Do I need spats as well as a rash guard?

Not required, but they cover the skin a rash guard cannot and cut down on mat burn to the knees and shins. Most people who add them stop training without them.

Should I wear shorts over spats?

For training it is entirely preference. For competition, check your ruleset — several require board shorts over compression bottoms in adult divisions.

How do I wash a rash guard set?

Cold wash after every session, no fabric softener, and hang to dry. Heat kills elastane, so tumble drying is the fastest way to lose the compression you paid for.

Rash Guard Sets

Matched top and spat sets, ready for the mats — full coverage in one buy.

12 products

Why train in a set

A set pairs a rash guard with spats — compression leggings that do for your legs what the rash guard does for your torso. Together they cover almost all the skin that would otherwise meet the mat, which is the single most effective thing you can do about mat burn and skin infections short of the gym cleaning better.

The practical argument for buying them together is fit and friction. A top and bottom cut from the same fabric on the same block sit flush at the waist, so nothing rides up mid-scramble and there is no exposed strip of skin at the small of your back when you shrimp. Mixing brands usually means one piece is slightly longer or slightly stretchier, and you spend the session pulling something down.

Spats also solve a problem specific to no-gi: legs sweat, and bare legs on a sweaty mat slide in ways that make it hard to build a base. Compression fabric on the legs gives you a consistent surface to work from, and it keeps your knees from taking the abrasion of every knee-cut and knee-slice you pass through.

Some people wear shorts over spats and some do not — both are normal. If you compete, check whether your ruleset requires board shorts over compression bottoms, because several do for adult divisions. For training, wear whichever you find less distracting, and size the set to the larger of your top and bottom measurements rather than splitting the difference.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need spats as well as a rash guard?: Not required, but they cover the skin a rash guard cannot and cut down on mat burn to the knees and shins. Most people who add them stop training without them.
Should I wear shorts over spats?: For training it is entirely preference. For competition, check your ruleset — several require board shorts over compression bottoms in adult divisions.
How do I wash a rash guard set?: Cold wash after every session, no fabric softener, and hang to dry. Heat kills elastane, so tumble drying is the fastest way to lose the compression you paid for.