When I started in the fitness industry, nearly 15 years ago, there were nowhere near as many brands as we see today. From pre-workouts and protein bars to fitness apparel and online coaching, advancements in social media and the internet have created a massive boom. While we’ve been asked to review an incalculable number of products and services, you might be surprised to know that many never make it to the blog. While there are brands we love that we drive valuable traffic to every day, there are also brands that we would never recommend because they’re painfully obvious money-grabbing attempts to capitalize on the growth in our industry. Then, there are the brands in the middle of the pack.
For me, Born Tough is one of those brands and the next few years could make or break the business.
Most people are familiar with the juggernauts in the apparel space. They don’t need to be named. You can find them absolutely everywhere. I wear one of those brands during every single workout. Whether I’m boxing, weightlifting, or bodybuilding, I wear their underwear, socks, and shoes during every training session. A brand like Born Tough should be trying to take enough market share away from those behemoths, by being more organic and relatable, to become a profitable venture. If they do a great job, they’ll become the second unicorn in the space. I won’t name the first, but everyone should be able to guess who it is.
In order to do this, they need to focus on creating a strong first impression. The greatest expense for most apparel brands today is marketing. When you acquire a customer, you need to retain them. You really can’t afford to lose their business. You can’t have any sub-par products in your inventory. Remember, more isn’t necessarily better. When we think about making progress on our fitness-related goals, we need to improve our exercise and nutrition. It isn’t necessarily easy to do this, but it is simple. What do I mean by that? The instructions are relatively simple. You don’t need fancy equipment, complex exercises, or expensive food. You just need to do what works. The fundamentals work. The same applies to products, especially apparel. Innovating is great, but it can also be a trap.
This is where I think Born Tough is going to need to make some moves if they want to become the next unicorn. When they reached out, I told them to send me their best products. They could have sent me one item; they could have sent me ten items. They sent me two: the Air Pro sleeveless top and Air Pro shorts with liner in steel grey. You can see them in Look #345 in the above image. It looks like the two cost $58 together, without tax or shipping, on their site. I decided to wear them to the gym and let everyone, from professional rugby players, to NBA Championship strength coaches, to personal trainers, to professional bikini competitors, who all basically live in the gym, weigh in on my new outfit.
Here is the overall consensus. The shirt needs some work, but the shorts look great.
The elastic bands around the arms were extremely tight and limited my range of motion, but the bottom of the shirt fit like a dress. It seemed off, or that it would work better for someone with a smaller chest/shoulders and a larger waist. While we all enjoyed the color and feel of the material, the fit was just wrong. If I went a size smaller, my arms wouldn’t fit through the holes. If I went a size larger, I would have been swimming in the bottom. Also, the elastic around the arms and neck were bunching up like it had been washed many times, even though it was new. I would pass on that top. I actually gave it away to one smaller guy who said he liked that look.
As for the shorts… they’re a little strange but they grew on me. I took a while to put this review together because I wanted to really give them a fair chance. First impressions are important, but I’ve consulted for fitness apparel companies for a long time and I know that you often need to do more than one test run on each product. Some items get worse over time, while others can improve. Everyone liked the look of the shorts, especially the international Rugby players. They’re short, but they aren’t tight nor do they restrict movement. They’re very breathable and light, but also feel very durable. I squatted low and heavy without causing any tears in the crotch. They really made it through the gauntlet and I got more comfortable with the interesting pocket choices. My only recommendation would be to have slightly longer drawstrings. They’re a bit short, but not so short that I would avoid the product. Personally, I’m not a fan of liners so if I ordered these for myself, I’d get them without the liner.
If I wrote this the first day they arrived and I wore them, it would have been much harsher. I would not have recommended the products or the brand, but I’m glad that I waited a bit. While I wouldn’t recommend that particular top, I think you should definitely make a small first order and see if you like the brand. The look is certainly cool and the price point is great. My usual workout shorts are more than twice as expensive as these, which isn’t sustainable for everyone. I hope Born Tough finds their path and are still around, better than ever, in another 15 years. Stay hungry and fit!
P.S. – I’ve decided to keep the shorts. They’ve entered my rotation!
