The Best Women's Workout Tops for Every Type of Exercise

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There’s a lot to consider when shopping for the best workout tops for women. Not only is it important to feel comfortable and confident with how they fit, you’ll also want to find pieces that are designed for the types of movement you plan to wear them for. Yogis for example will likely be looking for different features compared to long distance runners or weightlifters, though there are several versatile top options if you’re someone who frequently mixes up your exercise routine. Adding in factors like the weather you’re exercising in as well as any budgetary restrictions can further complicate things, but that’s where our detailed list comes in.

Below you’ll find our top picks in workout tees, tanks, and long-sleeve tops, carefully selected to cover a variety of preferences. Whether you’re on a mission to find cheap workout clothes that offer excellent value, fast-shipping workout clothes on Amazon, or quality pieces that would make great fitness gifts, you’ll find something here that checks all the boxes. Once you find the perfect workout top(s), you can complete your outfit by checking out our guides to the best workout shorts and the best workout leggings.

Read on for a breakdown of each top, complete with pros and cons to help inform your decision making. We've also included an FAQ section with general advice for things to look out for when shopping for workout tops for women.

Align Waist-Length Racerback Tank Top

If you haven't tried out Lululemon's signature Align fabric for yourself, you can trust the 700+ 5-star reviews for this tank top as evidence that it's incredibly comfortable and supportive. This tank is designed for yoga and low-impact movement in particular, but can be worn for many types of exercise as well as leisure activities.

Spacedye Slim Racerback Crop Tank

This tank from celeb-approved activewear brand Beyond Yoga is made with performance fabric that's moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and ultra-soft.

One happy reviewer wrote, "This top is [true to size], beautiful, flattering and so comfy! I find myself wanting to wear this top out of the yoga studio and on to the rest of my day! The fabric is incredibly soft- almost unbelievably so even after washing. The perfect fit with high-waisted leggings for any low-impact workout."

Womens V-Neck Activewear T-Shirt (5-Pack)

This 5-pack of workout tops boasts over 14,000 5-star reviews on Amazon thanks to its impressive value considering the price. The shirts are moisture-wicking, offer 4-way stretch, and are suitable for both high and low impact workouts, all for a net price of under $7 per shirt.

Alosoft Finesse Long Sleeve

Made from super soft performance jersey, this long sleeve from Alo has a relaxed silhouette that's perfect for low impact activities.

One reviewer who has purchased it in multiple colors wrote, "I love this for hot yoga, I also wore it under my ski jacket skiing. It is very adaptive. The shirt is a great weight and soft without collecting lint. The perfect long sleeve!"

Momentum Seamless Top

If you can't stand a shirt that won't stay put during your workout, this Athleta top might be your new best friend. It comes with zero-slip hem grippers to prevent it from riding up, even during the highest impact workouts in the studio or outdoors.

Tahoe 2 Sun Hoodie

Designed to move with your body as you cast, fly fish, hike, camp, and run, this sun hoodie covers it all when it comes to outdoor activities. The fabric has a UPF rating of 50+ to protect your skin from the sun, and it also feature thumbholes to keep your sleeves in place while you move throughout the day.

Women's Soft Tech Crew Neck T-Shirt

Don't let the simplicity of this top's appearance fool you. It features all the bells and whistles you could want for a high impact workout, including super soft moisture-wicking fabric, overlapping side slits for greater mobility, and a locker loop for easy hanging.

Women's Everyday SunSmart® Tee

If your workout requires you to spend a lot of time in the sun, you'll get maximum protection by wearing L.L.Bean's SunSmart top. It's made with UPF 50+ rated fabric that blocks at least 97.5% of the sun’s UV rays, which is ten times more protective than the average white cotton tee.

Movement-T

This super-soft On Running T-shirt is suited for yoga, low-intensity workouts, and all-day wear. It's made using 75% recycled polyamide and offers feather-light fabric, a breathable design, and an articulated back seam to maintain its shape as you move.

Therma-FIT One Long-Sleeve Top

Nike's Therma-FIT technology helps manage your body heat to keep you warm during cold weather running or other outdoor activities.

One happy customer called it the "best warm layer," thanks to its "super warm and light-weight feel. Can wear it on its own as keeps you pretty warm but also slips easily underneath a sweatshirt if needed."

Feather Tee

You're not alone if your gym sessions often roll straight into a day's worth of errands, but luckily you'll be happy to wear this Vuori T-shirt all day long. The fabric is incredibly soft and lightweight, and according to reviewers it's ideal not just for low impact workouts, but also lounging and traveling.

SuperForm™ Rib High Neck Cami

Thanks to this high neck cami from Outdoor Voices, you can exercise in a fitted tank top without sacrificing coverage.

One enthusiastic reviewer wrote, "This top comes in the most flattering colors. I chose the Java and I’m obsessed!! I plan on wearing it for workouts, thanks to the built in bra lining. But it can also be worn as a basic tank to pair with jeans!"

Plum ReSet Super Crop

Girlfriend's cropped tank is incredibly inclusive, with sizes ranging from XXS to 5XL. It's also sustainably made from 91% recycled plastic bottles, and many reviewers commented it has become a closet staple for workouts and everyday loungewear.

Ultimate Knit Tee

This T-shirt includes multiple thoughtfully designed components to enhance your runs. It features targeted breathability zones in high-sweat areas to cool you off, AEROREADY fabric to manage moisture and keep you dry, and reflective detailing for running in darker conditions. As a bonus, it's also made from 100% recycled materials.

Women's Tech Solid Tank Top

At under $15, this versatile tank top from Under Armour offers a lot of bang for your buck. It has over 3,800 5-star reviews, and many customers noted how the comfort and breathability was perfect for everything from tennis, to yoga, running, and more.

Featherweight Rebalance Tank

If loose fitting clothing is more your style, this Beyond Yoga tank offers a flattering option without the skin tight look.

One satisfied review states: "Fabric feels amazing. Perfect coverage that doesn’t show the mid section. Contours in to give you form and shape but not hug your body. The quality of the stitching is great. The material itself is so soft and comfortable. Dries quickly and doesn’t hold smell. Perfect for high or low intensity workouts or just your running around town after a work out tank. Will be purchasing many other colors of this shirt."

Pro Seamless Long-Sleeve

Wilson designed this long sleeve shirt to be just as technical as your tennis game. It features fabric that's anti-odor, quick-drying, ventilating, breathable, and stretchy, not to mention luxurious-feeling to the the touch.

What to look for when shopping for workout tops for women

When shopping for workout tops, it's important to look for breathable, sweat-wicking fabrics, which help sweat to evaporate quickly without soaking your clothes or leaving you feeling wet.

If you're going to be exercising in cool weather, layering is key, which means you may need to buy multiple tops. The general rule of thumb is to choose a sweat-wicking fabric for your base layer, and an insulating layer on top of that to keep you warm.

How do you ensure a good fit for workout tops?

What defines a good fit for a workout top will depend on the kind of exercise you're using it for. Many low-impact workouts like yoga, Pilates, and barre are often done in snug, form fitting clothes. On the other hand, if you feel more comfortable in loose fitting clothing, this tends to work fine as well (so long as your clothing is not so long or flowing that it gets in the way of your movement and becomes a safety issue.) In general, you're allowed to use your own judgement and preferences to decide the correct fit, which may mean trying on a couple different sizes of any given shirt to see what feels best.

How often do I need to replace my workout tops?

The good news is, according to ClassPass, workout tops can be effective for 10+ years. This is in contrast to sports bras, which have a shorter lifespan of around 6 months, and leggings which typically last around 2 years. Given how well workout tops tend to hold up, you might feel a lot better about investing in a quality piece that will help fuel your workouts for years to come.

As far as when it's finally time to say goodbye, you can look out for signs of wear and tear that indicate the top is no longer properly supporting you. This could include anything from rips, to discoloration, to a baggier fit than you've been accustomed to.

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