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    We Worked Out In 5 Different Female Athletic Clothing Brands And Here Is The Best One

    Does Target's workout line perform just as well as Nike?

    Krista Torres
    by Krista Torres

    BuzzFeed Staff

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed

    Hello internet world! At the beginning of this year, my mom and I decided to start a long-distance (she lives in Kansas) "workout" schedule together, as a way of helping us stay in touch better...and be healthier!

    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    My mom hadn't worked out in years, so she didn't know the first thing about which workout clothes to pick. So when I was home a month ago, we decided to put some of today's most popular brands to the test.

    Calia / Under Armour / JoyLab / Sweaty Betty / Nike

    We chose: Calia by Carrie Underwood, Under Armour, Target's JoyLab, Sweaty Betty, and Nike.

    I know there are tons of other workout lines out there, but we couldn't test all of them. We chose Sweaty Betty because it was Business Insider's top workout line for 2020. We chose Nike and Under Armour because they are some of the longest-standing workout brands. We chose Calia because it claims to be a functional athletic and stylish athleisure brand in one. And we chose Target's Joylab line to see how a more affordable option would stack up against the others.

    Since the way workout gear fits is very different for different bodies — like boob support! — we knew both of us had to collectively agree on the best brand. I wear a size small and my mom wears a large; I wear a 32A bra and my mom wears a 36D.

    We decided to test out a top, leggings, and high/medium/low support bras from each brand. Our "test" for each included: jumping jacks, squats, weight reps, and a five-minute jog/run. (We did these tests on different days, the photos below are just so you can get a good idea of what the clothes look like!)

    I had my mom do this article with me because she loves BuzzFeed and "wanted to represent the people over 50 who wear athletic clothes, too," lol. SHE TURNS 60 IN APRIL!!! Oh, and she didn't want her name in the article, so she is just "mom."

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: I loved these leggings because they were super lightweight and sleek. I really felt like it was easy to move around in and run in them. The top fit kind of boxy and the material leaned more toward a cotton-type feel than a moisture-wicking feel.

    You can get the top for $48.97 and the leggings for $60 on Nike's website.

    Mom: I liked the unique design of the shirt and the pants were easy to do things like squats in. However, the band around the waist was kind of tight, so that kind of canceled out the easy movement in the legs for me. Also, there weren't any pockets!

    The top is not sold online, but the leggings are $90 on Nike's website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: This had a pretty neat design and I didn't hate it! And for being "low support" it actually offered a decent amount of support. It fit a little tight with all the straps, but it was still a solid bra.

    This bra is not sold on Nike's website. You can see similar styles here.

    Mom: This bra had cups that felt a little too large. It was low support, but it really didn't even provide that. The material was soft, so that was nice, but overall it just didn't give the feeling that my boobs were "in place."

    The bra is $20.97 on Nike's website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: This bra reminded me of your classic sports bra. It offered good support and was comfortable. No complaints!

    The bra is $38 on Nike's website.

    Mom: Although I don't like big logos, the feel of this one won me over. It had decent support while maintaining comfort with each movement.

    The bra is not sold on Nike's website. You can see similar styles here.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: This bra had cups and it fit nicely. It had a back bra strap mixed with the criss-cross regular style of a sports bra. I felt like it gave good shape to my boobs while supporting them at the same time.

    Mom: While this bra did support my boobs well, I didn't like the feel of how high the back straps were to my neck. The material was breathable, though, so that was nice when I started sweating.

    These bras are not available on Nike's website. You can see similar styles here.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: First of all, I appreciated the functionality of the Calia workout pants. There's a pocket big enough for even the large-sized iPhone and there's a small zipper pocket at the waist for a key or credit card. They fit well and they were easy to move around in. The shirt seemed to lean into ~athleisure~ and wasn't fully functioning for working out because it had a wool-like material on the inside – however, it was super soft!

    The top is $29.97 and the leggings are $59.99 on the Calia website.

    Mom: I really liked the style of the pants and the large pockets! The material was smooth and I didn't feel constricted like I have with other workout pants. I liked that the shirt had a unique mesh detail at the sleeve for something different. It also allowed me not to feel so hot when I was working out. So it was cute on and I felt good working out in it.

    The top is $37.99 and the leggings are $38.97 on the Calia website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: I honestly felt like this was a high support bra. I felt like it really did a good job of holding my boobs in place, especially while jumping. There are cups inside, but it is snug enough to support my boobs very well.

    Mom: I don't really care for how this bra fit me. It fit kind of loose in the front straps, but tight in the lower back under my boobs. The support was OK, but I don't think bra is ideal for someone with larger boobs.

    Both bras are $14.97 on the Calia website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: I loved the femininity of this bra. That being said, it feels like more like a casual wear bra. The support wasn't as good as some of the others. So for working out purposes, this bra didn't get the job done for me.

    The bra is $18.97 on the Calia website.

    Mom: I wasn't sure how I would feel about this bra because it has actual bra strap closures and I've never seen that on a sports bra. But, I surprisingly really loved it! It's a bit strappy in the back, but it's not uncomfortable when I move around in it. The material is soft and feels high quality. When I ran, it really felt like it had great support.

    The bra is $24.99 on the Calia website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: I've never worked out in a bra that zips in the front, so I was skeptical. To my surprise, I really loved it. It offered great support without compromising comfort.

    The bra is $19.97 on the Calia website.

    Mom: I LOVED this bra. It has bra pads, which I usually don't like, but they worked well with helping support my boobs when running. I liked the unique design with the mesh inlay and it just felt comfy on. I could workout AND sleep in this.

    The bra is $26.97 on the Calia website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: Although the collar on the half-zip sits kind of weird, I thought this top was lightweight enough to workout in without being too thick. It felt like it could repel water and wind well. I also liked that it didn't have a huge logo on it. The pants were kind of like your typical leggings. Nothing special about them, they felt fine and were easy to move in.

    Mom: The top is good running material for sure. I like longer tops, so this was kind of short for my liking. Otherwise, it felt nice. The leggings are comfy and feel a bit like compression leggings, so it did kind of help as far as feeling like I was running quicker.

    NOTE: We both agreed that all Under Armour sizing runs small.

    You can get the tops for $60 and the leggings for $70 on the Under Armour website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: This bra was really comfy. I felt like it gave my boobs very good support, especially for being low support. It was easy to move in and it's something I would wear to workout in a lot!

    The bra is $25.99 on Under Armour's website.

    Mom: This bra was really comfortable and easy to move around in, but for jogging it didn't offer very much support. I think this is a great bra for low-intensity workouts.

    The bra is $30 on Under Armour's website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: This bra reminded me of your classic no bra cups sports bra. It is comfortable, it decently supports your boobs, and I don't have any complaints!

    Mom: This bra did not feel like it supported my boobs when I was doing things like jumping jacks. However, it was comfortable to wear. I would probably wear this lifting weights or doing low impact exercises.

    You can get the bras for $28 each on Under Armour's website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: This bra fit nicely around my chest, but in the cup size, it felt bulky and too big (and it was my right size). It gave decent support, but just wasn't as comfortable overall.

    You can get the bra for $55 on the Under Armour website.

    Mom: I liked working out in this bra. The thicker straps helped give better support and it was pretty comfortable to move around in.

    You can get the bra for $55 on the Under Armour website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: These are the comfiest pair of leggings I've ever worn. They were like wearing air and I could definitely sleep in them. They also had a side pocket for your phone. The top was super soft, but it fit weird and boxy on my shoulders. Because the inside was cotton it's also not ideal to workout in.

    The top is $110 on Sweaty Betty's website.

    Mom: I love these leggings! They are really comfy to workout in and to just wear. I like the pocket, too. The sleeves on the top were really long for some reason, but other than that it was a comfy shirt. It was OK to work out in, but it didn't have lightweight material, so I got super sweaty.

    The top is $100 on Sweaty Betty's website. Both leggings are $100 on Sweaty Betty's website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: I know this is a low support bra, but it really didn't give even that. It is super soft and comfy, but it really just didn't provide any type of support.

    Mom: I liked the comfort of this bra. It almost felt like I wasn't wearing one! Which is good, but if you're wanting to workout — even doing something light, like yoga — I just don't feel like this bra is going to provide any type of support.

    The bras are $50 each on Sweaty Betty's website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: Again, the material is very comfy! However, I would probably label this bra "light support" because it just didn't offer the support I wanted.

    The bra is $60 on Sweaty Betty's website.

    Mom: I wasn't a fan of all the straps in the front, I know it's cute for style, but it just didn't make it as comfy. I would also have to say this was more of a "light support" bra. It was super soft though!

    The bra is $65 on Sweaty Betty's website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: Unlike the others, this bra wasn't as soft. It felt kind of stiff and the cup area almost felt pointy, so I did not care for this sports bra, especially to workout in.

    The bra is $65 on Sweaty Betty's website.

    Mom: I didn't mind this bra. It offered good support and was pretty soft. I would work out in it again.

    The bra is $65 on Sweaty Betty's website.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: The cotton shirt was super soft, but it runs really big — I was wearing an extra small. It felt more like a pajama shirt than an actual workout shirt. I would never really work out in this. The pants were OK, they had a ribbed material, but there were no pockets for a phone or key. So while I think the outfit is cute, both of these pieces felt like they were made for lounging around in and not working out in.

    The shirt is $29.99 and the leggings are $29.99 at Target.

    Mom: The shirt I had actually ran the opposite sizing wise! This was a large, and it was tight. I appreciated the finger loops for when it's cold outside, however, I do feel like I've felt better "moisture-wicking" material before — it seemed kind of thick.

    The shirt is $22.99 and the leggings are $29.74 at Target.

    Target carries brands like All in Motion and Hanes that sell medium and high support bras, however, JoyLab is a Target-only brand and they only make low support bras. We tested four of their low support bras out.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed
    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: This bra matched the yellow leggings I was wearing, so the material was the same – not really something ideal for sweating in. It has no bra cups and it just really didn't support anything during movement.

    The bra is $19.99 at Target.

    Mom: This bra fits really weird! While the material is really soft, it just doesn't work. There are no cups, it's super thin, and doesn't hold my boobs in at all. It felt like I wasn't even wearing a bra when I was doing jumping jacks.

    The bra is $16.99 at Target.

    Krista Torres / BuzzFeed

    Krista: I actually don't mind this style. It was way better than the yellow bra. The material feels more like an actual ~workout~ bra and it supports my boobs decently when doing exercises.

    The bra is $19.99 at Target.

    Mom: I didn't care for this bra on me. It has cups, but it fit weird and it's not comfy to move around in. The straps in the back were rubbing on my skin and bugging me. As well as exercising in it, the support under my boobs was good, but there really was no support from the straps or upper area.

    The bra is $16.99 at Target.

    Brooke Greenberg / BuzzFeed

    *While we didn't factor pricing into this review, we do think it's important to note that you get the best bang for your buck with Calia. Some of their pieces were just as affordable as JoyLab at Target, but were better quality and a better fit.*

    A lot of these workout lines have styles that we did not test. We reviewed the clothes based off the styles we tried and how they fit our bodies. Every body is different, though, so what worked for us may not be the best option for you!

    Under Armour and Calia sent BuzzFeed free samples, but we were under no obligation to positively review them in this article. All opinions are our own.