Gymshark vs. Young LA: Which brand should you buy? [2026]

Gymshark focuses on sleek, minimalist, and functional athletic apparel designed for performance, while Young LA blends fitness wear with a bold, eye-catching, and streetwear-inspired aesthetic. Gymshark is known for its high-quality seamless fabrics and body-contouring fits, whereas Young LA is recognized for its graphic prints, oversized cuts, and trend-focused designs aimed at a younger audience.

Let's break down everything you need to know to choose the right activewear brand for your style and workout needs.

Gymshark: The Sleek & Modern Performance Favorite

Gymshark is a global activewear giant that built its reputation on stylish, functional apparel perfect for serious gym-goers and fitness enthusiasts. The brand is known for its high-quality fabrics, minimalist designs, and strong community focus, making its clothing a go-to for shoppers who want performance wear that looks good both in and out of the gym.

• Product mix: Extensive range of leggings, sports bras, shorts, tops, hoodies, and accessories for both men and women. They are particularly famous for their versatile seamless activewear collections.
• Price point: Sits in the mid-range bracket, typically from $20 for a basic top to $70 for jackets. Their popular leggings usually retail for around $40-$50.
• Quality & Materials: Invests heavily in fabric innovation, offering squat-proof, lightweight, and moisture-wicking textiles. The seamless technology provides a comfortable, chafe-free workout experience with excellent durability.
• Style: The aesthetic is modern, sleek, and minimalist. Expect clean lines, contouring details, and mostly solid colors or subtle patterns, making pieces easy to mix and match.
• Fit & Sizing: Generally true to size and designed for a body-hugging, athletic fit that contours and supports your shape during movement. Sizing is reliable and consistent across most product lines.
• Sales: Holds large, well-publicized sales events a few times a year that offer significant discounts, supplemented by bundle deals and student discounts.
• Sustainability: Increasing focus on sustainability by incorporating recycled materials and working to reduce production waste, though there is still progress to be made.

Gymshark is ideal for the dedicated fitness enthusiast who values high-performance materials, a body-contouring fit, and a timeless, minimalist style.

Shop Gymshark: gymshark.com

Young LA: The Bold Streetwear & Fitness Hybrid

Young LA has a strong presence in the activewear market by fusing fitness apparel with bold streetwear style. The brand appeals to a younger, trend-driven audience that wants to make a statement with their gym clothes. They stand out with graphic designs, unique colorways, and relaxed, oversized fits that reflect contemporary hypebeast culture.

• Product mix: Offers a wide variety of joggers, shorts, tank tops, oversized hoodies, and accessories. Their product drops are frequent, often featuring limited-edition collaborations with influencers.
• Price point: Affordable and competitive, with most items ranging from $25 to $80. Joggers and shorts are typically in the $30-$50 range, offering great value for style-focused shoppers.
• Quality & Materials: Primarily uses comfortable cotton and durable polyester blends suited for both workouts and casual daily wear. Quality is solid for the price, though the focus is more on feel and look than on cutting-edge performance tech.
• Style: Bold, vibrant, and influenced by street fashion. Graphic prints, prominent logos, and oversized silhouettes are common, catering to those who want expressive, eye-catching gym outfits.
• Fit & Sizing: Sizing is generally true to size but often leans towards a relaxed and slightly oversized fit, especially in their joggers, hoodies, and tees. Always check product descriptions for specific fit guidance.
• Sales: Runs frequent promotions, holiday sales, and influencer discount codes tied to their constant cycle of new product launches.
• Sustainability: The brand's sustainability initiatives are not a major public focus, as they prioritize accessible pricing and fast-moving trends.

Young LA is the perfect choice for those who see the gym as another place to showcase their personal style and prefer a relaxed, streetwear-influenced fit.

Shop Young LA: youngla.com

Gymshark vs. Young LA Comparison

Price Comparison

Both brands position themselves as affordable alternatives to premium activewear, but they approach value differently. Gymshark’s pricing is consistent, with pieces like leggings costing $40-$50 and hoodies around $60. Their value comes from the durability and high-performance design, and they host large annual sales that offer deep markdowns on signature styles.

Young LA feels slightly more aggressively priced on everyday items, with joggers around $30-$50. Their model is built on frequent product drops and flash sales, creating a sense of urgency. While the list prices are similar, Young LA provides more consistent opportunities for discounts through influencer codes and new-launch promotions.

Quality & Materials

Gymshark has a clear advantage in performance-oriented quality. Their use of seamless technology, sweat-wicking fabrics, and compressive, squat-proof materials is designed for intense physical activity. You are paying for textiles that support, stretch, and endure frequent, demanding workouts.

Young LA's quality is centered around comfort and aesthetic appeal. They use soft cottons and durable polyester blends that are perfectly suitable for lifting and general fitness. While their apparel holds up well, it isn't engineered with the same level of performance technology as Gymshark and may be more suited to modern bodybuilding or casual wear than high-intensity training.

Style & Aesthetic

This is where the two brands differ most dramatically. Gymshark’s aesthetic is clean, athletic, and minimalist. The focus is on silhouette, fit, and subtle branding, resulting in versatile pieces that don't go out of style quickly. They offer trendy colors but an overall look that is distinctly performance-focused.

Young LA is all about streetwear. Their brand identity is built on bold graphics, oversized fits, expressive typography, and hypebeast culture. Choosing Young LA is a style statement - it says you’re connected to current trends and want your gym wear to reflect that. It’s less about versatility and more about making an impact.

Fit & Sizing

Gymshark is known for its consistent, true-to-size, body-contouring fit. Their leggings and tops are designed to be sleek and compressive, enhancing your physique and providing support without feeling restrictive. If you are looking for a classic athletic cut, Gymshark is the more reliable choice.

Young LA's sizing is generally true to size but often incorporates a relaxed or oversized silhouette by design. Their joggers and hoodies are meant to be spacious and comfortable, aligning with street fashion trends. While this is great for a casual look and feel, those who prefer form-fitting activewear might need to size down or opt for their more fitted items.

Sustainability & Ethics

Gymshark is making visible efforts to improve its environmental footprint by using recycled polyester and outlining sustainability goals on its website. As a larger company, they are under more scrutiny and appear to be taking steps in the right direction, even with more work to do.

Young LA does not prominently feature information about sustainability or ethical manufacturing. Their business model - based on rapid production of trend-driven items at an affordable price point - generally doesn't prioritize eco-friendly initiatives, though this could change as the brand grows.

Which One Should You Choose?

Both brands offer excellent products, but they cater to very different customers. The right choice truly depends on your priorities in style, performance, and fit.

Choose Gymshark if:

• You prioritize technical performance, durability, and features like squat-proof support.
• You prefer a clean, minimalist aesthetic with body-contouring, athletic fits.
• You want versatile pieces that work just as well for intense HIIT sessions as they do for everyday errands.
• You like to invest in core activewear styles and stock up during major annual sales events.

Choose Young LA if:

• You want your gym wardrobe to reflect current streetwear and hypebeast trends.
• You love bold graphics, vibrant colors, and making a style statement at the gym.
• You prefer a comfortable, relaxed, or fashionably oversized fit in your joggers and hoodies.
• You are a budget-conscious shopper who loves taking advantage of frequent flash sales and discount codes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Gymshark or Young LA cheaper?

Their price points are very similar, but Young LA often feels cheaper due to their model of constant promotions and new product drops with associated discount codes. Gymshark offers excellent value during its major seasonal sales, but day-to-day, you might find a better deal at Young LA.

Which brand has better quality?

For high-intensity workouts and technical performance, Gymshark has a slight edge due to its investment in innovative fabrics like seamless and squat-proof textiles. Young LA offers good quality for its price point that's perfectly durable for general gym use and casual wear, but with less of a focus on performance-specific features.

Which brand runs bigger?

Young LA tends to run bigger, as many of their items are designed with an intentionally oversized or relaxed streetwear fit. Gymshark typically runs true-to-size with a snug, form-fitting cut intended to contour the body.

Is Young LA more for style or performance?

Young LA is a hybrid brand, but its main appeal lies in its streetwear style. While the clothes are functional for workouts like weightlifting, the bold designs and trendy fits are the primary reason customers choose the brand.

Do Gymshark and Young LA have return policies?

Yes, both brands have standard return policies that allow customers to return unworn items within a specified window. It's always best to check their respective websites for the most current policy details before purchasing.

What is Gymshark's signature product?

Gymshark is most famous for its seamless leggings and matching sets. Lines like Vital and Flex have become iconic in the fitness community for their comfortable, flattering, and high-performance design.

What is Young LA's signature style?

Young LA is best known for its oversized graphic hoodies, comfortable joggers with distinct branding, and bold-colored athletic shorts that blur the line between gym apparel and everyday streetwear.

Which brand is better for women?

Both brands are very popular among women, but for different reasons. Women looking for technical leggings, high-support sports bras, and a sleek, contoured fit often prefer Gymshark. Women who prefer trendy pump covers, oversized joggers, and a more fashion-forward look often gravitate towards Young LA.