18 sustainable activewear picks to get on your radar... (2024)

When it comes to being upfront about their do-gooding, Boody make every effort to be transparent (saying on their site that these Weekend Sweat Shorts in particular saved 208 litres of drinking water and 2.2km of driving emissions by being produced sustainably).

Our Features Editor, Jenni, owns them in grey and says the quality is "superb and the fit is ultra flattering" (in fact, she's barely taken them off since they arrived in their biodegradable packaging).

If there’s one thing you want in a pair of yoga pants, it’s comfortability – something which BAM’s Poise Yoga Pants more than delivers on.

Features Writer, Jade, reviewed them and said, "Trust me when I say, these pants – which I teamed with BAM’s super soft and supportive Balance Crop Top – are the most comfortable piece of clothing I’ve ever put on my body. Not only are they now my go-to yoga pants, but also my go-to work from home pants, my go-to popping to the shop pants, and my go-to binge-watching Vampire Diaries on the sofa pants."

As well as being comfy af, the pants are made from bamboo which means they’re sustainable too – in fact, purchasing a pair of BAM’s yoga pants saves 683.8 litres of water and avoids 2.1 kg of carbon emissions. An all round win!

Girlfriend Collective had been on Sophie's, our Bookings Editor, radar for a while now, who tested their High Waisted Bike Shorts and Paloma Bra. Each piece is made using 25 recycled water bottles and produced in their ethical factory, which guarantees fair wages, safe workspaces and free catered meals.

"I’ve loved the look of GC’s gym wear for its chic simplicity and gorgeous colour palette and was so happy to discover that it’s also a) incredibly comfortable and b) a genuinely committed sustainable activewear brand," Sophie explains. "I paired the mantis green shorts with their bright yellow sports bra for a three hour cycle around Italy, with absolutely no chafing thanks to its buttery soft materials – all recycled. The bra is so pretty I’ve even worn it as a normal top since and discovering those cute colours are achieved by using eco-friendly dyes makes me love them even more."

The brand also cleans and cools any waste-water leftover from the dye before it's released back and recycles leftover dye mud into roads and sidewalks. Pretty cool stuff.

Our Booking's Editor, Sophie, tested Pangaia, the innovative brand whose sustainable practices are even printed on the clothes. Their planet-friendly clothing is made using science-led methods that create garments using recycled natural and materials and recycled dyes.

"Hands down the softest hoodie (or any clothing, really) I've ever tried. Wearing the stylish bright green hoodie felt like being wrapped in both a blanket and a hug, made from premium recycled organic cotton, which is brushed on the inside for extra cosiness," Sophie confirms. "It's a popular piece, which you can see from all the 'gram pics on Pangaia's site, where you'll also spot the climate positive stats that come with choosing your new buy - including how many days of drinking water have been saved and how many t-shirts diverted from landfill."

Our Head of Social Media, Sophie, tested TALA high waisted leggings from the Dayflex collection, which is sustainably made from 25% LYCRA® SPORT and 75% recycled nylon - making use of material that ‘would have been sent to landfill or down-cycled if we didn’t use it’, their website says.

She said, "The leggings felt supportive without being restrictive, were squat proof (I tested them in shadow black), silky soft and come with a handy inner pocket. The Dayflex set was perfect for a yoga class and I could have easily chucked on a blazer for an effortlessly cool athleisure look afterwards."

While Radley aren't exactly the first brand that comes to mind when you think of cool gym clothes, their collaboration with sustainable active legends EYO passed the test with Cosmopolitan's Editorial Assistant and Junior Writer, Emily.

"These leggings were so stretchy and smooth, they made all of my movements feel really easy, while still feeling nice and tight," she said after trialling them. "There’s a pocket on each leg which blends in seamlessly with the rest of the fabric, ideal for your phone or credit card."

These leggings are especially great for outdoor workouts as the fabric even offers UV protection (UPF 50+).

Australian brand Lorna Jane is on a mission to improve their sustainability by transitioning out single use plastics, developing recycled fabrics, scouring reusable and sustainable materials and using soy-based inks – and we're here for it.

Digital Editor, Zoe, tested out a pair of their hero leggings from the active essentials range. “If you’re after super soft leggings that offer maximum coverage, these are them,” she said. “The flattering high rise design and stretch fabric means you’ll feel fully held in and supported, while the moisture wicking fabric means no embarrassing sweat patches.

"I’ve been religiously wearing them to work out in, but they've also become a trusty pair of pants to wear when WFH and popping to the shops. In fact, I probably definitely need two pairs..."

With a passion for protecting the ocean, Samudra creates activewear using waste plastic found in our waters – and all products are made to such a high performance standard that they can double up as swimwear too. Genius! The brand also takes great care with all aspects of its supply chain, from design to labour to packaging, and donates 5% of its profits to female-focused conservation projects.

Concerned about microplastics being released when washing a Samudra product? They recommend popping your item into a Guppyfriend washbag, designed to stop any from entering the ecosystem, and only washing when really needed.