• Bam £29.50

Bam Enduro ultra active leggings

These Bam leggings combine softness (24% organic cotton), smoothness (64% bamboo viscose) and stretch (12% elastane). The result is that you feel “pulled in” without restricting your movement. I wore them for the gym, yoga, tennis and outdoor runs – the handy side pocket can fit a phone while running or even a tennis ball for a second serve. They showed no signs of sagging, before or after laundering.

Bam offers a preloved buying and selling platform to keep items in circulation for longer, plus a take-back scheme for products certified as recyclable by the Circular Textiles Foundation (check the label; this doesn’t apply to this particular pair of leggings as the composition is blended).

• Finisterre £57

Finisterre Ria seamless leggings

Soft and cosy, these leggings are made from 46% merino wool, a natural fibre that’s brilliant at regulating temperature, with plenty of stretch (they contain 35% recycled polyester, with the remaining 19% a polyamide and elastane mix, so when you do wash them, they will still shed microplastics). 

Wool is odour-resistant, so I only needed to wash these leggings after several wears. I also tested the matching top, and both pieces are tight-fitting throughout, so the second time I wore the leggings, which have a high waist, I paired them with a different, looser top to balance out proportions.

Sizing up in the leggings may have been a better fit at the waist for me, but the top was just right – I even kept it on after my run. I loved the olive colour, but wished there was a small pocket in the leggings to hold your keys.

• Wellicious £129

Wellicious New Best yoga pants

Not everyone likes the tightness of leggings. These yoga pants have a slim silhouette with flattering thick cuffs and good movement, but without a skin-tight feel.

Wellicious’ bottoms are the only ones I tested that are made using biodegradable elastane (under industrial composting conditions) and Global Organic Textile Standard-certified organic cotton, so I was intrigued to see how they would perform. These are 83% organic cotton and 17% elastane, and they feel soft against the skin while retaining plenty of stretch. I also wore them to the gym for weight training on cooler days. They washed well and felt just as soft afterwards.

Wellicious offers a take-back scheme, and the brand is certified cradle to cradle, a global standard that assesses and certifies products intentionally designed to be reused or recycled at end-of-life.

• Patagonia £100

Patagonia Endless run 7/8 tights

Patagonia’s leggings are made from 74% post-consumer recycled nylon (diverted from landfill and reprocessed into new material), with 26% elastane, and you can feel the difference when compared to natural fibres: it’s smooth and sleek rather than soft and gentle. If you prefer a tighter fit, you may want to size down. They come with handy pockets on each leg to hold your phone and keys.

• Wellicious £119

Wellicious Easy Perfect leggings (high waist)

I put these leggings to the test during a yoga session, and they offered plenty of stretch. They’re soft and comfortable too, but lack the smooth, sleek texture of viscose or synthetics that some yogis might be accustomed to.

• Tripulse £149

Tripulse Pro Tencel leggings

I loved the feel of these leggings: more second-skin than skin-tight. This is because they’re made from 86% Tencel, a fibre made from wood pulp, which shares the qualities of viscose – smooth, strong and breathable – but is less carbon and water intensive to produce. They also contain 14% recycled elastane, which gives them their stretch, but it does mean that microplastics are shed during washing. 

I wore them for everything – yoga, the gym, running (outdoors and on the treadmill). They were comfortable, didn’t sag and retained their stretch and comfort after washing. The leggings are pared-back and flattering, with a hidden internal “pocket” – two openings inside the waistband. This can hold keys, and the brand suggests you can squeeze a phone in there too, but I found it too tight for that. At £149, they’re the most expensive in this group, so treat them as an investment.

• Pangaia £49

Pangaia Plant-Stretch compressive cycle shorts

I hadn’t worn cycling shorts since childhood, thinking they’d be too tight and I’d feel self-conscious. Instead, I felt as if I could move freely in these and happily wore them to yoga. They’re flattering too, with a wide waistband that comes to mid-stomach and a mid-thigh length. They have a pulled-together feeling without being restrictive. Pangaia’s shorts are bio-based, combining nylon made from castor beans and industrial corn and a 98% plant-based elastane, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel-derived synthetics. There’s still a small percentage of synthetics for performance and durability.

• Community Clothing £30

Community Clothing plastic-free running shorts

Made from 100% organic cotton (with a blend of cotton and natural rubber for the waistband elastic), these shorts are cut into my ideal running silhouette: athletically loose and very short (they end on the upper thigh, so this might not be to everyone’s taste).

Comfortable and lightweight, I liked the bright orange shade. A small internal pocket can just about hold your keys – you’ll need to carry or leave your phone at home.

• Finisterre £80

Finisterre Seeker merino long sleeve T-shirt

This Finisterre base layer is made from 100% merino wool with a relaxed fit, making it functional and versatile. Wool is great at regulating body temperature, and the fit means you can layer it over a vest or crop top, or wear it under a hoodie.

I only washed it for the purposes of this article – it didn’t need laundering after several wears, but it washed well and stayed soft.

• Pangaia £59

Pangaia 99% bio-based long-sleeved top

This is a stylish, slim-fitting top that doesn’t restrict movement. Handy thumbholes and a funnel-neck create a chic silhouette, although it feels a bit tight if zipped all the way up. I wore it in spring without an additional layer on a bright, sunny day (about 9C) and it kept me at the right temperature for 90 minutes while I played tennis. I received quite a few compliments, too.

Without washing it, I wore it again a couple of days later for a 4km run, and it still didn’t smell. This top is 99% plant-based, made from bio-based nylon and elastane, replacing fossil-fuel-derived inputs with alternatives that have a lower carbon footprint. But like the shorts above, there is still a relatively small amount of virgin fibres used.

• SportsShoes £84.99
• Patagonia £85

Patagonia Capilene long-sleeved shirt

This top works on its own, or as a base layer under a hoodie for really cold days. I wore it running outdoors and to play tennis. I thought I’d feel too hot, but the 65% wool composition worked its natural, temperature-regulating magic and felt soft against my skin for my two-hour match. The remainder (35%) is made from recycled polyester, which will still shed microplastics and be difficult to recycle at end-of-life.

• Bam £36

Bam Enduro reversible crop top

This top earns extra brownie points for being reversible, giving you two different coloured pieces in one. I don’t wear crop tops, so I wasn’t convinced I’d like this, but it has the lovely softness you get from natural fibres, and the wide underband was supportive enough for yoga and weight training (though I wouldn’t run in it; I’d need a sports bra).

I wore a medium – based on the size guide – but a large may have been better. Like the leggings, the composition is 64% bamboo viscose and 24% organic cotton, with 12% elastane.

• Wellicious £69

Wellicious organic cotton racer tank

I love a racer-back top for running, especially outdoors on a warm day. Lightweight, loose-fitting without being baggy, this Wellicious top is made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and comes in a sunny yellow shade.

A good all-rounder, I also wore it over the Tripulse bra (see below) at the gym and for yoga.

• Community Clothing £30

Community Clothing breathable plastic-free vest

A stylish option from Community Clothing, this 100% cotton racer-back vest has a weightier feel than standard running tops, helping to retain its shape. The longer cut, which falls below the hip, is flattering. I wore it at the gym and on warm sunny days for an outdoor run.

The brand says it shrinks a little after the first wash but any shrinkage was barely noticeable after I washed it, so I would stick with your usual size.

• Tripulse £65

Tripulse AER Relaxed Tencel tank top

I love tank tops for both sport and non-sporting activities. This one is made from 100% Tencel lyocell, so it’s soft and almost weightless, with a silhouette that’s designed more for daywear than sportswear. 

I wore it as a layer over the Tripulse bra for yoga and at the gym, and I would wear it on its own for running outdoors on warm days.

• Mover £82

Mover unisex light merino T-shirt

It’s hard to beat a good T-shirt for versatility. If the materials are natural and the fit is right – slim, without being tight – then it feels great against the skin and performs across so many different activities. I wore Mover’s unisex 100% merino wool version for all activities in this test: it’s lightweight enough to wear at the gym and for yoga, and as an underlayer when running outdoors in cooler weather. The brand is unisex, so I was recommended a size small, which was the right fit.

• Community Clothing £45

Community Clothing sleeveless sweatshirt

Made from 100% organic cotton, this sweatshirt is the most stylish I’ve ever worn for sport. The thick, ribbed waistband and weighty cotton balance the loose, wide-fitting sleeveless silhouette for a comfortable but structured fit. Your chest stays warm, but the sleeves keep things airy when you start to get hot.

I wore it for yoga and running indoors on the treadmill. The logo is big, which may not suit some, although it’s quite muted.

• Mover £202

Mover unisex merino TechFleece hoodie

I associate hoodies with being bulky. This one – made from merino wool – is anything but. Light and streamlined, with a fleece interior, it was easy to tie around my waist once I’d warmed up. A sleek hood stays on while you run. It washes well, too. At £202, it’s th most expensive item in this roundup – and at the upper end for hoodies in general. But I was impressed with its technical abilities and 100% natural-fibre composition. On cooler days, it kept me warm without being bulky; on warmer days, it didn’t make me overheat. Yes, it’s an investment, but worth considering if you can afford it when it’s time to update your hoodie.

• Tripulse £120

Tripulse Next-gen Tencel sports bra

Similar to a crop top, this bra is designed to be worn under clothing or on its own – something I reluctantly had to put to the test when I got too hot in the gym in my long-sleeved top. Fortunately, it offers good coverage and medium support (not supportive enough for me to run in, though).

Made from Tencel lyocell and recycled elastane, it feels soft, comfortable and stretchy. Tencel is less carbon and water intensive to produce, compared to traditional viscose, and the recycled elastane is made from pre-consumer materials, such as fabric scraps from in-house manufacturing, rather than from plastic bottles. But microplastics can still shed in the wash. The bra has two openings on the inside – one to the front, where you have the option to add your own pads, and one to the back, where you can store valuables – great for a key, but too tight for a phone.

• Finisterre £40

Finisterre Sia seamless bralette

I was worried this bralette wouldn’t be supportive enough given how soft it feels – it’s made from 85% Tencel lyocell, 10% recycled polyamide and 5% elastane – but I needn’t have worried. With a seamless design, it was comfortable and stretchy, and I wore it for yoga and weight training gym sessions.  

It’s designed to be worn as a bra or on its own, but anyone self-conscious about exposed stomach and cleavage may feel uncomfortable wearing it as a top. Otherwise, it looks great. I went for a medium, but it came up small, so a large would have been a better choice.