The Cool Men's Workout Brands You Can Still Wear When Your Resolution Fails

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There’s a specific kind of magic in the air at the start of any new year that makes you believe you might actually put that gym membership to good use. So you identify the new workout craze and — best of all — start buying new workout gear.

But sometimes, it’s hard to look past the friend you know. There’s nothing wrong with Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, or Puma, but those brands are so large that sometimes, they tower over everyone else and make the little guys impossible to find. Discover some new brands below that’ll hopefully keep you inspired past January.

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Photo: Tracksmith

Tracksmith

Tracksmith only launched two years ago, but the athletic brand makes clothing that recalls an era when we were pronouncing jogging with a soft ‘J’ — yogging. The short-short Van Cortland Shorts ($60), Nor’Easter Jackets ($298), and Quarter-Zip Downeaster ($138) all look like something JFK might have worked out in.

The functionality of Tracksmith’s products belie their vintage look, though. The jackets are made out of a special fabric sourced from Switzerland that repels natural elements like rain and wind, as well as self-produced ones, like odor.

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Photo: Rhone

Rhone

Rhone is a brand so widely beloved it almost shouldn’t be considered for this list. The activewear company’s clothes are made with SilverTech threads — the metal kills bacteria — which keeps the clothes from smelling as horrible as they should after a proper workout.

Men rave about the Sentry Short Sleeve ($68) in particular. And if you’re not much of a silver guy, don’t fret — Rhone is currently working on a GoldFusion fabric. (Gold, apparently, is even better for fabrics than silver.) The new technology promises to “decrease drying time, increase odor fighting capabilities, and add durability.”

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Photo: Fourlaps

Fourlaps

If you thought interest in athleisure was waning, look no further than New York-based Fourlaps as proof that people remain as interested as ever. The activewear newcomer has quickly been racking up accolades and press, and it only takes a single click over to the website to see why.

The clothes are so dang cool looking that I almost wouldn’t care if they offered no practical reasons to work out in them. Splashes of burgundy and navy run throughout the collections, and the Rush Hoodie ($69.50) is proof that the style-meets-function line we’ve been hearing about over the past couple years isn’t complete crap.

But it’s not all style without substance. Fourlaps uses materials that wick away sweat, are anti-microbial — meaning it murders bacteria in cold blood — and are made of four-way stretch for comfort.

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Photo: MPG

MPG

What’s special about MPG is its diversity to fabrics that have been enriched by technology.

While all the brands on the list can offer that gym to the café look, MPG brings a little something extra to the table. If you want to be sustainable, MPG produces clothing using spent coffee grounds, which bring the added benefits of repelling odor and drying quickly. Night runner? MPG’s Propellite Reflective activewear uses a reflective fabric that looks normal during the day, but keeps you safe and shiny at night.

Other fabrics boast softness or anti-bacteria properties thanks to silver embedded in the garment, but the greatest selling point of all might be the price. MPG is on the lower end of the spectrum: T-shirts start at $16, shorts start at $22, and outerwear begins at just $27.

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Photo: Outdoor Voices

Outdoor Voices

You didn’t think we’d get through this list without bringing up Outdoor Voices, did you? The uber-cool workout brand — which has been co-signed by fellow minimalists A.P.C. — is crazy soft and good looking to boot. It’s the type of thing you’d put on to relax and then decide to take a jog in and not the other way around.

On top of the advanced fabrics, OV seems to have thought of everything that working out in 2016 2017 requires. Take the Weekender Hoodie ($100), for example: It’s super sleek, comes with a hidden pocket for your phone, and even has those little thumbholes to make sure even your hands stay warm enough.

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Photo: EYSOM

EYSOM

I like to think you can learn everything you need to know about EYSOM by listening to its origin story: “The idea came from a 45 minute session on the elliptical at the Greenwich Village Equinox,” brand founder Stan Cheung told Mr Mag. That’s the fanciest sentence I’ve ever read, and these are probably the fanciest workout clothes you’ll ever own.

EYSOM — an acronym for Exercise Your State of Mind — makes workout gear that’s a little on the pricey side (think $95 for a tee and $160 for shorts), but you’ll be getting your money’s worth. Not only is the fit much more honed in than typical baggy workout clothes, but EYSOM’s products are eco-friendly, too — the shorts are made out of recycled water bottles.