Learn About Our Fabrics
More Considered Performance & Loungewear
At KEAN, we believe what your clothing is made from matters.
We're a New Zealand owned activewear brand creating more considered clothing for movement, recovery and everyday life. Rather than believing there is one perfect fabric for everything, we choose materials based on what we need each collection to do.
That has led us to three different approaches.
KEAN Performance uses OEKO-TEX® certified technical fabrics when higher levels of stretch, support and performance are needed.
KEAN Core combines 95% GOTS-certified organic cotton with 5% spandex, creating a predominantly natural-fibre option with the stretch needed for low-to-moderate intensity movement.
KEAN Recovery strips things back even further with 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton for recovery, lounging and everyday life.
Different fabrics. Different purposes. One more considered approach.
Our Approach to Low-Tox Activewear
You'll see us use the term low-tox activewear at KEAN.
For us, low-tox isn't about claiming that clothing can be completely "chemical-free" or making absolute claims about a garment being "non-toxic".
Instead, it's about making more considered fabric choices, looking for recognised textile certifications, reducing our reliance on synthetic fibres where functionality allows, and being transparent about what our clothing is made from.
As KEAN evolves, we're exploring how natural fibres can play a greater role in an active wardrobe without pretending they can perform every job.
Our Performance, Core and Recovery collections reflect that approach.
Performance: OEKO-TEX® Certified Technical Fabrics
When you're training hard, your clothing needs to perform.
Higher-intensity activewear needs significant stretch, shape retention, support and the ability to move repeatedly with your body.
That's why our Performance collections use technical fibres such as nylon and elastane.
But we've also been more considered about the performance fabrics we choose.
Our certified performance fabrics are OEKO-TEX® certified, meaning they have been independently tested against a wide range of substances that may be harmful to human health.
For us, OEKO-TEX® allows us to retain the performance properties we need while taking a more considered approach to the textiles we're putting against our skin.
Best suited to: strength training, gym workouts and higher-intensity movement.
Learn more about OEKO-TEX® certified KEAN activewear →
Core: 95% Organic Cotton + 5% Spandex
Core represents the next step in our fabric journey.
We wanted to see how far we could move towards natural fibres while still creating clothing that could genuinely move with the body.
The result is KEAN Core: 95% GOTS-certified organic cotton and 5% spandex.
The small amount of spandex provides the stretch and recovery needed from activewear, while allowing the vast majority of the fabric composition to remain organic cotton.
It's designed specifically for low-to-moderate intensity movement where you want flexibility and comfort but don't necessarily need the technical properties of our higher-performance fabrics.
Think Pilates. Strength sessions. Walking. Mobility. Stretching. Barre. Everyday movement.
For us, Core occupies an exciting space between traditional technical activewear and natural-fibre clothing.
95% organic cotton. 5% stretch. Designed to move.
Best suited to: Pilates, walking, barre, stretching, low-to-moderate intensity training and everyday movement.
Recovery: 100% GOTS-Certified Organic Cotton
Then there are the moments when stretch and technical performance aren't necessary at all.
That's where KEAN Recovery comes in.
Our Recovery fabric is made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton, without polyester or elastane blended into the fabric.
It's soft, breathable and designed for the hours before, after and between movement.
Think slow mornings. Travel days. Coffee after Pilates. Rest days. Beach walks. Weekends at home.
Recovery gives us the opportunity to simplify the fabric composition completely.
100% organic cotton. No performance fibres required.
Best suited to: recovery, lounging, travel, gentle movement and everyday wear.
Three Fabrics. Three Purposes.
We don't believe one fabric needs to do everything.
KEAN Performance
OEKO-TEX® certified technical fabric
Created for the moments when performance comes first. Stretch, support and functionality for higher-intensity movement.
KEAN Core
95% GOTS-certified organic cotton / 5% spandex
Our predominantly natural-fibre activewear option. Organic cotton with just enough stretch for low-to-moderate intensity movement.
KEAN Recovery
100% GOTS-certified organic cotton
Natural-fibre loungewear created for recovery, rest and everyday life.
This approach allows us to choose materials based on what we're actually asking our clothing to do rather than defaulting to the same fabric for every garment.
Why Don't We Make All Activewear From 100% Organic Cotton?
Because different types of movement require different things from fabric.
For recovery and everyday wear, 100% cotton works beautifully.
But when you turn cotton into fitted activewear, the garment needs enough stretch to move with your body and enough recovery to return to its original shape.
That's why we've added 5% spandex to KEAN Core.
It allows us to create activewear that is 95% organic cotton while retaining the stretch needed for low-to-moderate intensity movement.
For higher-intensity exercise, even more technical performance may be required. That's where our OEKO-TEX® certified Performance fabrics have a role.
Rather than claiming one fibre is universally better than another, we're focused on using the right material for the right purpose.
What Does GOTS-Certified Organic Cotton Mean?
GOTS stands for the Global Organic Textile Standard.
It is a globally recognised textile processing standard for organic fibres. Its requirements extend beyond how the cotton is grown and include environmental, chemical and social criteria throughout certified stages of textile processing.
You'll find GOTS-certified organic cotton across both KEAN Core and KEAN Recovery.
Recovery allows us to use it at 100%.
Core combines it with a small amount of spandex to provide the stretch needed for active movement.
Fabric Transparency
We want you to know what you're wearing.
That's why you'll find fabric compositions and relevant certifications clearly identified across KEAN.
We're also continuing to explore new materials and textile technologies that could allow us to increase our use of natural fibres while maintaining the performance each garment needs.
We don't claim to have found the perfect fabric.
Instead, we're committed to asking better questions, being transparent about the trade-offs and making more considered choices as KEAN grows.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is low-tox activewear?
Low-tox activewear isn't a regulated textile certification. At KEAN, we use the term to describe our approach to more considered fabric choices, recognised textile certifications, greater fabric transparency and reducing our reliance on synthetic fibres where functionality allows.
Does KEAN make organic cotton activewear?
Yes. KEAN Core is made from 95% GOTS-certified organic cotton with 5% spandex, designed to provide the stretch required for low-to-moderate intensity movement.
Can you exercise in organic cotton activewear?
Yes, depending on the activity and fabric construction. KEAN Core combines organic cotton with 5% spandex to create stretch for activities such as Pilates, walking, barre, stretching and low-to-moderate intensity training. For higher-intensity exercise, our technical Performance fabrics may be better suited.
What is KEAN Recovery made from?
KEAN Recovery is made from 100% GOTS-certified organic cotton and is designed primarily for recovery, lounging, travel and everyday wear.
Is KEAN performance activewear OEKO-TEX® certified?
Our certified Performance fabrics are OEKO-TEX® certified and independently tested against a wide range of substances that may be harmful to human health. Check individual product pages for the fabric composition and certification applicable to each garment.
Why does KEAN still use synthetic fabrics?
Synthetic fibres currently provide technical properties such as significant stretch, compression, shape retention and support that natural fibres can't always replicate at the same performance level.
Our approach is therefore to reduce reliance on synthetics where the function of the garment allows, rather than removing them at the expense of performance.
Is KEAN a New Zealand owned activewear brand?
Yes. KEAN is a New Zealand owned activewear brand creating OEKO-TEX® certified performance activewear alongside predominantly natural-fibre Core activewear and GOTS-certified organic cotton Recovery wear.
More Considered, Not Perfect
More Considered, Not Perfect
There is no perfect fabric.
Every material comes with trade-offs.
For us, progress means understanding those trade-offs and making more considered decisions about where different fibres belong.
Technical performance when it's needed.
95% organic cotton when we need movement and stretch.
100% organic cotton when we don't.
Performance. Core. Recovery.
Three different approaches designed around how you actually move and live.
More considered performance. More considered recovery. More considered KEAN.