Best BJJ Gi Brands 2024: Train Harder, Fight Stronger, Be Unbeatable

I tested 10 different Jiu-Jitsu Gi Brands and found Gold to be the best BJJ gi among them for its amazingly lightweight, great durability, and fair price.

Best BJJ Gis: Coach’s top picks

Product	Ultra Lightweight Men’s Aeroweave Gi	Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi Tournament Kimono	Children’s Brazilian Jiujitsu Tournament Gi
Brand	Gold BJJ	Elite Sports	Elite Sports
Material	Cotton	48% Cotton, 52% Polyester	60% Cotton, 40% Polyester
Weight	Lightweight	Lightweight	Lightweight
Competition Approved	IBJJF approved	IBJJF approved	IBJJF approved
Washing	Machine wash	Machine wash	Machine wash

The gi is sometimes labeled as the only Jiu-Jitsu gear. There is other optional stuff, it’s true. But, alongside the belt, this is the only real requirement for BJJ practice. And don’t be mistaken: this is more than clothing.

When I started training eleven years ago, my mind was blown by my instructor explaining to us the clock choke. I’ve come to know a few no-gi adaptations through the years, but they are not nearly as efficient as the traditional. Being part of the game itself, you gotta give it the importance the gi deserves and be picky when you’re looking for the best BJJ gis.

Finding the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi is not an easy task though. Resistance is a key factor, but it usually walks side-by-side with weight. Considering how strenuous Jiu-Jitsu is, the lighter the better. No brand presents these features in such a state of art as Gold.

Gold has also a great cost-benefit. You might find something better, but it will probably be way too expensive and may not be worth it.

On the other hand, if you’re on a budget, even Gold might be a little bit expensive. For half the price, you can get yourself an Elite Sports that is almost the same level as Gold. Having said that, I found Elite Sports BJJ gi to be the best cost-benefit available.

Thus, it’s important to mention that no BJJ gi is perfect. The best for training might not be the best for tournaments; an outstanding piece of art is sometimes too expensive for a beginner; kids, women, and men require different cuts as well.

Through this review, I will explain the differences and highlight the good and the bad in each of these gis to help you choose the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi for you. Keep reading it to the end and you will certainly avoid wasting your precious money.

BJJ Gi Brands Complete list

• Gold BJJ Jiu Jitsu Gi – Ultra Lightweight Men’s Aeroweave – Preshrunk
• Elite Sports BJJ GI – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi – IBJJF Tournament Kimono
• Elite Sports Youth IBJJF Children’s Brazilian Jiujitsu Gi
• SHOGUN Fight Jiu Jitsu Gi Ultra Light ‘Kanji’ 350gsm Pearl Weave Cotton Premium BJJ
• Venum Power 2.0 BJJ Gi
• SHOGUN Fight Jiu Jitsu Gi Tao Premium 450g Pearl Weave Cotton BJJ
• Sanabul Core Competition Brazilian Jiu Jitsu BJJ Gi IBJJF Approved
• FUJI All Around BJJ Gi
• Venum Contender 2.0 BJJ Gi
• Sanabul Essentials V.2 Ultra Light BJJ Jiu Jitsu Gi with Preshrunk Fabric

1. Best BJJ Gi overall

When I started to buy the gis for making this list of the best BJJ gis that are worth your money, one thing I was sure about is that Gold BJJ would make it to the top 3. They are consistent and this was not my first time wearing their gear.

I couldn’t say, though, what would be its position. Now, here we are: number 1 commercial Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi in the world.

There are many reasons for that. The first one is the Aeroweave technology that makes these gis uncannily light. They managed to keep high durability even with one of the lightest pearl weave models available.

The jacket is only 275 gsm, made out of a preshrunk cotton fabric. This is about 40% of the density you usually find in pearl weave jackets. Combined with ultra-resistant 10 oz ripstop pants, this is the best you can get for this kind of money. They are not cheap, but not expensive either. It’s a fair price if you consider all gear available.

They are very comfortable in training. I was pleasantly surprised by the breathability. That’s not my first Gold BJJ gi, but I was expecting some issues with breathing considering how durable they are supposed to be. Not at all. I tested it right in the middle of the summer and it was just great!

You can really expect them to last for a reasonable time. They got an EVA bolstered collar, ripstop-lined cuffs, and reinforced stitching at all high-stress points. Gold BJJ is so sure of the quality that they have a rip it/replace it kind of policy. If your gi cannot take the pressure of the training, they will replace it or refund it.

Being lightweight and IBJJF-approved, this gi is great for all levels.

2. Best BJJ Gi for cost-benefit

It’s quite impressive that a US$59.99 piece of gear made it to number 2 in a list of the best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi, right? No, the stars rating was not a typo. Elite Sports deserves 4.9 stars, just like Gold BJJ and I will tell you why.

I was astonished when I put this gi on for the first time. I was honestly expecting a classic feeling of cheapness. There is so many overrated martial arts gear over there that I thought this would be one of them. You know the kind: super-cheap so they sell thousands and thousands on Amazon to overwhelm the critical reviews with a bunch of first impressions from beginners, reaching a high evaluation in the end. In fact, I bumped into a few like that making this very same list. But this is definitely not the case.

This is hands down the best cheap BJJ pearl weave and IBJJF-approved gi on the market. And I gotta start by saying something significant about Elite Sports: they are one of the few transparent brands you will find. For many gis, there is no information about the material used. Some brands hide even the kind of weave.

Elite Sports was straight to the point: this is a 60% cotton and 40% polyester preshrunk fabric. They use pearl weave ending up in 400 gsm gi. Clear as a sunny day! I know it would be better a 100% cotton fabric, but this is one of the things that help drop the price, and, to be fair, it’s not that different.

All Elite Sports gis pass through an anti-odor treatment and any BJJ nerd like myself will tell you: that’s necessary! Some people just don’t know how important is to clean their gear and the stink goes from one to another like a virus.

Finally, this gi is durable enough. If you consider how amazingly cheap they are, I would say they have in fact outstanding durability.

3. Best BJJ GI for children

If you’re trying to find the cheapest and coolest BJJ gi for your kids, without compromising quality, here is what you’ve been looking for. This is another great work by Elite Sports.

They are basically the same as the adult version: 400 gsm, pearl weave, a preshrunk fabric made of 60% cotton and 40% polyester, and anti-odor treatment.

However, they are not only a miniature of our number 2 on this list. That would be terrible. A child is not a small adult, their body composition and the trunk/lower limbs ratio are simply not the same. This is the reason why Elite Sports has a design that was specifically developed for children.

Some people find the sizing chart to be misleading. But let’s give Elite Sports a break on this one: a child’s body is not as uniform as an adult’s body. This happens with all gis for kids, except for the custom-made ones.

Although we are talking about children, it’s also important to highlight that the Elite Sports Youth IBJJF Children’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi is IBJJF-approved. If you wanna raise a champion, he must get into competing the fastest possible. With that said, this is a very important feature.

Besides all that, this is also a very cheap gi, one of the cheapest indeed. It’s probably durable enough for your child to grow in it too. So, overall, this is the best choice for children.

4. Best BJJ GI for breathability

Now this might be the coolest BJJ gi among all of them. I’m not talking about breathability, although this gi has a pretty good one too. But they look cool!

I know that appearance is relative, but Shogun does something that only a few brands do: taking risks. They design kimonos thinking outside of the box and this must be praised. In terms of appearance, it’s really rare to find anything even a little different from the classic gi.

The “kanji” version has an embroidered kanji across the right chest that reads ‘Shogun’ in Japanese. Shogun is a military title from the shogunate, the Japanese government system that lasted for seven centuries in that country and brought to life a myriad of stories about legendary warriors. The brand logo, a quite stylish one, is also embroidered on the jacket and pants.

The jacket is 100% premium cotton and it’s pearl weave crafted, resulting in a 350 gsm piece, which is a good density for this kind of weave. The pants are ripstop cotton, increasing durability.

In my opinion, its breathability is one of the best among all pearl weave gis I have tested so far. Maybe because they compromised a little bit of the durability to reach a better level of breathing compared to their other gis. I have personally used Shogun gis in the past and this seems to be the lighter of all I had on me so far, including another one you shall see on this very same list.

Unfortunately, Shogun is not clear about IBJJF approval. However, both gis I tested seems to be in accordance with the rules. I have not found any issues that could be used to rule them out.

5. Best BJJ GI for big guy

When I was listing the gear I would test for this review on the best BJJ gis, I wasn’t planning on using any Venum item. I can explain: this is a brand with which I had some issues in the last few years.

Venum started its activity in 2006 only one year before I started training Muay Thai in Brazil. I remember being amazed by their items. It was beautiful, stylish gear, and, more importantly, of top quality. But they were quite expensive, completely out of my budget. I was just an unemployed student trying to find my way in a country with few opportunities.

A cousin, who was living in the USA in 2010, when I started training BJJ for fighting MMA, brought me a brand new pair of Venum MMA gloves. They were absolutely state-of-the-art! Amazing! In the same year, I started to teach Muay Thai and it wasn’t much later that I would start to bump into Venum gear over and over again. First gloves, then clothing, and, finally, gis.

The thing about Venum is that they became less expensive with time and incredibly popular, with sellings exploding the roof. It’s not easy to maintain good quality control when you reach this level. The same that happened with Everlast, happened with Venum. They became worse and worse with time.

Last year, a friend of mine who works for Brave CF brought me a bunch of shorts for MMA training. The brand started to sponsor the event and he had tons of clothing and gear to give up. They were garbage and did not last more than 3 or 4 training sessions.

Even though, Venum gear is always among the top sellers on Amazon and other websites.

Why I’m telling this story? Because this gi actually surprised me. It’s much better than I was expecting. It’s not great, I must say, but it’s pretty good.

The jacket is pearl weave cotton with 450 gsm. The pants are 280 gsm ripstop. This combination is a classic that works very well. Also important, the Venum Power 2.0 BJJ gi is IBJJF-approved.

This kimono felt pretty good on my body. I was glad to see they have halved numbers. I got myself an A1.5 and the sizing chart worked perfectly. However, I cannot pretend I’m the rule here. Before buying it, I was really afraid of getting something bizarre. There are many complaints about the sizing chart all over the internet. It seems that, even in a good work such as this one, Venum became too big and, maybe, too sloppy to guarantee the delivery of a quality gi.

Some people have also mentioned they shrink. I normally handwash my gis, which might be the reason why I haven’t had this issue.

The thing is I gotta evaluate according to my experience and it was great. I feel I must talk about the problems anyway, but, honestly, I personally haven’t had any and this was a big surprise to me.

6. Best BJJ GI for hard work

Shogun could easily make it twice to the top 5 of this best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi list if the SHOGUN Fight Jiu-Jitsu Gi Tao Premium wasn’t so expensive.

Straight to the point: although this is a heavier gi compared to the Kanji version, it has a great advantage – durability. Overall, they are not much different one from another.

The Tao Premium has a 450 gsm cotton pearl weave jacket and ripstop pants. Its style is even more heterodox than the Kanji version, but it kept the quality. All external symbols are embroidered and the internal part is beautiful.

I found that the breathability is not as good as in the Kanji version, but that’s understandable. I mean, it’s a heavier and more durable gi, what would you expect?

Again, Shogun has not informed anything about an IBJJF approval, which is a shame. It’s hard to be confident about it if it looks like they are hiding something. However, as I said before, it seems to be in accordance with the IBJJF rules.

This is a great gi, it’s true, but I don’t think it has a good cost-benefit. You can find equivalent alternatives for half the price. This is the reason why it ranked worse than it should. If you identify yourself with the style though, it might be an excellent choice.

In my opinion, they are kind of tight in the armpits. It seems that this cutting will be better for women than men. If you are atypically big in this region, you should try them first.

7. Best budget BJJ GI for beginners’ in competition

If you’re looking for “best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi” anywhere, there is a big chance you’re gonna bump into Sanabul somewhere in the rank. In fact, you can say the same for gloves, shin guards, and headgear.

Sanabul has invested massively in the development of new products and marketing. They brought names such as Michael “the Count” Bisping, Tonny Jeffries, Gilbert “Durinho” Burns, “Sugar” Sean O’Malley, and others to represent their gear and the brand has great reviews on Amazon.

You might be asking yourself “what does that mean?” and I got the answer: nothing. I mean, in terms of quality.

I tested some of their gloves recently and the results were incredibly disappointing. But I had never tested a BJJ gi (until now). I was prepared to be let down, but Sanabul Core Competition gi has actually surprised me positively.

This is a 450 gsm double weave preshrunk center fabric. The first good thing about it is the IBJJF approval. It looks durable as well, which is kind of expected for a double-weave gi. A downside is the weight, also expected for this kind of gi.

It’s also important to highlight some of the complaints from other buyers. There are reports of bad stitching and irregular cuts. Nothing of sorts was present on my, but we’re not talking about just a few complaints. It’s a significant amount, to be honest.

Based on my previous experience with Sanabul, I can totally see this happening. At the massive production level the brand has carried on, it’s hard to keep good quality control. This seems to be the case here. Some units are flawed, although the majority are not.

This is a good gi, but you can be cursed with a bad unit. Therefore, only buy one of these if you can return it in cases like that.

8. Best budget BJJ GI for training

Another popular brand among the best gis for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is Venum. It’s not a surprise to see it here for the second time, although, as I said before, I wasn’t even planning on using any Venum item at the beginning.

The Venum Power 2.0 gi shocked me, but the Contender 2.0 was almost exactly what I was expecting. This gi feels cheap. To be fair, it’s cheap. So, you’re getting what you’re paying for.

This is made of a pearl weave cotton jacket with 350 gsm. There is no information about the pants, but they feel like cotton or a mixture of cotton and polyester, with 230 gsm.

Being a lightweight gi, it has good breathability and it’s very comfortable in the summer.

Here comes the “Venum factor” I was expecting: this gi fitted me well, but it shrunk after the first washing (and not just a little bit). It’s clearly not durable and it’s not IBJJF approved. There are many complaints about color fading after washing too. It didn’t happen to me yet, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it does.

For the price, I would say it’s not a very bad gi for beginners. But bear in mind the shrinking before choosing your size.

9. Best BJJ Gi for Judo

Before figuring into this list of the best BJJ gis, Fuji was actually a manufacturer of Judo gis. Yes, they are different. But the know-how is easily transferable. So, this is a very traditional brand. The way they use the word “traditional” though it’s not the best.

What I mean is that they are kind of obscure with this gi and this is one of the factors responsible for sending it to the ninth position.

This is a “traditional weave” cotton gi. What does it mean? Good question. They didn’t advise how many gsm it has, but it’s very heavy, so I would guess it’s a double weave. Maybe inserting the word traditional instead of double was a strategy to pretend this is not outdated.

There is no information either if this is IBJJF approved or not.

I didn’t feel comfortable paying a relatively high price for a gi I don’t know much about. It feels durable though and the sizing chart worked perfectly for me. There are some complaints about shrinking and fading after washing. Mine didn’t shrink yet, but it’s a fair amount of complaints, so it shouldn’t be ignored.

10. Best BJJ Gi for summer

The worst among the best Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi is the Sanabul Essentials V.2 Ultra light.

This is a single weave preshrunk fabric gi with 350 gsm. I don’t know if this is cotton because they didn’t say it, but it feels like a hybrid. There’s no information about IBJJF approval.

They are light, but the “ultra light” feature oversells them.

The first big problem is that it shrinks after washing, even though it’s a preshrunk fabric. The one I tested was very tight already and, after washing, it just didn’t fit anymore.

Durability will clearly be an issue with this gi. On the other hand, it costs only US$69.99 on Amazon. Yes, it’s cheap, but here’s the thing: if you can pay US$59.99 on Elite Sports, why would you buy this mediocre gi? It doesn’t make any sense and this is why it’s ranked tenth on the list.

H2: Best BJJ Gi Buying Guide

What Is the best BJJ Gi ?

The best BJJ gi is the one that fits you better, doesn’t restrain much of your movement, is light and resistant at the same time, and is adequate for your purpose.

A training gi might be a little heavier if that means increased durability. If it’s easy to grip, that’s actually better. Don’t forget: the harder the training the easier the fight. It’s escaping attacks that you become good at it.

For competing, you must consider, first, which are the guidelines and rules of the organization. Most follow the Internation Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) rules, which is responsible for organizing many of the biggest events in the world.

IBJJF requires that a gi be made of cotton or cotton-like fabric only. It cannot be so thick or hard as to impede an opponent from gripping it. It must also be tailored with woven fabric. EVA or any similar material is allowed inside the collar, as long as the measures of size and rigidity regulations are followed. The colors allowed are white, black, and royal blue. Even the paint and/or patches have a specific accepted pattern, as shown below:

Another thing to consider when competing is that the weigh-ins are by standard executed with gear on, which means that a lightweight gi will be more appropriate if you’re near your up limit. Some pants and tops might add more than 2 kg to your total weight whilst the lightest ones approved by IBJJF are about 1.5 kg.

The reasons why BJJ Gis are so important

A BJJ gi is much more than a piece of clothing. It’s a tool so important that some techniques actually depend on it. The complexity added by this gear is one of the reasons why Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is considered a human chess. Besides that, the right gi will help you to prevent light injuries and improve your performance. So you better choose the best gis BJJ specialized brands can offer.

Protection

The best BJJ Gis are designed to protect the practitioner during training and competition. The sturdy fabric and reinforced seams help prevent skin abrasions and injuries, allowing the practitioner to train safely and confidently.

Performance

The fit and weight of a BJJ Gi can greatly impact performance. A well-fitting Gi allows for ease of movement, enabling the practitioner to perform techniques with greater precision and efficiency.

Respect

In the BJJ community, the Gi is seen as a symbol of respect and tradition. Wearing a Gi shows respect for the art and the practitioner’s training partners. Additionally, following the dress code and wearing a clean, well-maintained Gi demonstrates respect for the training facility and instructors.

That Is the Best BJJ Gi

The best BJJ gi is Gold BJJ Jiu Jitsu Gi – Ultra Lightweight Men’s Aeroweave. The aeroweave technology pays off. It’s a very light gi and yet durable. It’s very comfortable and not too expensive.

How to choose a BJJ Gi

Fabric

If you’re trying to find the best BJJ gi for your arsenal, you gotta take a deep look at the fabric. This is one of the key factors that will define breathability, resistance, and protection. Besides, some federations, such as IBJJF, have specific requirements on this subject. For training, you’re pretty much free to choose whichever you think is the best.

Ripstop is an extremely resistant nylon woven fabric chosen by many for training. Even if it got damaged, the technology applied prevents the rip to get worse, hence the name. Ripstop is also an incredibly thin lightweight gi. On the downside, it has bad breathability. In addition, many tournaments won’t allow this kind of gi.

If you’re going with cotton, there are still choices to be made. The most important one is the kind of weave.

Single weave is usually the answer for beginners. Gis woven this way tend to be very light (from 200 to 550 gsm – grams per square meter) and cheap. They are also very comfortable due to their great breathability and, sometimes, can be a good call for a hot summer. However, they won’t last for long.

Double weave is exactly what it sounds like: the doubling of the single weave. These gis are very resistant and will usually last for a long time. Nevertheless, they are so heavy that you don’t see them often anymore. The weaving system also makes the fabric tighter, which results in terrible breathing.

Trying to extract the best out of them, it was created the gold weave a hybrid that has a weight close to the single weave and a resistance similar to double weave. It looked like there was nowhere else to go from this point for a long time. Then, the next evolutionary step arrived: the pearl weave.

Pearl weave is, ironically, the gold standard today in BJJ. This is the lightest gi allowed in competition, but they are still quite resistant. For its features, it has naturally become the competition gi per excellence.

The technological advance has not stopped. There are a few BJJ gi brands promising great quality with ultra-lightweight gis. But, so far, nothing came even close to beating pearl weave.

Fit/Comfort

The best gis for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu must be also comfortable. They must fit your body well and allow breathing.

In terms of fitting, nothing beats custom-made. However, they are very expensive and sometimes it’s hard to find a place that makes them with quality. Each BJJ gi brand has a chart to help you choose the best size for you, like in the example below by Storm Kimonos:

We didn’t choose this chart randomly. There is something very interesting about it and we need to discuss it. This is one of the most comprehensive charts available. It shows the size of each segment of their gi. Sometimes, your BJJ gi pants may be of a different size than your jacket. As an example: I usually wear A2 jackets and A1.5 pants, which is not even a measure for Storm Kimonos but it’s pretty common with other BJJ gi brands.

After choosing what is the best BJJ gi brand for you, take a careful look at the brand’s chart to avoid any mistakes. Ideally, it would be best if you tried them before buying, but we know this is not always an option.

Besides the right size, you gotta aim for other aspects of comfort. The reasons why double weave has become rarer with time are the weight and breathability. Fighting is strenuous enough even with the coolest BJJ gi on, not to mention one that feels like a sauna.

Fabric and type of weave are determinants for that. Cotton is usually a pretty breathable fabric, but the double weave makes it too dense. Single weave has great breathability but is not durable at all. With gold or pearl weave you will get the best BJJ gi brands can offer.

Jacket weight

The weight of your jacket totally depends on the kind of fabric and weave. These features will determine the gsm (grams per square meter), which will define with the size of the top the total weight you will carry on.

The best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gi brands will usually offer cotton fabric tailored on gold weave or pearl weave. This might result in a jacket from 0.5 to 1.3 kg, depending on your size. To get something lighter than that and still resistant, you would usually have to go with ripstop, which might be not allowed for some championships as the ones hosted by IBBJF.

Material, manufacturing, and durability • (include a SECONDARY keyword within this section.)

Jiu-Jitsu is also known as “the gentle art”. Well, not for your gi, I shall say. If you’re taking BJJ seriously, your gi will be rubbed on the mat and pulled constantly. That being so, durability is a key factor when it comes to the best gis for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

In the lightweight category, the best you can get is a pearl weave 100% cotton jacket and ripstop pants. These gis are comfortable, durable, and most of them are IBJJF approved.

Common Questions About BJJ Gis

Enjoy Your New BJJ Gi

After reading this review on the best BJJ gis, you’re finally ready to buy yours and get into the battle. It’s important to know that the number one is not always the best choice for you. This is the reason why we present other options and explain all the nuances.

Gold is an amazing brand, I must say. But its gi costs double our second place, Elite Sports gi, which is a great item. The best Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gear for you, it’s also the one that helps you to save money.

Maybe you’re actually looking for the coolest BJJ gi. That’s alright. Style is also important and, among our top 10, there are some outstanding pieces.

After testing all these products, if I had to make a decision, I would buy myself a Gold gi for tournaments and a couple of Elite Sports BJJ gis for daily use.