Words: Solene Rauturier
Category: Top Picks
Published: 09 Jun 2023
Share for change
FBTW
Our editors curate highly rated brands that are first assessed by our rigorous ratings system. Buying through our links may earn us a commission—supporting the work we do. Learn more.
Launch into your fitness routine while looking and feeling good with our ultimate roundup of more ethical and sustainable activewear.
Sweat it out in more sustainable style
Whether you’re looking to start a new training regime or you’re deep in the grind of your routine, sometimes it takes a little pop of colour or perfect fit to pep you up for your next spin class. And while the desire to do something good for your body and mind is nothing new, what if you could be minimising your environmental footprint at the same time? Lucky for you, we found the best brands making more sustainable activewear currently on the market.
Activewear is traditionally made with harmful materials like virgin polyester and nylon, which require hefty chemicals to produce and continue polluting by shedding microplastics during use and packing landfills at end of life. Lower-impact activewear might be made from materials like recycled polyester, organic cotton, or hemp, which are better alternatives to the new, plastic-based fabrics that still flood so much of the market in fast fashion listings around the globe.
The following activewear options keep the good vibes flowing with fashion-forward vibes that don’t cost the earth. Sweat it out in style in your gorpcore-inspired threads and move effortlessly from yoga to a museum, the highest hike to coffee with friends.
The best part? Each of these responsible activewear brands is rated “Good” or “Great” for new purchases, with a couple of second hand options for big brands making a start in sustainability, so you can exercise easy knowing they’re committed to reducing their impact on people, the planet, and animals. Let’s jump in.
1 People
Rated: Good
1 People is a Danish-designed lifestyle and luxury brand. It blends Scandinavian colour palettes and minimalist design to create effortlessly elegant collections for the conscious-minded. Its pieces are thoughtfully crafted by small family-run manufacturers using lower-impact and certified materials.
Find the collection in sizes XS-XL.
See the rating.
CasaGIN
Rated: Good
Italian brand CasaGIN designs apparel for those looking to foster a more sustainable and conscious lifestyle in their closet and beyond.
Find most items in sizes XS-2XL.
See the rating.
LANIUS
Rated: Good
“Love fashion, think organic, be responsible” are the maxims of LANIUS. The German brand uses lower-impact materials, like GOTS certified cotton. All LANIUS facilities are SA8000 certified and it is a member of the Fair Wear Foundation.
LANIUS' clothes are available in EU sizes 34-44.
See the rating.
Girlfriend Collective
Rated: Good
Girlfriend Collective creates minimal, luxury clothes made with fair labour, certified by the Social Accountability Standard International SA8000. The brand uses lower-impact materials like recycled polyester as well as lower-impact, non-toxic dyes and is fully OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified.
Inclusively sized Girlfriend Collective offers products from 2XS-6XL.
See the rating.
Patagonia
Rated: Good
Patagonia is a brand that truly lives and breathes the great outdoors. It makes clothing for trail running, climbing, mountain biking, surfing, skiing, and snowboarding. Patagonia has "Good" labour practices, and uses recycled, rather than virgin, polyester. It has also committed to reducing its energy use and emissions.
The brand stocks sizes 2XS-3XL.
See the rating.
Shop Patagonia @ LVRSustainable.
Iron Roots
Rated: Great
Iron Roots is a Dutch sportswear brand that makes all its apparel from plant-based fabrics. Its pieces effortlessly combine more responsible design and functionality.
Find most items in sizes XS-2XL.
See the rating.
tentree
Rated: Good
Canadian brand tentree believes big change starts small. Small as in bringing your reusable bag to the grocery store, making fewer, more thoughtful purchases, and choosing to purchase more sustainably when you do. The brand plants ten trees for every item purchased to help regenerate ecosystems and provide planting jobs in communities around the world, and has already planted over 65 million trees.
All tentree’s products are created with an Earth-First approach, meaning they're made in fair, safe working conditions, and constructed using lower-impact and recycled materials.
tentree’s super comfy fabrics and easy wardrobe staples are typically available from XS-XL.
See the rating.
Outerknown
Rated: Good
Founded by surf champion Kelly Slater, Outerknown is a more responsible brand that aims to blend style and function with the protection of natural resources. The brand is Bluesign certified and has partnered with the Fair Labour Association.
Find the range in sizes XS-2XL.
See the rating.
Tripulse
Rated: Great
Tripulse is a Swedish activewear brand on a mission to create high-performing activewear that protects our planet and its people. The brand believes that fitness, both physical and mental, is the foundation for a good and healthy life and gives people the courage to live the life they dreamed of, to become their best selves, to make bold moves, and to change the world for the better.
Find most items in sizes XS-3XL.
See the rating.
dk active
Rated: Great
dk active is an Australian high-performance brand supporting everybody seeking an authentic edge in life. It uses renewable energy in its supply chain to reduce its climate impact, and reuses all of its offcuts to minimise textile waste. It is also a PETA approved 100% vegan brand.
Find the products in sizes XS-2XL.
See the rating.
Organique
Rated: Good
Organique is a Portuguese athleisure brand made for the contemporary woman. It is entirely produced in a high-end local atelier and promotes slow fashion by designing with longevity in mind. It uses high-quality, organic materials and lower-impact fabrics such as organic cotton and TENCEL Lyocell and is completely vegan.
Find the range in sizes S-L.
See the rating.
Happy Earth
Rated: Good
Happy Earth Apparel is a US organic clothing brand that works to give back, inspired by nature and dedicated to preserving it. This B Corp certified brand makes the planet a better place with every purchase. Through its partnerships with non-profits and Happy Earth ambassadors, it's planting trees, fighting climate change, and cleaning up trash.
Find most items in sizes XS-3XL.
See the rating.
Beaumont Organic
Rated: Good
Beaumont Organic is a UK-based slow fashion brand that blends simple style with responsible production practices. Founded by Hannah Beaumont-Laurencia, the brand also has its own charitable foundation which supports people in Fiji.
Find the range in sizes XS-L.
See the rating.
Elle Evans
Rated: Good
Founded in 2013 in Australia, Elle Evans Swimwear creates beautiful, lower-impact swimwear and activewear for people who care about fashion and the future. The brand uses post-consumer waste fabrics and traces all of its supply chain.
The range is stocked in sizes 2XS-3XL.
See the rating.
Threads 4 Thought
Rated: Good
Threads 4 Thought uses a range of lower-impact materials including TENCEL™ Modal harvested from the limbs of beech trees. This process means that the trees are never cut down and 95% of the production materials to make the yarn are recovered and reused. The brand's manufacturers are a combination of Fair Trade USA certified and Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production certified.
Find the range in sizes XS-XL, with an extended sizing range up to 3XL.
See the rating.
Boody
Rated: Good
Founded in Australia by two best friends, Boody is a clothing brand with comfort, style, and health at its core. It creates comfortable, thoughtfully-made everyday essentials made from organically grown bamboo. It reduces waste through lower-waste cutting techniques and using a closed-loop system in its supply chain, supporting the green and ethical movement.
Find the range in sizes XS-4XL.
See the rating.
Dharma Bums
Rated: Great
Dharma Bums is a yoga and activewear brand providing beautiful, high performance sportswear. Its all-Australian-made items are certified by Ethical Clothing Australia and it doesn't use any animal-derived materials.
Find the range in sizes 2XS-2XL.
See the rating.
Silou
Rated: Good
Created for fitness, designed for life, Silou is a luxury activewear brand specialising in clothes that feel good on the body, perform in the gym, shape and support, and are kind to the planet. This UK brand rates highly for its environmental impact: it uses a high proportion of lower-impact materials, including recycled materials, and has a limited production run to minimise textile waste.
Find the range in sizes XS-L.
See the rating.
PACT
Rated: Good
PACT is a US-based brand that is passionate about being part of a movement transforming the way apparel is made. All of its clothing is sweatshop-free and child-labour-free, and its activewear range is almost entirely made from certified organic cotton, with more than 50% also certified as Fair Trade.
Find PACT in sizes XS-3XL.
See the rating.
éclipse
Rated: Great
Offers
éclipse – Site-wide
Feel the difference in sun-protective clothing made from recycled fabrics and designed to keep you cool.Buy two and get one free with code GOY3FOR2.(Ends: 11 MAR)
Checkout code: GOY3FOR2
éclipse creates climate control UPF 50+ clothing essentials and accessories to help keep the whole family sunsafe. It manufactures locally to reduce its carbon footprint, and its entire product range is vegan-friendly.
Products are stocked in sizes S-XL.
See the rating.
Nike (Pre-Owned)
Rated: It's A Start
Nike is an American sportswear and activewear manufacturer. The brand has good policies to audit suppliers in its supply chain, but it is not taking adequate steps to ensure payment of a living wage for its workers. By buying Nike second hand you're helping keep clothes out of landfills and helping protect workers by slowing down the fast fashion cycle and the relentless demands on low-paid workers in the supply chain.
See the rating.
Concerned about emissions when buying from overseas? Your questions are answered in our guide to international shipping
Editor's note
Feature image via Girlfriend Collective, all other images via brands mentioned. Good On You publishes the world’s most comprehensive ratings of fashion brands’ impact on people, the planet, and animals. We love to recommend some of the best brands rated "Good" or "Great". We also encourage shopping pre-ownedas another great way to reduce the impact of our fashion choices. Use ourdirectory to search thousands of rated brands.
