I went through a stage when I lived in activewear since I found it motivated me to work out. As a result, I’ve tried many of the activewear brands on the market. As much as I love a good pair of pricey leggings, not everyone has it in their budget to drop $100 or more on a single piece of clothing.
Our Picks
The good news is that there are less expensive brands that offer affordable and long-lasting tops and bottoms so you can still look stylish at the gym without burning a hole in your wallet.
CNET’s Wellness team shared some of their favorite workout clothing lines that can fit all budgets. Check these out if you're looking to revamp your closet.
Best budget-friendly activewear clothes, according to CNET’s Wellness staff
Best affordable activewear for the whole family
Target’s activewear brand, All in Motion, has the whole family covered from men, women to kids. It’s inexpensive with a variety of popular styles in athleisure wear like bodysuits and active dresses. CNET’s associate sleep writer Aly Lopez says All in Motion is her go-to brand when shopping for workout clothes. “I’m a big fan of its sports bras and leggings which I’ve worn consistently for about two years now, and they’ve held up surprisingly well, especially considering how often I wear and workout in them,“ she says. The brand offers a variety of colors, so you can mix and match sports bras, bottoms and tops. Additionally, All in Motion also sells workout accessories including yoga blocks, yoga mats, cooling towels, jump ropes, stability balls and more.
Price range: $6-$100
Stocks: Women's, men's, boys, girls
Best affordable activewear with various collections
I’ve seen the evolution of Old Navy’s activewear and I’ve become more impressed with it over time. My personal favorite is Old Navy’s PowerSoft collection, but there are many others to pick from such as the PowerChill, Cloud Plus, PowerLite, PowerPress and StretchTech collections. These collections carry sports bras, skirts, leggings, shorts, joggers, jumpsuits, sweatshirts and dresses. I can appreciate that Old Navy always has sales, so you’re rarely paying full price for these items. If you’re a member of Old Navy and have the credit card, you can also accumulate points toward your next purchase, which gives you an even greater discount. Besides PowerSoft, my favorite sports bras are from the PowerLite Lycra Adaptiv collection. These bras offer compression and light support for activities like yoga or weight training.
Price range: $6-$50
Stocks: Women's, men's, boys, girls
Best affordable activewear if you work from home
In 2020, American Eagle launched Offline by Aerie for those who like to workout as much as they like to lounge around. Offline has all kinds of activewear from leggings, sports bras, joggers, cargo pants, skorts and so much more. You can even build your own workout set, which is a plus. CNET wellness managing editor Nasha Addarich Martinez swears by Offline’s Real Me high-waisted leggings. “They fit snug enough that you don't have to constantly pull them up, they let you move around freely and they’re soft and comfortable,” she says. Offline activewear is also affordable, and if you’re already an American Eagle or Aerie shopper, you know you can get many of the items at a discounted price throughout the year.
Price range: $10-$60
Stocks: Women’s
Best affordable activewear that works for gym to brunch
If you shop at Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack, chances are you may have spotted Zella activewear on the racks. Zella has various types of leggings, shorts, sports bras, sweatshirts and other items that will keep you looking stylish during your workouts. The brand also has some selections with fun patterns like camo or animal print. CNET sleep editor Caroline Igo loves Zella as an alternative to Lululemon and says, “the two pairs of shorts that I own from Zella have been a staple in my closet for years and despite countless washing and wear, I'm very happy with how the pieces have held up.” Zella also has selections that can suit the whole family and has a clothing line for men, girls and boys.
Price range: $25-$170
Stocks: Women’s, men, boys, girls
Best affordable activewear for matching sets
Amazon has various collections of activewear, but CRZ Yoga is one of its top-selling brands. CRZ Yoga sells everything from sports bras, shorts, leggings to workout tops. The material has been likened to Lululemons products by various shoppers, but at a more affordable price point. One user pointed out that the CRZ Yoga Butterluxe shorts don’t roll up during activities like running or CrossFit. Another plus is CRZ Yoga also has maternity wear options, so you can still look stylish working out during pregnancy. If you’re looking for leggings, its Modern/ Fitted high-waisted leggings are one of its top sellers and have over 27,142 reviews on Amazon.
Price range: $18-$48
Stocks: Women's, men's
Best affordable activewear that can be found at discounted retailers
Remember when I said I went through a phase when all I was buying was workout clothes? 90 Degree by Reflex brand was my top pick during this time because not only were there cute styles, but you couldn’t beat the price. You can find these on Amazon, Nordstrom Rack even at your local TJ Maxx or Marshalls at a further discounted price. One of my favorite pieces that I still wear -- and own in three different colors -- is the lightweight full zip running jacket, which can pass for a Lululemon dupe of the popular Define Jacket Nulu. 90 Degree also has men's and children’s activewear.
Price range: $15-$40
Stocks: Women's, men's, boys, girls
How we choose best affordable activewear
We choose the best activewear based on how customers rate the product online, crowdsourcing from our staff’s picks they’ve tried and love and from my personal experience testing and having shopped for activewear for over 20 years.
Factors to consider
Budget: As much as we love high end activewear pieces, we know it's not in everyone's budget so we look at budget-friendly brands that anyone can enjoy.
Quality: Just because a brand isn't expensive, doesn't mean you have to shortchange the quality of your clothes. There are plenty of affordable brands that make activewear out of long-lasting materials that are stylish.
Family-friendly collections: Although not all of our picks have options for the whole family, it's helpful to look out for brands that offer activewear that can style any family member. We have found that these usually have the best offers.