There are a lot of ASICS sets and most of them are good, which makes the first purchase harder than it should be. The ASICS sets collection runs from £59.99 for a vest set to £174.99 for a full tracksuit tri-set, across ten or so colourways.
If you want the answer without the reasoning: buy the Black Core T-Shirt Set at £74.99. It is the set you will wear most, it costs the least to be wrong about, and it tells you everything you need to know about how the range fits before you spend more.
If you want the reasoning, and the cases where a different set is the better first buy, read on.
Why the black t-shirt set is the default answer
Three reasons.
It is the most wearable. A tee and shorts in black goes anywhere. You will wear it to train, to the shop, on holiday. A full tracksuit sits in the wardrobe for half the year.
It is the cheapest way to learn the fit. £74.99 against £149.99 for the Core Tracksuit. The Core range is true to size, so there should be no surprise, but knowing that for certain before you spend £149.99 is worth something.
It does not clash with anything you buy next. Whatever you add later, a black set works under or alongside it. A bright colourway as a first purchase narrows your options.
Where each set sits
| Set | Pieces | Price | Buy first if |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aegean Blue Core Vest Set | Vest + shorts | £59.99 | Budget is tight and it is summer |
| Black Core T-Shirt Set | Tee + shorts | £74.99 | You want the safest first buy |
| Grey Core T-Shirt Set | Tee + shorts | £74.99 | You already own a lot of black |
| Foggy Teal Road T-Shirt Set | Tee + shorts | £89.99 | You want the Road range instead |
| Black Core Windrunner Set | Jacket + shorts | £129.99 | You need outerwear more than a top |
| Black Core Tracksuit Tri-Set | Jacket + tee + pant | £174.99 | You want one complete outfit, done |
When a different set is the better first buy
If you are buying in autumn or winter
A tee and shorts set is the wrong purchase in October. Go straight to the Core Tracksuit Tri-Set at £174.99 or the Core Tracksuit at £149.99.
The tri-set is the one we would push you towards. Jacket, tee and woven pant, and it comes out around £5 cheaper than those three pieces bought separately. It is the only format in the range where the bundle genuinely beats the parts. We go through that in set vs tracksuit vs tri-set.
If you already own black sportswear
Another black set adds nothing. Take a colour. The Maroon Core T-Shirt Set and the Cream Core T-Shirt Set are both £74.99 and both work with black trainers and black outerwear. Vital Green and Lazer Orange, also £74.99, are the bolder end. All of them are ranked in colourways ranked.
If you want it for holiday
A vest set. The Aegean Blue Core Vest Set at £59.99 is the cheapest set we sell and the right one for genuine heat. The Brown Stone Core Vest Set at £74.99 is the more neutral option. There is more in best ASICS sets for summer.
If you only want one thing and it has to cover everything
Then it is the tri-set, and we would not argue. £174.99 buys three pieces that cover most of the year. It is the highest spend on this page and also the least likely to be regretted.
What we would not buy first
The Core Windrunner Set at £129.99. It is a good product, but it is a jacket and shorts with no top, which is an odd combination to own if it is all you have. It makes much more sense as a second purchase once you already have tees.
The Foggy Teal Road T-Shirt Set at £89.99. Nothing wrong with it, and the Road range is slightly more technical, but £15 more than a Core set for your first purchase is money better spent elsewhere. Come to Road once you know you like the brand.
Separates, as a first buy. Buying a Core T-Shirt at £34.99 on its own is a fine way to test the fit, but you end up spending more to get to a full outfit. If you know you want a set, buy the set.
Sizing, once
The Core range is true to size. Order the size you normally wear in both pieces of a set.
The single exception is the windrunner jacket. Size up one if you want to layer a hoodie underneath it. The pant and shorts stay at your normal size regardless.
Shorts come in 5in and 7in. Both are true to size at the waist, and the choice is about how much leg you want on show rather than fit. Our 5in vs 7in guide covers it, and there is more in the set sizing guide and on our sizing page.
The order to buy them in
If you plan to own several, this sequence wastes the least money.
- Black t-shirt set at £74.99, or the tracksuit tri-set at £174.99 if it is winter.
- Trainers. They change the look more than a second set will. Any of the three Gel models, and the Gel-Kayano 14 is the easiest first pair because it is true to size and the roomiest of the three.
- A coloured set at £74.99, for variety.
- The missing outerwear or bottom, as separates. The Core Windrunner at £89.99 or the Core Woven Pant at £54.99.
Worth knowing that free UK delivery kicks in over £100, so a single £74.99 set will not clear it but two will. Orders before 2PM dispatch the same day, and Klarna and Clearpay are at checkout. There is also an outlet if price is the main constraint.
Prices correct at time of writing.
Quick answers
Which ASICS set should I buy first?
The Black Core T-Shirt Set at £74.99 in warm weather, or the Core Tracksuit Tri-Set at £174.99 in cold weather.
What is the cheapest ASICS set?
The Aegean Blue Core Vest Set at £59.99.
Are ASICS sets true to size?
Yes. Order your normal size. Only the windrunner jacket needs sizing up, and only if you want a hoodie under it.
Is the Road range better than Core?
More technical and dearer, not better for everyday wear. Core is the right starting point.
Should I buy a set or separates?
A set, if you want a matching outfit. Separates only make sense for mixed sizes or mixed colours.