Activewear Fabric Chart: What Popular Leggings, Shirts and Base Layers Are Made Of
What Lululemon Align, CRZ YOGA Butterluxe, Nike Dri-FIT, Under Armour Tech, merino base layers and more are made of, compiled in one table from our guides.
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Quick answer
Most leggings we cover are nylon or polyester with 15 to 25 percent spandex: Lululemon Align's Nulu and CRZ YOGA Butterluxe are brushed nylon and spandex, Sunzel is 80/20 polyester and spandex. Training tees are nearly all polyester, and the base layers split between pure merino, merino-polyester blends and synthetics.
Fabric decides most of what a piece of activewear does: how fast it dries, whether it goes sheer in a squat, whether it smells after one wear. Brands name their fabrics (Nulu, Everlux, Dri-FIT, UA Tech, Butterluxe) and rarely explain them on the product page. Our reviews usually do, one product at a time, and this chart gathers them.
Every row below repeats what one of our guides already says about a product's fabric, with a link to that guide. We compiled it in September 2026. Where a guide gives exact percentages, the chart shows them; where it only names the fibres, the chart does too. We did not add anything a guide does not state.
Leggings and Yoga Pants
| Brand | Product | Fabric | Weight and notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lululemon | Align High-Rise Pant | Nulu: brushed nylon and Lycra (spandex) | 190 to 220 GSM; one of the lightest yoga bottoms, stays opaque when soaked | Best yoga pants for women, hot yoga clothes |
| Lululemon | Wunder Train High-Rise Tight | Everlux: nylon and spandex | A denser, cooler-feeling knit; squat-proof in every colour | Best squat-proof leggings, best workout leggings |
| CRZ YOGA | Butterluxe High Waisted Leggings | 80% polyamide (nylon), 20% spandex | Brushed; slightly thicker and more opaque than Nulu | Workout clothes under $30, CRZ YOGA vs Lululemon |
| Colorfulkoala | Buttery soft 7/8 leggings | 80/20 nylon and spandex | A step thicker than Butterluxe, with a smooth, peached finish | Best yoga pants for women |
| Sunzel | Flare Leggings with Pockets | 80% polyester, 20% spandex | Four-way stretch; opaque in every colour we tested | Workout clothes under $30 |
| Nike | One High-Waisted 7/8 Leggings | Dri-FIT polyester and spandex | Medium compression | Best squat-proof leggings |
| Gymshark | High-Waisted Squat-Proof Seamless Leggings | Nylon and elastane, seamless knit | Medium-high compression | Best squat-proof leggings |
| Under Armour | Fly-By Compression Capri | Polyester and elastane | High compression | Best squat-proof leggings |
| prAna | Women's Halle Pant | Stretch Zion: 95% recycled nylon, 5% elastane | A trail pant, UPF 50+ | Sustainable activewear brands |
Tops, Tees and Tanks
| Brand | Product | Fabric | Weight and notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nike | Dri-FIT Legend Tee | 100% polyester with Dri-FIT finish | About 140 GSM | Hot yoga clothes, first gym session |
| Nike | Indy Dri-FIT Bra Tank | 100% recycled polyester | Built for fast moisture transport | Moisture-wicking tank tops |
| Nike | Dri-FIT and Dri-FIT ADV | Fine polyester microfibre; ADV adds engineered ventilation and bonded seams | Moisture-wicking running shirts | |
| Under Armour | Women's Tech V-Neck | 100% polyester (UA Tech) | Dries fast | Workout clothes under $30 |
| Under Armour | Iso-Chill Run | Polyester knit with titanium dioxide in the fibres | Spreads heat across the surface, so it feels cool on | Moisture-wicking running shirts |
| 32 Degrees | Cool Classic Crewneck (men's) | 90% polyester, 10% spandex | Brushed on both sides (from the listing) | Sweat-proof shirts |
| NELEUS | Dry Fit Athletic Shirts (3-pack) | 100% polyester | Workout clothes under $30 | |
| BALEAF | Men's 5-Inch Running Shorts | 100% polyester shell; 90% polyester, 10% spandex liner | Workout clothes under $30 |
Base Layers and Cold Weather
| Brand | Product | Fabric | Weight and notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MERINNOVATION | 100% Merino Wool Base Layer Top | 100% merino, 18.5 micron | 165 g/m2, the light end of midweight; OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (from the listing) | Cold-weather base layers |
| Patagonia | Merino Air Crew | Merino, 18.5-micron fibre | Soft with no itch | Cold-weather base layers |
| Patagonia | Capilene Air Crew | Merino wool and recycled polyester, 3D knit | Insulates like merino, dries like a synthetic | Cold-weather base layers |
| Arc'teryx | Motus AR Crew LS | Phasic AR synthetic | Built for moisture management in hard efforts | Cold-weather base layers |
| Under Armour | ColdGear Armour Fitted Crew | Dual-layer synthetic, brushed inside, smooth outside | (from the listing) | Cold-weather base layers |
| 32 Degrees | Heat Lightweight Baselayer Crew (men's) | Polyester, acrylic, rayon and spandex | Lightweight (from the listing) | Cold-weather base layers |
| 32 Degrees | Heat Lightweight Baselayer Crew (women's) | 90% polyester, 10% spandex | Lightweight (from the listing) | Cold-weather base layers |
| Smartwool | Run Targeted Cushion OTC socks | Merino wool blend, roughly 40% merino | Stays warm when damp | Winter running gear |
Hoodies, Jackets and Socks
| Brand | Product | Fabric | Weight and notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gymshark | Power Hoodie | Cotton-poly blend | About 350 GSM | Men's gym hoodies |
| YoungLA | 515 Raw Hem Hoodie | Heavyweight fleece | 380 GSM | Men's gym hoodies |
| Under Armour | Rival Fleece Full-Zip Hoodie | Midweight Rival fleece | About 300 GSM | Men's gym hoodies |
| Patagonia | Torrentshell 3L Rain Jacket | 100% recycled nylon | Fair Trade Certified sewn | Running jackets |
| BALEAF | Packable Rain Jackets | Laminated TPU membrane | Listed at 5,000mm waterproofing and 3,000 g/m2/24hr breathability | Running jackets |
| ToeSox | Bellarina Half Toe Grip Socks | 77% organic cotton blend | Breathed well through a 55-minute reformer class | Grip socks for Pilates and barre |
What the Numbers Mean
Spandex share. Our best workout leggings and squat-proof leggings guides both put the sweet spot at 15 to 25 percent spandex or elastane. Below 15 percent, a legging does not recover its shape after a workout. Every legging in the chart with a stated percentage sits at 20 percent; the prAna Halle trail pant, at 5 percent elastane, is built for hiking rather than squats.
Fabric weight (GSM). Grams per square metre is the best single guide to opacity and warmth:
| Garment | Weight to look for | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Squat-proof leggings | 220 to 320 GSM; under 200 risks sheerness | Squat-proof leggings |
| Budget leggings | At least 250 GSM for full opacity | Workout clothes under $30 |
| Hot-weather training shirts | 120 to 160 GSM; over 200 holds too much sweat | Sweat-proof shirts |
| Gym hoodies | 280 to 350 GSM for training; heavier is a warm-up layer | Men's gym hoodies |
| Base layers | Under 150 g/m2 above 35°F, 150 to 250 from 15 to 35°F, over 250 below 15°F | Cold-weather base layers |
Nylon or polyester. Our hot yoga guide calls brushed nylon the soft, cool fabric most hot yoga regulars wear; polyester blends like Dri-FIT wick and dry faster but feel slicker. Our fabric guide covers the trade-offs in full, and our cotton vs polyester guide explains why cotton stays out of sweaty workouts.
Merino share. Our fabric guide's rule is that the first fibre listed drives performance, and a merino blend under 60 percent loses most of merino's odor resistance and temperature control.
If you are choosing between sizes as well as fabrics, our activewear sizing table lists which of these brands run small, large or true to size.
How We Compiled This
We searched our guides for fibre percentages, fabric names and fabric weights tied to a named product, and kept only those. Each row links to the guide it comes from; where the guide took the figure from the brand's listing rather than our own handling, the row says so. Several popular fabrics (Alo's Airlift and Airbrush among them) are missing because our guides describe how they feel and fit, not what they are made of.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Lululemon Align leggings made of?
Nulu, Lululemon's brushed nylon and Lycra (spandex) blend. Our hot yoga guide puts it at 190 to 220 GSM, one of the lightest yoga bottoms available, yet opaque when soaked.
What is CRZ YOGA Butterluxe made of?
80 percent polyamide (nylon) and 20 percent spandex, brushed for a soft hand. It is built to imitate Nulu and is slightly thicker and more opaque.
How much spandex should workout leggings have?
15 to 25 percent spandex or elastane. Below 15 percent, leggings do not recover their shape after a workout; every legging in our chart with a stated percentage uses 20 percent.
Is Nike Dri-FIT polyester?
Yes. Dri-FIT is a fine polyester microfibre, and the Dri-FIT Legend tee is 100 percent polyester. Dri-FIT ADV adds engineered ventilation and bonded seams.
What GSM makes leggings squat-proof?
220 to 320 GSM with 15 to 25 percent spandex. Below 200 GSM, the fibres spread apart under tension and the fabric turns sheer across the glutes.
Are merino base layers worth it?
For odor and temperature control, yes: the merino base layers we cover use soft 18.5-micron fibre. Merino dries more slowly than synthetics, which is why hybrids like the Patagonia Capilene Air blend it with recycled polyester.
The Bottom Line
For soft yoga and everyday leggings, buy brushed nylon with about 20 percent spandex: Nulu if you want Lululemon, Butterluxe or Colorfulkoala for less. For training and running, polyester (Dri-FIT, UA Tech, Sunzel) dries faster. For cold weather, merino or a merino-polyester blend in the 150 to 250 g/m2 range covers most runs. And check the weight: 220 GSM and up for leggings you will squat in, 120 to 160 for a shirt you will sweat through.
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