So, you are ready to hit the mats in the world of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and you need a gi (uniform)? It can be a difficult task for a woman to choose a gi. Especially finding one that is not clearly made for a man.
The good news is that there are gis made specifically for women. Even in BJJ it is possible to look good and be a warrior at the same time.
Our Top 5 Recommended Gi for Women:
Sanabul Women’s Essential BJJ Gi
Gold BJJ Gi – Ultra Light Women’s Aeroweave (rated Premium Choice)
Jayefo Women’s Ultra-Light BJJ GI (rated Best Value)
FLUORY Ladies BJJ Gi (rated Overall Favorite)
Fuji Blossom BJJ Gi
First a little background
The word ‘gi’ is derived from the Japanese words ‘keikogi’ or ‘dogi’, which means “uniform for training”. So it is not surprising that ‘gi’ is worn for several different types of martial arts. However, they are not all the same.
There is a Karate gi, a Tae Kwon Do gi (also called a dobok), and a Judo gi. All come in two parts, a top and trousers with pull strings. Generally speaking, Judo gis are most similar to BJJ gis, although they are generally larger with wider sleeves than BJJ gis. Karate gis are much lighter and not designed for rigorous grappling.
Most clubs are relaxed about the choice of style and color of gi worn for training. However, for a tournament you will likely be required to wear an International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) approved gi.
When choosing a BJJ gi as a beginner it is difficult to know what to do. It helps to know what to look for so let us help.
The following information provides a useful guide for selecting your gi.
How to Choose a BJJ Gi
Before we review the best BJJ uniforms on the market today, it would be helpful to know the different characteristics of BJJ gis. This will help you decide which gi is most ideally suited for you.
Materials
The vast majority of the gis sold today are made from cotton. You will also find gis made from hemp.
A hemp gi is stronger than a cotton one so it costs more. If you are looking for a brand new gi, the cotton one is the better choice. However, if you can afford to buy a hemp one, you should go for it.
Since cotton gis are more common and easier to find, they are easy to repair and modify. They are also easier to wash than hemp gis and you will be doing a lot of washing in the early days of training.
Weaves
The weave of a BJJ gi is supremely important. The thicker the weave, the stronger the gi which makes a huge difference when grappling each other on the mat every day.
Examples of BJJ gi weaves include the single weave, the double weave, the gold weave, the pearl weave, the ripstop weave, the crystal weave and the honey comb weave. The last three are less common than the others.
Each of the above weaves has its benefits and its downfalls. The single weave gi is the best choice for beginners but you can be a little daring and try the pearl weave gi.
Size and Measurements
The measurements of your Brazilian Jiu Jitsu gi has a lot of significance. There are size regulations in BJJ tournaments and you may be restricted from competing if your uniform does not match the size descriptions.
Although size charts are similar there is just enough variance between brands to make it important that you refer to the size chart for the specific gi that you are purchasing.
The most common adult size references are A0 to A4 (some go to A6). With size 0 being the smallest and increasing in size with each number.
BJJ gi manufacturers that cater for women will typically have size references of F1 to F4, or sometimes W1 to W4. As you might guess, the ‘F’ and ‘W’ refer to female or woman sizes respectively. Size 1 is the smallest.
Collar and Sleeves
The collar of the gi is an often-ignored part but it can make a huge difference in BJJ. The thicker the collar, the harder it is for an opponent to grip for manipulating your upper body or to submit you with a collar choke.
You should look for a thick, reinforced collar. Collars that contains a plastic copolymer called EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) or rubber are good. Rubber collars dry faster and are less likely to develop mold.
Color and Weight
The color of your gi is a matter of personal preference as there are many colors available. However, you should remember that tournaments only allow white, black or blue.
If you only want to purchase one gi, at least for now, you should make it one of the colors that you can wear to a tournament. Later you can consider purchasing a separate training gi that is any color you want.
It is a good idea to ask your BJJ instructor if your school requires a certain color for training or tournaments.
Brands
Brands seem to have a significant effect on the choice of gi in BJJ. Just like in other sports, there are brands that are well established and have built a reputation for offering excellent quality.
The brand will influence the quality of material and construction. Though Brazilian companies make the best gis, most gis are made in China and Pakistan.
Common BJJ gi brands include Tatami, Hayabusa, Combat Corner, Hypnotik, Do or Die and Fuji.
Price
Price is also a consideration when purchasing a a gi. The cost of BJJ gis can vary widely depending on the quality and brand.
The origin of the gi will significantly affect its price. Therefore, if you buy a gi from Brazil you can expect to pay more than for a gi made elsewhere.
The materials used, the weave, the collar thickness and the color will also determine the price of a BJJ gi. However, there is no need to pay a lot just because a gi has a certain brand.
Our Top 5 Recommended BJJ GI for Women:
Sanabul Women’s Essential BJJ Gi
Gold BJJ Gi – Ultra Light Women’s Aeroweave (rated Premium Choice)
Jayefo Women’s Ultra-Light BJJ GI (rated Best Value)
FLUORY Ladies BJJ Gi (rated Overall Favorite)
Fuji Blossom BJJ Gi
Product Reviews
Sanabul Women’s Essential BJJ Gi
Sanabul is a well-established combat sports gear company that produces several types of goods. If there is one aspect that separates Sanabul from other companies is that they have very competitive pricing.
If you are a beginner on a tight budget then the Sanabul Women’s Essential Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Gi is a great choice. You will get an acceptable gi for a good price.
The gi is available in three colors: pink, white and black. Since the gi is specifically cut for women, you are more likely to get a comfortable fit.
The Sanabul essential Brazilian BJJ Gi comes preshrunk. You should anticipate some further shrinkage from washing.
The gi’s fabric has reinforced stitching which helps take extra stress on the material. It is a lightweight yet strong fabric that will stand a fair amount of abuse on the mat.
The fabric also contains anti-odor and anti-microbial properties that prevent fungal and bacterial infections. The training environment is very conducive for such microorganisms.
The downside to the uniform is that it is not IBJJF certified so you cannot wear it to tournaments if they are going to be strict on gis.
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Gold BJJ Gi – Ultra Light Women’s Aeroweave
Gold BJJ has a very good reputation in the BJJ community despite being a small brand. That is because they are a family business managed by people who actually practice BJJ so they know what they are doing.
The Gold BJJ Ultralight Aeroweave is a great gi for both training and competition. The gi’s size and design is perfect for women.
The gi’s prominent feature is its light weight hence the name ‘Aeroweave’. The incredibly lightweight gi is great for competitions where you have to weigh in with your gi. It is also very durable despite being very light.
A great benefit of buying a Gold BJJ gi is that it has a guarantee. Therefore, if your gi gets damaged during training or competition, you can take it to them and they will replace it.
The gi is strong become it has reinforced constructions. The strong stress points allow you to roll as much as you want.
The downside is that the gi is on the more expensive side.
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Jayefo Women’s BJJ Ultra-Light GI
Jayefo offers women a wide variety of gis to choose from while being quite affordable. Color choices are black, pink, blue and white.
This gi is very durable and a great choice for those training daily. It has strong pearl weave fabric and triple stitched seams to handle the greatest stress.
The pants of the gi are made with ripstop material weighing about 12 ounces. Therefore, it is heavier than many other gis and it will add a bit to the scale when weighing in for competitions.
The Jayefo Women’s Ultra-Light BJJ gi comes with a two-year warranty. That provides good peace of mind. You can train hard and frequently with peace of mind that if the gi tears or shows any deterioration it will be replaced by the manufacturer.
The gi is preshrunk but you can expect some additional shrinking with washing.
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FLUORY Ladies BJJ Gi
Fluory makes good uniforms for BJJ and also Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Kung fu, Kenpo and Muay Yhai. Therefore, they are focused on making good uniforms for martial arts.
The Fluory women’s BJJ gi is very light and strong, ideal for all forms of training. The gi’s collar is reinforced with EVA foam which makes it more difficult for opponents to grab.
Fluory’s women’s BJJ gi has a pearl weave specifically designed for the female form. The gi has a slim cut and will give you a figure-hugging feel. The gi’s pants have a 100% ripstop round waist.
Each piece has a one-piece construction to minimize the numbers of seams. However, the few seams remaining have reinforced stitching for durability and strength.
The fabric is preshrunk to avoid further shrinking upon washing.
This is a really good gi which makes it a little more expensive than some other gis.
If you are a beginner you should note that this gi does not come with a white belt so you will need to buy one separately.
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Fuji BJJ Uniform
Fuji are reputable manufacturers of equipment for Karate, Judo, MMA and BJJ. Their women’s BJJ gi is one of the best in the market.
There are not worries about this gi meeting IBJJF standards. You can use it to compete at tournaments.
The Fuji BJJ uniform is made from 100% cotton. That means it is very strong and durable. The cotton makes the gi slightly heavy than other gis which could impact your weight at tournaments.
The arms and legs of the gi are slightly shorter than other gis. This is intentional to make it more difficult for your opponent to grip you.
The gi has reinforced stitching on the cotton seams to further strengthen it. It is designed with a smaller waistline to better fit the female body. While this may be a great fit for smaller figures it can be a little snug for fuller figures.
For every Fuji BJJ Gi for Women sold Fuji donates a portion of the sale to the Pink Ribbon Foundation for breast cancer research. This uniform comes with pink ribbon embroidery in support of the cause. Unfortunately the only the pink color uniform comes is sizes specifically for women.
The Fuji BJJ gi for women is very affordably priced which is great for beginners. Unfortunately, the gi is made for women with small waists so if otherwise, it may not fit well.
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Conclusion
There are a few things to consider when choosing a women’s gi. Simply purchasing the first gi you come across risks disappointment. Saying that, you do not need to spend a lot to get a decent gi.
If you consider your criteria first you are much more likely to buy a gi that will meet your requirements for a long time.
The top five gis that we have recommended here are all good gis for women but with different characteristics and prices depending on your priorities.
Our all around favorite gi to recommend is the Jayefo Women’s Ultra-Light BJJ GI. The best value for money gi is the Jayefo Women’s IBJJF Legal BJJ Ultra-Light Brazilian JIU Jitsu GI. If you don’t mind spending a little extra for a really good quality, premium selection than I highly recommend the Gold BJJ Gi – Ultra Light Women’s Aeroweave.