PETA announces the winners of the vegan fitness awards 2018

Adidas by Stella McCartney, Deliciously Ella and Le Labo are amongst the award-winners. We’ve got the exclusive on the vegan athletes, bloggers and brands pushing the envelope for the environment

PETA’s fashion awards are well known, but this year sees the introduction of the animal rights organisation’s first ever Vegan Fitness Awards, and we’ve got the scoop on the results of the gongs celebrating and promoting vegan living, from the gym to the kitchen.

Given that, according to a recent survey by comparethemarket.com, more than 3.5 million Brits now consider themselves vegan (that’s 7 per cent of the population), the influence of the likes of plant-based bloggers, cruelty-free fashion designers and vegan beauty brands is nothing short of vast, but according to the PETA judging panel, these are the outstanding performers in fields.

Fitnesswear

Best Vegan Outerwear

Sweaty Betty Exploration Softshell Jacket, £385

The London-based sportswear brand uses ultra warm and light water and windproof PrimaLoft insulation instead of down feathers, plus a snow ‘skirt’ and inner fleece to keep you toasty on the slopes.

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Best Vegan Base Layer

Helly Hansen Lifa Active, £36

Staying with the warm theme, this thermal top’s 100 per cent recyclable vegan Lifa material traps body heat without any bulkiness, plus it’s sweat wicking if things get sticky.

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Best Vegan Leggings

Sundried Ruinette 2.0 Women's Leggings, £50

These compression leggings are seamless and second-skin like, plus the vegan fabric is sustainably made in Portugal.

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Best Vegan Slogan Top

Bazaar de Luxe Vegan Power Tank, £29.95

A niche category, but one that’s getting the message out. This ethically produced vegan fashion brand puts its values front and centre of its designs, and looks damn good doing so.

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Best Vegan Trainers

ASOS 4505 Trainer in Grey With Yellow Strap Detail, £40

These ticked PETA's boxes as they're lightweight, leather-free, suitably sporty-looking and sustainable. Also, they're nicely breathable to keep your toots cool.

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Best Vegan Gym Bag

Adidas by Stella McCartney Gym Bag Multi, £90

Stella tops the fashion list and the fitness one too- no fur, leather or feathers is used in the production of her long-term sportswear line with Adidas, and this eco-friendly shopper/ rucksack hybrid proves once again that style, sporty vibes and sustainability are never mutually exclusive.

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Health

Best Vegan Energy Food

Deliciously Ella Cacao & Almond Energy Ball, £1

Plant-based food phenomenon Ella Mills has made her mark by way of cookbooks, cafés and Instagram friendly food styling, and her vegan snack range is selling like hot cakes. These were chosen for their taste as well as ethics, plus all six ingredients are familiar and recognizable on the packet, which isn’t always a given in the snack market in particular (dates, cacao, almonds, coconut oil, roasted nut butter and a pinch of salt).

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Best Vegan Protein Product

Vega Clean Protein Vanilla, £26.99 for 518g

Vegan protein powders are flying off the shelves, but finding one that doesn’t taste like shoe is sometimes a hard task. PETA rate this creamy vanilla one for its high quality blend of plant based proteins including pea, hemp, pumpkin, and alfalfa.

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Beauty

Best Vegan and Cruelty-Free Sports Bag Essentials

Le Labo Hinoki Shampoo, Conditioner, and Shower Gel, from £18

Gym beauty gems don’t come cooler- the warming scent of the Japanese hinoki tree is the main player in this plant based cleansing range.

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Best Vegan and Cruelty-Free Deodorant

Aesop Déodorant, £23

Another minimalist but achingly hip brand to display on your bathroom shelf, this unisex essential oil based sweat scenter is free of animal derivatives and aluminium, with zinc to inhibit bacterial odour.

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Best Vegan and Cruelty-Free Cleansing Wipes

The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Facial Wipes, £6

If you going to go there and use a makeup wipes (needs must in cramped gyms/ portaloos/ planes), you may as well opt for this powerful organic tea tree based option, although tread extremely carefully here if you’ve got sensitive skin.

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Individual Achiever Awards

Vegan Athlete Award

This goes to Fiona Oakes, a three-time world record holder who’s the fastest woman to run a marathon on all seven continents and has endured conditions from the North Pole to the Sahara to achieve her goals. She also cares for more than 400 rescued animals at Tower Hill Stables Animal Sanctuary, while living a vegan lifestyle, whether she’s training or resting.

Vegan Influencer Award

Blogger Naturally Stefanie won out here- she was commended for using her considerable platform to spread the message about eating well and working out while living as a vegan.

Vegan Innovation Award

This award went to ECONYL, a fabric used by brands such as Adidas to Finisterre to make everything from socks to swimsuits. It’s made using yarn regenerated from waste materials such as fishing nets and old carpets. Ingenious.

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