When I’m home in the UK, I stock up on all the best travel kit — and that includes ethical and sustainable activewear and gym wear. It has taken a lot of research, trying on and postal returns to find the best ethical sportswear brands in the UK.
Now I have a definitive list, updated for 2026, covering everything from yoga shorts to fleece-lined joggers, with options for women and men.
Ethical Activewear at a Glance
| Brand | Best For | Materials | Made In |
|---|---|---|---|
| Girlfriend Collective | Leggings & sports bras | Recycled plastic bottles | Vietnam |
| BAM | Base layers, affordability | Bamboo | Izmir, Turkey |
| Asquith | Yoga & pilates | Cotton-bamboo mix | GOTS-certified factory, Turkey |
| Omnitau | Joggers & casual kit | Organic cotton, recycled | UK |
| Rapanui | Circular clothing, tees | Organic cotton | Isle of Wight, UK |
| TALA | Fashion-forward gym wear | Recycled & upcycled fabrics | China, Cambodia, Turkey, Vietnam, Italy, and Portugal |
| Patagonia | Outdoors & repairs | Recycled, organic | Global, Fair Trade certified lines |
Why Buy Ethical & Sustainable Activewear
I’ve switched to buying only ethical activewear and shopping with sustainable brands. Did you know that fast fashion contributes more to our climate crisis than air travel? That’s wild. And less than 1% of clothes get recycled? That’s wild too. Many high street brands have unethical supply chains, exploit their workers and use low quality materials for their activewear that pollute our environment. We can do better.
Switching to sustainable athletic wear is a small change that collectively can make a significant positive change. There are some great ethical activewear and sustainable sportswear brands in the UK. There are three core values these brands have that make them sustainable and ethical:
- They use sustainable materials and reduce their environmental impact.
- They have ethical supply chains.
- They pay their workers fair wages.
For me, the best ethical activewear also needs to perform: sweat-wicking, comfortable and durable, whether you’re cycling around town or hiking up mountains. The good news is that well-made ethical kit lasts longer and wears better.
A sustainable tip before you buy anything: wear what you have, replace when it wears out. It’s better to use the clothes in your existing wardrobe than to buy new ones. I have a one-in, one-out rule. I only add new items when another garment needs to be recycled.
My Tried & Tested Favourites
These are the brands I’ve bought, worn and washed repeatedly, and my honest favourites.
Girlfriend Collective — best leggings and sports bras
Stylish and sustainable Girlfriend Collective is a USA-based ethical activewear brand. You can find them through their UK stockist The Sports Edit. Each pair of leggings is made from 25 recycled water bottles and their simple designs are timeless. I love my jade-coloured sports bra (such a gorgeous share of green!) Their high-rise shorts pull in my tummy and I wear them for cycling.
BAM Bamboo Clothing — best for base layers on a budget
BAM Bamboo Clothing is an affordable and ethical activewear brand. They manufacture clothes from sustainable bamboo. Luke and I both have base layers for cold mountain climbs from BAM which have been great. Get 20% off for your first purchase with this link.
Carrot Banana Peach — best yoga shorts
Luke bought me the cutest bamboo yoga shorts from this brand for my birthday. They are the softest, loveliest piece of sports kit I’ve ever worn. Carrot Banana Peach’s clothing is made from plant-based materials. These include organic cotton, bamboo and aloe vera.
Omnitau — best joggers
Omnitau is the go-to ethical activewear brand for comfy, soft joggers. I’m a complete convert to sweatpants since getting a pair of their casual fit organic cotton joggers that are fleece lined! Their clothing is designed here in the UK and made in UK factories. Their ethical clothing production includes using organic and recycled materials.
Rapanui — best circular clothing
Rapanui is a circular clothing brand, meaning their clothes are designed to be remade. They ask customers to send back clothing once it’s worn so it can be remade into new items. Their sustainable sportswear is designed and made of the Isle of Wight. Luke only buys his t-shirts from Rapanui. Get £10 off your order here.
More of the Best UK Ethical Activewear Brands
Asquith — best ethical yoga clothes
Asquith is an ethical activewear brand with a focus on comfortable yoga clothes. Their materials are a cotton and bamboo mix. The London-based company makes their clothes at a GOTS-certified factory in Turkey.
TALA — best fashion-forward gym wear
Hip sustainable gym wear brand TALA uses recycled, upcycled and natural fabrics, and openly lists factory locations and compliance certificates on their website. I’ve not tried anything from TALA before, so let me know if you have!
Howies — good everyday activewear
Howies is an independent activewear company based in Wales focused on creating everyday clothing made from organic, recycled or natural fabrics. Most of their daywear is a bit geeky in style. I have a couple of merino wool turtlenecks I use in winter from them.
PANGAIA — best material innovation
Clothing and activewear brand PANGAIA aims to create Earth-positive clothing. They consider themselves pioneers, using materials that avoid harming our planet’s bio-diversity.
Patagonia — best mainstream activewear brand
This well-known outdoor clothing brand made a name for themselves through their commitment to sustainable clothing. Patagonia offer clothing repairs and trade-ins when your gear gets worn out. They repair over 40,000 items per year.
July 2026: Patagonia is currently facing criticism over its trademark lawsuit against climate activist Pattie Gonia, which sits uncomfortably with the values that made the brand a benchmark. We’re leaving this entry in place for now because the repair programme and material standards remain industry-leading, but we’re watching how the situation resolves.
Sundried — best for triathletes
Sundried create active sports clothing designed for cyclists, runners, swimmers and triathlon athletes.
tentree — best for tree planting
Comfy sweatshirts, lounge wear, joggers, leggings and activewear. tentree use different organic and sustainable fabrics. These include organic cotton, recycled polyester and Tencel which manufactured from responsibly sourced wood pulp. tentree plants ten trees for every item you buy, keeping our planet green. I have a brown cap from tentree that I’ve worn for years.
What About Men’s Ethical Activewear?
Most of this list isn’t just for women. BAM, Rapanui, Howies, Omnitau, Sundried and Patagonia all make men’s ranges. Luke swears by his Rapanui t-shirts and wear BAM base layers and joggers in the winter.
Is This Activewear Brand Really Sustainable? How to Spot Greenwashing
Greenwashing is a big issue in the fashion industry and it extends to activewear. Before buying, here’s how to check a brand is truthful about its claims:
1. Check the Good on You Directory. They are the leading source of fashion brand ratings. Their team researches, investigates and rates fashion brands, including activewear brands, and lists these ratings publicly on their website and app. If the brand you’re looking for isn’t yet rated, submit them for review or contact the brand directly to encourage them to get reviewed.
2. Look for certifications. There are certifying organisations and accreditations for brands who are truly ethical. Whilst not all brands will have an industry certification, some will. Well-regarded certifications include B Corp, Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Blue Sign, Fairtrade and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI). Brands will often include this on their website’s about page or you can go directly to the certifying body’s directory. Tentree is a registered B Corp, for example.
3. Look for the brand’s sustainability practices and policies. This may include their sourcing and production processes, use of sustainable materials, waste reduction efforts, social responsibility initiatives, factory and supply chain policy, worker protection and wages initiatives, anti-bribery and corruption policy, anti-slavery policy and similar. Many sustainable activewear brands will have this information readily available on their website. If you can’t find it, ask them. I often contact brands to ask for these practices and policies, and it’s clear from combative or avoidant answers which brands are not genuine.
4. Customer reviews and feedback. Whilst this is only anecdotal and you should be careful to consider opinions may be influenced by their marketing, see what others are saying about the brand’s sustainability efforts. Poor customer service, poor quality or delivery chaos are often signs a brand lacks the organisation to maintain real sustainability processes.
Sustainable Tip: Wear What You Have, Replace When It Wears Out
There are plenty of great sustainable workout brands and I know you’re excited about them now. Before you buy, consider what you have at home already. It’s better to use clothes in your existing wardrobe rather than buying news ones when you can. When you need replacements, consider switching to ethical activewear brands and gym gear. I have a one-in, one-out rule so that I only add new items to my wardrobe when another garment needs to be recycled.
Many of the ethical UK sportswear brands I’ve listed here are as affordable as the high street shops. Look out for seasonal sales where brands often clear their final stock before a new release. Discounts are sometimes available when you sign up to their newsletters which also keeps you up to date with sales and new releases.
Choosing sustainable sportswear is a small but impactful way to reduce our environmental footprint and support ethical fashion practices. By investing in sustainable athletic wear, we can feel good about both our workouts and our impact on the planet. I personally love pulling on my legging and sweats knowing those who made them received a fair wage and that the materials are recycled or sustainable.
Explore next: Best Sustainable Swimwear Brands | My Eco-Friendly Travel Packing List
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Sustainable activewear focuses on environmental impact, such as organic, recycled or low-impact materials and production. Ethical activewear focuses on people, including fair wages, safe factories and transparent supply chains. The best brands do both.
Bamboo and TENCEL are soft and breathable for yoga and everyday wear; recycled polyester (RPET) performs best for sweaty, high-impact sessions. Organic cotton suits loungewear and lighter workouts but holds moisture during intense exercise.
It’s an improvement. It diverts plastic bottles from landfill and uses less energy than virgin polyester, but it still sheds microplastics in the wash. A filter bag such as a Guppyfriend helps. For low-sweat activities, natural fibres avoid the issue entirely. I personally prefer not to wear polyester, even if it is recycled.
Not always. Many of the UK brands here are comparable to high street prices, especially BAM and Rapanui. Watch for seasonal sales and newsletter sign-up discounts, and remember better-made kit lasts longer, so cost per wear is often lower.
I absolutely love this breakdown. I am new in my journey of trying to choose ethical and eco friendly options, and I find myself doing research on every purchase I make. This page puts everything together so nicely and has great tips. Thank you for the effort you have put into this, much appreciated 🙏🏼
Thanks so much, Sian! It was a great one to research, as I personally hate wearing nylon/polyester and other synthetic fabrics, especially when working out.