My Favorite Hat Brand Makes Activewear: Headsweats Active Line Review

Headsweats’ first full apparel line — and first women’s line — is stylish and comfortable, not to mention affordable. We put it to the test to see if it could handle our sweat.

Hitting the crowded activewear market this January, the Headsweats Active Line marks the brand’s first full activewear collection for women. Designed by active women, for active women, it comprises shirts, leggings, and three sweat-stopping headwear options. Plus, most of the line is made from recycled materials.

I was excited to hear that my favorite hat brand had made activewear for me, and I was eager to get my hands on it (and my head in it). And seeing style varieties like the Dark Camo print (shown above) certainly didn’t hurt.

Having a matching set of workout clothes is part of what motivated me to get up off my couch and restart my recovery after it fell flat due to depression and COVID-19 lockdown. I tested the Active Line on my stationary bike in my basement, and looking good only added to my confidence.

In short: The Headsweats Active Line shirts and leggings feel good next to skin, allow for full range of motion, are lightweight, and wick sweat well. I had no issues with the shirts constricting my shoulders or hips, and the leggings proved stretchy and soft. However, not everything fit me well — especially some of the headwear — and I found myself wanting more.

Headsweats Active Line for Women Review

If you like to mix and match, the color selection in the Active Line will not disappoint. Although I easily could’ve popped in some bright colors, I chose the Dark Camo print.

As far as sustainability goes, most of the line carries a number, printed onto the fabric, denoting how many recycled water bottles were used in production. In 2019, Headsweats began using REPREVE fabric, made from recycled materials, and the brand continues that practice here.

Even the plastic Headsweats used to ship my Active Line samples was 100% biodegradable. And this eco-conscious activewear collection, ranging from $15 to $35, won’t empty your wallet, either.

Active Tops

The Active Line comprises three shirts: the Core Singlet, Performance Long Sleeve Tee, and Cut Off Tank. Headsweats didn’t have any of the new Cut Off Tank in stock, but I tested the others, and, in short, I liked them. They fit true to size and let me move freely.

Note: I got a size up (an XL) because I like a looser fit, not because it didn’t fit true to size.

The two shirts I tested were a nice jersey material that wicked sweat and felt featherlight. The Core Singlet is a racerback shirt, perfect for wearing over a sports bra. And the Performance Long Sleeve Tee kept me warm enough in my cold basement without causing me to overheat. It also provided more modest coverage, which you want sometimes.

But something is missing from this picture: a Headsweats sports bra! I don’t know about you, but my sports bra does most of the heavy lifting in the sweat-wicking department, and I would love a Headsweats sweatband under my girls during a workout.

My SHEFIT did the job instead, but where’s the sports bra, Headsweats? I want it in Dark Camo to match.

Active Leggings

I really wanted to like these leggings, but the sizing was all wrong for me. Ladies, if you have a body type that can work with a mid-waist/standard fit, you’ll like these more than I did.

Because I prefer a high-waisted fit for comfort and functionality on my body type, the Core Legging wasn’t my favorite. But the fabric is soft next to skin, the seams are flat, and the leggings stayed put (even though I had trouble using the size chart and ordered them too big).

Let’s talk about the size chart for a second: I spent several minutes, using a tape measure and everything, to get the right size. I kept coming out with a waist measurement that, according to the size chart, necessitated a 2XL. But when I got them, they were a full two sizes too big.

So I ordered an XL, and they were still too big, but they stayed put during activity. A size large would probably have worked better, but my thighs were super comfortable in the XL.

Long story short: Take the sizing chart with a grain of salt and order the size you’d normally wear. And if Headsweats releases high-waisted leggings with a more curvy fit, I’ll be first in line to snatch them up.

Headwear

Let’s talk headwear. New to Headsweats’ portfolio, the idea behind the Boulder Band — “broader front to provide more hair support than a traditional headband while still allowing you to keep a cool head” — is a good one. But it was unusable for me: too tight, not stretchy, and it immediately left indents in my skin.

Coming from a brand that makes hats perfect for my enormous head, I was genuinely surprised by this. It’s also labeled “one size fits most.”

The other two headwear options in the Active Line — the ECO Ultra Band (a neck gaiter) and Super Crush Visor — are not new to Headsweats. But the brand is offering them in new colors for the line, and this is my first time testing these products.

Of the two, I much prefer the Super Crush Visor. While both it and the ECO Ultra Band are super packable and very light, the visor is more functional for me. When I tried to use the buff as a headband, it was too tight when bunched up, and it kept slipping backward.

The terrycloth sweatband on the visor worked really well for me: I loved the feel and how it did. Not. Budge. The visor is for sure the go-to for my sweat-wicking needs. Another of our female editors on staff tried on the ECO Ultra Band and Boulder Band, and she found they both fit her A-OK.

Overall, we agreed the two band options could use some extra stretch to fit a wider range of head sizes.

Headsweats Apparel: Activewear for Women Impressions

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the Headsweats Active Line. Most of it was comfortable and functional, but some of it wasn’t — even to the point of hurting my head. For a headwear brand, that’s a pretty big strike in my book.

But I can’t deny that I smiled when I first saw myself in my Dark Camo outfit and headed down to the basement to ride. And that’s also big for me.

Headsweats accomplished what it aimed to here: to make activewear for women, in a variety of both sizes and colors. For the brand’s first apparel line, it’s a pretty good start, and we look forward to more updates down the line.

Now that I’ve told you how these clothes fit, you’ll have an easier time than I did getting the size you need. And back to the biggest draw, the price. We all know how expensive a single pair of leggings can be, and the Core Legging is only $35. If they fit you, you’re getting a great value.

Beyond home workouts and running, this Headsweats collection seems perfect for tennis, especially the Core Singlet and the Cut Off Tank (which I wish I could’ve tested because it looks right up my alley). However, it’s been too cold here in Colorado to test the Active Line outdoors (tennis courts are piled with snow), and I’m not a member of any indoor tennis clubs. But I am itching for spring so I can get it going.

And maybe the brand will send me a Cut Off Tank before then? Pretty please?

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