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The 2014 Fitties! The Best of the Best Fit … Everything!

It’s that time of year again. Time for the 2014 Fitties!

If this is your first Fitties, buckle your seatbelts, ’cause we’re about to name the best of the BEST of everything we’ve tried and featured over the last 365 days (check out the 2013 Fitties here!). And we mean everything! From apparel to videos to fitness equipment to DVDs, we’ve got all the stuff we simply adore and can’t imagine life without. And if this is your second, third, fourth or fifth Fitties, then you know things are about to get fun and fittie-tastic!

2014 Fitties: Workout Apparel

Best love-at-first-wear summer running outfit: Powerluxe from adidas. The Powerluxe line from adidas is soft yet fitted, sweat-wicking for the toughest of workouts, and made with delicate details and a twist on high-fashion prints and fun colors that just make you want to put them on and never take them off. —Jenn

Best pants to act like MC Hammer in: Buddha Pants. Beyond their function, they’re just fun pants. Like super fun. I put them on and automatically felt like hopping around. Mark put them on, and he started dancing and doing jigs. Don’t believe me? Check out the video. —Tish

Best cycling apparel: Hincapie. “Oh my god, feel this. Feel this!” I called to my husband as soon as I took the Hincapie jersey out of the package. I put it on over the tank I was wearing and sighed. “This is the best thing I’ve ever felt on my body,” I told him. “It’s just so soft. I wish everything I owned was made out of this.” (I actually wrote all this down at the time because I wanted to remember exactly how I reacted.) —Kristen

Best cycling tanks that don’t look like cycling tanks: Moxie Cycling. This by-women, for-women cycling company has found the perfect balance between performance, comfort and style. Recently, they sent over their Retropolitan jersey, a throwback jersey with bold colors and a spunky design. When I opened the package, I actually squealed “it’s so cute!” — something I’ve never done with a cycling jersey before. —Susan

Most hilarious tanks: Activate Apparel. This stuff is legit LOL-funny. And the whole site is brimming with other fun designs. You can even sort by if they’re “Liftspiration,” “Brawny & Brainy,” “Beast Mode” and more. There are about a million funny ones, and they’re making new ones all the time. —Jenn

Best apparel that gives back: Janji. I’d like this apparel even if it didn’t support a good cause — because it’s just that well made and well thought out for the everyday runner. But the fact that it gives back to make the world a healthier and more evolved place? Well, that is just feel-good icing on the cake. —Jenn

Best new running shorts: Brooks PureProject Short. With a really unique yet simple front split hem (it reminds me of big flower petals), these shorts function really well whether you’re doing speedwork or going the distance. But, they’re also cute enough (that tribal pattern = love) that you can wear out and about before or after your run. Or, you know, just wear anywhere because you can. —Jenn

2014 Fitties: Beauty Products

Best razor: Gillette Venus Embrace Sensitive. I’ve been using the Venus Embrace Sensitive and, ladies, it does not even begin to compare to my previous razors that just had two or three blades. After I shave, my legs feel so smooth and beautiful. Just how I like ‘em before I head out for a run in the spring sun. —Jenn

Best face and body scrub for you and your Fit Bottomed Dude: Gnarly Whale. Made for the face and the body, we both found the exfoliating sugar scrubs to be totally refreshing — especially the peppermint scrub. Made of actual sugar, olive oil, organic blue agave and essential oils, these have actual big grains of sugar that help you smooth out rough or dry skin. Dye- and fragrance-free, we both found that these were gentle on the skin (as long as you didn’t rub too hard) but were still tough enough to really clear pores and shed dead skin.

Best new must-have for your gym bag: Reviver Clothing Swipes. Did the clean clothes in your gym bag or locker somehow absorb some of the sweaty smell from your workout or someone else’s? Or do they smell a bit like the pre- or post-workout snack you packed? Ew. But have no fear because these wipes are like breath mints … for your clothes. Just swipe them on your clothes and unwanted odors are gone. Cool, right?! —Jenn

Best way to try the best new beauty products: FabFitFun VIP Box. The goodies are fabulous and are a great way to try new trendy things that come recommended from experts — not just stuff you hope is good. What you get in each big VIP Box is worth well over $50. Like, maybe double that, if not more. And while it may not ensure that our favorite pair of undies is always clean and that we’re not rocking yoga pants to the grocery store again, it does help remind us to at least take the time to sit down, do our nails and feel pretty. —Jenn

Best fit accessory: Fierce Forward bracelets. Handmade and created using African trade beads, these inspirational accessories feature messages like run, do, focus, strength and energy. There’s even one to help you eat less sugar. They’re fashionable enough that they don’t look like they hold a special message (not corny at all!), but they do. —Jenn

2014 Fitties: Footwear

Best minimal but not too minimal running shoe: Brooks Running PureFlow 2. It’s light! It’s plush! It’s springy! And it’s flexible with plenty of push-off from your toes and a mid-sole that lets your natural gait shine. —Jenn

Best neutral running shoe that makes you look fast: Mizuno Wave Sayonara. They’re pretty and make me look super fast. I’ve gotten loads of compliments on them, mainly from other runners who are interested in a mainstream shoe with a more minimalist feel, but also from some of my girlfriends and ladies at the gym who just think they’re freaking sweet. —Kristen

Best workout socks that are totally affordable: C9 By Champion Women’s 4-Pack Heel Tab Socks. These socks rock. At just $8.50 for a four-pack, we love the colors, the cushion and the heel tabs. Oh, the heel tabs! Seriously great for people who have blister-prone heels like us! —Jenn

Best compression socks: Marvy. I always assumed you only wore compression socks when running. I love thinking of them as a recovery indulgence. Just another treat I can spoil myself with after a great and challenging workout — and they’re so cute! —Tish

Best flip-flops: Manduka Onward Sandals. Go onward and upward with these 100-percent recyclable and renewable Onward sandals that are made from Manduka’s new renewable and recyclable LiveOn Mats! Available for the lads and the lassies, these are insanely comfy — and really do feel like you’re walking on a plush yoga mat! Manduka sent me a pair for review, and they’ve been my go-to flip-flop for spring! —Jenn

The best way to run in the snow and ice: Icebug DTS BUGrip OutDry. After a couple hundred meters, I was sold. No matter what I ran on — the bare street, slick ice, powdery snow — these had me moving easily. No slippage, no falling, no biting it though. It was sweet running-in-snow freedom! —Jenn

2014 Fitties: Books/Documentaries

Best read if you want to do your first tri: No Meat Athlete: Triathlon Roadmap. This isn’t just a “do this, don’t do that,” type of book — Susan provides examples, both from herself and fellow triathletes (like yours truly) of what works, what doesn’t and why certain seemingly insignificant things, like which foot you put down on your bike, are so important. —Kristen

Best aha-inducing read: The Calorie MythThe Calorie Myth is 315 pages of, like, everything cutting-edge that you need to know about weight-loss and being healthy. Even if you think you know it all, even if you think you’ve read it all — I guarantee you’ll learn something new that’ll have you saying, “Hey … that’s right. That common dietary advice we’ve been following for years makes NO ABSOLUTE SENSE.” And then you’ll want to give Jonathan a hug for making your life healthier and simpler. —Jenn

Best book … EVER: The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti-Diet. We’ve put all of our experiences and life lessons into The Fit Bottomed Girls Anti-Diet, our manifesto of sorts on how to live a healthy, happy and truly fulfilled life. This confidence-boosting program will help you to have a healthier relationship with your body 10-minutes at a time. Our hearts and souls truly went into it! —Jenn & Erin

Best documentary that’ll have you seeing your run in a whole new light: Desert RunnersWhen watching Desert Runners it’s pretty much impossible to not try to imagine yourself in those conditions and doing what they’re doing. And it’s truly amazing what the human body — and human spirit — can do when training properly and dedicated. After watching the documentary, I have absolutely no desire to run an ultramarathon or, really, even run a few miles in the desert. But my planned four-mile run in 70-degree weather? Um, yeah. I got that. —Jenn

2014 Fitties: Fitness Buys

Best foam roller: The GRID. After a few sessions on The GRID, it was pretty hard to go back to my normal foam roller. Scratch that, it was actually easy to go back to my old one because it didn’t seem nearly as painful. BUT, it also didn’t seem nearly as effective. It was like foam-rolling, light. Kind of like drinking a can of cheap light beer after you’ve been sipping on stout. Or eating a store-bought tomato in January versus one from your grandma’s garden in August. It’s just not the same. —Jenn

Best secret to make your activity trackers last: Waterfi. I can’t tell you how many people I’ve talked to since getting a waterproofed Jawbone UP24 (that’s the one that works with the iPhone — they also have an Android-compatible model) who’ve said, “I had no idea they could be waterproofed!” That’s because they don’t come that way from Jawbone. A cool company called Waterfi sells them, along with all kinds of other electronics like waterproofed iPod Shuffles, Kindle Paperwhites, Nike Fuelbands and headphones. Plus, they offer that service for any of those devices you might already have. —Kristen

Best way to listen to tunes under water: Neptune Waterproof MP3 Player. I popped underwater with the Neptune held up to my temples — rather than using earbuds, the Neptune uses Bone Conduction audio transmission, which allows the music to travel from your cheekbones right into your inner ear, and the sound quality is kind of phenomenal — and I was blown away by the quality. —Kristen

Best five-minute workout app: Hot5. Hot5 offers high-quality videos of various trainers with different specialties. You’re started out with a number of points to unlock videos, and you can buy points to unlock more, but I think it’s way more fun (and way more free!) to earn more points by completing workouts. No matter the trainer, the workout is five moves in five minutes. —Erin

Best way to sit less: VARIDESK. It’s adjustable. Meaning, that you can easily plop it on your current desk (no new desk!), and raise it up or down. So whether you want to stand or sit, it’s there for you. Brilliant! —Jenn

2014 Fitties: Workout DVDs

Best CrossFit workout at home DVD: Bob Harper’s The Skinny Rules DVDs. Not for the faint of heart, Bob Harper’s Skinny Rules Workout DVD set brings CrossFit to your living room. With tons of burpees and squats, these workouts are short but don’t let that fool you — they’re intense as hell and full of Bob in all his Bob glory. —Jenn

Best empowering yoga workout DVD: Elements of Yoga: FireWord to the wise: Elements of Yoga: Fire is not yoga for weight-loss, core strength or body sculpting. It is not a hybrid of yoga infused with calisthenics, martial arts or — God forbid — weights. Its aim is not to take you to the next fitness level, but to build confidence and empower you from within so that you may know yourself. It is exactly what yoga is supposed to be, pure and simple, and I for one, love it! —Karen

Best new core workout DVD: FLIP FLOP Abs. Not surprisingly, FLIP FLOP Abs (so named because you’re constantly flipping from your front to your back and from one side to the other to hit every angle of every core muscle you can imagine, and even some you can’t until it starts burning) delivers on the tough workouts. —Kristen

Best workout DVD system if you’re short on time: Shaun T’s Focus T25. Focus T25 is 25 minutes of hard work, so if that’s all you’ve got in a day to work out, this is the program to make EVERY minute count. Even if you only give 25 minutes, you’ll be feeling it all day! —Dara

2014 Fitties: Other Stuff That’s Awesome That Doesn’t Fit Neatly into a Category

Best homage to the green smoothie: Green Smoothie Hustla. With lines like, “I blend kale and arugula,” “Try ‘em homie if you dare,” and “You know what I love to do; blend smoothies for me and you,” this is health-loving rapping genius. —Jenn

Best woman crush: The girl who did push-ups for 100 days. I was so inspired by her wish to be stronger. I love that she wanted to be stronger! I swear my heart swells when I hear that women are getting fit with health and wellness in mind! And just look at what she accomplished! —Tish 

Best new online video series: Girl vs. Sweat. Erin hipped me to this new video series called Girl vs. Sweat and, ZOMG, funny. Funny, funny, funny. In the series, real women go out and try new hot and popular workouts. Workouts like CrossFit. And the result is hilarity. —Jenn

Best, um, EVERYTHING: Hair Do, Richard Simmons. We’ll totally be busting these moves out on the dance floor. And probably hitting the salon … —Jenn

Find a new Fittie for your life? Surprised by any of picks? Did we miss one? Tell us: What would YOU give a Fittie to? —The FBGs

FTC disclosure: We often receive products from companies to review. All thoughts and opinions are always entirely our own. Unless otherwise stated, we have received no compensation for our review and the content is purely editorial. Affiliate links may be included. If you purchase something through one of those links we may receive a small commission. Thanks for your support!