Best Sustainable Activewear UK
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.
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 needs to be made from good materials — whether that’s organic cotton, bamboo or recycled polyester. The materials need to be sweat-wicking, comfortable and durable. Whether you’re cycling around town or hiking up mountains, you want workout clothing that won’t make you uncomfortable when you get a sweat on, right!? If you can buy ethical activewear, you’ll find your clothes last longer and wear better.
My Ethical and Sustainable Activewear Favourites
My sustainable sportswear favourites are from brands who I’ve tried personally and love.
Girlfriend Collective — 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.
More of the Best UK Sustainable Activewear Brands
Asquith — 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.
BAM Bamboo Clothing — 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.
Carrot Banana Peach — 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.
gngr bees — Ethical workout clothing brand gngr bees use recycled materials for their activewear and are committed to ethical practices in their factories. This London-based brand is woman-owned and donates 5% of profits from sales of their activewear.
Howies — Howies is an independent activewear company based in Wales focused on creating everyday clothing made from organic, recycled or natural fabrics.
Jilla Activewear — Jilla Activewear is a London sportswear brand focused on simple, minimalist colours and design. They have their own family-run factory in China.
Omnitau — 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.
PANGAIA — 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 — 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.
People Tree — People Tree stock an ethical activewear range made from organic cotton by artisans in Fair Trade factories. They pride themselves on simple designs and a darker colour palette.
Positive Outlook — Positive Outlook create comfy, sustainable activewear and loungewear. They’re based in the UK and work with family-run manufacturers in Turkey. The brand only uses environmentally friendly botanical fabrics including organic cotton, bamboo, TENCEL, hemp and eucalyptus.
Rapanui — 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.
Sundried — Sundried create active sports clothing designed for cyclists, runners, swimmers and triathlon athletes.
TALA — Hip and sexy sustainable gym wear brand TALA use recycled, upcycled and natural fabrics. They openly list their factory locations on their website including compliance certificates in place.
tentree — 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.
Luxury UK Ethical Activewear Brands
Silou London — Chic sportswear designs at the luxury end of the market. They stock gym kit suitable for yoga and spin, including leggings and sports bras. They use non-toxic materials. Their sweatshop free production line is based in Lithuania and Portugal. You can use discount code charlieontravel15 for 15% off all activewear purchases.
Underwear for Activewear
Underdays — Be gone visible panty lines! My favourite thongs on the market are Underdays. Made from breathable fabrics that are OEKO-TEX certified (meaning no harmful substances in the materials), they feel great under leggings and gym shorts. Underdays source independently from certified factories.
Is This Activewear Brand Really Sustainable?
The question on all our lips of course is how to know if a sportswear or athletic wear brand is really sustainable? Greenwashing is a big issue in the fashion industry and this extends to activewear brands too. Before making a purchase, we want to feel assured the brand we’re buying from is truthful about their ethical and environmental claims. How can we know for sure?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Often poor customer service, poor quality products or delivery issues is a sign that the brand is not well-organised and unlikely to have the processes and policies in place to be sustainable (as these take time and commitment to achieve and maintain).
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.
