17 Ethical & Sustainable Activewear Brands Creating Conscious Workout Clothing
Are you ready to get sweaty and swol à la sustainable activewear?!
If you’re trying to set a PR in running away from fast fashion, it might concern you to know that most activewear—including sustainable sportswear—is made from some form of plastic (i.e synthetic materials).
The fact that Girlfriend Collective uses recycled synthetics though really elevates that post-run high.
And an active lifestyle is for every kind of body, which is why DK Active’s 6XL sizes make them one of the best sustainable activewear brands for everyone.
If your 30 minutes on the elliptical is almost up, you can sprint to the finish line to see how we chose these brands.
*This post contains affiliate links
QUICK LINKS FOR THE BEST ETHICAL ACTIVEWEAR BRANDS
1. TOMBOY X
About Tomboy X
Tomboy X is on a mission “to promote self-acceptance through radical comfort and inclusivity.”
They do this with their body-positive range of ethical underwear, bras, swimwear, and activewear.
Their sustainable sports bras, bike shorts, leggings, tees, track jackets, tanks, and hoodies are available in a comprehensive size range and they’re fit tested for comfort as well.
Tomboy X’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The best sustainable activewear by Tomboy X is a combination of recycled polyester created from recycled plastic bottles. This is combined with various percentages of spandex.
Some are made of virgin polyester and nylon, but these appear to be in the minority.
Most fabrics are OEKO-Tex® certified.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Employees of this Certified B Corp receive fair wages, unlimited paid time off, parental leave, stock options, and a 401K with ethical investing options.
Most factories bear certifications from WRAP or the Fair Labor Association.
Green business practices:
Tomboy X operates out of a Gold LEED Certified HQ and ships products in biodegradable bags.
Future plans to improve involve hiring a sustainability consultant to audit the company and develop a 3-5 year greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan.
They’re looking into offering a garment recycling program too.
Inclusivity:
Queer-founded, Tomboy X started with a goal to create “underwear that any body could feel comfortable in, regardless of where they fell on the size or gender spectrum.”
They get first place for XS – 6X sizes and queer and body inclusive brand imaging.
Their team is 30% LGBTQ+, 35% BIPOC, and 77% female-led.
Community & charitable giving:
Tomboy X supports the LGBTQ+ community by advocating for equal representation and donating funds to queer-centric non-profits.
Past non-profits they’ve supported include Discovering Gender, the Trevor Project, the National Center of Transgender Equality, and more.
Available: Tomboy X
2. GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE
About Girlfriend Collective
Looking for sustainable sportswear brands that are as supportive as your gym bestie?
Girlfriend Collective has your spot offering a collection of leggings, sweats, bike shorts, one-pieces, sports bras, crop tops, and tees.
While their range of sustainable yoga clothes for women is on point, they do offer select men’s styles.
Girlfriend Collective’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Rather than getting V sweaty in V (for virgin) polyester, Girlfriend Collective’s sustainable materials are OEKO-TEX 100 certified and mostly recycled.
They include rPET from recycled plastic bottles and ECONYL® LITE from recycled fishing nets, as well as some organic cotton, bamboo cupro, and a little spandex.
Each one is dyed using eco friendly dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Since Taiwan is a hub for plastic ocean waste sourcing and recycling, this is where their fabric is spun before being sewn at an SA8000-certified factory in Vietnam.
Green business practices:
Seeing as rPET is their primary material, Girlfriend Collective has helped recirculate over 10 million recycled plastic bottles so far.
That’s not all they recycle, since all dying wastewater gets recaptured and reused and the residual dye mud gets turned into pavement.
They also use recycled packaging and know exactly what to do with old clothes from GC in circulation by offering an online means to recycle clothes for money in the form of store credit.
Inclusivity:
With XXS-6XL sizes for both tops and bottoms, Girlfriend is easily one of the best sustainable activewear brands for petite and plus size folks alike.
Community & charitable giving:
While they regularly donate to an impressive list of organizations, they also run special campaigns to donate a percentage of sales to charities of their customers’ choosing.
Available: Girlfriend Collective
3. BOODY
About Boody
Boody started as an organic underwear company that has since expanded beyond the booty.
Shop here for everything from bamboo socks to affordable organic baby clothes, and of course activewear so comfortable you can sleep in it.
Boody’s booty-shaking “athleisure” clothing includes leggings, shorts, sports bras, and tanks for men and women.
Boody’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
All ethical workout clothes are made from organically-grown bamboo fabic viscose.
It’s certified by the FSC, OEKO-Tex, ECOCERT, and PETA and is processed with non-toxic solvents in a closed-loop process.
Some organic cotton and synthetics are blended in.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Their supply chain is WRAP-certified and ISO-14001 compliant.
Green business practices:
Impact counters for each product share the environmental consequences of each garment, which are minimal thanks to closed-loop processes.
Recycled paper boxes and vegetable inks are used for packaging.
Inclusivity:
Unisex: XS-3XL (US sizes 2-18).
Community & charitable giving:
Boody puts profits toward fighting malaria in Africa through Goodbye Malaria.
They donate time, money, and products to various other charities like the Circle of Love Center, and Bridge of Hope San Diego. In Australia, they give to Thread Together and the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.
Available: Boody (US) | Boody (AU)
4. TENTREE
About tentree
Ready for a butt burner workout in garb from Canada’s Certified B Corp?
tentree has a small but sustainable activewear collection.
This InMotion line has essentials for men, women, and kids that include leggings, t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, and sports bras.
tentree’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
The InMotion range features predominantly recycled materials: 79% recycled polyester blended with 21% elastane.
For looser women’s workout clothes, organic materials like cotton and TENCEL lyocell are used.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Transparency and tentree are workout buddies.
They state exactly in which country every garment is made (Philippines, China, or India in this case), and their factory ledger includes audit and certification information.
Green business practices:
tentree sells Climate+ carbon offsets alongside their sustainable workout clothes. For a guilt-free post-workout shower, consider purchasing their Long Showers offset.
Inclusivity:
Women: XS-XL; Men: S-XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
Ten trees are planted for every purchase (totaling 50 million and counting) supporting areas to increase biodiversity.
Available: tentree
5. DK ACTIVE
About DK Active
DK Active does the heavy lifting when it comes to ethical activewear in Australia.
That means incorporating ethics, inclusivity, and sustainability into their full-body workout plan.
They have eco friendly activewear made of natural and recycled fabrics which includes bras, gym tights, tops, shorts, ethical leggings, and shirts.
They also have ethical maternity clothes so you don’t totally need to lose your fit figure… at least until your feet swell too much to fit in your sustainable running shoes!
DK Active’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their line of women’s recycled nylon activewear boasts garments made of 65% ECONYL.
Others materials used include organic bamboo, modal, organic cotton, and lycra produced with minimal greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution.
All sustainable materials are OEKO-Tex 100 certified and REACH compliant.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Their Australian factory meets the country’s standards for ethical clothing manufacturing.
Green business practices:
The brand’s HQ runs on solar power and products are shipped plastic-free using 100% carbon offset delivery partners.
Inclusivity:
DK Active offers plus size eco friendly activewear via their 3XL-6XL (14-20) Curve collection.
Otherwise, you’ll find women’s XS-XXL (2-12) and men’s S-XXL sizes.
Available: DK Active
6. IRON ROOTS
About Iron Roots
Do you like to workup a sweat in an ethical hoodie or strip down to your sustainable bike shorts?
Iron Roots‘ sustainable organic activewear ticks both.
Kicking microplastics off the team, they only use natural fabrics in their range of tees, shorts, hoodies, and sweatpants for men and women.
Iron Roots’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
They flat-out refuse synthetic fabrics (even recycled), so you’ll only find hemp fabric, GOTS-certified organic cotton, or FSC-certified TENCEL lyocell.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Iron Roots designs its workout clothes in the Netherlands and produces them in ISO-certified factories in Portugal or Greece.
Green business practices:
Minimalist plastic free packaging, sustainable shipping, and discounts for sending worn-out Iron Roots apparel back to be recycled further reduce the carbon footprint of this sustainable sportswear brand.
Inclusivity:
Men: S-XXL; Women: XS-L.
Community & charitable giving:
Iron Roots speaks at events and universities on slow fashion, and awareness of greenwashing.
Available: Iron Roots
7. BEAUMONT ORGANIC
About Beaumont Organic
Beaumont Organic is all about the green… by which we mean planet, not profit!
They’re a UK based ethical activewear brand offering dresses, tops, bottoms, jackets, underwear, and yoga clothes (which includes both tight and loose tops and bottoms).
Beaumont Organic’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
While they use some recycled fabrics, organic materials dominate their sustainable materials list: GOTS-certified organic cotton, linen, lyocell, wool, and bamboo.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All garments are produced in the EU, in regularly-audited factories that pay fair wages and provide good working conditions.
Every garment states where it was made. They’re working towards making their materials just as traceable.
Green business practices:
Focused on minimizing their carbon footprint, 87% of garments are made using suppliers within a 300-mile radius of Braga, Portugal.
Their website’s “sustainability matrix” provides greater transparency into the factories behind each garment.
Inclusivity:
Women’s sustainable workout clothes come in XS-L (UK 8-18) sizes.
Available: Beaumont Organic
8. PATAGONIA
About Patagonia
Founded by a professional rock climber, Patagonia was always going to make this list of the most sustainable activewear brands.
Their huge range of sustainable outdoor clothing including tees, hoodies, leggings, outerwear, sustainable sweatpants, and more—for the whole family.
Patagonia’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their eco friendly materials are extensive: hemp, lyocell, recycled cotton, organic cotton, recycled nylon, recycled polyester, RDS-certified down, ethical wool, recycled wool, and even recycled spandex.
They’re also supporting the regenerative agriculture movement by test piloting its first-ever certification.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Year after year, the brand scores high on Fashion Revolution’s Fashion Transparency Index.
They’re Fair Trade certified, a Certified B Corp, and state where all garments are made on each page’s Footprint Chronicles”.
Green business practices:
Among countless other sustainable practices, Patagonia is on its way to using 100% renewable and recycled raw materials.
Their Worn Wear program accepts unwanted Patagonia pieces, repairs them, and either re-sells or recycles them.
Inclusivity:
Women: XXS-XL, extended sizes up to 3XL; Men: XS-3XL, extended sizes up to 4XL.
In addition to inclusive imaging, they state, “We are a white-led outdoor company reliant on recreation on stolen Native lands that are not yet safe for all.”
They’re working to become an anti-racism organization by employing more POC and raising awareness.
Community & charitable giving:
Patagonia is the sustainable men’s activewear brand behind 1% for the Planet.
They’re a force when it comes to advocating for our planet and the Patagonia Action Works helps customers get involved, too.
Available: Patagonia
9. PACT
About Pact
Pact has an impressive line of sustainable cotton activewear for the whole family.
This includes eco friendly t shirts, leggings, tops, supportive organic bras, hoodies, and socks.
Pact’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Nearly everything is made from GOTS certified organic cotton (sometimes with a touch of elastane) and non toxic dyes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As 74% of organic cotton is sourced in India, that’s where their Fair Trade USA certified factories are, too.
Green business practices:
Pact’s factories use conservative water and energy production methods.
All shipping emissions are offset and they use compostable / recyclable packaging.
Inclusivity:
Women: XS-XL; Men: S-XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
The Give Back. Wear Forward program accepts gently used clothes (of any brand) and donates them to non-profits.
They encourage using the box your new clothes came in to send back unwanted ones.
Available: Pact
10. ETIKO
About Etiko
Australia’s Etiko wants us to “wear no evil”—which is why their name is Greek for “ethical”.
Fairtrade and Social Traders-certified as well as a Certified B Corp, they’re a top sustainable activewear brand.
Check out their gym-ready workout clothes (tees, tanks, and hoodies), for women, men, and kids.
Etiko’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their eco friendly materials consist almost entirely of Fairtrade, organic cotton sourced from India.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Products are manufactured in Sri Lanka, India, and Pakistan, in Fair Trade USA accredited factories, in exchange for premium wages and protection from exploitation.
Green business practices:
Etiko is aiming for net-zero, made possible with carbon credits from Carbon Social, which supports subsistence farmers in Timor-Leste.
They use recyclable, FSC-certified, and compostable packaging.
Inclusivity:
Women: 8-20 AU (4-16 US); Men (Unisex): XS-XXL.
Available: Etiko
11. MANDUKA
About Manduka
Manduka may be known for their eco friendly yoga mats and sustainable yoga props but they also make clothing to comfortably move with you.
Their men and women’s activewear includes tanks, tops, pants, shorts, bras, and jackets.
Manduka’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Modal, organic cotton, recycled polyester, and/or recycled nylon are used, along with a blend of spandex.
Some are OEKO-TEX certified too.
Green business practices:
They’ve partnered with The Renewal Workshop to create a circular program to downcycle old yoga mats.
Inclusivity:
Women: XS-XL; Men: S-XL.
Available: Manduka
12. ARMS OF ANDES
About Arms of Andes
Arms of Andes makes some of the most sustainable workout clothes out of Peru’s most functional fiber: alpaca wool.
Nature’s ultimate (and compostable) fitness fabric is turned into leggings, shirts, hoodies, socks, underwear, and sports bras.
Arms of Andes’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Everything is made from moisture-wicking, fast-drying, temperature regulating, and antimicrobial 100% alpaca wool.
It’s ideal for sustainable activewear because it regulates temperature, keeping you warm in winter and cool and dry in summer.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Alpaca yarn is sourced from local suppliers that purchase directly from herding families in the Peruvian Andes (sans middlemen).
These herders use traditional farming techniques and form caring relationships with the animals. They receive veterinary care and regular checkups from Arms of Andes.
Green business practices:
Unlike other wooly animals, alpacas don’t destroy the soil but instead support healthy ecosystems by treading (and eating) lightly.
While ethical cashmere is rare, ethical alpaca wool is achievable.
Inclusivity:
Women: XS-L; Men: S-XL.
Available: Arms of Andes
13. THREADS 4 THOUGHT
About Threads 4 Thought
Los Angeles based Threads 4 Thought (T4T) encourages people to #wearthoughtfully with women’s, men’s and children’s activewear.
Their range includes tees, tanks, sports bras, long-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, joggers, leggings, and sweatpants.
Threads 4 Thought’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Three main eco friendly materials are used: Lenzing modal, recycled polyester, and organic cotton.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The brand only works with factories that provide the best working conditions, back by certifications from Fair Trade and Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production.
Green business practices:
T4T repurposes 95% of the solvents and water used in production.
Follow the sustainable brand’s journey to improve in their Transparency Report.
Inclusivity:
Women’s sizes include XXS-L with additional maternity sizes. Men’s styles come in S-XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
T4T partners with the International Rescue Committee by donating profits to support refugees and other in-need communities.
Available: Threads 4 Thought
14. ELLE EVANS
About Elle Evans
Elle Evans creates an eco friendly activewear trifecta: swimwear, yoga wear, and activewear.
The Australian brand’s ethical women’s activewear extends to sports bras, leggings, shorts, and rashies (swim tops or rash guards).
Elle Evans’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their eco friendly activewear made from recycled nylon VITA Xtra Life LYCRA®, which is made out of ECONYL®.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The ECONYL is knitted in Italy, printed (with non-toxic ink) in Australia, and sewn by Elle herself.
When extra hands are needed, they’re paid above Australian minimum wage.
Green business practices:
Designed to be versatile and durable, many items are reversible, mix-and-match ready, and designed for both water and land.
Everything is made to order, inputs are recycled, and Australian orders are shipped Carbon Neutral in compostable mailers.
Inclusivity:
XS-XXL sizes and plus-size models represent this female-owned brand’s eco friendly sportswear.
Community & charitable giving:
1% of the brand’s profits are donated to Healthy Seas.
Available: Elle Evans
15. PRANA
About prAna
With a focus on rock climbing, surfing, and yoga, prAna’s affordable sustainable activewear is designed for men and women alike.
From tees to tanks, and sports bras to bra tops, they offer an impressive line.
If your fitness goals take you on a rainy run or hike, their sustainable rain jackets will certainly come in handy.
prAna’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Many sustainable fabrics are used, including recycled polyester, hemp, organic cotton, and TENCEL modal.
You’ll sometimes see virgin polyester and spandex also used, but it’s easy to avoid.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This Textile Exchange member uses Fair Trade factories whenever possible. They’ve converted 11 factories to Fair Trade Certified and paid out over $550,000 in Fair Trade premiums.
By 2028, they hope 100% of their products will be Fair Trade sewn.
Their manufacturing partners are in Taiwan, Vietnam, India, and Sri Lanka and their full supplier list can be found here.
Green business practices:
As a bluesign® company, prAna audits its supply chain to minimize use of over 2,000 harmful substances.
Inclusivity:
Women: XXS-XXL; Men: XS-XXXL.
Community & charitable giving:
The brand regularly supports Outdoor Outreach, an organization that encourages disenfranchised, urban youth to participate in outdoor activities.
Available: prAna
16. NUBE
About Nube
With some of the most eco friendly sportswear out there, female-founded Nube partners with eco-conscious designers to create leggings, tanks, tees, and sweatpants for men and women.
Neutrals or colorful patterns, whatever your fitness forte, they have designs to suit.
Nube’s Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Roughly 20 reycled plastic bottles form the rPET in most garments, along with some virgin spandex and recycled cotton.
Non-toxic, lead-free dyes are used.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The fibers are sourced from LA (whenever possible), which is also where the sustainable ethical workout clothes are sewn and shipped.
Workers receive fair wages and ethical working conditions.
Green business practices:
Steps are taken to minimize waste of fabric and dyes and they’ve worked out (get it?) how to make Scrap Scrunchies from leftover trimmings.
Recycled, plastic-free shipping materials will deliver your new Nube to your door.
Inclusivity:
Unisex XS-XL sizing promotes gender neutral clothing trends, along with body positivity represented by their models.
Available: Nube
17. ORGANIC BASICS
About Organic Basics
The inspiring Danish Certified B Corp Organic Basics started with men’s undies, and then crossed gender lines into women’s fair trade pajamas, underwear, bras, socks, loungewear, and their ethical sportswear.
This includes tees, tops, bottoms, shirts, sweats, seamless leggings, and shorts.
Organic Basics’ Ethical and Sustainability Practices
Materials:
You’ll find mostly recycled nylon blending with some virgin nylon and elastane in their stretch garments. Others contain organic cotton and TENCEL.
To ensure garments need less frequent washing (i.e. the majority of wear and tear on a garment), they spin their fabric with sustainably-sourced bluesign® approved recycled silver salt (non-nano particle) called Polygiene®.
Which is heat-regulating, anti-bacterial, and odor-resistant.
Supply chain & labor practices:
You can check out an exact numerical breakdown (vacation days, hours worked, etc.) for every one of their BSCI-compliant factories. Most of the activewear comes from one of their Portuguese factories.
They regularly visit each to ensure safety, fair worker treatment and job satisfaction.
Green business practices:
Through their free carbon neutral shipping, they support a Turkish wind farm.
Their impact report shows all the other ways they’re working up a sustainable sweat.
Inclusivity:
Between diversity in brand imaging, Body Friendly Manifesto, and the recently expanded size range, this eco friendly activewear brand is accessible to everyone.
While extended sizes aren’t available in all products yet, you’ll find some in XXS-XXL along with S+, M+, and L+ in between sizes.
Community & charitable giving:
The Organic Basics Fund awards biannual grants to two different environmental organizations or causes based on an open project proposal.
Their Low Impact Project compiles visual evidence of ways their ambassadors are working to reduce your carbon footprint at home and personally.
Available: Organic Basics
HOW WE FOUND THE BEST SUSTAINABLE ACTIVEWEAR BRANDS
Just like you learn to walk before you run, we started by creating a guide to sustainable and ethical fashion to judge these sustainable activewear brands.
Materials:
Some of the best sustainable activewear fabrics are made from recycled materials as opposed to virgin synthetic fabrics.
Recycled synthetics include recycled nylon and recycled polyester (often from recycled plastic bottles). These should always be washed in a GuppyFriend bag to avoid microplastic pollution.
Organic materials (organic cotton, hemp, wool, and linen) and semi-synthetics (Lyocell, Modal fabric, and bamboo) are better but used less frequently when sweating and stretching are involved.
Speaking of, you’ll often find small percentages of elastane or spandex in sustainable workout clothes, which don’t have recycled alternatives yet but are needed for leg day.
- Certifications: OEKO-Tex® 100, PETA, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Fair Trade, bluesign®, Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC), Recycled Content Standard (RCS), Organic Trade Association (OTA)
Supply chain and labor practices:
We want to know if sustainable sportswear brands are really pumping all the iron they claim.
Published impact reports, codes of conduct, and third-party certifications are the best defense against greenwashing.
- Certifications: Fairtrade, Ecocert, Worldwide Responsible Accredited Production (WRAP), B-Corp, Social Accountability Standard International SA8000, ISO14001, BSCI, Control IMO
Green business practices:
Our hearts race when we see things like carbon offset programs, eco friendly packaging, and renewable energy use.
Inclusivity:
Companies should offer a wide range of sizes, promote diversity, and cultivate a positive body image.
Just because it’s activewear doesn’t mean it’s reserved for people who look like they run every.single.day (and if you do, KUDOS).
Community and charitable giving:
It’s better to cross the finish line with companies using profits and privileges to give back.
This can be through donating money to social or environmental causes, organizing community events, or promoting awareness about pressing issues.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON SUSTAINABLE & ETHICAL ACTIVEWEAR
There’s nothing like a good workout—but we should give our planet a breather.
Before you jump the gun, remember that while sustainable sportswear brands are the business, buying no new products is even better.
The most sustainable activewear is what’s already in your closet.
If that secret thigh hole in your leggings is no longer secret though, start with online thrift stores before your next Peloton ride.
Then share this article with running partners or yoga classmates so we can all enjoy a more sustainable workout.
this is a great list! also check out new sustainable activewear brand called The Short Spine. They just launched their first bamboo activewear collection.
really great to see these brands doing so well! The products look beautiful! I would love to read a review comparing them to each other? See which is best in a functional way. Cheers xx
Thanks for a very comprehensive list! I’m the co-founder of Weekendbee, an online store focusing only on sustainable sportswear and our aim is to make it easier to find different sustainable sportswear brands. We offer brands like Patagonia, Girlfriend Collective, Népra, prAna, OGNX, People Tree. Let me know if you would be interested in collaborating with us. Cheers!