Venum Elite Gi Reviews (Our Take!)

My Venum Elite BJJ Gi Overviews

Venum has different Elite gi models which suit different needs. These have some vital differences and even though the design generally remains the same these little changes change a lot of things about training performance and durability. In this overview, I will walk you through all about them and without further ado let’s start!

Venum Elite BJJ Gi Review (Classic)


Venum Elite BJJ Gi Review (Classic)Training Performance: 9.3 / 10.0

Durability: 10.0 / 10.0

Comfort: 8.5 / 10.0

Cost Efficiency: 8.0 / 10.0

Product: Venum Elite Classic

This gi has 500 GSM Gold weave jacket. The number is quite high and thanks to high gsm number and the quality of this particular weave type, which has more nods for sturdiness, Venum Elite is very durable. In addition to that, the ripstop pants are tear resistant and basically, there will be no looseness and no significant deformation over two years and there is a huge possibility that you can roll with this gi over three years. It is not bad, right?

If you look at the jacket you can see that there are different stitching patterns including 2s and 4s. There are also some on pants as well. These ones are placed on knees which have deformation and rips over time and it lowers the effect of these deformations. The stitching is way more than usual and there are at least a couple of stitching on all the stress points. Seriously, the stitching game of this gi is quite good. As you can guess these improve the durability vastly and make the gi tear resistance during your opponent makes grips on body or pants.

The collar is also one of the overlooked stress points. This is why Venum produced this part with ripstop resistant fabric.

These qualities make it definitely one of the most durable kimonos, if not the most. So the durability shortly gets A+.

Let’s talk about design. Guys, Venum Elite Gis were designed with the help of the world champions including Rodolfo Vieira. So considering the experience and the achievements of these guys, I trust the design and it is made for performance. The meaning is that the body or any other parts don’t have extra materials even though the cut is close to the regular cut type.

What is the cut type? The cut is only a bit tapered so I really can’t say that it is a slim fit cut. It is close to regular cut.

The neck part has a softer inner lining which lowers the irritation during neck grips. It also has a couple of more inner lines to increase the capacity of wicking the moisture.

Also, this gi’s some of the stress points are made of polyester fabric. This gives smoother feeling thus you will feel better during the intense grappling sessions.

It is made of preshrunk cotton so washing does not affect the length or the fitting of the gi much. If you prefer shrinking this gi more, you need to use other methods. However, if you pick the right size (or even close) there will be not much work for shrinking.

Some users mention that they wash the jacket and pants in cold water however you don’t need to do it as the material quality and shrinking will not be affected by a regular wash.

Cons: Even though this gi some has amazing qualities which suit most practitioners Venum Elite Classic has some negatives as well. The gold weave is heavier than pearl and single weave and keep in mind that it is 500 gsm. So it is basically slightly heavier than the other gis which have different weave types.

This weave type lets less air than the other weave types and air circulation is not the best with this gi as well.

You can literally see how much effort they put in to make this gi. Embroideries look quite awesome and the patches, which are at the shoulder, are woven and definitely will catch people’s attention.

The price can seem high when you first see it. But hear me out for a minute. The price is actually normal when you think about the long durability period and range of motion which the jacket and pants provide.

If you are interested, you can check out the most recent price.

This gi also comes with a drawstring bag. It has enough space and you can put all jiu-jitsu training gears in it. Also, it uses the preferred fastening method which is rope lace.

Venum Elite Light 2.0 BJJ Gi Review


Training Performance: 9.2 / 10.0

Durability: 9.6 / 10.0

Comfort: 9.4 / 10.0

Cost Efficiency: 7.7 / 10.0

This one also has the same cut type and design as the model above and you can check out above for detailed training performance information about it. However please note that this one has a few complaints about leg’s range of motion. However, Venum Elite Light 2.0 gets above average feedback.

With that being said, because of different weave type, Venum Elite Light has an advantage and a disadvantage. As you can understand from the name it is lighter. The company achieved that using different pearl weave and lower gsm number. The jacket is made of pearl weave and durable enough.

However, according to my research, it is only the case with the jacket, which is slightly lighter, but it is not the case with the ripstop pants which has the same weight as the gi above. So it has a lighter jacket and you basically get the same pants.

The reinforced stitching of the jacket is not vertical like other gis and it is horizontal. It does not change the durability or lowers the amount of deformation however I can say that it definitely looks different and awesome.

This gi is another gi which is pre-shrunk and comes with a light bag and you will not need to buy a BJJ gym bag to go to your dojo if you prefer training with Venum Elite Light.

Alright, what is the disadvantage of this gi? It is the durability. But please note that this is only a small disadvantage as the jacket is made of 350 gsm pearl weave and it can easily resist tear and wear longer than %95 of the gis on the market. However, this period is lower than the first gi’s durability.

However, the sleeves, body parts… are light so you can move your arm, do submission with less effort.

When the design and materials (cotton, ripstop fabric) are decent the comfort is generally quite good. However, it is perfect with this gi and in my opinion, it is one of the biggest selling points of the Venum Elite Gi series. Let me explain. The inner part of the jacket is way softer with sublimated lining and it wicks the moisture like there is no tomorrow. Venum mentions it with moisture management.

Obviously, because of the lower durability, the cost efficiency is not high as the Classic model but it is not too bad either. This gi comes with classic color selections (blue, black and white).

Have a closer look at the Design (Venum Elite Light 2.0)

Who Can Prefer Venum Elite Light 2.0? Guys, I know this one is not really popular like the classic version. However, this gi might be a better fit for some of you. Yeah, this gi’s cut is similar and you get a worse range of motion (only legs and it is only a slight hindrance of movement but still it affects some grappling techniques) and lower durability. The neck part is also not even that comfortable. However, if you grapple in the hot climate and want to get extra comfortable sessions you can prefer Elite Light 2.0. Also, some people just don’t like the “feel” of gold weave and classic model is made of that weave. If that is you, that can be another reason to roll with Elite Light 2.0. Also, it is slightly lighter as well.

Should You Get one of these Venum Elite Models? The materials are top-notch and this is why the price is higher than the other gis which have classic design and materials like Sanabul Kimonos. Also, have you checked the embroideries of these gis? These kimonos just look awesome as well. Obviously, these are just some other factors which increase the price tag. Also, note that the other Venum Gis like Challenger is made of lower quality materials. If you can’t afford Elite Models, you can consider one of Challenger Gis. With that being said, Venum Elite Classic model’s weave type and design get A- and thanks to decent design, whether you are just beginning to learn BJJ or black belt I highly suggest you invest in Venum Elite.

Update: Venum now has Challenger 4.0 model and it is made of the same caliber materials. I don’t have enough feedback nor did I use it so I have not included this on this list.

If you want to share your experiences with these gis or have any questions about Venum Elite Gi Reviews feel free to leave your questions below.

Related Article: BJJ Gym Cost

Image Courtesy of Team Ironside via Creative Commons License, Some Rights Reserved
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