The best activewear brands aren’t just on speed dial for Hyrox Queens and marathon runners. For a sports brand to be the best, they’ve got to do the job for the ones who only dip their toe into a fitness class once every full moon, too. Y’know – offer comfortable leisure-wear that serves you just as well on your morning coffee run as it does when you’re breaking a heavy sweat.
If you’re not sure where to start, our guide to the best activewear brands is a good place. We’ve been busy squatting, lunging and running around central London in bestsellers by the likes of Lululemon, Adanola and New Balance. All to put the pieces offered by these brands through their paces.
Our findings? Each sports brand seems to have its own strengths. Lululemon has, in my opinion, the very best leggings, while Adanola nails that minimalist, just-came-from-Pilates aesthetic. On Running is our to go for (you guessed it) running trainers, as well as its surprising Loewe collab, while Nike and Adidas cover pretty much all bases. From tennis to golf, trail-running and yoga.
Whether you’re training – with the rest of London – for your next half mara, or you’re simply on the hunt for some gear for your first Pilates class, we’ve got you covered with our edit of the best activewear brands of 2025.
Best activewear brands for women at a glance:
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past, let’s say, three years, you’ll have spotted Adanola making many-an appearance on your Instagram feed. And even if you hadn’t, the launch of the brand’s recent collaboration with Kendall Jenner will undoubtedly have changed that.
The reason for Adanola’s rise to sports stardom is simple. Every single item in their (now extensive) collection matches the next. A capsule wardrobe for your workout and leisure time, if you will. Their brunch-to-leg-day pieces are tonal – chocolate brown, black, beige, navy – pushing us in the sartorial direction of a wardrobe filled entirely with clothes we’ll actually wear. And they’re built for performance, too. Take the Ultimate Leggings, for example. They launched back in 2020 and have sold over one million units since, scoring highly in our squat and sweat tests. You know what to do.
I will wax lyrical about Under Armour sports bras to anyone who will listen. Not only incredibly flattering, they’re built for serious performance, and make me feel confident and supported even in the bounciest of HIIT classes. (My favourite is the white, medium-support Infinity 2.0 Mid Sports Bra which is seriously sweat-wicking, has breathable side panels and adjustable straps – but I’ve tried and loved many). You can shop by the support-level you desire on their website, and there’s a plethora of colours and cuts available.
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