I loved PLAI Active. I bought their flares first to try as they have a petite length and loved them! I went back to get the shorts and leggings and they fit good and the most comfortable!!

If you're looking for a name brand, definitely those brands are very high on my list. Gymshark, in particular, is touch and go with some of their quality, but they always look good no matter what. The only issue I've literally ever had was that some leggings are thinner than others but if you go on YouTube before you buy them or if you're unaware of what the line you prefer as far as how they feel on your body then just hop on YouTube and look at a review and most people do a squat check. Gymshark, in particular, is really big on sponsoring influencers, so there's almost always a video even for their new stuff that's about to drop so that people know what they're getting. The reason I stick with them in particular is because of the customer service. The one time I had a concern about an item, they let me keep the item, which was still wearable and looked completely fine. They gave me a refund and a 30% off my next purchase. Obviously, I just went back and ordered a completely new set of something different because that's a place where I want to spend my money.

While gymshark is always having big sales, oner active feels a little bit more expensive to me. idk. I feel the stuff doesn't go on sale as much, and when it does, they dont restock as much, but ive never got items from them so I cant speak on quality.

One place I would definitely say to avoid is Alphalete. Their stuff is super high quality, and when they do sales, they do them big, which is huge because of the fact that their stuff is usually completely out of my price range. They typically have an amazing Black Friday and birthday sale, which you can get items for as low as $10 when they're typically like 80. I've never had an issue with quality from them, but the thing that sucks is if you ever have to deal with customer service. Like the last and only time I had to deal with their customer service made me never want to deal with the company ever again. Like if you ever have a issue with shipping or returns, it's going to make you so upset, and they are so flippant about keeping any patronage that you're never going to want to go back. I've seen people never get a refund for an item they sent back, and still have to pay for postage and shipping.

I love Athleta personally. I have one pair of Buff Bunny legging and really like them.

Athleta is my JAM for squat friendly leggings =). Really like all their stuff

My best friend received her Oner active leggings with pet hair and stained with vaginal discharges. They refused to do a refund and said their products are always checked for quality..

!RemindMe 4 days

commenting to follow. Very helpful

For clothing the Kiprun range from Decathlon is excellent, the quality is as good as other brands which cost the double. Kalenji-branded stuff can be OK but overall not as good as Kiprun. I would hesitate before buying running shoes from Decathlon though, the only exception would be the Kiprun KD900.2 which is a well-reviewed tempo shoe.

The best approach for budget running shoes is usually not to go for the cheapest models in the range, but to buy the previous year's models on a discount. This can be hard if you're US size 9 like me, but if you have a small or very large foot then you can get some amazing deals.

Are you adverse to used? You can find lots of great quality brands for lightly used. I’ve sold a bunch of stuff only worn 1-3 times or NWT. IME the cheaper brands always disappoint including those you’ve listed.

The Decathlon Kiprun branded stuff is really good.

Tip: buy nice brands secondhand on Poshmark or Mercari.

I’ve loved my Old Navy running shorts. No phone picked but a small zip pocket that holds keys and a gel or two. When they have sales you can find shorts for less than $15. My favorite running tank is from there too and I grabbed it for $7. They have tall lengths too which is great for me.

I love Decathlon/Kiprun. Mostly good quality for shorts. I’ve found it varies by style though.

TJ/TK Maxx can also be a treasure trove of good gear.

Don’t skimp on shoes-it’ll come back to get you later. Go with last season!

I like fabletics!!

Joylab I find it in thrift stores. It’s pretty phenomenal. https://www.wearecollins.com/work/joylab/ they are size inclusive https://shopjoylab.com/joylab-sports-bra/

Darc sport

Yum

Vuori is really good for shorts but I'm not a fan of their tops

Oiselle is a good one

Girlfriend collective

I really like Zella and have found a bunch on TU that I bought for under $10.

Athleta, Sweaty Betty, Onzie (RIP), Lorna Jane, Marika.

Baleaf on Amazon..... Great shorts and shirts at a reasonable price.

Not exactly answering your question, but I’ve found high end brands of barely used or brand new athletic wear at thrift stores in high end neighborhoods. Usually at Target prices. But it can take a lot of digging through and patience til you find something.

To answer your Q — Baeleaf on Amazon has affordable athletic wear — $20 high waisted 5” yoga shorts with double pockets — mine are still going strong!

I buy mostly offbrand, cheap stuff.

Baleaf is a good brand for shorts.

For tech shirts, just find something cheap. I get mine on Amazon for around $10 and I can't remember the last time I had to replace one. They last forever and work just fine.

For socks, I bought a six pack of Gold Toe Tech socks a few years ago. I think it cost about $18 for 6 pairs. I wear them almost constantly and they still look like new. I have a few pairs of more expensive ones for really long runs or races, but I think they would be just fine for that as well.

For shoes, I just buy older models and rarely pay more than $70.

I have a Garmin Forerunner 35 that I bought for less than $100 a couple of years ago that does everything I want. I've put 55 miles on it this week and I think it still has a third of its battery left.

Kalenji

Decathlon

I like Nike and Adidas

Target has some really nice athletic wear

The leggings I own have lasted 5+ years and seem to still have a good few years left in them.

And they were only 25 bucks

Whatever's at TJ Maxx.

I don't pay full price for clothes that just get stanked up.

I hate to say it but Lululemon is comfy as fuck. It is crazy expensive but great.

Had a sibling that worked there and have multiple shorts plus some work slacks and love every piece of clothing I have from them.

Discount

I get my activewear from Costco lol 😂

Crz Yoga and Tj Maxx

Costco!! Love the leggings they have

I only buy it when on sale! Can get a lot of activewear half off

Old Navy

I bought a two pairs of joggers from them for 5 each. They’re so incredibly comfy holy cow

I third CRZ yoga. I buy the CRZ YOGA Butterluxe Workout Tank Tops off Amazon and they are fabulous. I’ve worn them for years and they are such great quality. I love their leggings as well.

Second old navy!

I’ve been buying my activewear from them for over a decade and the quality is actually sooo good! Their kids and men’s stuff is great too!

Target has decent cheap active wear.

The baleaf line of gear is pretty affordable. It’s quality enough that I run in it 4-5x per week!

Target and Old Navy have some really good athletic, wicking gear, and Old Navy is always having sales. Check stores like TJ Maxx as well. I also look at the clearance section at Running Warehouse quite a bit, and find some good deals there.

I am a frugal person. I love second run stores like Ross and Marshalls as well as consignment and thrift stores. I understand not wanting used athletic wear; you will find new with tags stuff at these places all the time.

For harder to find specific items (like sleeveless hoodies or discontinued styles that you wish you had more of) try eBay or online retailers.

TJ Maxx tends to have a good variety of cheap running stuff. You might have to dig through racks a little but I’ve found some good leggings and shirts for cheap

Check online though first I’d say. the ones near me are all currently sold out in stores for running gear lol.