Best BJJ Gis for Competition Reviewed & Compared

Picking out the best BJJ Gi for competitions is one of the most serious things you will need to do as a BJJ competitor. 

The gi you wear on the competition mats needs to provide you with maximal performance and any advantage possible while denying the same to your opponents. 

Not every BJJ Gi is built for competitive performance, and we give you 7 different options that have the potential to be your trusted body armor after you slap and bump. 

Our Top Picks at a Glance

• Sanabul Highlights Pro – Best Budget Gi.
• Kingz Ultralight BJJ Gi – Premium Option.
• Gold Aeroweave Gi – Best Overall Gi for BJJ Competitions.
• Fuji Supraito Gi – Most Durable Competition Gi.

Best BJJ Gis for Competitions

Hayabusa Ultra Lightweight Pearlweave BJJ Gi

Hayabusa is a brand that has been present on competition mats since 2006, adapting to the needs of competitors, as their Ultra Lightweight Perlweave Gi proves.  

With a weight of only 350-GSM, this pearl weave Gi comes as light as a competition BJJ Gi can be. The design features a design that provides ample airflow, keeping you dry and allowing for a maximal range of motion. 

What makes this one of the best BJJ Gi to compete in is that it is just as tough as it is light. Ripstop cotton-polyester blend pants and reinforced key areas (lapels, knees, and crotch) mean the Gi is going to outlast most of your other Gis.  

Available in 4 different colors, three of which are IBJJF legal, and 7 different sizes. There is a drawstring closure on the pants ensures they’ll stay in place even during the hardest exchanges on the competition mats. 

The Hayabusa Ultra Lightweight Pearlweave BJJ Gi comes pre-treated, something that sets it aside from other similar Gis, meaning the color is not going to fade. 

Gold BJJ Aeroweave Gi

Gold is one of the brands that listen to what competitors need, which is unsurprising given that people who train and compete are behind it. 

This GI is a pioneering product in terms of the weave. It is 40% lighter than pearl weave Gis, weighing only 275 GSM and fulfilling a big modern demand in competitors – less weight. Full ripstop pants add to this Gis competitive attraction.  

A very clean design accompanies this BJJ Gi, with minimalist branding on all three competition-approved colors (blue, white, and black). 

The Gi comes in 5 different colors, with Navy and Grey not compliant with IBJJF standards. It comes pre-shrunk and is machine washable, but you should still stick to washing it in cold water and hang-drying it. 

A couple of unique things about Gold BJJ are that they offer a female cut of this model, and they back their Gis with a guarantee obliging to refund or replace your order if you’re not satisfied. 

Sanabul Core Competition Gi

Sanabul’s Core Competition Gi is the best high-quality budget option on our list, as is most of Sanabul’s gear. This is a great option for your very first Gi, as you try to pinpoint the best competition BJJ Gi for you. 

Sanabul’s Gi is extremely resilient and durable, built to withstand all rigors of combined training and competition. A dense weave and cross-stitching ensure that opponents are going to have a very difficult time holding on to their grips. 

The Gi comes preshrunk, so you can expect it to shrink only insignificantly, as long as you wash it in cold water and leave it to hang dry. 

Sanabul’s Gi comes in all 3 available competition-legal colors, as well as Navy and Grey. There are different color designs of the branding available on the main base colors. It is available in 5 different sizes.   

The competition-grade fabric of this Gi was tested by some of the best professional competitors and champions before being released. 

FUJI Suparaito BJJ GI

Fuji is one of the oldest brands of Gis in the world, formed in 1969 when BJJ was still only popular in Brazil. Initially a premium Judo brand, Fuji has shifted its proven knowledge and technology towards making the best BJJ Gi for competitions. 

The Supraito Gi is a perfect example of a Gi built for Jiu-Jitsu competitors. Made out of a specific premium blend (55% cotton and 45% polyester). It gives the Gi flexibility and range of motion paired with impressive durability. 

Weighing only 350 GSM this is Fuji’s lightest Gi and one of the lightest Gis in general, making it feel soft and comfortable. 

Triple-reinforced rip-stop pants are held in place by a bungee cord drawstring, ensuring everything about this Gi is useful for serious competitors. 

The Supraito Fuji Gi is available only in black and in just one size – A2. It should only be hand-washed and hung to dry to prevent shrinking.

Kingz Ultralight BJJ Gi

Kingz, as a brand, is a personal favorite of mine. They have unique Gi designs, both in terms of aesthetics and fabric, and they constantly deliver improved and innovative models to meet the needs of competitors. 

This is one more lightweight BJJ Competition Gi, with a 420 GSM jacket and 8oz ants. Both the jacket and pants come reinforced in key places, but in a way that eliminates all needless seams. 

Vulcanized heat-resistant rubber fils the collars and lapels, making it nearly impossible for opponents to keep a hold of the most important parts of your Gi. It is durable and resilient, trusted by distinct champions like the late Leandro Lo for over 10 years. 

This Kingz Gi is available in the three BJJ competition-approved colors: white, black, and blue, and 12 different sizes that include specific in-between cuts as well. Streamlined design with minimal embroidery.

A key feature of this Gi is that the jacket is made out of a single piece of fabric.

They also have a female version of their Ultralight gi, so definitely check that out if you’re on the hunt for a decent competition gi for women.

Sanabul Highlights Pro BJJ Gi

Affordable and high in quality, not surprising that another of Sanabu’s Gis makes the list of best BJJ Gi for competitions. The Highlights Pro is one of the brand’s latest competitor-specific Gis. 

The Highlight Pro Gi features an athletic cut that minimizes the space available for an opponent to place grips. Preshrunk fabric guarantees that the fit won’t change even after extended use.  

Tested by professionals, this is the best competition BJJ Gi for grapplers who have to cut weight. The Gi feels heavy duty, on account of the special Santec fabric, making it resistant, but is lightweight and unrestrictive.  

Available in 5 different sizes and 3 competition-approved base colors. There are a couple of logo and brand design color variations available on the black and white base colors.   

Gold BJJ Calavera Gi

Wrapping up our best BJJ Gi for competition list is one more Gold BJJ product – The Calavera Gi. 

With this Gi, Gold has gone in a completely different direction than their Aerowave Gi. The Calavera is an ultra-strong Gi, featuring a gold weave and still weighing only 450 GSm, which is impressive. 

This Gi has another unique feature – a rash guard neckliner, to help with sweat-wicking and cooling. The entire design is named following the Day Of The Dead art depicted on the rashguard liner.  

The Calavera Gi is reinforced all over, with stiff EVA foam rubber collars and ripstop pants.  It is built to withstand a drone strike and still falls under the lighter-weight category of BJJ Gis.

You can get this Gi in the three IBJJF-legal colors, and 13 different sizes. 

Gold BJJ, as is their philosophy, back this Gi to last, and offer a full refund or replacement if you don’t like it.

How to Choose the Best Competition BJJ Gi

Picking the best competition BJJ Gi for the very first time is the hardest Gi-related thing to do in Jiu-Jitsu. This is not just a Gi that should do the trick on the mats in the academy (basically the opposite of a beginner’s BJJ gi), but rather frustrate your opponents and give you an edge in your performance. 

Many things factor in the decision of the best BJJ Gi for competitions, but some of the crucial aspects are the fabric, weight, color, and size of the Gi, followed closely by your brand preferences and financial capabilities.  

Weave

The weave of a BJJ is how the fabric is put together to create the sturdy material we associate with BJJ Gis. Usually, the weave directly affects the strength and durability of the Gi, but also plays a role in how heavy a Gi is going to be. 

The denser the weave, the stronger a Gi is going to be (for example double weave or gold weave). On the other hand, a pearl weave or aero weave creates lighter, more breathable Gis, but they tend to have a shorter lifespan.  

GSM

GSM is an abbreviation standing for Grams per Square Meter, a unit that measures the weight of a Gi. This is also directly proportional to the weave, with a density of 350 GSM considered to be the high range for lightweight Gis. Anything above falls under medium weight, with rare Gis featuring a GSM above 550 marking the transition to heavyweight.  

Color

Gi color has two important aspects- one is whether the color is acceptable in tournaments, given the strict rules and regulations some of the biggest promotions require. 

The second is whether or not the color is going to last, i.e. whether the Gi is pre-treated against fading. 

Brand

The subject of brands is a highly individual one but when it comes to BJJ competition Gis, there are several that are head and shoulders above others. 

As long as you focus on the brands that have provided reliable and effective Gis over the years, tested by all kinds of competitors, from amateur to professional, you can hardly go wrong. 

Size

Size plays a major factor in picking out any Gi, but it is crucial for competition. Since you want to gain an edge over opponents, you want the Gi to fulfill regulation in terms of length and width, but you want the smallest possible size that will allow you to achieve that.  

Do not forget to consider the shrinkage rate and always consult the brands-specific Gi size chart very carefully. 

Price

In all honesty, I feel that you should invest in a solid competition Gi that is going to last you long. That doesn’t mean splashing out on your very first one, as it is always smart to begin with budget Gis that still offer quality, like Sanabul. 

However, once you get a feel for your favorite brand, Gi model, size, color, and weave, investing more in your battle armor is a smart idea. 

BJJ Gi Rules for Competitions

The IBJJF is still the primary trend and rule setter for the BJJ competition scene, so I will focus on their requirements, since other promotions that are gaining on them, like the UAEJJF, feature virtually the same Gi rules. 

The IBJJF rulebook has a big and detailed section on GI rules, but what you should keep in mind is that you can only compete in a white, black, or royal blue Gi.  All other colors are banned. 

Also, you can’t wear a jacket that is in a different color than the pants, for example, a white jacket with blue pants. 

The Gi must not have any tears, and that includes the belt. Specific rules about the length and width of the Gi, as well as spaces where patches and embroidery are allowed, can be found in the rulebook.  

Popular Brands of BJJ Gis

There is a lot of choice when it comes to BJJ Gis these days, but when you’re picking out the best BJJ Gi to compete in, you need to apply stricter filters. 

A logical approach is to look at which GIs have a proven track record when it comes to performance on the mats and focus on those brands: 

Kingz is a brand made by competitors, for competitors. They have a solid selection of Gis, all of which are suited for competition. Kingz is also one of the Gi brands that actively sponsors pro grapplers like Ffion Davies.

Fuji is always going to feature as one of the most trusted BJJ Gi brands. They’ve been around for almost as long as the sport has been, and have a proven track record of following the needs of competitors and evolving their products to match them. 

Hayabusa, although not a Gi-specific brand, but rather an MMA/BJJ/Grappling gear manufacturer, still has some of the very best competition BJJ Gis. They pride themselves on quality over quantity, with perhaps fewer models, but ones built to last and aid competitors in every way a a BJJ Gi can. 

FAQ’s

Let’s tackle a few more questions that people usually have on the subject of competition BJJ Gis: 

How Do I Choose the Best BJJ Competition Gi for Me?

Use the advice above. Focus on the weave and weight first, pick your size carefully, and don’t forget to stick to the approved colors. 

How many Gis do I need? 

A question nobody can answer for you, given BJJ folks’ unhealthy need to buy more Gis. The truth is that while you need to wear your competition Gi in training from time to time, you need at least two more regular training Gis, so I’ll go with the number 3. 

How is a BJJ competition Gi different from a regular Gi?

Competition Gis have features that make them uncomfortable for opponents to keep a hold of. They are often also very sturdy, making positions like the cross-face even more unbearable. The cut and sizing are also slightly different, aiming to leave as little material as possible for your opponent to use against you. 

How Do I Take Care of My BJJ competition Gi?

Just like any other GI: stick to the instructions of the specific brand, always cold wash your Gi, preferably by hand, and leave it to hang dry.  Use regular detergent and avoid fabric softeners. Also, wash your Gi as soon as possible after every training and/or competition. 

Lightweight or Heavyweight Gi for BJJ Competitions?

I’d say lightweight, but that is my personal preference as someone who has always cut weight for competition. Lightweight Gis are more comfortable but also softer, meaning opponents can manipulate them better compared to sturdier ones. 

It’s an individual, mostly experience-based decision at the end of the day.

Final Thoughts  

Even with this guide, you might find that the first BJJ Gi you pick for tournaments is not quite the one that clicks for you. 

It takes some trial and error, but with our guide, you have reduced the clutter and cut the “paralysis by analysis” down to several for the very best BJJ Gi for competition options. 

Now, it is decision time! 

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