Old Navy Sport Review: A Style Writer’s Honest Take on the Affordable Activewear Label

4 min readI spend an almost comical amount of time in workout clothes. Between Pilates, Orangetheory, F45, strength training, and inevitably grabbing coffee or running an errand afterward, I want my activewear to do a lot more than just get me through a 50-minute class. And as a style writer, I also won’t pretend that I don’t want to look cute while I’m doing it. I’ve wear-tested tons of brands in the process, from lululemon and Vuori to Alo and plenty of others, so I’ve gotten a pretty good sense of what pieces are actually worth the money. Which is why Old Navy Sport, its new activewear category, caught me off guard.SHOP OLD NAVY SPORTI’ve worn Old Navy for years (the Women’s Health office sees me in the brand’s Oversized Button-Down Boyfriend Shirt on a weekly basis), though I hadn’t really thought of it as a place I’d turn to for workout clothes. But Old Navy has been making activewear for decades—it’s just yet to earn its brownie points with Gen Z. That’s why the brand recently doubled down with Sport, a new category within its existing activewear lineup that’s meant to appeal to Zoomer wellness girlies with fun silhouettes, patterns, and colors. As a fellow twenty-something who’s just about tried it all in terms of workout fits, I’d pick some of these styles over activewear that costs three times as much.How I TestedI spent about a week testing Old Navy Sport, wearing everything from performance leggings and buttery-soft tees to trendy tanks and sports bras, along with more casual pieces like sweatpants and track pants. The items I had the chance to actually break a sweat in impressed me a lot, but what I loved just as much was how easily so many of the pieces worked beyond the workout. I wore them to and from classes, while running errands, walking my dog, and just going about my day, which made me really appreciate the line’s versatility. There’s also no shortage of fleeces, sweatshirts, and sweatpants that it’s currently waaay too warm for me to wear, but that have me very excited for cooler weather.Shannen ZitzThe Styles Feel Very Now.I wasn’t expecting Old Navy Sport to be this fashion-forward, but I kept coming across pieces that look right at home in my Pilates studio. The PowerSoft Layered Longline Tank and PowerSoft Strappy Bra are especially on par with what I’ve been seeing from brands like FORM, 437, and Set Active, with those layered straps and longline shapes that make a workout set feel super on-trend. I also love that Old Navy makes it easy to coordinate pieces—the stripe detailing on the Trek Tech Woven Pant, for example, works with the layered tank for a cute, easy look I’d happily wear to and from class. The StudioSmooth collection surprised me, too: I paired the buttery Short-Sleeve Top with the matching High-Waisted 7/8 Legging and loved how sleek the whole outfit looked.The Leggings Really Hold Their Own.The StudioSmooth High-Waisted 7/8 Legging was probably the biggest hit for me. The fabric is so smooth and buttery, and with 82 percent nylon and 18 percent elastane, the composition is actually pretty similar to my beloved lululemon Align legging—and I could feel the resemblance immediately. I wore them on a long, hot walk around my neighborhood with my dog and was completely comfortable, and the waistband stayed exactly where I wanted it instead of rolling or slowly migrating south as I walked. My one personal gripe is the front seam; I generally prefer leggings without one, although I didn’t find this particular seam uncomfortable or especially unflattering. The Extra High-Rise PowerSoft Boundless Legging solves that problem with a completely seam-free front, although they’re a little thicker and heavier, so I’d personally reach for those more for everyday wear than a particularly sweaty workout. Both leggings come in so many fun colors and prints that match the brand’s lineup of sports bras and tanks, which is a big bonus.Shannen ZitzShannen ZitzI’d Wear So Much of It Beyond the Gym.Old Navy Sport also has a surprisingly good lineup for the parts of my day that have nothing to do with working out. The Trek Tech Woven Pant is a perfect example: it’s lightweight and comfortable enough to wear year-round, and I could see myself throwing it over shorts or leggings on the way to the gym or wearing it with a tee for a casual day out. My only complaint is that they make a bit of a swishy sound when I walk, which is hard to ignore once you notice it. Then there are the cold-weather pieces, which I haven’t been able to properly put through their paces yet because September is still refusing to act like fall. The Bounce Fleece fabric is incredibly soft and cozy, though, and I’m already excited to wear the Quilted Bounce Fleece Sweatpants and matching Boatneck Sweatshirt once the temperature finally drops. I love the quilted texture, and I’ll absolutely be wearing both pieces separately and as a set. The fleece half-zip is another standout for softness, and the fact that I’m already wishing for cooler weather in mid-September is probably all the evidence I need.SHOP OLD NAVY SPORTMore Workout Clothes We LoveBest Matching Workout Sets | Best Workout Clothes on Amazon| Best Workout Clothes For Women | Best Workout Tops | Best Workout Shorts | Best Workout Leggings | Beyond Yoga Leggings Review | Best Leggings On Amazon | Best Leggings With Pockets | Best Yoga Pants | Most Comfortable Sneakers | Best Brooks Shoes for Walking | Best Hoka Shoes for Walking | Best Women's Underwear | Best On Cloud Shoes For Walking | Forme Power+ Bra Review Shannen Zitz is the Associate Style & Reviews Editor at Women's Health, where she covers all-things sneakers and activewear. Previously, she was an assistant editor at Prevention. Shannen graduated from the State University of New York at Cortland with a bachelor's degree in English. If she’s not reading or writing, you can probably find her frequenting the skincare and makeup forums on Reddit or hogging the squat rack at the gym.Christian 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.