Out of all sports, none complement sustainability quite as well as yoga does—but doing it in sustainable yoga clothes adds harmony to your practice since it’s more aligned with the underlying ethos.
After all, yoga means “union”, which exemplifies the connection between humans and the natural world, connecting with our breath and our bodies and promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
But what about our choice of popular yoga clothing brands?
Unfortunately, that’s where yoga gets a little less out of tune with nature. Which is why we’re spotlighting low-impact yoga clothing made by brands who care about the materials they use and the labor they hire.
As we refresh our articles in the coming months, we’ll be flowing forward with our new Brand Rating System to examine these brands and their impact more systematically using 22 criteria, such as climate action and chemical use. To learn more, look at our explainer here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.
Sustainable Yoga Clothing That Helps Us Nama-Stay Sustainable
Brands like Girlfriend Collective—whose range fits all bodies—are opening the market’s ethical chakra with an almost entirely recycled yoga clothing line. We own several of their pieces which are super comfortable both on and off the mat.
We tested out prAna’s yoga clothing for our downward dogs and love that their garments are designed for elegance and efficiency as well as performance.
Index: Sustainable Yoga Wear
- Mukha Yoga Jump to brand
- Girlfriend Collective Jump to brand
- Tree Tribe Jump to brand
- tentree Jump to brand
- prAna Jump to brand
- Manduka Jump to brand
- Definite Articles Jump to brand
Mukha Yoga
About Mukha Yoga
Price Range: $42–$118
“Do Yoga, Save the Planet” is Mukha Yoga’s motto. They’re doing their part by offering mats, props, and clothing from the best sustainable yoga clothing brands like prAna, Manduka, and more. Their selection of affordable, sustainable yoga clothes is vast, with tanks, bra tops, sustainable bike shorts, and eco-yoga pants.
Mukha Yoga’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Common things you’ll find include: closed-loop organic bamboo viscose, recycled materials, TENCEL™, modal, and organic cotton yoga clothing. Some garments appear to be primarily (if not entirely) made of virgin synthetic like polyamide and spandex, so check the specs for a full fabric percentage breakdown.
You’ll find non-toxic inks (especially in their stellar collection of printed yoga leggings) and bluesign®-approved fabrics, assuring a safe practice in toxin-free yoga clothes.
Supply chain & labor practices:
Mukha Yoga handpicks all vendors, or “partners” as they proudly call them. Each product description will tell you a little bit about their manufacturing, whether Fair Trade certified, made in the USA, or other ethical practices.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
A large percentage of their partners are located on the West Coast, where Mukha’s fulfillment centers are, which minimizes transportation emissions. Plastic-free packaging, sponsored tree-planting campaigns, and joining prAna’s #ReshapePackaging movement are other ways Mukha is mindful of its carbon footprint.
Inclusivity:
XS-XL sizes are available for men and women, but the size range varies by style. To avoid that heartbreak, you can filter by size.
Community & charitable giving:
By providing their community with yoga tips, guided meditations, and healthy recipes (all for free), Mukha breaks down the sometimes-hefty cost-entry barrier into healthy, mindful living.
My Personal Review of Mukha Yoga’s Fauna Keyhole Top:
“To make my flow a little fun and flirty, I tried out the Fauna Keyhole Top, which I love not only because of its super supportive design but also because it’s reversible—so it’s like getting two pieces of yoga wear for one! It does run a little small, even for my small chest, so if given the choice, I would size up, but I also prefer even my activewear to be a little less tight.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Girlfriend Collective
About Girlfriend Collective
Price Range: $28–$126
Girlfriend Collective is a killer brand if you want killer core muscles, no matter your size. This size, image, and budget-inclusive brand is all about making fitness fabulous for everyone. Their range includes recycled yoga pants and leggings, shorts, sweats, unitards, tanks, sports bras, t-shirts, and a small selection of men’s clothing.
Girlfriend Collective’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Collectively, Girlfriend’s fabrics are simple, almost entirely consisting of OEKO-TEX-certified recycled polyester that’s sustainably dyed. Or if you prefer to flow in eco-friendly sweatpants, you’ll do so in Texloop RCOT™ recycled cotton and organic cotton.
Supply chain & labor practices:
The recycled plastic bottles are turned into a fabric at a factory in Taiwan. These recycled fabrics then take a short boat ride to Vietnam for garment production in an SA8000-certified factory.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
If you have an old Girlfriend piece you no longer wear, ReGirlfriend (AKA recycle) it in exchange for $15 credit.
They recycle all water used in fabric dyeing (in a facility 100 feet away so no dangerous transportation) and donate the residual dye mud to a local pavement facility to become sidewalks and roads. All packaging is 100% recycled and reusable.
Inclusivity:
Everyone can comfortably down dog in Girlfriend Collective’s XXS–6XL size range.
My Personal Review of Girlfriend Collective’s Compressive Pocket Legging:
I own a whole range of GFC’s recycled yoga clothes, but if I had to pick just one I couldn’t live without, it would be the Compressive Pocket Legging. The quality fabric strikes the perfect balance between thick and tight enough to provide plenty of muscular support when hitting the yoga mat and smooth and stretchy enough to be comfortable when lounging.
Don’t forget the top layers. Their ReSet Hoodie keeps your muscles warm until you’re limbered up, and do so using recycled materials. Plus, with how buttery soft it is, we almost hate to reach that point of having to shed the layer!
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Tree Tribe
About Tree Tribe
Price Range: $23–$60
Tree-t yourself to some Tree Tribe and their selection of fun (and affordable) printed yoga pants.
In addition to yoga leggings, shorts, sports bras, tees, tanks, and hoodies, they also sell completely plastic-free water bottles, so you can stay hydrated during your hot yoga class.
Tree Tribe’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Their yoga pants are made with upcycled polyester blended with spandex. The huge selection of lovely prints are thanks to a sublimation printing process that heat infuses the fabric with water-based inks that won’t fade or peel over time.
Their hoodies feature a blend of 50% cotton and 50% poly fleece. Since these fabrics aren’t all that sustainable, we would avoid. Their tees use a more sustainable USA-grown Supima cotton, but we’re not sure if it’s organic.
Supply chain & labor practices:
All Tree Tribe ethical yoga clothes are handmade in the USA.
Inclusivity:
Yoga pants and shorts run XS–XL and hoodies XS–2XL.
My Personal Review of Tree Tribe’s Sandstone Leggings:
“It’s no secret that I’m a desert rat at heart, so in testing their leggings, I had to go with the lovely Sandstone pattern of their many, many to choose from. I always prefer a high waist, but you can also select a normal rise if you like. With the ultra-stretchy fabric and comfortable flatlock stitching, there’s no chafing, even when attempting the most precarious of poses.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
tentree
About tentree
Price Range: $40–$88
tentree is a top-notch organic clothing brand that puts our planet first—while still keeping us comfortably clothed. Achieve any asana in tentree’s leggings, joggers, t-shirts, and shorts for both men and women.
If sustainable flare yoga pants are your fave to frog pose in, the InMotion Cropped Wide Leg Pant provides unmatched moveability and breathability.
tentree’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
tentree’s wide use of responsible fabrics mean you’ll find organic yoga wear (organic cotton, TENCEL lyocell fabric, and hemp) and recycled yoga clothes (rPET) alike. Even natural options contain bit of elastane (usually around 20%).
Supply chain & labor practices:
tentree has a factory ledger that provides specific details about their factories and a strict code of conduct prohibiting forced labor, child labor, harassment, excessive work hours, and more. This Certified B Corp’s manufacturing partners are certified by WRAP, BSCI, SA8000, and the Fair Wear Foundation.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
They display the reduced carbon footprint it has in terms of waste, carbon dioxide emissions, and water usage (compared to that of similar traditionally-made garments). You can also purchase carbon offsets directly from their website.
Inclusivity:
XS–XL sizes are available in most, with some up to XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
tentree plants ten trees for every purchase, specifically in areas that regularly suffer from biodiversity loss. By 2030, they should have one billion trees planted!
prAna
About prAna
Price Range: $35–$140
Prana (AKA breath) is considered a life-giving force in yoga, so its only natural prAna is breathing new life into mainstream fair trade yoga pants, bra tops, tanks, sports bras, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and more.
This sustainable outdoor clothing brand has everything from rainwear to rock climbing clothing to post-hike Hatha garb.
prAna’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
prAna’s yoga wear uses recycled polyester, TENCEL modal, and organic materials (i.e. organic cotton and hemp). As a bluesign® systems partner, you know you’re getting non-toxic yoga pants, too.
Supply chain & labor practices:
As a member of the Textile Exchange, prAna prioritizes fair trade factories when possible and pays into fair trade premium worker funds. They’ve helped 11 factories obtain Fair Trade certification and are working toward having all products made in a Fair Trade-certified factory.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
A founding member of the OIA Climate Action Corps, prAna is working to reduce their emissions output by 30%. Via the Renewal Workshop, they diverted 56,000 pounds of garment waste from landfills between 2016 and 2021.
They also started the Responsible Packaging Movement, through which they aimed to (and achieved) eliminate all plastic from consumer packaging.
Inclusivity:
Women’s clothes run XXS–XXL, with a select extended size collection of 1X–3X styles. Men’s sizes XS–XXXL.
My Personal Review of prAna’s Becksa™ Unitard & Chakara™ Crop Top:
“Full disclosure: I’m a one-piece girly. Overalls, jumpsuits, unitards, I love them all. So I’m obsessed with the Becksa™ Unitard, that’s an all-in-one yoga outfit designed for elegance and efficiency. Not only can I confirm that it’s SUPER comfortable (no wedgies or camel toe!), but the elegant cutout back makes me feel confident and sexy—even as I’m falling over out of eagle pose.
I also love prAna’s Chakara™ Crop Top with its perfect balance of support and style. The cups actually provide some shaping and a little lift and the design is so simple yet flattering. Plus, the fabric is buttery soft. Whether I’m layering it for a hike, a yoga class, or just wearing it to run errands, it’s the perfect go-to piece that works for everything.”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
Manduka
About Manduka
Price Range: $45–$158
Manduka takes care of your morning yoga flow getup.
They’re big in the yoga mat world but dabble in apparel too, whether you’re seeking hot yoga clothes or clothes for those who don’t find 100+ degree temps very zen. They have eco yoga clothes for both men and women, including shorts, pants, tanks, tops, jackets, bras, headbands, and more.
Not everything features low-impact fabrics, but if you’re looking for sustainable leggings, start by checking out the printed Essence Legging.
Manduka’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
Like their sustainable yoga props made of cork or recycled materials, Manduka’s OEKO-TEX-certified recycled synthetics and organic cotton are kind to both our bodies and the Earth. However, a lot of their clothing still uses virgin synthetics, so read the descriptions carefully.
Supply chain & labor practices:
We know Manduka doesn’t source the rubber used in their yoga mats from the Amazon. Unfortunately, they don’t elaborate on manufacturing practices for their recycled and organic yoga clothes, and they’ve yet to respond to our direct inquiries.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Most of Manduka’s green actions involve their mats, like the eKO mats made with zero waste and PRO series with zero-emissions. They recycle all post-industrial scraps, repair damaged mats, and have a LiveOn program to turn old yoga mats from any brand into materials like home insulation via The Renewable Workshop.
Inclusivity:
Women’s garments come in XS–XL and men’s S–XL.
Definite Articles
About Definite Articles
Price Range: $39–$78
Definite Articles recognizes a hard truth many of the top yoga brands refuse to: “Recycled plastic doesn’t solve the problem. It’s still plastic.”
That’s why their kids’, men’s, and women’s sustainable yoga clothing contains a natural additive that makes the synthetic fibers biodegrade in years, not centuries. If you think that sounds like greenwashing, don’t worry we did, too—at first. But lab tests by ASTM certify their products as biodegradable in landfills (ASTM 5511), soil (ASTM 5988), and seawater (ASTM 6691).
Definite Articles’ Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Materials:
CiCLO is this brand’s patented claim to fame. It’s an innovative technology that takes their synthetic fibers (both recycled and virgin) and helps them biodegrade at a much quicker pace. CiCLO nylon and recycled polyester will achieve 75-92% biodegradation in less than 2.5 years— compared to <4% biodegradation for the conventional nylon. Note: this does NOT mean their clothing can be composted.
Across their product line, they use 23% BCI cotton, 23% CiCLO recycled polyester, 51% CiCLO nylon, and 3% spandex.
Supply chain & labor practices:
This Certified B Corp is dedicated to keeping their entire supply chain within the Americas, leading to greater traceability and fewer transportation emissions. Their Supplier Code of Conduct works to ensure all workers are treated and paid fairly.
Carbon commitments & green practices:
Their clothing ships from a carbon-neutral fulfilment center.
Inclusivity:
Sizes run XS-XL, but the hyper stretchy fabric means each size accommodates a range of sizes (up to women’s 18). You’ll find men’s eco-friendly yoga clothes in S-XXL.
Community & charitable giving:
Through their partnership with One Tree Planted, Definite Articles has so far planted over 1,000 trees in Oregon—and “we’re just getting started”. They donate 2% of annual revenue to environmental causes and nonprofits.
My Personal Review of Definite Article’s Trimline ⅞ Legging & Riverline Sport’s Bra:
“I tested out a few of their products, but the Trimline ⅞ Legging is definitely a favorite. I love the smooth, non-pinching feel of the high and wide contoured waist—and that I can confidently crow pose without flashing my panties to the mat behind me despite the light yellow color I chose. I will say if you have a more athletic build like I do with muscular legs, consider sizing up, as these provide a bit more of a snug leg fit than I prefer.
“I also tested the Riverline Racerback and was more than happy with the four-way stretch movement and sculptured fit that’s supportive but not chest-crushing (ladies, you know what I mean!).”
Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content
My Personal Review of Pact’s Tor Short with Liner.
“The Tor Short from Definite Articles is the perfect blend of comfort and functionality. The buttery-soft fabric feels incredible against my skin, while the compressive liner provides just the right level of support without ever feeling restrictive.”
Review by Christopher Ryan, SJ’s Menswear Tester
