The Best Workout Hoodies for Your Next Trip to the Gym

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Exercising may be simple, but there are many ways to improve your daily routine. This includes optimizing your schedules, fixing your diet, and even choosing the right clothes to wear. That’s right — the clothes you wear have a direct impact on how you exercise and the results you gain.

When it comes to workout attire, workout hoodies are some of the finest you can choose. Though these hoodies may look uncomfortable to wear at first, you’ll get used to them, and once you know why they’re so widely used, you’ll want to use one every day moving forward. To help you choose, here are the top-rated workout hoodies of 2024 that we’ve found online.

The Top Workout Hoodies of 2024 in Detail

LASLULU Women's Workout Hoodie  —  Best Overall

Made with superior materials and sporting a nice sleek design, Laslulu’s hoodies are the ones you’ll definitely want to try out first. They’re made out of both polyester and spandex, and they’re machine washable too, so you can throw them into the washing machine after your trip to the gym or park. This hoodie is very thick and durable, which is perfect for an outdoor setting, and you have a variety of colors you’re able to choose from. There’s even a thumbhole located in the hoodie that prevents the hoodies from moving and flapping due to the wind — now that’s a design that deserves “best overall” status.

Pros

  • Many colors to choose from
  • Durable and thick polyester material
  • Thoughtful thumbhole design

Cons

  • No bright pastel options

Hanes Women's Jersey Workout Hoodie  —  Most Affordable

For a lot of people, investing in something that isn’t essential can cost quite a bit of money, even if it’s for something as simple as exercise. Still, that doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money on a good hoodie for exercise, and Hanes’ Women’s Slub Jersey Workout Hoodie is a great example of this. The jersey hoodie has a few colors in its collection and the provided pouch pockets let you keep your hands warm while also offering a bit of space to store items. The hoodie is quite thin but, other than that, it’s great for the cost.

Pros

  • Made completely out of cotton
  • Very affordable price for a hoodie
  • Features pouch pockets
  • Available in different sizes and colors

Cons

  • Fabric is pretty thin

TSLA Women's Full Zip Workout Hoodie  —  Best Athletic Jacket

While you can use just about any hoodie for the purposes of working out, this particular set of hoodies was made just for exercise. This set of athletic jackets by TSLA is a great example of high-quality athletic wear for an affordable price, with the most expensive jacket in the set costing less than $33. Using a combination of polyester and spandex, the jacket offers a tight fit and a full zipper closure that’s also lightweight, which is ideal for yoga, jogging, lifting, and more.

Pros

  • Lightweight polyester and spandex material
  • Designed specifically for exercise and athletes
  • Tight fit with full zipper closure

Cons

  • Can make you feel hot too quickly

JUST MY SIZE Plus Size Workout Hoodie  —  Best Plus Size

Plus-size hoodies are great for two things — they’re great to wear when exercising at the gym, and they’re great to wear at home after you lose some weight. This set of hoodies comes from JUST MY SIZE, and they have options that range from 1X to 5X in size. Made out of a combination of polyester and cotton, the hoodie is quite durable while also being extremely affordable. The lower price point is great for a plus-size hoodie set, as plus-size clothes generally cost more than smaller clothes from the same brand.

Pros

  • Comes in sizes ranging from 1X to 5X
  • Great price for a plus-size hoodie
  • Machine washable polyester and cotton material

Cons

  • Might feel somewhat loose

Amazon Essentials Women's Stretch Hoodie  —  Best Stretch Hoodie

Stretch hoodies are very comfortable to wear, not only because of their allowance but also because of the material used. Amazon sells its own line of hoodies, and theirs is made out of polyester and spandex, is imported and machine washable, and the convertible hood makes it easy to cover your head when necessary. The added thumbholes also give you a cozier, more comfortable wearing experience. It may not be the best hoodie for exercise, but for just about anything else, you really can’t go wrong.

Pros

  • Made out of a combination of polyester and spandex
  • Thumbhole design for added comfort
  • Machine-washable, stretchable material

Cons

  • Not ideal for exercise and workouts

Buyer’s Guide: Choosing an Optimum Workout Hoodie

Workout hoodies aren’t just for show in the gym — they have a real purpose. Find out what it is and more in our short buyer’s guide.

Why Do People Wear Hoodies When Exercising?

If you’re not the type of person who exercises often, then you may be wondering — why do so many people wear hoodies when they exercise? Those who play sports such as basketball and volleyball know that even wearing something like a sleeveless jersey can feel incredibly hot when you’re in the heat of things. Why make it even more uncomfortable for yourself by wearing a hoodie during exercise?

The answer is simple: to warm yourself up. If you’ve done any sort of exercise or sports training program, then you already know that warming up is essential to exercise. In fact, it’s a requirement if you want to exercise safely. This is because by warming up the body, you minimize the risk of causing yourself injury. Getting your muscles ready for intense activity is vital to ensure you don’t feel pain the next day.

But the warmup process can take quite a while — a few minutes at least — and this can be quite time-consuming if you’re a busy person. So, if you want your body to warm up faster, you’ll need another way to build up heat as you do your warmup routine. And what better way to do that than by wearing a hoodie?

When you wear a hoodie, you’re trapping all the heat that’s coming out of your skin. Instead of dissipating into the air, it instead gets caught by the fabric and stays on your skin, making you feel even hotter. It can feel uncomfortable, but this basically guarantees that your body’s warm enough for some intense training.

Other Benefits of Wearing a Workout Hoodie

Protects you from cold weather

Workout hoodies don’t just keep the warmth in, they also keep the cold air out. When you jog early in the morning, cold winds can severely affect your performance, even if you don’t feel it immediately. Staying warm is absolutely crucial when jogging in the morning, and wearing a hoodie helps you in more than one way in this regard.

It’s stylish

Who says you can’t look good when working out? A lot of people love posting their outfits on Instagram before and after a good workout sesh, and you can do so too with some good-looking workout attire. In terms of fashion, workout hoodies make you look a lot more determined to exercise, and it’s great for really getting the point across that you’re dedicated to working out.

When to Wear Workout Hoodies

At the gym

The gym is a great place to wear workout hoodies because you’re in a controlled environment. You can pick the right hoodie that’s just thick enough to make you feel hot without overheating.

When jogging

Jogging is also a great time to use workout hoodies. You should only really use them in the early mornings, however, as you may feel a little too hot if you use them during the middle of the day.

While doing yoga

Yoga may not be as intensive as other forms of exercise, but it still benefits from your body staying warm. Workout hoodies will ensure that you can practice new poses while minimizing the risk of injury.