Sweaty Betty

Most reviewers say yes if you train regularly. The Power leggings are the brand's signature style, prized for sculpting support and a four-way stretch that holds its shape, and testers routinely report them lasting two to three years of regular wear. On a price-per-wear basis that splurge tends to pay off for committed gym-goers more than for occasional use.

The premium comes down to performance fabric and construction: sweat-wicking, supportive material and stitching built to survive heavy use. Owners often single out waistbands that stay put and seams that hold through endless washes. You're paying for activewear engineered to keep its compression and opacity over years rather than a season.

Both sit at the top of the activewear market, and many shoppers rate Sweaty Betty's quality on par with or above Lululemon. Sweaty Betty leans into bold, fashion-forward prints and strong compression, while Lululemon is known for its weightless, breathable feel. If you want playful design with serious support, Sweaty Betty is the pick; for ultra-light minimalism, Lululemon edges ahead.

Start with the Power leggings, the brand's best-known style and the easiest entry point into what it does well. They cover most workouts from cardio to weights, so they're the natural anchor before you branch into bras, tops and the wider activewear range.

Sweaty Betty is a British retailer specialising in women's activewear. The range runs across leggings, tops, sports bras and workout layers, sold through its own boutiques, department-store concessions and online stores in the UK and US.

Sweaty Betty was founded in 1998 by Tamara and Simon Hill-Norton, starting with a single boutique in London's Notting Hill. By 2003 it had grown to five boutiques, the beginning of a long expansion across the UK and beyond.

It's borrowed from a song. The brand was named after a track called Sweaty Betty by the British band the Macc Lads, an unexpectedly cheeky origin for what became a premium activewear label.

Since August 2021, Sweaty Betty has been owned by the American apparel manufacturer Wolverine Worldwide, which bought the brand for £300 million. It remains British in identity while sitting under a US parent.

In the UK, Sweaty Betty runs dozens of its own boutiques plus department-store concessions, including in Harrods and historically Selfridges. In the US it's available through department-store concessions such as Bloomingdale's, and both countries have dedicated online stores. Online is the most reliable way to see the full range.

With proper care, owners report their leggings holding compression and opacity for two to three years of regular use, and some have kept favourites looking new for even longer. To protect the performance fabric, follow the garment care guidance, wash cool and avoid fabric softener, which can degrade the stretch over time.

In November 2025 the brand was accused by personal trainer Georgina Cox of using her slogan "Wear the Damn Shorts" without permission. Sweaty Betty told the BBC the slogan had appeared in its marketing for several years and that "no one, including Ms Cox, has sole rights" to the phrase; Cox had previously been paid to promote one of its campaigns in 2023.