My Elite Sports BJJ Gi Review

Ever since I was awarded my purple belt, I’ve been thinking about getting a purple Jiu Jitsu gi, so when Elite Sports reached out and offered me a free gi and rankedrash guard in exchange for an honest review on my blog, I couldn’t say no.

The Elite BJJ Gi: It’s cheap, but is it Quality?

If you’re looking for an affordable BJJ gi that won’t break the bank, an Elite BJJ gi is definitely worth considering. At right around $60 (available with Prime shipping on Amazon), it’s one of the most budget-friendly options you’ll find anywhere. Even better, they include a white belt with every gi purchase.

But if you’re like me when I first started Jiu Jitsu, you might be thinking, I don’t want the cheapest gi; I want a quality gi, and I’m willing to pay a little more if needed in order to get a good quality gi. Still, you don’t want to pay more than necessary, so you might be wondering, as cheap as it is, is the Elite BJJ gi a good gi? Is there some reason I don’t know about that I should pay more?

I’ve owned half a dozen or so different brands of Jiu Jitsu gi now, and in this gi review, I’ll go over every detail of the Elite BJJ gi to help you decide whether or not it’s a good choice for you.

Elite Sports BJJ gi review by Ashley Mann

Color Options that Stand Out from the Crowd

While most affordable gi brands stick to basic colors, Elite offers some unique color options you won’t find elsewhere. For the men’s gi’s (in A sizes), they currently offer:

Yellow (though only available in one size currently)
Olive green
Red (currently out of stock)
Camo (currently out of stock)

For women, Elite offers their gi’s in F sizing (women’s specific cut) with some fun color choices. In addition to white black, they also offer lavender and hot pink BJJ gis.

They also have a great selection of kids’ BJJ gis in various colors, making them a good option for families looking to outfit everyone without spending a fortune.

Me and a teenaged training partner wearing our pink and purple Elite BJJ gi’s

First Impressions: Putting On the Elite BJJ Gi

My first thought when I put on the Elite BJJ gi I received was that it was one of the softest, most comfortable gi’s I’ve ever worn. The 450 GSM pearl weave fabric of the kimono (gi jacket) is very lightweight and pliable. The pants were extremely comfortable and easy to move in also. I daresay that the gi was more comfortable than my Hyperfly Starlyte gis, of which I’m a huge fan.

Elite BJJ Gi Sizing

Elite uses traditional A-sizing for men and F-sizing for women. Normally I wear an A1 gi, but the purple gi I wanted was only availble in the F sizes. I’m 5’6″ and currently weigh 147 pounds, which means I’m right on the line between F2 and F3 according to the Elite Sports BJJ gi size chart for F sizes. Against my better judgment, I decided to try the F2.

As soon as I put the gi on, I was concerned that the pants and sleeves were almost too short, and since I like to dry all my gis in the dryer instead of hanging them to dry, I wanted to make sure to allow some room for shrinkage, so I decided to size up to an F3.

The F3 jacket fit me just fine and if anything the gi jacket’s skirt was longer than I like, but unfortuantely, the F3 pants were still a bit too short for me. In fact, there was almost no difference in the length between the F2 and F3 gi pants. I’m 5’6″, and even though the Elite BJJ gi size chart says the F3 fits women up to 5’11”, I think the F3 gi pants would be borderline illegal for me to wear in a BJJ competition. Fortunately, after washing the pants and drying them in a hot dryer, they didn’t shrink any more.

Since I had both the F2 and the F3 gi, I took some measurements to share with anyone who might be considering these options. These measurements are approximations as close as I could get them, and they were taken before washing either gi.

Elite BJJ Gi Sizing – F2

Jacket

Sleeve length from armpit to wrist hem: 18″
Jacket length from armpit to bottom of jacket skirt: 17.5″
Jacket length from top of shoulder to bottom of jacket skirt: 28.25″
Jacket width across bust when laid flat: 21″
Jacket width across waist when laid flat: 22″

Pants

Length from waistband to hem at ankle when laid flat: 35.5″
Waistband width when laid flat: 18″
Hip width when laid flat: 22″

Elite BJJ Gi Sizing – F3

Jacket

Sleeve length from armpit to wrist hem: 17.5″
Jacket length from armpit to bottom of jacket skirt: 18.25″
Jacket length from top of shoulder to bottom of jacket skirt: 29.5″
Jacket width across bust when laid flat: 23″
Jacket width across waist when laid flat: I forgot to take this measurement before washing the gi

Pants

Length from waistband to hem at ankle when laid flat: 35″
Waistband width when laid flat: 19″
Hip width when laid flat: 22.5″

My Only Complaint about the Elite BJJ Gi is the sizing.

Honestly, the Elite BJJ gi impressed me more than I expected it to, but I do have one complaint, and that is with the sizing.

First of all, the F2 pants I received were almost the same size as the F3 pants I received. I decided to size up because the F2 pants were a little too short for me. The F3 pants were SLIGHTLY wider, but almost the exact same length–shorter than I like and almost too short to be competition legal for me at a height of 5’6″. I currently weigh 147 pounds, so women any taller than me who are no wider than me will likely find the F4 gi too wide and the F3 gi too short.

Brand new F2 gi pants laid on top of brand new F3 gi pants (before washing). The F3 pants were SLIGHTLY wider but almost the same exact length – too short for me at 5’6″.

After washing the F3 gi pants, they were exactly the same size as the F2 pants.

According to the size chart, the F3 gi is supposed to fit women up to 5’11”, but there is no way a woman much taller than me could wear the F3 gi to a Jiu Jitsu competition and abide by IBJFF rules, which state that the pants must be no more than 2 cm above the ankle bone.

You can see that the F3 pants hem falls far more than 2 cm above my ankle bone. I’m 5’6″.

A Positive Note About the Gi Pants

One thing I should point out is that unlike other F or W sized gi’s I’ve tried, including the Hyperfly gi’s, the pants were not too tight in the hips. Though they were shorter than I would prefer, both the F2 and F3 pants were plenty roomy in the hips and allowed for easy movement. In fact, I would go so far as to say they are some of the most comfortable gi pants I’ve ever worn.

Does the Elite BJJ Gi Shrink After Washing and Drying?

I measured my F3 Elite sports BJJ gi before and after washing it in warm water and drying it in a hot dryer, and these were the differences I noted:

Pants

Length from waistband to hem at ankle when laid flat: Same – they didn’t shrink in length!
Waistband width when laid flat: 19″ – Same!
Hip width when laid flat: 22.5″ – Same!

I can confidently say that Elite Sports BJJ pants do not shrink – at least not after being washed and dried in a hot dryer just once.

Jacket

Sleeve length from armpit to wrist hem: Shortened by 1/2 inch
Jacket length from armpit to bottom of jacket skirt: Same
Jacket length from top of shoulder to bottom of jacket skirt: Shortened by 1/4 inch
Jacket width across bust when laid flat: Shortened by 1.5 inches
Jacket width across waist when laid flat: I forgot to take this measurement before washing the gi

The Elite sports pearl weave gi jacket shrank slightly after washing and drying in a hot dryer, but not much. The sleeve length was the only part that changed enough for me to worry about, but fortunately since I sized up, the sleeve length after shrinkage was not a problem.

What about the Elite Sports Ranked Rash Guard?

Honestly, the Elite Sports ranked BJJ rash guard for women is one of the best rash guards I’ve ever owned. I like the wide band of elastic inside the bottom hem that helps the rash guard stay in place. I got the size Large rash guard, and the fit was good–fitted but not so tight that I felt like a stuffed sausage. I probably could have gone with a Medium but I like my rash guards a bit loose. At under $20, this rash guard is a steal and just as nice as more expensive ones I own. I definitely recommend it.

Me wearing the Elite Sports Size L Women’s Rash Guard

Elite Sports Gi Review: Final Thoughts

This is a great gi, not only for someone just starting out who isn’t ready to spend big bucks on a gi or someone looking for a cheaper “backup gi” to alternate with their favorite gi, but for anyone. The quality is just as good in my opinion as far more expensive gis I’ve owned…as long as the sizing works for you.

The biggest drawback to the Elite BJJ gi is their limited sizing. If you are a shorter woman, the sizing may be perfect for you. But if you are taller, you may want to choose one of their A sizes instead of the F sizes (which means you won’t get to wear a purple or pink gi, if that matters to you), or you might want to go with a gi brand that offers more size options, such as “tall” or “long” sizes or one that sells the pants separately from the gi jacket.

Other than that, I think the Elite Sports gi is a fine gi and a quality brand, and the Elite Sports women’s rash guard is now one of my favorites.