Flow Kimonos Hemp Series BJJ Jiu Jitsu Gi

I had been looking at getting this gi, or the Datsusara for a long time, and finally pulled the trigger at got the Flow. $200 is a premium price, putting it in the most expensive class of gis, but I justified it because it is hemp, after all.My initial impression: It is extremely well-made. Attention to detail was clearly a priority in the making of this gi. The stitching, trim, and embroidery are excellent. It is a heavy gi. I am most used to a canvas pant material, and these are thinner pants, but feel very tough and strong.I am not new to hemp as a textile, and knew that it would start out a bit stiff, rough, and scratchy, but would break in over time, eventually softening up better than a cotton gi. So far, after about 10 washings (and air-drying) and normal use, it is still considerably more coarse than any of my cotton gis. It has a distinct burlap feel to it. I am optimistic that over time, it will meet my expectations regarding the feel. If you air dry this gi, it will stiffen up to the point where the jacket can stand up on its own. Some other gis do this, but the hemp fabric seems to lock up when it is air dried, so a quick tumble in the drier before wearing it will help loosen it up, or you can beat it up with a shoe or over the couch, or something.I am 5'4" and a pretty stocky 145 lbs. I am an A1 in every gi I own (and I own 5). The pants are simply too snug. I wear them, but there is absolutely no doubt that they limit my range of motion in the legs. The jacket is on the large end of the size range for an A1. In fact, the pants are the tightest of any of my gis and the jacket is the loosest.It is not at all a light weight gi. Do not think that hemp will breathe better and will feel lighter than cotton, it's just not the case. It is light years more eco-friendly a material than cotton, but I have to say, this is my first and likely my last hemp gi. When compared to the Datsusara (one of my classmates owns one), this is BY FAR heavier and thicker in the jacket and similar in the pants. If you are on the slimmer side, I think the fit will work for you. If you are a bit thicker, especially in the thighs and butt, you might not like how this gi fits.As an aside, I dyed my Flow hemp gi brown. I used Dharma Procion dyes. It came out more burgundy than the brown I was shooting for, and I look a bit like a monk wearing a tunic in it. I may strip the color and try again. Before anyone comments, the tightness of the pants was observed before the gi was dyed or washed. I got only about 5% shrinkage from the dying and washing/drying process.

**Pros: comfortable, strong, anti-microbial**Cons: pants are slightly darkerI purchased this Gi a few weeks ago but have waited on writing a review so that I could put it through its paces. I have owned a number of Gi's and a few of which have been what some may consider to be "premium" Gi's. So far, my favorite Gi that I've owned is the Estilo 5.0 by Tatami. It is a solid Gi with a great fit. However, I am not a big fan of cotton (I'm an avid backpacker when not rolling) and unfortunately the Estilo is 100 percent cotton.Enter the Flow Kimono Hemp Gi.I was first drawn to this as a way to get away from cotton as a fabric for Gi's. The price was a bit off-putting, so when I first came across it I decided to not buy one. However, I recently graduated college and got engaged, so I decided to splurge on something nice for myself!The Gi came quickly and was shipped in it's own drawstring bag (which is nice to hold onto when you are constantly battling husky fur). As a quick aside, I grew up in Wrentham, Massachusetts and it's nice to support a company based so closely to my hometown.**LookThe jacket has a clean, organized look to it. The patches on the arms are a deep green, and accent the slightly faded jacket well. The slight accents and patches make the jacket stand out, while maintaining a neat and professional appearance.The stitching is perfect across the entire Gi. I actively tried to find a frayed end or loose stitch and couldn't find any. The biggest complaint I have about the look of the Gi is that the pants are significantly darker than the jacket. The jacket has a slightly faded, worn look to it but the pants are dark, almost glossy. I worry that this will only get worse as the Gi is worn and used more. Still, the accents on the pants are nice and clean much in the same way as they are on the jacket.**FitIt's hard to say how this Gi will fit on you, considering I'm sure we have significantly different builds. I am 5' 10" and 180 pounds. My torso is on the shorter side and my chest is a bit bulkier. I purchased the A3 and the fit, while slightly different from that of the Estilo, is perfect. The jacket is a bit shorter than the Estilo and the pants a bit longer, but it doesn't feel constrictive or revealing.The pants cinch down with an stretchier drawstring. It took some getting used to at first, since it feels looser thanks to the stretchiness of the drawstring. After a number of hours of rolling I can say that I have not had any issues with it coming untied or the pants coming loose. In fact, I'd argue that the stretchier drawstring makes the waist of this Gi more comfortable due to the ability to stretch and move with my body movements.**FeelWow, this is one comfortable Gi. I never thought that any previous Gi I’ve owned has been uncomfortable, but this puts them all to shame. Even brand new, the material feels like an old Gi I’ve broken in over years and constant hours of jiu-jitsu. Nothing feels in the least bit scratchy. The pants and the sleeves all have great articulation and nothing feels constricted in any way.I’ll admit, I was worried when I first ordered this Gi. Everyone said it was soft, but I have a hemp gym bag and the material does not feel as soft. I was worried that the Gi would feel scratchy and uncomfortable like I imagine the gym bag feeling if I were to make a shirt out of it. I was also worried because I’ve come to enjoy heavy, thick Gi’s (I have a Tae Kwon Do background, jiu jitsu Gi’s are much heavier) and this one is significantly lighter and thinner than my Tatami Gi.I’m happy to report that I was completely wrong. This Gi is incredibly soft and comfortable. I would honestly consider wearing this around the house as loungewear! It is that comfortable. Other than the jacket being incredibly soft, the pants fit great and thanks to the drawstring mentioned above, I never feel like they are digging in or too tight.For those of you who wear long sleeve rash guards under your Gi’s, you may not think that the softness is important. Trust me when I say, your training partner will thank you for having a soft (and clean!) Gi after they’ve just had their face scraped across the sleeve.**PerformanceHow well a Gi fits, how comfortable a Gi feels, means nothing if the Gi won’t perform appropriately under the conditions of intense training and competition. This is why I waited so long after buying the Gi to actually write this review. I needed to know that the Gi would hold up.After a number of weeks of training, I can safely say that I have no worries about how well this Gi will perform and it will definitely be my go-to uniform for competitions.No matter how much pulling, twisting and stretching I put this through, I never feel like the material is strained. I even used it to hang from (I do this to help strengthen my finger grip strength). On top of that, the material seems to wick moisture away from my skin a lot more readily.As far as hemp’s claim to be odor resistant, I can definitely attest to that being true. I have always tried to keep myself and my uniforms clean and dry, to avoid being “that guy” at the gym. Because of this, I am very cognizant of when my uniforms begin to smell. I find that when it’s time to wash my other Gi’s, this one doesn’t smell evenly remotely as musty as the others.Because of the strong material, expert stitching and feel, I am confident that this is a Gi that will last a long time.**CareI’ve washed the Gi a couple of times now and have been washing it under the same conditions I wash my others. A bit of vinegar in a cold water wash. I hang it to dry and after it has been completely dried, I put it in the drier on tumble with no heat for about 20 minutes.The fit and feel have remained unchanged and the material appears to have the same appearance as the day it arrived in the mail.**ConclusionI don’t normally like reading reviews that rave about the product under review. When I see those kinds of reviews, I tend to immediately believe that the reviewer has become biased either because the product is new or because it’s perfect for them. Because of that, when I review something I try really hard to remain critical and bring up any flaws or faults in the product I’m reviewing. I tried really hard to find a fault in this Gi to avoid seeming biased.I examined every stitch. I pushed the material beyond what could be reasonably expected from an article of clothing (no jacket should have to support the weight of a 180 pound man). Still, I can’t find any reason I wouldn’t recommend this Gi.Sure, the price may be steep. But with this you are getting a bombproof Gi that will clearly survive years of training. You’re getting a Gi that has the comfort of something you’ve spent months breaking in. You’re getting a Gi that will do more to protect you from odors and bacteria than any other.So yes, the price is steep but you get much more for your money here than any other premium Gi I’ve tried.The only real fault I’ve been able to see is that the pants are slightly darker than the jacket. In the end, I would highly recommend this Gi to any serious jiu-jitsu practitioner. I know that I am completely sold on this and as soon as I’m ready for another Gi, I will definitely be getting a second. I am hoping to earn my blue belt soon (finally!) and I am so in love with this gi that I am definitely looking at getting a hemp belt!TL/DR: Get this Gi. It’s seriously worth it.

I've had this gi for 10 months roughly. Great gi. Top 3 favorite gi's I've owned for the past 8 yrs of BJJ training.Fit: I'm 5'10'' 160 lbs. After a few washes, gi shrunk a little, and now fits like a tailored suit. Love the fit.Material: Hemp Gi is awesome. Rugged gi that will last, yet very light.Wear & Tear: This gi ages gracefully, like wine, feels better with time.I'm a huge fan of the Flow Kimonos thanks to this very gi, it has made me a loyal customer to the brand. I have bought a couple Flow Kimono gi's after owning this hemp gi.