everything in the collection made with Italian fabrics which use over 78 per cent of recycled yarn from abandoned fishing nets. The fabrics have also been put through extensive testing to ensure they haven’t been unnecessarily treated with harmful chemicals like pesticides and lead. All pieces are designed to support you in the right places, with built-in shorts and bras featuring active and passive compression panels.
EXPLORE: lagatta.com
Girlfriend Collective
Transparency is a buzzword that gets thrown around a lot in the sustainability market. But Girlfriend Collective is one of the few to put their money where their mouth is, offering a fairly extensive breakdown on its website about its sustainable and ethical practices. And they are sticklers for detail: getting into the nitty-gritty of each item; their policies around the dyeing process; and waste water used. Their chemical process of transforming 100 per cent post-consumer water bottles to create a recycled yarn is outlined too, so you can make much more of an informed choice.
Originally based in the US, Girlfriend Collective is now available to buy online from the UK from their site, and it’s recently been hitting our stores with the likes of Net-a-Porter, John Lewis, and Selfridges.
EXPLORE: girlfriend.com
Bamford
Bamford’s new wellness collection is certified by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) – a good one to keep an eye out for. This means that the design process, from the dyes, to the stitching, to the fabric, is all 100 per cent organic cotton, and is traceable.
EXPLORE: bamford.com
Whale of a Time
Whale of a Time’s new activewear collection has been made using eco-friendly fabrics offering UV protection. The sweat-wicking material is quick-drying and is 78 per cent recycled polyester and 22 per cent elastic.
EXPLORE: whaleofatimeclothing.com
Vuori
California-based athleisure brand Vuori creates clothing that bridges the gap between fitness, sport and art – with items that perform both in a sporting arena and on the high street. The brand is also committed to offsetting its carbon footprint, reducing its waste output and working with suppliers to ensure the fair treatment of workers.
EXPLORE: vuoriclothing.co.uk
Featured image: Reformation
