10 Tips For Buying Men's Activewear

Not all activewear is made the same. Some feature more high-tech sweat-wicking and odour blocking technology, while others are more basic and directed towards fashion. Some are a combination of the two! Training in the wrong apparel can really affect your workout, so it's important to get it right. Sundried have put together our top 10 tips for buying men's activewear.

1. Know Your Size

Men’s activewear sizes may differ from your regular clothing or suit size. You demand a lot more from your activewear than you do from your working wardrobe, so you may need some extra leeway when it comes to sizing, providing the space to pull, push and twist in any way your training takes you.

2. Choose Function First

Whilst low cut stringers may show off maximum muscle, are they practical during training? Not always. Activewear should be functional, cut with designs and shapes which flatter your form and move with you during training. This also goes hand in hand with sizing. While a tight T-shirt may show off a muscular physique, it may also restrict your range of motion. Always try your activewear on and check you can function freely in it before buying a size too small.

3. Make Sure Your Activewear is Sport-Specific

The rise in the popularity of athleisure has seen the merging of fashion and fitness, encouraging more people to adopt a more active lifestyle, which is a fantastic thing to see. However, cheap fashion brands are releasing clothings ranges which they term as ‘activewear’ which actually lack any technical or sports function. They’re cut in the right shapes, but with little to no sport support.  Opt for companies which focus solely on activewear which use trialled and tested technical fabrics to create silhouettes which are designed with a sports specific focus to enhance performance, not to just look good or stay on trend. 

4. Wear Layers

Wearing extra layers to burn more calories is a myth, but what wearing extra layers will actually do is help to provide you with extra variety, so you remain as comfortable as possible throughout your exercise. The purpose of wearing layers is so that in colder weather you can keep warm and drop layers as you heat up and visa versa as the weather gets warmer. Keeping your body at a comfortable temperature will enable you to perform for longer. Why not try layering our Roteck leggings under the Sundried Furgler Short.

5. Read Reviews

If a product is good, somebody will want to shout about it. Search for reviews before making a new activewear purchase. If you train on a daily basis, this is a big investment and you need to be confident in what you’re wearing. You can read reviews for Sundried's products on Amazon.

6. Know How Your Activewear is Made

At Sundried we support ethical production. If the price of clothing is so cheap it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Somewhere down the line, someone else will be paying the price. We believe in transparent production, partnering with The Low Carbon Innovation Fund with well-supported staff throughout our supply chain and a charitable donation to Water for Kids with every purchase.

7. Make it Stylish

If your activewear and daywear merge seamlessly, you can fit activity in at any given moment. Our activewear is designed for “all day active” and is stylish and smart enough to be worn as daywear, but functional for fitness performance. 

8. Find the Right Fabrics

Cotton may be comfortable when it’s dry, but not so much when it’s wet. Cotton absorbs moisture, making it heavy and prone to chafing, which can restrict your training. Technical fabrics are advanced to prevent snags, wick sweat, and allow skin to breathe. Our new range features 100% recycled materials such as reused coffee grounds, which contain natural odour blocking technology and superior swear-wicking capabilities. 

9. Have a Wardrobe for all Weather

Find men’s activewear which will suit all weather conditions. Unfortunately, here in the UK we’re not blessed with perfect weather conditions, so make sure your activewear wardrobe is technically savvy enough to cope. Opt for water resistant fabrics and layer with wind breakers. Summer seasons will require shorts, if the weather treats us!

10. Follow the Care Instructions

Simply following your activewear care instructions will help them last longer and do their job better. Depending on how much you train, when treated correctly your activewear can last anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Harsh chemicals and boiling water can damage your activewear, diminishing the breathability and wicking abilities of your garments, so always avoid mixing these in with your washing. We suggest washing activewear separately of your other washing to extend its lifespan. Do not overly agitate or stretch the pieces and never wring your activewear, as it will pull and stretch the fabrics natural grain and design.

Up to 80% of the impact of a t-shirt occurs after purchase. The water, chemical toxicity, energy use and emissions from washing and drying your clothing all contribute to your eco footprint. Throughout our marketing, our products, wash care labels and our site, we encourage and remind you to Wash Cool, Sun Dry.