A gi is a set of heavy cotton jacket and pants. The jacket appears similar to a Japanese kimono usually. It folds to close and is secured with a belt. The color of the belt is indicative of the athlete’s ranking.
We have rounded up a selection of the top 5 gis on the market that cost less than $100. We have put our top pick just below if you are in a rush. We have also included a buyer’s guide to help you pick out the gi most suited to you. Finally, there is a small FAQ section at the end.
In a hurry?
Our top pick is the Fuji 7003 Gi. This product has an average 4.7 star rating on Amazon.com out of nearly 1,000 consumer reviews.
This line makes men’s, women’s, and children’s gis. It is mid-weight and has a FUJI special weave.
OUR TOP PICK
This is the most expensive of our picks at $99.95. It comes in sizes ranging from A1-6 and F1-4. You can purchase the gi in a range of colors including black, blue, white, pink, and navy.
The gi is made with a single weave 100% cotton blend. The pants are made from cotton twill and have a cotton drawstring. It is a standard cut.
The collar is a cotton twill and the gi is 550gsm. It is a shrink to fit gi, meaning you can customize the fit to suit your body.
EDITORS CHOICE
This gi is $89.95, so closer to the upper limit of the price range. It comes in sizes A0-A4. You can purchase the gi in blue, black, or white (all competition approved colors).
It is a pearl weave cotton jacket with 10oz cotton twill pants. It is a standard cut with a vulcanized rubber collar.
The material is 400gsm weight and is 90% preshrunk. This allows for a little customization in the fit but means it will remain fairly similar to the original fit.
BEST VALUE
This is a very modest $47.99 and comes in sizes A1-A5. You can get this gi in black, blue, gray, military green, and white.
It is made from a pearl weave cotton. The trousers are 10oz ripstop and in a standard cut.
The collar is rubberized for additional grip, and the material is a lightweight 350gsm. It is a pre-shrunk gi.
RUNNER UP
This is between $56 and $59 and comes in sizes A1-A5. It can be purchased in white, blue, black, and white with contrast.
It is made of 100% cotton in a pearl weave. The trousers have a stretch drawstring and a standard cut.
The collar is rubberized and you can get the gi in a weight of 350 or 450gsm. The gi is pre-shrunk.
RUNNER UP
This gi costs $59.48 and comes in sizes A0-A4. You can buy it in white, blue, black, green, gray, and navy.
This is also a single weave gi, making it very lightweight. It is made from cotton with a corded drawstring on the trousers. It is a standard cut gi, but with slightly tapered sleeves.
The collar is rubberized for additional grip and the material is 450gsm. This too is a pre-shrunk gi.
Best BJJ Gi Under $100 Buying Guide
Sizing
The sizing system for BJJ GIs is different to other GI sizing. For adult males, the code is A. For adult women, F, and for children aged 5-14 it is labeled with an M.
The adults’ code is followed by a number between 0 and 4, and the kids’ code is usually followed by a number between 000 and 4.
Where you are confused with the overlap between sizing, go for the one that better suits your weight category. It is more important to have a comfortable fit than to have a GI that perfectly matches the length of your limbs.
Code | Height (feet) | Weight (kg) |
A0 | 5’4 - 5’7 | 60 - 65 |
A1 | 5’7 - 5’9 | 65 - 72 |
A1L | 5’11 - 6’ | 65 - 72 |
A2 | 5’8 - 6’ | 72 - 82 |
A2L | 5’11 - 6’2 | 72 - 82 |
A3 | 6’1 - 6’3 | 82 - 95 |
A3L | 6’3 - 6’4 | 82 - 95 |
A4 | 6’1 - 6’4 | 95 - 120 |
F1 | 4’9 - 5’ | 39 - 45 |
F2 | 5’ - 5’4 | 45 - 55 |
F3 | 5’3 - 5’6 | 52 - 65 |
F4 | 5’6 - 5’8 | 64 - 77 |
M000 | Up to 100cm | n/a |
M00 | Up to 110cm | n/a |
M0 | Up to 120cm | n/a |
M1 | Up to 130cm | n/a |
M2 | Up to 140cm | n/a |
M3 | Up to 150cm | n/a |
M4 | Up to 160cm | n/a |
Color
The traditional Gi color is white and many on the market will still be this color. There are all colors available though, so you can pick whichever suits your style best.
We recommend asking your BJJ professor prior to purchasing a brightly colored version though, as some dojos will not allow ‘non-traditional’ colors.
If you plan on competing with the IBJJF (International BJJ Federation), you will need a Gi that is blue, black, or white as these are the only colors allowed.
Material
Cotton
This is the most basic and common material to be used for gis. There are a wide variety of cotton gis available in all colors and styles. They are breathable, durable, and very comfortable.
Cotton increases in strength as it gets damp, providing a perfect material for sweaty BJJ athletes.
Ripstop
This is commonly used to make trousers for gis. The nylon material has a square pattern made from reinforcement yarn.
This makes it very strong and unlikely to break.
Canvas
Canvas is created from PVC and cotton.
Again, this is more often used for trousers than jackets.
Hemp
This fabric comes from the cannabis sativa plant and was traditionally used to make sails for boats.
It is very strong and is often found blended with cotton to create the gi. It dries very quickly and is very breathable.
Bamboo
This is the least common material for gi construction.
It is a very soft material and is even claimed to have some antibacterial properties!
Cut
This is either standard or tournament. Tournament cuts are more snugly fitting and more tapered at the limbs.
They often have a shorter skirt than standard cut gis.
Price
Price points for Gi’s vary from $40 to over $400. We have opted to stay under the $100 price point for these choices, as this is a standard cost for a beginner’s Gi.
It is a good idea to stay under this price as a beginner to ensure you do not waste money on a sport you give up in a couple of weeks.
Weave
This refers to how the fabric fibers are interlaced. There are many different types of weaves to choose from. We have listed the most common below.
This will dictate the quantity of material needed for construction, how it is made, the weight, thickness, and durability of your Gi.
Single
This is the most basic weave available. They are cheap and lightweight, ideal for beginners. This will help you to remain cooler during warmer weather.
If you are at the top of your weight class, a lighter gi may be the difference between remaining in that class or potentially moving up.
Double
As suggested by the name, these gis are twice as thick and heavy as single weaves.
They are much warmer and more durable, but also more expensive. They also take a longer time to dry and are not ideal if you are training every day.
Gold
This is primarily found in more premium gis. It has largely been replaced by pearl weaves in more modern gis.
The weave is arranged in a square, ladder-method. This provides a loose and durable quality to the material, while also being soft on the skin.
Pearl
This is the most popular for gi jackets. It looks like many rows of tightly arranged circles or pearls.
This weave can make jackets of many different weights depending on the intended purpose.
Other Weaves
There are other weaves such as honeycomb, IceWeave, DragonWeave, and American pearl.
These are less common but do provide certain advantages.
Trousers
Gi trousers are commonly made from cotton twill, drill, or duck. Twill is rigid and arranged in a diagonal pattern - similar to how denim is created. Drill is a category of twill fabric.
Cotton duck is similar to canvas. It is smooth and has weaves in both horizontal and vertical directions.
Collar Fill
Collars are filled to help provide grips for grappling. Many BJJ moves require a lot of grabbing your opponent, and a filled collar helps with this.
The lapels of BJJ Gis are commonly filled with either rubber or cotton. The more traditional material is cotton, however, rubber has been increasingly growing in popularity.
This is because they are less flexible, and so harder to grab. They are also lighter and do not absorb sweat like cotton, so they dry faster.
Weight
This is measured in GSM - meaning grams per square meter for jackets, and ounces for the trouser part.
Competition jackets are often between 350 and 450gsm, whereas training jackets are between 450 and 600gsm.
Pre-shrunk or Shrink-to-fit
A pre-shrunk Gi means that the material will not shrink when it is dried. Shrink-to-fit Gis differ in that they are washed and machine dried upon purchase. The heat from the drying process will cause the material’s fibers to shrink.
We suggest removing the gi from the dryer every so often to check the fit. These gis will be much better fitting as you customize them to your size. Once you have got the sizing correct, you should not machine dry them again.
Brand
Most gis are made in either China or Pakistan, and the brand does not make much difference. It is much more important to check the weave and collars of your gi to make your decision.
Common brands include Tatami, Atama, Hayabusa, Combat Corner, Fuji, Manto, Do or Die, Venum, and Hypnotik.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many gi’s do I need?
This will depend on how often you are training and taking classes. You should own at the very least, one gi for each class you do a week. We recommend owning an extra gi on top of this for good measure.
The same principle applies to the quantity of shorts and rashguards you will need. You should own a mixture of lightweight and heavyweight gis.
If you cannot afford this many gis, we recommend purchasing one heavyweight gi and building up from there.
How do you clean a gi?
A gi should be washed after every use to prevent odors appearing and to prevent diseases being transmitted.
We recommend washing your gi at between 80 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a warm enough temperature to kill bacteria, but not hot enough to cause your gi to shrink.
Wash your gi inside out, particularly if it is colored. This will help to protect the gi’s color and keep the fabric in as good a condition as possible.
As we have mentioned before, you should never tumble dry a gi (unless it is the first wash of a shrink to fit gi). This will not only make it shrink but could also deform the material. We recommend air drying it on an airing rack without exposing it to additional heat.
What should you wear underneath a gi?
We recommend wearing a rashguard under your gi jacket to protect your abdominal skin as you grapple and roll about the mat. For competitions, you are not allowed to wear rashguards if you are male. For women, you are required to wear a top layer underneath your gi jacket in competitions.
You could also consider wearing compression tights underneath your trousers for training. Again, men are not permitted to wear these in competition. Women are allowed to wear them, provided the length is shorter than that of the gi pants.
You should always wear underwear. There are specific rules stated by the IBJJF.
