From Poundland crop tops to Tesco leggings, Vicky Pattison tests best high street gym wear & cheapest will surprise you
IF you’re planning a new year fitness kick, you might need new activewear too.
Whether it’s for home workouts, hitting the gym, or getting outside, buying all the gear can be costly.
But the high street and supermarkets have a wide range of styles that are as effective as specialist sports brands and sell for half the price.
Fitness enthusiast Vicky Pattison, 35, gives her verdict on the best budget fitness buys to Jess Evans and marks them out of ten.
- The Secret To Happy by Vicky Pattison is published by Sphere in paperback on January 12, £9.99.
Marks and Spencers
Royal blue fleece, £45, baby blue gilet, £49.50, leggings, £27.50
THIS bad boy kit is at a higher price point, but it deserves to be.
The fleece is super-cosy, I feel snug as a bug, and the leggings instantly suck you in.
I don’t think the price is bad for this quality.
I’d pay just under £50 for a gilet and the quality is incredible.
It feels like it is for more outdoorsy women, I’d wear this on a dog walk.
Rating: 9/10.
Primark
Hot pink crop top, £6, leggings, £6
PRIMARK will not be beaten on price and it’s important to firstly mention the value of these two pieces at £6 each.
It’s a little bit sexy for me for the gym – it’a something you’d more likely see me in round the pool.
The ribbed fabric hides a multitude of sins, is super-trendy and could easily be worn with a blazer or sweatshirt to give a fab athleisure vibe.
If I exercised in these shorts, I feel like they would fall down – I would be constantly pulling them up.
Rating: 7.5/10.
H&M
Orange stretch top, £19.99, high-shine leggings, £19.99
THIS colour top is great for a pick-me-up in January.
I wear a lot of Sweaty Betty and the quality of this rivals it.
It’s very flattering and I love the feel of it.
I’m also loving the little thumb holes, perfect if you’re a runner.
I’m not so keen on the leggings, the fabric is giving me disco which is not me at all!
Rating: 7/10.
F&F at Tesco
Bright blue ribbed top, £12.50, blue patterned leggings, £12.50
THE quality of this is class, the top in particular is amazing.
If you had told me it was high-end sports brand Lululemon I’d have believed you.
I feel like I look really good in this, which is such a big part of pushing yourself to go to the gym.
I wouldn’t be shocked if you told me this was from a far more expensive brand.
To get both pieces for £25 is incredible also – this is my favourite of the lot.
Rating: 10/10.
Pretty Little Thing
Baby pink jacket, £22, teal ribbed sports bra, £12, leggings, £18
I’M a big fan of PLT, and they’ve smashed it here – is there anything they can’t do?
The material has a great stretch to it which moves with your body which is good for exercise.
It’s leaning more towards a pilates or yoga kind of look, but saying that I love it.
I think that it’s coming home with me!
Rating: 9/10.
Tu at Sainsbury’s
Bluish pink sweatshirt £20, Navy jacket £24, leggings £16
THE muted colour of this is so me and very trendy.
This hoodie feels like a hug on your skin.
These are also the first pair of leggings to have a pocket for your phone, which is very fancy.
The fact that this is super trendy, soft and affordable warrants a good score.
Rating: 9/10.
Pep and co at Poundland
Orange crop top, £4.50, leggings, £6
This set is a little too see-through for my liking.
But it’s a lovely colour to give you a little Pep in your step.
It instantly cheered me up and I loved the ribbed fabric – but this is not for high-intensity workouts, your bits would be going everywhere!
Rating: 6/10.
Next
Pink long sleeved top, £22, patterned leggings, £24
This top is super soft but I’d be sweating buckets in the gym wearing it.
The leggings hold me in nicely but the pattern is a bit mad.
That said, I do think it’s a lovely outfit together.
Also, both of these pieces for under £50 is a steal for activewear, so that’s a big plus.
Rating: 8/10.