The Best Sailing Clothing Brands in 2026

Sailing is one of those activities that can really grip you and once it does you start to feel more at home on the water than you do on the land. Knowing where to start when it comes to the clothing to wear can be tricky; which is why we have compiled a list of some of the best sailing clothing brands out there across various price ranges. This guide should act as the ideal starting point for an introduction into which sailing brand might be best suited for your needs out on the water.

Rooster®

Rooster® was founded in 1999 by Steve Cockerill, born out of a love of dinghy sailing and a simple aim: make high-quality sailing gear that's accessible to everyone. It started in his spare room, with friends helping build the first products, driven by his own frustration at not finding kit that actually worked.

That project has grown into a trusted technical clothing brand supporting sailors worldwide. Sailing remains at its core, but Rooster® gear is built for the water more broadly, from paddleboarding and kayaking to foiling. Its clothing and kit are engineered to adapt as conditions change, so people can get out there year-round. Rooster® is a team of sailors and watersports enthusiasts who design, test and wear their own kit. Every product comes from a real understanding of the sport and the people who use it. 

Zhik

Zhik has carved out a strong niche among competitive dinghy and keelboat sailors, particularly in the drysuit and hiking gear categories. Its clothing tends to run technical rather than lifestyle, with a focus on articulated cuts that move with the body during tacks and gybes. It's a favorite among Olympic-class sailors who need gear built for repetitive, high-intensity movement rather than an afternoon cruise.

Gill Marine

Gill has built a reputation on solid mid-range technical wear that works equally well for offshore passages and weekend racing. Its OS jackets and salopettes show up regularly in reviews of coastal and offshore gear, and the brand has expanded steadily into UV-protective clothing and casual nautical wear, giving it broader appeal than some of the purely race-focused labels.

Helly Hansen

The Norwegian brand's roots go back to 1877, and its sailing line still reflects that heritage of working in genuinely rough conditions. Helly Hansen splits its sailing range into inshore, coastal, and offshore categories, which makes it easy to buy gear matched to what you're actually doing rather than paying for offshore-grade waterproofing on a lake dinghy. Its Skagen jacket line has become a benchmark for offshore foul weather gear.

Musto

Founded in 1965 by Olympic sailor Keith Musto, the brand built its name on technical innovation, and its Gore-Tex and PrimaLoft jackets remain genuinely excellent. It's still a fixture in sailing clubs from Cowes to the Solent, and for offshore or long-distance sailors who want a jacket that will last a decade, it's hard to argue against. But at this point Musto is as much a fashion label as a technical one, and buyers paying purely for performance per dollar will often find better value elsewhere on this list.

Henri Lloyd

Henri Lloyd has a long history in ocean racing and remains known for its foul weather gear, though it now splits its focus between technical sailing wear and casual nautical fashion. It's a solid pick for sailors who want classic British styling alongside genuine offshore capability.

The bottom line

There's no single "best" brand for every sailor. Racers chasing marginal gains will lean toward Zhik or Rooster. Offshore cruisers logging serious miles will want Helly Hansen or Musto. And anyone building a full kit bag on a budget, without sacrificing the technical features that actually matter on the water, should start with Rooster.