Gymshark vs Nike Gym Clothes: Fit, Fabric and Sizes for Lifting

Buy Gymshark if you want the close, shape-showing lifting cut it is known for and you fit its size range; buy Nike if you need bigger or more varied sizes, or want to buy from Amazon.com.

Gymshark began as a British brand for people who lift, and its range is still built around the weight room. Nike makes gym clothes as one part of a much larger sportswear business, with more fabric lines, more fits and far more sizes. Both sell a seamless or soft legging, a tapered jogger, a lifting tank and a training tee, so the comparison is piece by piece.

This page isn't a new hands-on test. Fabric content, fit descriptions and size charts come from Gymshark's and Nike's own pages, read on September 28, 2026: Gymshark's Vital, Crest Joggers and Arrival 5" Shorts pages and its women's size guide, and Nike's women's bottoms and men's tops size charts. Where we quote how a piece held up, the quote comes from a guide where we did wear it, linked alongside.

Gymshark and Nike at a glance

Leggings: seamless contour against Dri-FIT

Gymshark's Vital leggings are its best-known women's piece. Gymshark's product page lists the current Vital at 93% nylon and 7% elastane, seamless, with "breathable mesh dots for contouring around glutes and thighs", a ribbed waistband and sweat-wicking fabric, and says it is "designed for any kind of training, including lifting, HIIT, running and Pilates". Some Vital versions use a 96% nylon, 4% elastane blend.

We wore the Vital Seamless for our Gymshark vs Lululemon comparison. From that test: it "held up better under squat-heavy workouts but faded slightly after about 20 washes", and it "can itch a little along the seam edges for the first few wears before it softens."

Nike's closest answer is the Nike One High-Waisted 7/8. Nike's Amazon listing describes a "midweight, peachy-soft fabric" with Dri-FIT sweat-wicking and a drop-in pocket; our squat-proof leggings guide lists it with medium compression and squat-proof fabric, and notes it may run slightly small. It doesn't have the contour shading that defines Gymshark's seamless look, which for many lifters is either the point or a reason to skip it.

Pick Gymshark if you want the sculpted look for lifting days. Pick the Nike One if you want a plainer legging you can also run in, in a wider size range, and bought from Amazon.com.

Joggers: slim Crest or roomier Therma-FIT

Gymshark's Crest Joggers are a cotton-rich jogger: Gymshark lists 80% cotton and 20% polyester, a slim fit with a brushed-back interior, a 28-inch inseam on a size M, and sizes XS to 3XL. It describes them as "designed for lifting and rest days". Our gym joggers guide found them "slim without being restrictive, with enough stretch for deep hip flexion", with a taper "sharper than the Nike's".

Nike's Therma-FIT Tapered Training Pants are a brushed fleece with Dri-FIT wicking. The same guide found the taper "roomy enough through the quads for deep squats, tight enough at the ankle that the fabric doesn't ride up on deadlifts", and that they run slightly long for men under 5 ft 9. In our Nike vs Under Armour comparison, Nike's joggers showed "slight pilling at the inner thighs, otherwise excellent" after three months.

The difference comes down to cut. Gymshark's is slimmer and more fitted; Nike's gives your quads more room and suits a cold gym better. If you carry a lot of leg, start with the Nike.

Tanks and tees

Gymshark's Arrival line is its lifting basics range. The Arrival 5" shorts are 100% polyester, slim fit, with a drawcord and open side pockets, "designed for lifting, running and HIIT", in XS to 3XL. The Arrival Tank has an athletic fit, tapered at the waist with room through the chest; in our men's gym tank guide, buyers consistently said it runs slightly small.

Nike's equivalent is Dri-FIT Legend, as a tee or a tank. Our Nike vs Under Armour test tracked Nike tees through three months of four sessions a week: they "kept colour and shape well, with no visible pilling or seam problems after about 50 washes." The Legend tee's slim cut can be snug across broad shoulders, which is where Nike's wider size run and tall sizes help.

For the look, the Arrival is the better tank. For a tee that simply lasts, our testing favours Nike.

Fabric: what each brand actually tells you

Gymshark lists exact fibre content on each product page, which makes like-for-like comparison easy: nylon and elastane for Vital, cotton and polyester for Crest, polyester for Arrival. It doesn't brand many of its fabrics as technologies.

Nike does the opposite. Its gym clothes are grouped by technology name: Dri-FIT for sweat-wicking polyester, Therma-FIT for insulating fabric that still wicks, Nike Pro for compression. The names tell you what a garment is meant to do more than what it's made of, so check the care label or product details for fibre content if that matters to you. Our fabric guide explains what nylon, polyester and cotton each do in training clothes.

Sizes: the biggest practical difference

This is where the brands separate most clearly.

Gymshark's women's size guide runs XXS to XXL, which it maps to US 0 to 14, with XXL at a 36-inch waist and a 47.7-inch hip. Men's pieces such as the Crest Joggers and Arrival shorts run XS to 3XL. There are no extended women's sizes and few length options, though Gymshark sells some tall styles.

Nike's women's bottoms chart runs XXS to XXL and then 0X to 4X, with 4X covering a 53 to 57-inch waist. Short bottoms, for people 5 ft 4 and under, have a 2-inch shorter inseam, and tall bottoms a 2-inch longer one. Nike's men's tops chart runs XXS to 4XL, with tall versions of most sizes in select styles.

Nike's own advice is to size by hip measurement for bottoms and chest for tops, and to take the smaller size between two for a tighter fit. For Gymshark, our guides consistently note that its seamless and fitted pieces run small; our sizing roundup puts it with the brands to size up in.

Where to buy them

Gymshark sells mainly through its own website. Nike sells everywhere, including through Amazon.

In our check of who sells 30 brands on Amazon, 13 of 18 genuine Nike results were sold by Amazon.com, and all nine genuine Gymshark results came from a single third-party storefront. A fresh search for Gymshark leggings through Amazon's product API on September 28, 2026 returned no Gymshark items at all in its first page. That is why the Gymshark buttons on this page open a search, while the Nike picks link to listings sold by Amazon.com.

Which brand for which lifter

For the rest of a lifting kit, our lifting shoes guide and men's gym shorts guide cover the pieces neither brand is best at.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gymshark better than Nike for lifting?

For the look, often yes: Gymshark cuts its leggings, tanks and joggers close to show shape. Nike offers more sizes and lengths, and in our testing its tees held up better through heavy washing.

Does Gymshark run small compared to Nike?

Our guides consistently find Gymshark's seamless and fitted pieces run small, so size up if you are between sizes. Nike mostly runs true to its chart, which it sizes by hip for bottoms and chest for tops.

What sizes does Gymshark go up to?

Women's sizes run XXS to XXL, which Gymshark maps to US 0 to 14. Men's pieces such as the Crest Joggers and Arrival shorts go to 3XL. Nike goes further, to 4X in women's bottoms and 4XL in men's tops.

Can you buy Gymshark on Amazon?

Not from Gymshark. Our September 2026 checks found Gymshark only through a single third-party storefront, or not at all. Buy from Gymshark's own site.

Our pick

If you fit Gymshark's sizes and want lifting clothes that look like lifting clothes, buy Gymshark from its own site: the Vital leggings, Crest joggers and Arrival tank are the core. If you need a wider size range, a short or tall length, or want to order from Amazon.com, buy Nike: the Nike One 7/8, the Therma-FIT Tapered Pants and the Dri-FIT Legend tee.

Availability changes; check Amazon for current details. As an Amazon Associate, FlexWearLab earns from qualifying purchases.