Exercise dresses are one of the hardest-working pieces in my summer wardrobe. They're the perfect one-and-done outfit whether you're playing tennis, running out on a quick errand, or traveling in hot, humid climates.
As a fitness gear expert who practically lived in my original Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress for years, I found that not all workout dresses deliver on the same level. Many I've worn have shorts that ride up, stuffy liners, or straps that start to pull on my neck after 30 minutes.
To find the best options, I tested 28 active dresses throughout my summer routine of tennis matches, dog walks, travel days, farmers markets, bike rides, and HIIT workouts. The ones that made this list felt comfortable, functional, and worth the price. These come with the same performance features as my favorite workout clothes, such as compressive bike shorts that stay put and sweat-wicking fabrics to help me stay cool and dry.
Advice from your tester
Best overall: SPANXshape BoostUp Strappy Back Dress
After testing over 25 exercise dresses, I found the SPANXshape BoostUp Strappy Back Dress to be the best option for most people. It has a frustration-free liner and a smoothing fit that won't impede your movement during a workout.
It solves all the problems I usually have with exercise dresses. Spanx's BoostUp's built-in shorts are slightly longer than most competitors and actually stay down as you walk, run, and jump. Even better: The liner features a split-back design that lets you use the bathroom without taking off the entire dress.
It's supportive and comfortable in the heat. This dress is made from a luxe, breathable, and sweat-wicking performance fabric that stayed cool and dry as I walked around in the hot summer sun (it's also UPF 50!). The built-in liner delivers the ideal amount of compression, while the soft V-neck has enough coverage to secure a larger bust. The strappy open back makes it feel a bit more stylish, but if you prefer a sporty look there's also a racer back version.
It's available in up to a size 3X. A lot of leading exercises dresses are clearly made for smaller bodies, but, as a size 10, I love that this dress has design choices suited to fit a range of body types, with thicker straps, a supportive liner, and longer shorts. It does run a bit snug, so if you're between sizes, size up.
Best runner-up: Beyond Yoga Score Pleated Dress
It can keep up with sweaty, high-impact workouts. The Beyond Yoga Score Pleated Dress is a true exercise dress — the attached under-shorts stay in place (for the most part), the material wicks sweat very effectively, and it's supportive in the chest. I played several tennis matches in this dress, and also packed it ahead of a 10-day trip to Europe. It never let me down as I walked for over 8 hours in the Spanish heat.
It's universally flattering, but comes in limited sizes. While we traveled, both myself and my best friend wore this dress. It was flattering and supportive on both my 5-foot-5, 36A frame and her 5-foot-1, 36DD frame. The straps are thick enough to hold up bigger boobs (though you still may want a sports bra for high-impact sports). I liked that the elastic waistband and tennis skirt accentuate your curves without being tight across the stomach.
The main downside to this dress is that the sizing only goes from XS - XL. But if that fits for you, this dress looks good on pretty much anybody. It's also worth noting this dress runs true to size or slightly big — I wear a Large in most workout clothes, but a Medium fit me perfectly.
It's not the easiest to go to the bathroom in. Nowadays, many exercise dresses have a split in the back so you can pull down the bottom half like shorts to go to the bathroom — and this makes a world of difference, convenience-wise. Its shortsuit lining is entirely connected, so you have to pull the whole dress down to go to the bathroom. It's not ideal, but not a deal breaker either.
Best budget: Quince Ultra-Form Active Dress
It performs as well as dresses three times the price. The Quince Ultra-Form Active Dress looks and performs like your average well-designed exercise dress — a simple, universally-flattering neckline and a shorts liner that stays in place (with a phone pocket). In fact, this dress is more comfortable than many dresses of the same style — and yet, it costs less than $50.
The material feels luxe. Quince's affordable exercise dress uses its signature, buttery-soft Ultra-Form fabric which is moisture wicking, anti-microbial, and has four-way stretch. Aside from having the technical skills to back it, the material feels soft to the touch and looks more luxe than it should for the price point.
We love the colors — but they're all pretty understated. This dress comes in six colorways. That said, they're all a muted and natural color, like plum, navy, and forest green, so if you're a bright girlie, the color options may feel limited.
It's not supportive enough to do high-intensity workouts. As is the case with many exercise dresses, the Quince Active Form Dress is designed with a low-level compression, so it's not going to work in a HIIT class. Still, it's certainly supportive enough to wear as you go for a walk on a hot summer's day.
Learn more in our full Quince clothing review.
Best splurge: Lululemon Align Dress
It's made from lululemon's beloved Nulu fabric. As a brand known for its proprietary fabrics, lululemon's Nulu line has a special place in the hearts of fitness fanatics. It's incredibly soft, but has four-way stretch and is both sweat-wicking and highly breathable. This fabric makes the Align exercise dress feel (and look) luxe, while also doing its job of keeping moisture to a minimum.
It's flattering, functional, and easy to go to the bathroom in. The Align Dress has a simple, soft-V neckline and a built-in liner that doesn't roll up when you move around, with a flatting monochrome sheath overtop. The liner is split so you can just pull the shorts down to go to the bathroom — a feature that's definitely worth the higher price bump.
It's not supportive enough for larger busts during high-intensity workouts. While past versions of the Align Dress weren't supportive enough for high-intensity workouts at all, I was seriously impressed by the compression and support of the built-in bra when I played tennis and jumped rope. However, I still think the low neckline limits this dress to A-B cups like myself. When my friend with D cups tried it on, she felt herself spilling out a bit too much to actually exercise in it. That said, lululemon does offer the same dress in a higher neckline made to fit larger busts.
Best size-inclusive: Popflex Tie-Breaker Superdress
It's fun, flirty, and functional. This was easily one of my top 3 favorite dresses I tested. The built-in shorts did a decent job at staying down, and even when they did roll up, it was weirdly not as uncomfortable as with other dresses I tested. It has a contouring bodice, a flirty skirt with a side opening, and thick, adjustable straps that offer decent support. But for high-intensity workouts, it still needs a sports bra underneath.
It's incredibly lightweight and breathable. I wore this on a scorching day riding bikes in the sun, and the material didn't hold onto any moisture. It also let wind come through to cool me down. The polyester-Spandex blend fabric felt very lightweight and incredibly breathable.
It comes in a wide range of sizes and colors. The Tie-Breaker Superdress runs from an XXS to a 3X and comes in a ton of colorways — so there are options for whatever your taste may be. The colors are all rich, and I love that certain colorways look more or less like an exercise dress than others, depending on the aesthetic you're going for.
Read up on more of our favorite plus-size activewear from the Taylor Swift-approved brand in our full Popflex review.
Best all-day comfort: Outdoor Voices The Exercise Dress
This is the original exercise dress that launched the category years ago. I've owned three of them now and have worn this dress during swampy summers in New York, hiking mountains in Colorado, and on long airplane rides to adventurous places. After testing 22 dresses for this article, it's easily the most comfortable exercise dress for hours on end.
It's lightweight, breathable, and quick-drying. The comfort power of this dress lies in the performance material, both on the liner and the outer shell. It's very lightweight on the body, highly breathable, and quick-drying. That said, after a full day of non-stop sweat, the liner does get maxed out and it starts to get a little marshy in the crotch — but that's inevitable for any garment on a hot day.
The shorts stay in place better than any other brand. This Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress is one of the few dresses I tested where the shorts didn't ride up. That's likely because it was the only dress with elastic grips at the bottom of the liner that holds the material against your thighs (but not in an uncomfortable way). Even my friend, who identifies as "thick thighed," says that she usually struggles with Spandex shorts rolling up on her, but this dress doesn't.
It's an appropriate length and fit. One reason I bring this dress with me whenever I travel is that it's not only comfortable, but pretty universal — it rides the lines between being sporty and casual, while still having a clean aesthetic that can be dressed up as needed (especially in the black colorway).
OV has made some great upgrades to the design — but it's still not perfect. This dress has been out for a while, and the brand has made some welcomed upgrades to the design (including the elastic lining on the shorts, and making the straps adjustable).
I'd love for the next upgrade to be incorporating the dropseat design competitors have started to implement. Otherwise, my one gripe with this dress is that the straps start to fray after a dozen or so washes. It really isn't enough to be noticeable, but it keeps the dress from looking perfectly sleek.
Best modest: Spanx PowerPlay Zip-Front Dress
It's the most polished, high-coverage exercise dress I tested. With its longer hemline, longer liner shorts, and higher neckline, the PowerPlay Dress offers more coverage than most exercise dresses. I like Spanx's design over other high-neck options, though, because the zip front keeps the dress looking modern and a touch feminine. This would be a great dress for summer travel or anytime you want a modest, sporty one-and-done outfit.
The thicker fabric smooths without feeling too warm. Spanx's matte SoftPower fabric is slightly thick, but I never found it overly hot. Instead, the PowerPlay Zip Front Dress creates a smoother, more structured silhouette while still feeling breathable and sweat-wicking on warm days. The built-in liner and shelf bra provide comfortable medium compression that feels supportive enough for walking, pickleball, or a casual tennis match.
It's best for low- to medium-impact activities. The built-in bra band sits lower than you typically want for workout support — about two inches below my bust — so I'd still wear a sports bra underneath for running or other high-impact workouts.
It's very comfortable for all-day wear. While a lot of strappy exercise dresses can start to pull on your shoulders after an hour or two, I found the wide top and low bra band made this dress the most comfortable option (other than the Beyond Yoga Spacedye Prep Halter Dress) to wear for over 6 hours at a time. It also has a split-back liner for easy bathroom access.
Best casual: Beyond Yoga Spacedye Prep Halter Dress
This is as close as it gets to wearing a regular summer dress. It may not be something I actually work out in, but frankly, my exercise dresses get more air time on my summer errands than they do on gym days. It has a built-in bodysuit liner with pockets, but it's not as compressive as others on this list, making it way better for casual, all-day wear. I also love that the moisture-wicking fabric offers UPF protection for long days in the sun.
The buttery-soft fabric makes it incredibly comfortable. Unlike the slick, compressive materials most exercise dresses use, Beyond Yoga's signature Spacedye fabric has a brushed, T-shirt-like feel that's unbelievably soft. The liner isn't too tight, either. It just feels like wearing a snug shirt, but packaged in a dress with built-in bra and shorts.
It runs small, but comes in fun colors. The Spacedye Prep Halter Dress comes in just four colors, but they cover your basic neutrals and offer a few fun, trendy pops of color. The dress does run small — I typically wear a large but the XL fit me perfectly — and sizing only goes up to XXL.
Other exercise dresses I tested
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