Adanola has had a particular kind of rise. Not overnight, not through a single viral moment, but through a slow accumulation of the right people wearing the right pieces in the right contexts until the brand became something that a specific, influential audience genuinely cared about. If you spend time on fitness or lifestyle content in the UK, you’ve seen it. The minimal branding, the muted colorways, the silhouettes that look as good off the gym floor as on it.
The question, as with any brand that builds this kind of profile, is whether the product lives up to the perception. This review answers that.
What Adanola Is
Adanola launched in 2015 in Leeds. For its first several years it operated fairly quietly, building a wholesale business before pivoting to a direct-to-consumer model that gave them more control over pricing, margin, and brand presentation.
The brand’s aesthetic is deliberate: minimal, elevated, not aggressively branded. The logo barely appears on most pieces. The color palette is largely neutrals — blacks, creams, greys, with seasonal pastels and brighter options added. The silhouettes tend toward fitted and functional without the ultra-compression look that some activewear brands lean into.
The positioning sits somewhere between mass-market activewear (Gymshark, H&M Sport) and genuine luxury performance brands (Lululemon, Alo Yoga). The pricing reflects this — not cheap, but not at the premium tier either.
The Ultimate Legging is the piece that put Adanola on the map and it remains the brand’s most discussed product. It’s available in full-length, 7/8, and cropped versions, in a wide color range, and in multiple fabric iterations including their standard and a brushed fleece version for colder training.
The fabric is a medium-weight nylon-spandex blend that sits somewhere between the buttery softness of Lululemon’s Align and the compression of a performance-focused tight. It has a matte finish and doesn’t pill readily, which matters over time with regular washing.
The waistband is wide and flat, doesn’t roll, and provides good coverage without requiring constant adjustment. This is something that sounds minor but in practice separates leggings you wear constantly from ones that sit in a drawer.
Squat proof — yes, in the tested colorways. The lighter shades bear more scrutiny and some buyers note that very pale options can be more revealing than expected, so worth being aware of for lighter colors.
Sizing: Adanola runs true to size on the leggings but the brand is straightforward about their sizing range. Buyers who fall outside the standard UK size range have found sizing inconsistent, and this is a genuine limitation of the current range.
The Biker Short is the second biggest piece in the Adanola range and operates on the same principles as the legging — good fabric, clean silhouette, minimal branding. The length sits at mid-thigh, which is a deliberately wearable choice rather than the ultra-short length that some activewear brands default to.
The sports bras are competent but less distinctive than the bottoms. They provide medium-high support, the straps are adjustable, and the fabric is consistent with the rest of the range. Where Adanola has clearly invested its development focus is the bottom half of the wardrobe.
The oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts have become increasingly popular as the brand has leaned into the off-duty side of its market. These are heavyweight, well-constructed basics with minimal branding — the kind of thing you reach for constantly because they’re comfortable and look considered.
Durability and Washing
After multiple washes the leggings hold their shape and color well. The fabric doesn’t pill in normal use, the waistband retains its structure, and the seams don’t degrade noticeably over the first year of regular wear.
This is important to note because the mid-price positioning Adanola occupies is where durability often falls off — brands that charge more than mass market but less than true premium frequently compromise on longevity. Adanola seems to have avoided this.
Cold wash, turn inside out, no tumble dryer — the standard activewear care instructions apply. Following them makes a genuine difference to the lifespan of the leggings.
Price and Value
Adanola leggings retail between £55 and £75 depending on style. The biker shorts are around £40–£50. Tops and sweatshirts vary more widely.
This pricing sits comfortably below Lululemon (£98–£128 for equivalent pieces) and above Gymshark (£35–£55). The quality difference between Adanola and Gymshark is real — the fabric weight, the construction, the fit consistency are all noticeably better. The gap between Adanola and Lululemon is smaller but exists, primarily in the buttery softness of Lululemon’s best fabrics.
Whether Adanola represents good value depends on what you’re comparing it to. Against mass-market activewear it’s excellent value for the quality. Against true premium brands it’s a sensible alternative that gets 85% of the way there at a lower price.
Who Adanola Is For
Adanola makes most sense for people who want activewear that crosses over into everyday wear — pieces that look appropriate at the gym but also work for errands, coffee, and the kind of casual social situations where athleisure is acceptable. The minimal aesthetic means these pieces don’t look like workout gear unless you’re actively working out in them.
For pure performance — technical fabrics, targeted compression, serious sweat management — specialist performance brands have more sophisticated options. Adanola’s fabric performs well but it’s not engineered for elite training environments.
The brand’s sweet spot is the person who trains four or five times a week and wants to look put together both during and after.
The Verdict
Adanola has earned its reputation. The leggings in particular are genuinely excellent — well-constructed, comfortable, durable, and flattering across most body types. The brand aesthetic is consistent and considered. The pricing is fair for what you’re getting.
If you’re currently buying Gymshark and wondering whether Adanola justifies the step up in price, the answer is yes — you’ll notice the difference immediately and you’ll keep noticing it when you come back to the pieces six months later and they still look the same.
If you’re coming from Lululemon, Adanola is a compelling alternative at a lower price point with a slightly different aesthetic sensibility. Which you prefer is partly taste.
