If you read my post about how to start BJJ you likely noticed my advice that as a new BJJ practitioner you shouldn’t break the bank on gear and rush out to buy the fanciest, most expensive gear you can find.  Instead, I recommended that you be on the lookout for quality gear that’s affordable and gets the job done, and within that context I highlighted Elite Sports as a brand that might be worth taking a look at.  But that recommendation was based purely on observation, from seeing others wearing gear from Elite Sports, and from checking out the Elite Sports website.  It wasn’t from my own personal experience, but that’s about to change.

In this post I’ll be providing my own firsthand review of an Elite Sports BJJ gi.  Specifically, I’ll be reviewing the Elite Sports Essential Black Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Mens BJJ Gi.  

I asked Elite Sports to send me this particular gi for a couple of reasons.  First, I’m sort of into black gis these days, but this gi is also available in white, blue, and gray if black isn’t your thing.  I’m also into fairly plain or basic gis without much going on in terms of embroidery or patches.  This gi certainly fits the bill, but Elite Sports does offer other models that aren’t quite as plain (the “Core” line).  The Core and Essential versions of the gi appear to be generally the same, with the Core line offering more options in terms of colors, patches, and embroidery.

Before jumping into the review, there’s a big question that I think I have the opportunity to answer here:  Can you get a quality BJJ gi for under $50 USD?  As of the writing of this review, the Elite Essential BJJ gi retails for about $45 USD.  So depending on how this review goes, I guess we’ll find out! 

Elite Sports BJJ Gi Review

Size / Fit

Once I decided which gi I wanted to review, the next big decision I needed to make was “What size?”  Picking the right size for a gi can be a make-or-break decision.  Even a gi that is otherwise of high quality won’t be good if the sizing and fit is off.  So choosing the correct size is very important.  The material / fabric composition of the gi is also a consideration when it comes to choosing the right size, and I’ll talk about that in the next section.  But for now, I’m just going to focus on the size chart.

Since this is my first experience with Elite Sports, I decided to strictly adhere to their published size chart rather than go with the size that I think I should get (or might get) based on my experience with other gis from other manufacturers.  I’m 5’10” tall and weigh about 160 lbs.  As you can see in the Elite Sports’ size chart below, that puts me squarely in the “A3” range so that’s the size I requested.  

While that might seem pretty straightforward, this was an immediate area of concern for me.  Believe me when I say I would never order a size A3 gi from another manufacturer, and I don’t think I’ve seen any other manufacturers who would put someone of my measurements in a size A3 gi in their size chart.  In fact, it’s very rare that you’ll see me order a size A2 gi.  The most common gi size that I order, regardless of manufacturer, is A1L (more on that later).  So to have the size chart recommend a size A3 gave me some concern.

Another issue I had with the size chart is the broad range of height and weight combinations that each gi size covers.  For example, if I’m looking at the A3 group that I apparently fall in, am I to believe that people with the following physical measurements should wear the same size A3 gi and that it would fit both of them properly?

The idea that these two people would wear the same size gi seems completely unrealistic.  But Elite Sports has a section at the bottom of their size chart that says “WHY OUR SIZE CHART IS DIFFERENT?”, and in that section it states that their size chart is based on years of experience and testing and is “better than any company out there”.  So like I said before, I decided to adhere to their size chart just as anyone new to BJJ or new to a particular brand would.  A3 it is.

Material / Composition

If you’ve read my “BJJ Gi Buying Guide”, you’ll already know that I have a preference for gis that are 100% cotton.  That said, there are some disadvantages to a gi that is 100% cotton.  

For one, gis that are 100% cotton will generally be more expensive than comparable gis that are made with a cotton blend.  100% cotton gis might also retain more sweat / moisture, feel heavier to train in, and take longer to dry out than comparable gis made with a cotton blend.  Lastly, if you’re someone who likes to dry your gi in the dryer after washing (which I am), you can definitely run into some shrinkage issues with gis that are 100% cotton.  This is less of an issue with gis that are made with a cotton blend.

In the case of the Elite Sports Essential gi, both the top and bottom are made with CVC, or “Chief Value Cotton”, which is a blend of cotton and polyester.  A quick Google search will tell you that CVC offers a balance of comfort and durability with cotton providing breathability and comfort and polyester providing durability and resistance to shrinking, deformation, and wrinkles.  Here the pearl weave jacket is listed as 55% cotton / 45% polyester, and the pants are listed as 60% cotton / 40% polyester.  

Now, I might normally consider this use of a cotton / polyester blend to be a deal-breaker, but it’s not without its merits.  The CVC surely plays a factor in keeping the cost of the gi down.  And remember that issue I mentioned with 100% cotton gis shrinking after being washed and dried in the dryer?  I have had many gis, usually size A1L, that fit great… until they didn’t.  Over time and after many rounds in the dryer, the pant legs and jacket sleeves would get to a point where they were arguably too short (or certainly too short for BJJ competition).  A gi made with CVC should be resistant to this kind of shrinking, which would be a good thing if you have a gi that fits well and you don’t want it to shrink (or a bad thing if you have a gi that’s too big and you can’t count on shrinking it down a bit in the dryer).

On their website, Elite Sports highlights that the Essential BJJ gi is made with pre-shrunk material which allows you to machine wash and machine dry your gi.  They go on to add: “Most Gi companies would ask you to not Machine wash or Dry their Gis, instead hang dry the Gis outdoors. This washing and drying process is not only tedious but almost impossible in today’s day and age. Elite Sports has developed a Special Pre-Shrunk Fabric that allows you to machine wash and machine dry your Gis just like your regular clothes.”  I like the sound of that in general, but it could be a problem if the size chart is off, the gi is way too big, and you can’t count on it to shrink.

Unpacking / First Impressions

The Elite Essential gi arrived in some basic no-frills packaging (i.e. a plain plastic bag). No fancy gi bag or other decoration, but that’s to be expected with a gi at this price point. Because of the concerns I outlined above regarding the size chart, when I opened the Elite Essential gi I expected to find a gi that looked absolutely huge and would fit me like a child wearing his dad’s clothes. 

As expected, I was able to cinch the drawstring pants down so that they didn’t seem so huge when I was actually wearing them.  However, the legs were still wider or roomier than I would normally like.  Some of this can certainly be attributed to the fact that I have somewhat skinny legs.  (No, I don’t skip leg day. I just have naturally skinny legs!! 😅)  But still, there was a lot of extra material in the pants all the way from my hips to my ankles, which in BJJ translates into more grips for your opponent.  

Even though the pants were a little wider and roomier than I would have liked, I must say the length was perfect for me.  I have no complaints at all about the length of the pants.  They were just right.  And again they felt very nice.  Reasonably thick and sturdy while also being light and very soft.

Speaking of fitting “just right”, I think I can say the same about the gi jacket.  I was correct in my initial assessment that it didn’t seem big at all.  When closed, the jacket wasn’t too wide, roomy, or boxy around the torso.  Like the pant legs, the sleeve length was perfect, as was the overall length of the jacket at the waist.  For a lightweight gi, the collar of the jacket felt surprisingly thick and sturdy, and with the jacket the overall theme I’m finding with the gi continued: reasonably thick and sturdy while also being light and very soft.

In spite of the pants being roomier than I would like, the overall fit of this Elite Essential gi is very good based on my personal preferences.  In fact, if the gi’s fit after washing and drying remained the same as the fit right out of the package, I can honestly say I’d be happy.  With that in mind, it’s time to put this gi through some wash / dry cycles and put the claims of being pre-shrunk (and being able to machine wash and machine dry the gi without having to worry about it shrinking) to the test.

Post-Wash

I typically machine wash my gis in cold water and then put them through a lengthy machine dry cycle on what my dryer calls “ultra-low” heat.  Even with the cold water and ultra-low heat, my 100% cotton gis inevitably continue to shrink over time.  It’s always unfortunate when a gi you love that originally fit great shrinks a little too much and your training partners start accusing you of “cheating” because your gi’s sleeves and pant legs are too short.  😅

With this Elite Essential gi, I wasn’t expecting much shrinkage (if any).  Given that it’s made with CVC, the polyester content should help the gi avoid any significant shrinkage, especially if the material is pre-shrunk as described.  That’s a very good thing in this case as I really like the way the gi fit me right out of the package.  If the sleeves or pants legs were to show anything other than very minimal shrinkage after washing and drying, it would likely result in the gi being too short for me.  That said, I wouldn’t be heartbroken if the gi pants shrank a little bit if it took away some of the width and roominess in the waist and legs.

I put the gi through two machine wash / machine dry cycles following the instructions on the gi label (wash in cold water, tumble dry on low heat).  After these two cycles, the gi had shrunk a bit, and really a bit more than I expected.  The jacket that had fit so well right out of the package lost some length in the body and in the sleeves that I would have preferred it didn’t.  As for the pants, they lost about an inch in the waist and in the outseam but had negligible shrinkage in the one part of the gi that I had most wished would shrink, the leg width.  

None of the post-wash shrinkage is a deal-breaker, and if the gi is done shrinking then the fit should still be ok.  But machine washing and machine drying the gi definitely led to some shrinkage, and I preferred the way the gi fit me right out of the package.

Here’s a chart I made that shows the gi measurements that I took right out of the package compared to the same measurements after two wash / dry cycles. 

Real-World Performance

Now that we’ve looked at some of my initial concerns with sizing and material (and ultimately putten those concerns to rest), gotten some first impressions of the gi after unpacking, and also checked how the gi fits after machine washing and drying, the only thing left is to check out the gi’s real-world performance.  So I’m going to add it to my rotation and put it through some training sessions over the next few weeks.  Once that’s done, I’ll update this post with my feedback on how the gi performed through several rounds of live training and how it’s holding up.

Final Thoughts

Even though I haven’t done any live training in the Elite Essential gi yet, I still feel comfortable saying that this is a good gi for the money based on what I’ve outlined above.  It seems to me that it meets the criteria I mentioned at the very beginning of this review: “quality gear that’s affordable and gets the job done.”  

This would absolutely be a good gi choice for someone who’s brand new to BJJ and purchasing their first gi.  It’s relatively inexpensive and even comes with a free white belt. But it doesn’t have to just be a “starter gi” for beginners.  There’s no reason more seasoned BJJ practitioners can’t benefit from quality gear that’s affordable, and this gi would be a solid option for anyone of any skill level who’s looking for a gi that’s lightweight and comfortable.

So can you get a quality BJJ gi for under $50 USD?  Now that I’ve had a chance to check out the Elite Sports Essential BJJ gi firsthand, I can confidently say that the answer to that question is YES!