Shape’s team of expert fitness editors constantly test workout gear — from finding the best Hoka shoes to analyzing which compact treadmills are the best, we do it all. In fact, this year, we tested 500+ products to ensure that every single product we cover surpasses our high expectations. We’ve been churning out fitness content since 1981 (yes, you read that right), so with decades of experience, you can trust our judgment. With that, we’re excited to announce our 2025 Fitness Awards winners.
Shape received an impressive 100+ submissions from leading fitness brands like Brooks, New Balance, Therabody, and others. We considered these, along with the 500+ products we already tested, and then we narrowed down the list of the best fitness gear and platforms to just 30 winners.
We emphasized six major categories, which we call The Build Up, The Mindset, The Long Run, The Steps, and The Session. Each of these categories focuses on different areas of fitness, including equipment, clothing, accessories and wearables, recovery, platforms, and shoes. After thousands of hours testing massage guns, workout apps, running shoes, weights, treadmills, recovery gear, headphones, and more, we can confidently say that no matter your fitness level, you can get great use (and great results) implementing these products into your routine.
Along with our analysis, we interviewed and consulted with six leading fitness experts, including instructors, personal trainers, physical therapists, running coaches, and medical professionals, to further confirm that these items are not only safe but also backed by the pros for standing out in performance, durability, and functionality.
Get ready to get motivated as you dive into Shape’s 2025 Fitness Awards.
The Build Up: Best Workout Equipment
Shape
If you have big goals, you have to find the right gear to help you achieve them. The Build Up features equipment that our editors swear by for getting a major sweat on at home. Think of these items as everything you need to build the perfect home gym. This group of gadgets and gear will help you stay motivated and interested in your workouts because they’re all about variety.
From the hundreds of workouts you can do using a Tonal workout mirror to all of the different weight variations you can choose with Centr’s adjustable dumbbells, you’ll be able to personalize every workout to your liking. If cardio’s your jam, you’ve got to check out Aviron’s Fit Bike and the Horizon foldable treadmill. They’re both packed to the brim with analytics and features that’ll have you feeling like a pro athlete in no time. For our favorite Pilates princesses or yogis, the Stakt adjustable weights and Bala’s Beam are game-changers for adding some spice to your usual routine. Each has unique design features that make them so much more functional — and fashionable — than their competition.
The Recovery: Best Recovery Gear
Shape
In case nobody’s told you: You need to recover to perform! The best of the best recovery gear includes one of our favorite fitness trackers, the Whoop 4.0. It tracks your sleep and gives you a performance score every morning to let you know whether to hit the ground sprinting or give yourself some much-needed rest. If you are looking for some simple solutions for muscle soreness, you must try out KT Tape’s soothing icy pain reliever and Serotonin Soak, a bath staple we’ve been using all year. Also getting our top marks? Hyperice’s Normatec Elite boots and the Theragun Prime — each designed for hardcore athletes but can be used and enjoyed by anyone and everyone.
The Mindset: Best Fitness Apparel
Shape
Mindset matters, and what gets you in the mindset better than looking like an absolute boss? From 2XU’s Compression Longsleeve to Bandit’s coveted running shorts, we included six staples that frequently get pulled for runs, weight-lifting sessions, walks, Pilates, and more of our favorite activities. Plus, we had to include a new contender in the workout space, Adanola, which released our favorite sports bra of the year — shocking, as we didn’t think any newbies could come close to our old-time favorites. Bombas also wowed us with its running socks that prevent blisters and discomfort on supremely long and sweaty test runs. There are some fan favorites still reigning supreme, though. There still isn’t a pair of leggings out there that we love as much as Lululemon’s Fast and Free Tights. Oh, and you’ll need to fit all of these goodies into a bag, right? Calpak’s new Fit Gym Bag blew our minds with its storage capabilities, ergonomic design, and fashion-forward look.
The Steps: Best Workout Shoes
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Every step counts, and you better make sure what you’re wearing for those steps supports your stride. We tested and consulted with workout experts to find the best shoes for strength training, running, and every other form of exercise you might be obsessing over at the moment. For runners, add the New Balance FuelCell Supercomp Elite v4, Brooks Glycerin Max, and Hoka Mach x2 to your rotation immediately. For gym goers, you can’t go wrong with Reebok’s Nano Gym Shoes. For people who do a mix of everything from cardio to strength training, we love the versatility of both the Adidas Supernova Rise and Lululemon Beyondfeel shoes.
The Long Run: Best Running Gear
Shape
If you’re new to running or looking to upgrade your current cardio collection, we’ve got you covered. The Long Run is all about the gadgets and safety gear you’ll need for training season. The Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 headphones, Astro G Sunglasses, Flipbelt, and Nathan ExoShot 2.0 Handheld are never not with us on our runs. We prep for these strides with BodyGlide’s anti-chafing balm and track each step with the Garmin Forerunner 165. Duh.
The Session: Best Fitness Apps
Shape
Working from home is a thing, and so is working out from home. The Session focuses on our favorite workout apps that, yes, allow you to work out in teeny tiny spaces. Trust us, we tested these in our NYC apartments. For Pilates, barre, yoga, and sculpt lovers, Pvolve and Alo Moves wowed us with their collections that burn so good. Weight lovers and newbies to the heavy-weight game should check out Form for guided workouts that make gym sessions and bigger dumbbells less intimidating. You probably already know and love Peloton — and we do, too. No app has a better variety of instructors and guided workouts. Equinox+ is the best for offering popular workouts like [solidcore] and SoulCycle streamed to your phone at any time. Last but not least is Strava Unlimited. It’s a runner’s dream and tracks everything but what you’re wearing. JK, you can actually add in your gear to each workout you publish. It’s that granular and that fantastic.
Why Trust Shape
In our third year doing the Fitness Awards, we emphasized six major categories, which we call The Build Up, The Mindset, The Long Run, The Steps, and The Session. Each of these categories focuses on different areas of fitness, including equipment, clothing, accessories and wearables, recovery, platforms, and shoes. We tested every item selected in these lists extensively in different scenarios including outdoor workouts, at-home workouts, marathon build-ups, gym sessions, and even while sleeping. To learn more about our testing procedures, you can view our Commerce Guidelines and Mission here. We received 100+ submissions and considered each of these products, as well as analyzed the 500+ products we tested throughout the year for our reviewed articles. We then narrowed these down to 30 award winners.
Summer Cartwright is a marathon runner, certified cycling instructor, and the senior commerce editor at Shape. She has raced in the New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Columbus Marathon, Houston Half Marathon, Brooklyn Half Marathon, New York Mini 10k, and dozens of other events. She has expertise in running shoes, performance gear, and recovery equipment. She, along with dozens of other testers and fitness experts, personally tested every single item included in the Fitness Awards to ensure they lived up to Shape’s rigorous standards. Previously, she’s worked with brands including Cosmopolitan, InStyle, Real Simple, Well + Good, and Best Products. She’s from Columbus, Ohio, and has three pets: two cats named Polly and Peaky and a dog named Rhubarb.
For the 2025 Fitness Awards, we consulted with the following experts:
- Dani Coleman, Head Trainer & Director of Training at Pvolve.
- Linda LoRe, NASM-certified personal trainer, RRCA coach.
- Alex Cooley, a leading NYC fitness instructor who specializes in sculpt, barre, yoga, and breathwork.
- Caroline Beckwith, Fitness Director, 14th Street Y
- Doug Berninger, MEd, CSCS, USAW-2, Pn1 at Mass General Brigham
- Mark Murphy P.T, DPT, SCS, CSCS at Mass General Brigham
Photographer: Joy Kim
Digital Tech: Kenny Ramos
Production: Chantia Murphy
Senior Manager, Studio Operations: Kevin Orellana
Studio Tech: Nicholas Junk
Producer: Stefanie Fogel
Read the full article here