Elite Sports Ultra Light Gi First Impressions
I should first start by saying that much like every other jiu jitsu athlete and hobbyist on the planet — at times I find myself going through some intense withdrawals.
But like anything you enjoy, I also know that jiu jitsu really never sleeps, even when you’re at home. There’s reading to be done, instructional videos to watch, and gis and shirts to shop to support your favorite brands. So if this describes you, and you’ve clicked onto this, read on!
This story starts with Elite Sports reaching out to me right before the Covid-19 pandemic began in North America. They offered to send over a gi for my review/to get my thoughts. By the time it arrived, academies and mats were closing around us everywhere in NYC. Since I can’t roll test this (obviously), or do anything related to jiu jitsu with it to test its durability, performance or fit, I offered to split the difference and give my unboxing/initial impressions of their Ultra Light series gi.
First Impressions: I’ll give you a raw bullet-point list here.
The fit itself is on the “fitted” side. It is highly encouraging to see this in a gi that doesn’t cost north of $150. Going back as little as 4 years ago, it was pretty hard to find a gi outside the high-end manufacturers that didn’t fit like judo gis and go up massively in actual size at every sizing point.
More specifically, this is a gi that’s available for ~$60 and fits like your favorite high end brands in the top.
The pants are a mixed bag: the rip-stop/material in the pants is on par with most other companies you’ll see- no skimping here at all. This is great. Some people love rip-stop, others hate it. I am rather indifferent to it really, I just care that the pants move and fit well. By “well” I mean not too long, have some type of gusset in the crotch, knee reinforcement or separate seams to allow better movement. These are all featured here. All points on the scoreboard for this gi!
The pants are a little big and lack the same fitted feel of the gi top, which seems like a funny mismatch. If you look at brands that offer a fair amount of rip-stop pants, like A&P or Hyperfly, these pants are less tapered and fitted than the aforementioned. To be clear, I would not call these pants “fitted” or “tapered”— they’re square really. I suspect it’s to keep the price point very friendly and in the budget bracket (the previously mentioned brands are obviously a notch up in price). All that said, you’re getting great material. If you like big pants, this is a non factor. It’s a total matter of preference here and frankly I would consider it a positive for the case of the gi— I’d rather have material that will last and give up a little bagginess and room in turn.
The gi top is as nice as any I’ve worn at any price range. I will exclude comparing to the very high end brands, but short of any gi available for under $150, it’s much nicer than anything in the sub-$100 category.
Movement in the top feels great. Again, the seam placement and sewing was done better than most gis twice its price.
I always look at the collar construction on gis. On more economical models, you’ll often see the collar hastily sewn on, which in turn makes it really easy to grip. I don’t know about you, but I don’t like making things easier for my opponent to hold. This gi splits the difference. It doesn’t just feel like some foam/synthetic hard collar/lapel, it has some nice sewn in properties, which wouldn’t make it any easier to hold onto. If you know what I’m talking about, you know. (I’m a competitive person and I will try to wear a gi on the edge of legal at any point. You probably do too.)
The color is great. I threw it in the wash once to see what happened, and it came out the same vibrant blue. I will update here what happens when it finally gets wear-tested in the color department.
I would self describe myself as someone with a long torso and arms, and short legs. It’s why I have some biomechanical advantages in the deadlift. It’s also why most gi pants drag on the floor for me. These are cut just right. At 5’11”, they’re above my heels and do not drag.
Conclusion? My first impression is extremely favorable, especially considering the value. At $55-$60, this gi has features that are found on gis twice the price. It is missing some things as stated above, but overall it over-delivers in a budget offering if you need to bolster your collection. Check it out here and thank you again to Elite Sports! I appreciate your patience and generosity, especially considering the time!