Before we get into this, if you’re signing up at a BJJ school, make sure that they don’t have a rule about what gis a white belt can and can’t wear. They may sell a required school gi, or only allow white belts to wear white gis.
The short answer is that Fuji, Tatami, HCK, and Padilla & Sons have the best reputations for high quality and low prices. But you can find good gis by many other brands if you look for deals. See the link above for more recommendations.
If price doesn’t matter to you, then go nuts. A lot of companies sell good gis for $150-200. You will get funny looks showing up in a $200 Lucky Gi as a brand new white belt, but no one really cares.
What you can’t tell until you’ve worn a gi is how it fits you, and I think that fit has the biggest effect on whether or not a person likes a gi (assuming it doesn’t rip or tear). We can talk about special weaves and contrast color stitching and fighter endorsements, but in the end, if you simply don’t like wearing the gi, none of those matter.
Your safest bet is to start with a cheaper gis to see what you like, then pick up a pricier one as a special gift to yourself once you’ve been training for a year or when you get your blue belt.
Before we get into this, if you’re signing up at a BJJ school, make sure that they don’t have a rule about what gis a white belt can and can’t wear. They may sell a required school gi, or only allow white belts to wear white gis.
Beginners usually want a cheap gi, and if that’s true of you, you should read What’s the best cheap BJJ gi?
The short answer is that Fuji, Tatami, HCK, and Padilla & Sons have the best reputations for high quality and low prices. But you can find good gis by many other brands if you look for deals. See the link above for more recommendations.
If price doesn’t matter to you, then go nuts. A lot of companies sell good gis for $150-200. You will get funny looks showing up in a $200 Lucky Gi as a brand new white belt, but no one really cares.
What you can’t tell until you’ve worn a gi is how it fits you, and I think that fit has the biggest effect on whether or not a person likes a gi (assuming it doesn’t rip or tear). We can talk about special weaves and contrast color stitching and fighter endorsements, but in the end, if you simply don’t like wearing the gi, none of those matter.
Your safest bet is to start with a cheaper gis to see what you like, then pick up a pricier one as a special gift to yourself once you’ve been training for a year or when you get your blue belt.
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