Gymshark vs. Vanquish: Which brand should you buy?

Gymshark offers trendy, social-media-driven activewear at a more accessible mid-range price, making it a favorite for casual gym-goers who value style and a flattering fit. In contrast, Vanquish is a premium brand focused on high-performance, durable apparel for serious athletes and bodybuilders who prioritize function and technical materials over fashion trends.

Let's compare the specifics of each brand to help you decide which activewear is right for your training style and budget.

Gymshark: The Trendy & Accessible Activewear Giant

Gymshark has become a dominant force in the activewear market by building a massive community around trendy, figure-flattering designs. Catering primarily to Millennials and Gen Z, the brand excels at creating apparel that looks as good on the street as it does in the gym. Their success is built on a savvy influencer marketing strategy and an aesthetic that emphasizes modern, sleek, and body-conscious silhouettes.

• Product mix: A wide range of men's and women's activewear, including their famous seamless leggings, sports bras, shorts, hoodies, and tops that combine performance features with fashion-forward designs.
• Price point: Generally positioned in the mid-range. Expect leggings from $60-$70 and tops around $30-$40, though prices can drop significantly during their popular sales events.
• Quality & Materials: Known for their soft, stretchy, and squat-proof seamless fabrics, typically a nylon-spandex blend. While the quality is good for most workouts, some users have noted that certain items can lose elasticity with heavy use and frequent washing.
• Sizing/Fit: Gymshark typically runs true to size with a compressive and supportive fit. Its cuts are intentionally designed to be form-fitting and accentuate body contours. A size guide is available for precise measurements.
• Sales: The brand is well-known for its semi-annual sales, offering substantial discounts that make it a great time to stock up. These sales create a lot of hype within their community.
• Return policy: Standard 30-day return policy for items in original condition, making it easy to try different sizes or styles.

Gymshark is the go-to choice for fitness enthusiasts who want stylish, community-driven activewear that performs well for daily workouts without a premium price tag.

Shop Gymshark: gymshark.com

Vanquish: The High-Performance Athlete's Choice

Vanquish carves out its space in the market by catering specifically to dedicated athletes, bodybuilders, and anyone who demands peak performance from their gear. The brand's focus is on function, durability, and technical fabrics designed to support the most intense training sessions. Beyond clothing, they also offer nutritional supplements, solidifying their position as a brand for hard-training fitness purists.

• Product mix: Highly technical workout gear for men and women, including compression wear, shorts, stringers, leggings, and jackets. They also sell a line of nutritional supplements.
• Price point: Sits in the premium category. High-performance tops and leggings typically range from $50 to $100, reflecting the advanced materials and construction.
• Quality & Materials: Vanquish emphasizes high-tech performance fabrics. Garments often feature reinforced high-stress seams, advanced moisture-wicking technology, and compression materials built to withstand heavy lifting and rigorous activity over the long term.
• Sizing/Fit: Their sizing is generally true to size but is designed for an athletic, muscular build with a focus on compression. If you prefer a looser fit, you may consider sizing up.
• Style: Vanquish employs an aggressive, utilitarian aesthetic with bold branding and a more toned-down color palette. The designs are functional and built for performance, not necessarily for fashion trends.
• Return policy: Offers a standard return period, allowing customers to send back unworn items if they are not satisfied.

With its focus on durable materials and performance-enhancing fits, Vanquish is ideal for athletes who need their gear to work as hard as they do.

Shop Vanquish: vanquish.com

Gymshark vs. Vanquish Comparison

Price Comparison

Gymshark is clearly the more budget-friendly option. With leggings often priced between $60-70 and frequent, heavily advertised sales, it's accessible to a wider audience, including students and those just starting their fitness journey. Shoppers can build a full workout outfit for a reasonable price, especially during their blowout sale events.

Vanquish unapologetically positions itself as a premium brand. Its higher price point - often between $50 and $100 for tops and leggings - is justified by the investment in technical fabrics and construction designed for longevity and performance. You're paying for gear engineered to endure rigorous use, not just for a brand name.

Quality & Materials

The materials war between these two brands comes down to style versus durability. Gymshark's seamless nylon-spandex fabrics are incredibly popular for their comfort, stretch, and flattering look. They are more than adequate for general weight training, studio classes, and cardio. However, the trade-off is that they are sometimes less resilient to the extreme friction and stress of heavy powerlifting or high-intensity interval training, with some older reviews noting a loss of shape over time.

Vanquish puts a premium on robust, technical materials. You'll find reinforced stitching in key areas, premium compression fabrics that support muscles during lifts, and moisture-wicking technology designed for heavy sweat sessions. This commitment to durability means a Vanquish item will likely outlast its Gymshark counterpart when subjected to the same intense training regimen month after month.

Style & Aesthetic

There's a massive difference in brand aesthetics. Gymshark is trendy, minimalist, and designed to be seen. Its collections often feature seasonal color palettes, subtle contouring, and form-fitting designs intended to accentuate your physique. It's the kind of gear that flows easily from a squat rack session to a post-workout coffee run.

Vanquish adopts a more classic, hardcore gym style. Its aesthetic is utilitarian and no-nonsense, with bold logos, a darker color palette, and fits that emphasize an athletic build. Think of it as a uniform for serious training - less focused on catching eyes and more on signaling a commitment to a high-performance lifestyle.

Fit & Sizing

Both brands generally offer true-to-size fits and provide detailed sizing charts on their websites. Gymshark's fit is known for being compressive yet comfortable, designed to contour the body and act like a second skin. Its stretchable fabric provides a bit more forgiveness in the fit.

Vanquish's apparel is also true to size but is cut for an athletic physique. Its performance and compression items are designed to be extremely form-fitting to offer muscular support. Shoppers who are between sizes or prefer more room to move may find sizing up to be more comfortable.

Sustainability & Ethics

As a large, fast-growing company, Gymshark faces scrutiny regarding its environmental impact. The brand has publicly acknowledged this and is taking steps toward greater sustainability, such as using more responsible packaging and being more transparent about its manufacturing processes. However, a growth-focused model always presents an environmental challenge.

Vanquish has been less vocal about specific sustainability initiatives. Its primary contribution to sustainability comes from its brand promise: durability. By creating products that last longer, Vanquish inherently encourages less consumption and less waste. However, customers looking for detailed material-sourcing and carbon-footprint reports won't find much public information.

Which One Should You Choose?

Both brands produce excellent workout clothing, but they are built for entirely different customers and mindsets.

Choose Gymshark if:

• You want stylish and trendy activewear that you can also wear casually.
• You follow fitness influencers on social media and want to feel part of that vibrant community.
• You're on a mid-range budget and want to take advantage of big semi-annual sales.
• You are a beginner or intermediate gym-goer whose workouts include weightlifting, classes, and cardio.

Choose Vanquish if:

• You are a serious athlete, bodybuilder, or powerlifter who prioritizes function over fashion.
• You need gear that can withstand intense, high-friction, and demanding workouts on a daily basis.
• You are willing to invest in premium apparel that provides technical benefits like muscle compression and will last for years.
• You prefer a more aggressive, utilitarian gym aesthetic rather than trendy styles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gymshark or Vanquish cheaper?

Gymshark is significantly cheaper. Its products are in the mid-range price bracket, and they frequently host site-wide sales that offer deep discounts. Vanquish is a premium brand with higher prices and fewer sales events.

Which has better quality?

This depends on your definition of "quality." For stylish comfort in general fitness settings, Gymshark's quality is excellent. For extreme durability, technical performance, and longevity under intense use, Vanquish has superior quality and construction.

Which brand fits better for muscular builds?

While both brands cater to athletic shapes, Vanquish clothing is specifically cut to accentuate and accommodate a muscular physique. Its compression gear is especially popular among bodybuilders.

Is Vanquish better for bodybuilding?

Yes. Vanquish is designed from the ground up for serious weightlifters and bodybuilders. The durable materials, supportive compression fits, and no-nonsense style appeal directly to this demographic.

Do Vanquish and Gymshark sell products for women?

Yes, both brands have extensive and popular clothing lines for both men and women. Gymshark has a particularly large and devoted female customer base, largely due to its flattering legging and sports bra designs.

Do both brands have good return policies?

Yes, both Gymshark and Vanquish offer standard return policies, typically around 30 days, for unworn items with tags attached. This allows customers to try products for size and fit at home.

Is Gymshark still popular?

Absolutely. Gymshark remains one of the fastest-growing and most recognized activewear brands globally, particularly among consumers under 35. Its powerful social media presence keeps it relevant and in constant demand.

What does Vanquish sell other than clothing?

Vanquish is a comprehensive fitness brand that also sells a range of nutritional supplements, including protein powders and pre-workouts, catering to athletes who take their nutrition as seriously as their training.