Old Navy Sport Review: A Style Editor Tests the New Activewear Line

4 min readHALFWAY THROUGH A mat pilates class at Equinox in San Francisco, I’m sweating my ass off. I climb the stair stepper regularly. I lift heavy. Yet every time the instructor tells me to fold forward, I discover I’m about as bendable as one of my corgis’ rubber fetch sticks.Then I catch myself in the mirror. My hamstrings could use some work. My fit? Not so much. I’m wearing a lavender shirt-and-shorts set from the new Old Navy Sport, and in one of the few rooms in San Francisco where people actually dress up, I don’t feel out of place. I came to the city where Old Navy is based to find out whether its new activewear line could compete with the pricier gear around me. On looks, it’s already holding its own.Stylish workout clothes that cost north of $100 apiece are easy to come by (and we’ve tested and endorsed plenty of ’em). Finding gear that looks great, costs a lot less, and can keep up with your workouts is a much tougher ask. Old Navy’s new Sport line, launching today, takes a swing at it, giving the brand’s longtime activewear lineup a lot more personality. I took several outfits through a weekend of workouts in San Francisco to see whether the clothes could keep up.SHOP OLD NAVY SPORTThe Sweat SetI walked to Equinox in a Bounce Fleece half-zip and matching sweats, and they ended up being one of my favorite looks from the trip. Bounce Fleece is Old Navy’s smooth spacer fabric, made mostly from polyester and rayon with a little spandex. It has the coziness I want from fleece, without the scratchiness or stuffiness I sometimes get from traditional hoodies and sweatpants. For San Francisco’s perpetual spring weather, that’s a sweet spot. I’d wear the set through New York City’s shoulder season, too.The pants have a little flare to them, which Gen Z guys love, but they’re not so baggy that a millennial like me, who’s still clinging to tailored trousers, feels swallowed by them.The Pilates SetFor Pilates, I changed into a CloudMotion tee and seven-inch StretchTech shorts, both in a lavender shade called Mockingbird. The tee is made mostly from polyester with 7 percent spandex, and Old Navy describes the fabric as lightweight, drapey, sweat-wicking, and breathable. That softer feel worked especially well for mat Pilates. The workout shirt followed me through all the reaching and twisting without bunching, and even after I worked up a sweat, I didn’t smell gross.The gym shorts passed the awkward-leg-in-the-air test, the seven-inch inseam kept me from flashing my colleagues, and the liner stayed where it belonged through every leg lift. I stashed my Invisalign in a side pocket; even during hip bridges, the zipper didn’t dig into me. When I’m already losing a battle with the mat, I appreciate shorts that stay out of it.The Running SetOld Navy’s Sport Line, true to its younger appeal, is full of roomier running tees. My millennial self chose the fitted one. The Slim Fit Performance Vent T-Shirt came in a sleek red graphic pattern that had a Matrix-like finish, which is surprising for a running shirt under $25. It looks closer to something I’d see from IYKYK upstarts like Bandit than the staid shirts you usually find at this price, just without the Bandit sticker shock. It’s made with a polyester spandex blend, and has surprisingly cool vents along the sides. Fitted through the chest, looser through the body. No sausage casing. San Francisco mornings are chilly, even in August, but I didn’t want to carry a layer once we got moving. The shirt gave me some coverage before my run. I was sweaty by the end, but I wasn’t cooking inside it.The matching five-inch Performance Vent Run Shorts use the same light, stretchy fabric, with side vents and a built-in brief. I don’t run long distances much anymore, but they stayed put and kept everything where it belonged. I looked at the waterfront. I did not think about my running shorts, which is how I want a short jog to go.The Strength-Training SetLater, we did a strength circuit on a terrace overlooking the Bay Bridge. It was midday, and the sun was out in full force. I wore brown ProTrain shorts with a Saddle Brown CloudMotion tee, because I can never stop myself from a monochrome set. The brown-on-brown fit looked super clean, but the shorts were the star. They’re made from polyester and spandex, and I could feel that extra stretch once we started squatting and moving between exercises. I didn’t have to constantly pull them down like other more expensive shorts I’ve tried.The CloudMotion tee was still super soft, but the fabric that felt so good during Pilates was a little heavy under the midday sun. I’d happily wear it for lifting indoors. On that terrace, I should have worn one of the mesh shirts, though the view was worth sweating for.The VerdictOld Navy Sport fills a useful gap. There are plenty of budget-level clothing brands making affordable workout clothes that get the job done, while Abercrombie’s YPB has the style part down but can skew younger and costs more. Old Navy gives you stylish fits and prices that let you buy the whole outfit for what one piece can cost elsewhere. There’s plenty here for days when you aren’t working out, too. The Bounce Fleece set was one of my favorites from the trip, and Old Navy Sport offers several technical fleece fabrics and weights to carry you from early fall to when the winter chill sets in. I can’t say yet how everything will look after a year of washing, but the clothes got me through a sweaty weekend without any major complaints. I looked great, and nobody had to avoid me afterward. That’s a strong start.Shop More of Our Favorite Old Navy Sport ActivewearChristian is the Style and Reviews Director at Men's Health and Women’s Health, where he oversees shopping and style content for both brands. He started his magazine career as an accessories assistant at Vogue, and has since held editorial roles at Tatler Asia and The Manual. When he’s not online shopping, you can find him on long walks with his two corgis.