For some folks, getting the best gym clothes for men is all the motivation they need to hit the gym or finish that punishing set of reps. Not only will a grip of fancy new workout gear help you start (and stick) to the resolutions you just made, it’ll also help you get some galactic-level fits off in the process—even if you’re sweaty as hell, huffing and puffing like you blew the house down.
Those scratchy old band tees and baggy basketball shorts won’t cut it when you’re facing off against your gym nemesis on the elliptical, and as much as we love Swooshes and Stripes around these parts, there’s a whole world of sleek, performance-minded activewear brands out there for you to explore. Plus, the start of the year is the perfect time to take stock of your long-sleeves, sweatshirts, and workout pants (and likely cop some new ones). To help you do it, we went deep on 31 cutting-edge athletic labels we love—each a top-notch purveyor of the best gym wear for men—to keep you feeling motivated and ready to smash your next PR.
The Best Men’s Workout Clothes, According to GQ
The Ol’ Reliable Pick: Rhone
Longtime GQ Recommends readers know how we feel about Rhone. Its breathable, odor-fighting tees have held down the top spot on our list of best workout shirts for years now, and we’re such big fans of their thoughtfully designed shorts that we made them the flagship product of the GQ Box a few quarters ago, too.
For Understated Gains: Lululemon
Despite its reputation as an athleisure brand, Lululemon does in fact make workout clothes that’s actually pretty good. Think: stretchy pants, excellent fits, and classic silhouettes. And heck, if you do end up at a post-workout bar with your workout fit on, you won’t look too out of place.
Before designing cycling gear, Pas Normal Studios founder Karl-Oskar Olsen was behind Danish clothing brand Wood Wood. Beloved for its minimalist designs and Scandinavian styles, Wood Wood’s design aesthetics could be applied to Pas, which is equally stylish (but more functional) for coasting down the streets of Copenhagen, New York, or London.
Mall brand Abercrombie has long been on its come-up, and after branching into athleticwear, we can say A&F has reached peak form. YPB, which stands for “Your Personal Best,” features a mix of tees, tanks, and other workout gear for achieving just that: your personal best.
Who says distance running can’t feel punk rock? Satisfy’s moth-eaten muscle shirts and leopard-print shorts reflect their Parisian founder Brice Partouche’s roots in skateboarding and hardcore.
Need to feel completely free in order to really hit your stride? Ten Thousand’s featherlight Session training shorts and Distance tees—both some of the brand’s best sellers—are built to be as efficient as possible—and stay out of your way in pursuit of that next PR.
Boston-based Tracksmith transplants Chariots of Fire-era aesthetics onto modern marathon-ready gear in a way that feels natural, stylish, and not the least bit kitschy. Its singlet (a fancy tank top) might be its most famous piece, but it’s hard to go wrong with literally anything from this brand.
After shaking up the performance eyewear game with its ultramodern Japanese frames, District Vision has turned its attention to apparel. The brand’s latest innovation is a stretchy, lightweight mesh called Air-Wear, with thousands of tiny pores that open and close as you move to regulate your body heat and sweat.
The Preposterously Soft Pick: Vuori
If hand-feel is your number-one criteria, then Vuori is the move. Its buttery, sumptuous, stretchy sweats make all other pants feel like sandpaper by comparison.
Reigning Champ is Canadian through and through, focusing on high-quality materials (its French terry is exceptional) and high-functioning performance details. Everything is made and designed in Vancouver, Canada, yielding year-round staples that will take you from couch to crunch with comfort and ease.
The Repentant Raver Pick: Soar Running
If your name is Tim Soar, you’re all but legally obligated to start selling gym clothes. So in 2015, that’s exactly what the London-based designer did, churning out slick, colorblocked running gear designed to help you sweat out the toxins after the club.
The Muscle Beach Pick: Y,IWO
Ever wondered what it would feel like slanging weight at Gold’s in its sweat-soaked heyday? Y,IWO harnesses the endearingly cheesy energy of Pumping Iron-era Schwarzenegger—think retro graphics, bicep-hugging cuts, and bright, saturated colors—to imbue your gym selfies with a healthy jolt of ’70s-era sleaze. It’s about time you tried a crop top anyway, especially when you’re weightlifting.
All it took for Miler Running to take home a Fitness Award was equipping its top-notch shorts with a couple of damn pockets; they’re that good. To absolutely no one’s surprise, the rest of the brand’s murdered-out wares—made in New York with fabrics sourced from the European capitals of the world—are equally stellar, too.
The “Bike Is Life” Pick: Rapha
Chances are you’ve seen Rapha if you’ve ever come close to someone speeding away on a bicycle. It’s arguably the most popular cycling apparel brand for the people who have a sick rig mounted above their bed. The clothing can be be loud or subtle, but above all else, you’ll be seen on the road (for safety reasons).
For High-End, Under-the-Radar Cycling Gear: Maap
Australian cycling hobbyists came together in 2014 and decided to make a brand of high-functioning cycling gear that’ll have innocent bystanders giving you a second look for all the right reasons. Its products are built to last so they don’t end up in a landfill, and they won’t wear down no matter how many miles you’re pumping out.
Search and State’s premium apparel is made in New York City, one of the most stressful places to ride your bike. The brand features a lot of camo, but if you’re more on the toned-down side, you’ll find a nice selection of sleek and minimalist pieces, too. Either way, you’ll be ripping through the streets like a cab trying to drop off a fare.
For Perfect Thigh-Bearing Shorts: Path Projects
If you’re a fabric nerd and love a deep dive into how your workout gear is designed to perform, you need to check out Path Projects. The brand was founded with the mission of creating a superior running short system and—guess what—they did it; their shorts are out-of-this-world comfortable. Two-in-one shorts are excellent, don’t get us wrong, but Path Projects did something miraculous—they made base liners and shorts that function perfectly together. Don’t get it twisted, the pairing is no simple Hanes-and-Mesh-Gym-Shorts combo; it’s a highly technical system that lets you define how you want to wear it. In the years since their inception, they’ve mastered shorts, but also mastered running tees, hats, hoodies, and travel apparel.
For Running Gear With Fashion Bonafides: On Running
On Running is a running brand first and foremost (hence the name), but it somehow feels like their performance running shoes have finally caught up to the hype. Their famous, or infamous, casual-leaning Cloud trainers have been a mainstay on the feet of Upper East Side dads, but, in our opinion, the brand is just now coming into its own as a performance and style mainstay. Their latest running shoes and technical sportswear are well worth the cash, but even if you don’t care about performance, On is putting some weight behind its lofty fashion ambitions, most notably with its recent Loewe collab that debuted on the back of American tennis phenom Ben Shelton. They are a running brand, but they’re becoming so much more.
If you’ve been running the streets of New York at any point in the past couple of years, you’ve probably seen Bandit. What started as a project to make the best running sock possible, Bandit took a community-based approach to development, handing out their prototypes at Brooklyn Track Club workouts, which let them soak up actionable feedback in real time. Its socks are still pretty much perfect, but its assortment has grown to include some of the best shorts, tees, and outerwear a runner can buy—all worthy additions to your gym bag.
For Aquatic Endeavors: Florence
If you prefer that your strenuous activity happens on the water, whether that means paddleboard yoga or hitting your local point break, Florence has you covered. Founded by North Shore legend John John Florence, the eponymous brand blends surf, sail and the outdoors with technical fabrics and aquatic-focused sensibilities. While obviously inspired by surfing and surf style, their designs look more at home in the local SCUBA shop or atop a beachside lifeguard stand, which gives them an air of technical prowess and functionality that surf shops might be lacking. The drapey, lightweight UPF hoodies are excellent and their shorts toe the line (or should we say hang ten) between fitness and surf, making them ideal for hitting the waves or the local gym.
For the Meatheads: Gymshark
We say that with love, for the record. If you’ve been to a gym squat rack, you’ve seen Gymshark, no doubt. The brand features bold, out-there graphics alongside more discreet pieces to help you squat lower than you ever have before. Everything from their joggers to their pump covers is also pretty affordable—which is good, because all of your money’s going towards your gym membership and tape for your torn calluses.
For the Swoosh-Lovers: Nike
No athleticwear discussion would be complete without including Nike. From running gear to shoes for your next HIIT workout, Nike has your bases covered. Dri-FIT is where it’s at, keeping you dry while you get your sweat on, and no one can deny the power of the swoosh.
For the Classic Gym Bro: Under Armour
Just like the swoosh, Under Armour’s developed quite the legacy for its hard-wearing, built-for-athletes workout gear. Its base layers make up the foundation of many a weightlifter, though you shouldn’t sleep on any of its other wares.
For Cool Climbers: Gramicci
As other sports—like running, lifting, and even cycling—have developed stylish athleticwear, climbing gear might not have been on the list to get the next fashionable facelift. Since 1982, Gramicci has been focused on clothing for climbers, from durable pants to warm fleece. While function was the priority for the brand, an interest by Tokyo tastemakers helped to turn the brand into something more fashionable. Its cozy materials and rugged silhouettes have helped propel Gramicci into an athleticwear brand that looks as stylish on the streets as it does against a mountain cliff.
Maybe you just left the office and decided it was time to head to your gym. Whether it’s because you’re actually going to get a sweat on or you’re there for social hour, Literary Sport’s range of workout-ready apparel will make sure you look good even if you’re only scoping out the squat rack instead of actually, you know, squatting. Its clothes are perfectly apt for casual days or workout nights, highlighting modern silhouettes and high-end fabrics. Literary Sports is the kind of brand you scope out first when you decide you’re in need of good-looking workout gear.
The Earth First Pick: Patagonia
Most know the OG outdoor company for Snap Fleece pullovers and bomber duffel bags, but deeper in the Patagonia catalog are super-lightweight, breathable shirts and shorts that are made to handle sweat. They might’ve been made for crags and trails but we can attest they’re right at home in the gym.
Satisfy and District Vision too mainstream for you? Hailing from Stockholm, Kuta Distance Lab is the new kid on the block that nobody from your run club has heard about yet. Their limited, earth-toned collection is made-to-order with premium materials through low-impact processes designed to minimize impact on the planet while maximizing your rep for good kit at the local track.
The Simplified Sock Drawer Pick: Courier
Multi-sport activists face a quandary when stocking their bureaus with duds for running and cycling. Courier delivers a solution with socks dedicated to both and knit with the company’s trademark FlowPODs, which are like soft Candy Button studs that provide texturized cushion and allow for additional breathability on runs and rides. Get the HiFi for extra feel and the LoFi for max cushion.
The Compression Pick: 2XU
2XU’s signature compression clothing uses something the company calls “muscle containment stamping” to bolster your muscles and joints when workouts get tough. The design is meant to reduce fatigue and injury and, hey, we could all use little extra support during those last few sets.
The Racket Sports Pick: Palmes
Tennis has always been a vibe, Palmes is just encapsulating it in a collection of on- and off-court apparel that’s as much about old-school tennis culture as it is about nailing a return ace. Much of it is made for casual wear, but there are a few performance-first designs that are perfectly fit for moving across the baseline.
Like a secret handshake, wearing Ciele’s GOCap used to be a sign among runners of who was clued-in. Then word got out and now everyone wears ’em, they’re that good. Few know that Ciele also has an incredible apparel line built on the same foundation as the hat, namely, the best technical materials out there and functional, aesthetic design.
