Vuori Clothing is blurring the lines between athleisure and premium performance clothing rather well particularly for easy-to-moderate trail running in mild climates or a solid gym and flexibility workout in the studio. They’re also doing it with a commitment to ethical manufacturing and sustainability. The casual, California-spirit aesthetic transitions easily to daily life as well, meaning one less set of clothes to stuff in your post-workout bag or wrestle into Superwoman-style at the trailhead inside your car. The super comfortable fit of the soft, supple fabrics and the excellent moisture management offered make any of these garments a pleasure to wear while maintaining a strong case for not changing out of them until the end of the day.
In this article, we review four pieces of Vuori’s women’s performance apparel: the Vuori Performance Jogger ($84), Vuori Elevation Performance Legging ($89), Vuori Lux Performance Tank ($44), and Vuori Women’s Outdoor Trainer Shell ($110).
Vuori makes a men’s version of that shell jacket, the Vuori Men’s Outdoor Trainer Shell ($112). The other three items reviewed here don’t have equivalent men’s models, but Vuori also offers a full line-up of men’s performance apparel, including the very similar Vuori Sunday Performance Jogger ($89), Vuori Ponto Performance Pant ($84), and Vuori Tradewind Performance Tank ($42).
With spring and summer holidays coming quickly, these make excellent gifts for others or oneself to keep the easy days easy and the rest-and-recovery mindset something you look forward to.
Vuori women’s performance apparel being tested at Great Sand Dunes in Colorado. All photos: iRunFar
Vuori Performance Jogger
At first glance, the women’s Vuori Performance Jogger ($84) looks and feels like a lightweight pair of lounge pants best used for sipping coffee in the early morning or volunteering at the middle-school field day after a quick gym session. The wide, stretchy elastic waistband has a contrasting drawstring for easy adjustment of the mid-rise style, and the loose but not-too-baggy fit of the buttery soft DreamKnit material (89% recycled polyester/11% elastane) through the hips and thighs is all sorts of perfect. The wide cuff near the ankle is not too snug and easily fits below or above my large calf depending on how I’m choosing to wear them. It is a slightly cropped 25-inch leg length “regular” fit on my 5 foot, 5 inch body, but they also offer a “long” version as an option. The hand-sized pockets on either side are perfect for lightweight, non-valuable items, but the thin fabric and wide openings make them less secure for storing phones and keys. One of my favorite aspects of these is the complete freedom of movement I have in them—pilates, yoga, strength step-ups, disc golf—if I did nothing other than wear these for leisure time, road trips, and business-on-the-top zoom meetings, I’d be exceedingly happy.
A front view of the Vuori Performance Jogger.
But I was pleasantly surprised at the actual performance of these joggers on easy days and some faster turnover days on the flatter and rolling terrain I’ve been seeking out during our extended mud season this spring. The loose fit stays perfectly in place for six to 10 miles of alternating paces on days when I want to maintain a relaxed mentality and I need thin pants to take the edge off the wind and chill. I also love that I never have to tug them back up into place. The one caveat to this is if it’s raining—the material soaks up external water, which makes them a bit heavy and downward-sliding until they dry. Temperature-wise, I am perfectly comfortable running into low-30-degree-Fahrenheit temperatures on breezy, dry days and feel a bit too balmy in them above 55 degrees Fahrenheit at running efforts, which is when I’d normally be in capris or shorts anyway. On an absolutely wind-blasting 30- to 40-degree-Fahrenheit day in the Great Sand Dunes of Colorado, I slipped some wind-blocking pants over these for a several-hour romp and sled adventure on the sand and stayed perfectly cozy and dry. I’ve never earned so many style points as I did that day. So while I wouldn’t choose these for technical routes on big alpine days or serious-minded runs with racing in mind through my favorite terrain in our foothills, they’re just perfect for what they’re targeted for—easy days, walks, flexibility activities, and leisure.
I’m finding Vuori to run at least a size large, so order down. The smalls fit me perfectly and is my preferred style of fit, but if I want a bit more of a slim look, the extra smalls are comfortable as well. The Performance Jogger comes in numerous colors and camouflage patterns if you desire to broaden your color palette. The seven-size range offered covers measurements from 23- to 37-inch waists and 33- to 47-inch hips with both regular and tall lengths. Again, they run large, so take the measurements with a grain of salt.
For men, be sure to check out the similar Vuori Sunday Performance Jogger ($89).
A back view of the Vuori Performance Jogger.
Vuori Elevation Performance Legging
The women’s Vuori Elevation Performance Legging ($89) is an absolutely delightful pair of leggings to pull on prior to a run or a pilates/yoga class thanks to the ultra-sueded feel of the 87% recycled polyester/13% elastane blend. These bottoms manage to maintain that delicate balance of snugness and complete freedom of movement perfectly. There is absolutely no sense of restriction when wearing these even over large calf muscles and thighs. The wide waistband with hidden side-entry stash pocket tends toward the high-rise fit which is typically not something I seek out, but my belly still is able to fully expand and contract with the deepest breaths, so I don’t mind it at all. I’d love a mid-rise style even more, however. A large cell phone-sized pocket sits on each outer thigh and keeps whatever you put in there snug against the leg with no bouncing or jostling. The inseam is about ankle length on my average-length legs, so someone taller may find them to end just below the calf.
A front view of the Vuori Elevation Performance Legging.
I was pleased with the warmth and breathability offered with runs in the 30- to 50-degree-Fahrenheit range, even with a strong breeze. They were also great as a base layer beneath wind pants for a chilly gravel bike ride one day. The only drawback I found, which is not uncommon, is they do get a bit heavy with a steady rain and tend to slide down the body a bit. It’s rare to find a pair of leggings that doesn’t do this, but I definitely now reserve them only for dry days. As with the joggers, these aren’t designed to be hard-core technical performance tights, but they do function quite well for a few hours of any endurance activity I choose.
The two colors offered in these leggings come in sizes from extra small to extra large, which limits the range to 24- to 34-inch waist sizes and 34- to 44-inch hip sizes. I do feel like these run a bit large as well, though maybe not as large as the joggers.
While Vuori doesn’t offer men’s tights, have a look at the Vuori Ponto Performance Pant ($84).
A back view of the Vuori Elevation Performance Legging.
Vuori Lux Performance Tank
It’s hard to find a softer and smoother tank than the Vuori Lux Performance Tank ($44). The slim-fitting tank has an A-line cut to allow it to float over the mid-section without restricting. The 88% polyester/12% elastane fabric is at least as soft as the joggers and wicks sweat well when temperatures start to rise. The midweight nature of the fabric makes it perfect as a base layer beneath a fleece or the main shirt on warm-ish days when my arms want to be free but my hot-weather tanks are just a little too breezy. The flat seams mean no chafing against the skin even with several other layers and a backpack filled with snacks on top. I love this tank primarily for pilates and strength workouts. There was no gapping of the neck line or arms with planks or pull-downs and the belly area is easy to quickly tuck in for inversions. It is the perfect running tank on cool-to-warm sunny days; I just prefer sleeves to protect my shoulders.
The size range for the numerous available colors is a bit more true to size and currently on the website only extra small to extra large are listed for this piece.
Also, check out the similar men’s Vuori Tradewind Performance Tank ($42).
A front view of the Vuori Lux Performance Tank.
A back view of the Vuori Lux Performance Tank.
Vuori Outdoor Trainer Shell
The Vuori Women’s Outdoor Trainer Shell ($110) has been a pleasant surprise with its lightweight, comfortable fit and performance on windy, sunny days or the less common damp fog and light, misty days. I typically only wear technical wind and rain shells from big-mountain-worthy gear lines, so I don’t have much experience with the more fashion-forward brands in Vuori’s category, but this shell kept me perfectly protected on that multi-hour day in the Great Sand Dunes mentioned above—I was very pleased. I layered the size small shell over a thin, synthetic hooded puffy (with the hood and a thin Buff), a thin fleece, and the Lux Performance Tank and felt dry, warm, and cozy. With the breathability offered, I didn’t need to change out layers whether I was pushing hard to top out on some dunes or sitting in a protected low spot taking pictures of the kids in our group sledding down a steep dune.
The two zippered pockets kept hotel and car keys, phone, chapstick, and a snack bar secure and sand-free. The interior and exterior chest pockets provide even more secure storage. The hood is well-sized for my large ponytail and keeps the wind at bay with the old-school drawstring tie that cinches it down. It lacks any sort of brim, so it definitely isn’t targeted for use in truly crazy weather. The stretch-woven DWR water-resistant material sheds light mist and fog but, again, isn’t really designed for true rain protection. One other aspect I appreciate about this shell is the fact it still packs down relatively small into a pack or smooshes into the spaces between the other items with hardly a notice. It’s an easy layer to throw in just in case.
A front view of the Vuori Outdoor Trainer Shell.
The size range for the two colors offered of this piece is extra small to extra large.
While this is not the piece I’d take for a one-day traverse of the Teton Crest Trail in Wyoming, it’s a great local trail-to-town option when I want to keep it a bit more casual. I’m fairly protective of my hard-core gear, and I try to keep it in tip-top shape for when I really need it, so this piece is perfect for the rest of the time when my life does not depend on my gear but I still want to be comfortable.
There’s a men’s version of this jacket, the Vuori Men’s Outdoor Trainer Shell ($112).
[For our current favorite wind jackets, check out our best windbreaker jackets guide.]
A back view of the Vuori Outdoor Trainer Shell.
Vuori Women’s Performance Apparel Overall Impressions
If the world of higher-end athleisure apparel has been calling to you, and you’re looking at upgrading your easy run day/gym day gear and power-lounging apparel, then Vuori Clothing offers surprising higher-performance qualities in blend-in-with-the-locals, fashion-forward pieces. If I was to recommend only one of the items as a must try, the Performance Joggers are where it’s at, but you can’t go wrong with any of the items.
The price points are definitely on the higher end, but they are right in line with other athleisure brands that have taken the world by storm this past decade-plus when you match piece to piece. Lastly, after many, many washes, the four pieces still look brand new and fit exactly as I hope they would, and I will continue to keep them in frequent rotation.
Call for Comments
- Are you running in Vuori’s women’s performance apparel? Let us know what you think.
- How about other Vuori products for running, cross training, or recovery?
[Editor’s Note: If you’re affiliated (i.e., an employee, ambassador, etc.) with a brand, please share your relation in each of your comments on this article. Thanks!]
