Essence vs Elevate™: Finding the Right Thrivin Fit for Your Workout

Some days call for a serious training session. Others call for Pilates, a walk, a coffee and everything in between.

That’s why Thrivin has Essence and Elevate™.

Both are designed to move with you, but they’re built around very different feels. Essence is soft, breathable and low compression, while Elevate™ is smooth, sculpting and high compression.

So, which Thrivin fit is right for you?

Essence or Elevate™? Start With How You Move

The easiest way to tell them apart is to think about compression and purpose.

Essence is made for lower-intensity movement and everyday life. It has a soft, second-skin feel with low compression and subtle shaping - ideal for pilates, studio sessions, rest days, walking and travelling.

Elevate™ is Thrivin’s performance-led fit. Its high-compression construction gives you a more structured, holding and sculpting feel, making it suited to lifting, HIIT, running and harder training sessions.

In short:

Essence = soft, easy and low compression.

Elevate™ = structured, sculpting and high compression.

Neither is designed to do the same job. That’s the point.

Essence: Your Softer Second Skin

There’s a certain kind of activewear you put on and forget about.

That’s Essence.

Designed with a soft, breathable, second-skin feel, Essence sits closer to the body without the squeeze of high-compression activewear. It offers subtle shaping while keeping the overall feel light and easy.

It’s made for the days when movement is part of your routine rather than the whole point of it.

Try Thrivin's most loved Wide Leg Pants

Think:

• Pilates

• Studio classes

• Walking

• Rest days

• Travelling

• Everyday wear

And because it isn't limited to the gym, Essence can follow you through the rest of your day. Pilates in the morning, coffee afterwards, errands in the afternoon - no outfit change required.

What does low compression actually feel like?

Low-compression activewear gives you a lighter, less restrictive feel than traditional high-compression gymwear.

You still get a close-to-the-body fit and subtle shaping, but without the firm, held-in sensation.

If you prefer activewear that feels soft against the skin and gives you plenty of freedom to move, Essence is your fit.

Soft when you want it. Easy when you need it.

Elevate™: Made for More Intense Training

Then there are the days when you want your activewear to feel like it's keeping up with you.

That's where Elevate™ comes in.

Elevate™ is Thrivin's high-compression, performance-led fit, with a smooth, holding and sculpting feel.

It’s designed for training sessions where you want more structure from your gymwear - whether you're lifting, working through HIIT, running or taking on a higher-intensity workout.

The high-compression fit creates a more secure, close-to-the-body feel, while the stretch allows you to move through your session without losing that structured fit.

Choose Elevate™ when compression, hold and a sculpted feel are what you’re looking for.

More structure. More hold. Made to train in.

Try: the Elevate™ Sculpting Mid Waist Scrunch Leggings, a high-compression knit that stays opaque under stretch.

Essence vs Elevate™: At a Glance

If you’re still deciding, ask yourself one simple question:

Do I want my activewear to move with me or hold me in?

If it’s the first, go Essence.

If it’s the second, go Elevate™.

Which Thrivin Fit Is Best for Pilates?

For Pilates, Essence is designed to give you the softer, lower-compression feel that suits controlled movement.

Pilates focuses on controlled movements, core strength, flexibility, balance and body awareness. A second-skin fit can make sense for this kind of session when you want to move freely without feeling overly restricted.

Essence also works beyond the studio, making it a practical choice if your Pilates class is only one part of your day.

Which Thrivin Fit Is Best for Lifting?

For lifting, Elevate™ is the Thrivin fit designed around higher compression and a more structured feel.

Its sculpting, holding fit is made for training sessions where you want your gymwear to feel secure and supportive as you move.

If your usual workout involves weights, strength training or a more intense gym session, Elevate™ gives you the higher-compression feel designed for that kind of training.

What About HIIT?

For higher-intensity activities such as HIIT, Elevate™ is the performance-led choice.

Its high-compression construction gives you a more secure, close-to-the-body feel, while its stretch allows for movement during training.

Essence takes a different approach. Its low-compression feel is better suited to lower-intensity movement, studio sessions and everyday wear.

So if you're deciding what to wear for a harder workout, Elevate™ is the natural starting point.

What About Rest Days and Everyday Wear?

This is where Essence really comes into its own.

Not every day is a training day. Sometimes you want gymwear that feels just as good on a rest day, during a walk or while travelling as it does in the studio.

Essence is designed for exactly that.

Its soft, breathable, second-skin feel makes it easy to wear when you want comfort without giving up the feeling of being put together.

Rest day? Essence.

Travel day? Essence.

Pilates followed by coffee? Definitely Essence.

Can You Own Both?

Of course.

In fact, that’s exactly why the two fits exist.

Your training doesn't look the same every day, so your activewear doesn't have to either.

You might reach for Elevate™ on strength-training days and switch to Essence for Pilates. You might live in Essence on a rest day and pull out Elevate™ when it's time for a harder session.

Think of them as two different sides of your activewear wardrobe:

Essence for softer movement and everyday life.

Elevate™ for more intense training and a higher-compression feel.

FAQs

What is the difference between Thrivin Essence and Elevate™? 

Essence is Thrivin's soft, low-compression fit made from viscose derived from bamboo, for Pilates, studio sessions and everyday wear. Elevate™ is the high-compression, sculpting fit (92% polyamide, 8% elastane) for lifting, HIIT and running.

Which Thrivin leggings are best for Pilates?

Essence, for its soft, second-skin feel and low compression that doesn't restrict controlled movement.

Which Thrivin leggings are best for weightlifting? 

Elevate™, for its high-compression hold and squat-proof knit.

Your Quick Guide to Essence vs Elevate™

Choose Essence if you want:

• Low compression

• Subtle shaping without the squeeze

• A soft, breathable feel

• A second-skin fit

• A lightly matte finish

• Activewear for Pilates and studio sessions

• Something for rest days, walking and travel

• Gymwear that easily moves into everyday wear

Choose Elevate™ if you want:

• High compression

• Full hold and support

• A smooth, sculpting feel

• A more structured fit

• A sheen finish

• Activewear for lifting and strength training

• Gymwear for HIIT and running

• A performance-led fit for harder training sessions

Two Fits. Plenty of Ways to Move.

There’s no single way to train, move or spend your day.

Essence brings softness, breathability and low compression to Pilates, studio sessions and everyday movement.

Elevate™ brings structure, hold and high compression to lifting, HIIT, running and harder training.

Different fits. Different days.

Train in it. Live in it. Thrive in it.