The Scramble Athlete V3 Gi features a high quality, comfortable Gi with a great athletic fit.
- 450 Gram Pearl Weave Top
- 10 Ounce soft twill trousers
- Comes in re-usable drawstring bag
- Printing on the inside of the jacket
Design
Like the Tatami Estilo 6.0, one might ask why you should upgrade from Estilo 5.0? In this case, I asked myself the exact same question with Scramble Gi’s. Why not buy the Athlete 2?
Well, first of all, the Athlete 3 sports a jacket 100gsm lighter than its predecessor and twill cotton pants instead of the cotton ripstop pants. The Athlete 3 also features tasteful placement of embroidery and logos, providing you with a Gi that sits well on your body, is light and comes with a statement in regards of style. The Athlete 3 comes in Blue with red lining in the bottom of the jacket and White with a dark blue lining at the bottom of the Jacket. Scramble has also released the new Midnight Edition. This Gi features a completely blacked out look, with no off-colours at the bottom of the jacket.
Size & Fit
Being about 5ft 11” and 160 lbs with slightly longer arms and legs, finding the right size was a bit of a hassle with the Athlete 3. A2 just seemed a tad too large, and the A1L might be too small depending on shrinkage. I went ahead and ordered the A1L and out of the bag, it fit great. The sleeves had some slack on them, the pants were perfect on the ankles and the athletic fit really proved its worth, giving me a snug but mobile fit. After the first wash, the shrinkage was most likely below the commonly advertised 5-10% and the fit was impeccable. This would change after using it for a while. Despite the fact of eventual shrinkage, this Athlete V3 truly feels like the one you would wear on competition training, just weeks or days out from the tournament just to give you that vibe.
Quality & Comfort
The jacket moves with you so naturally, and the pants will never hinder you from squatting down deep to put pressure, or to swing your legs around when playing guard. I’ve had Athlete 3 for about 1 year and used it for a minimum of 2-3 days a week. Not one thread has come off, no rips and no holes. In my experience, the athletic fit truly makes it easier to move, and with reduced slack in the jacket it makes it harder for your opponent to maintain grips. The Gi is as comfortable as it was on day one and does not feel washed out at all. It comes with true functionality and comfort, without compromising durability. The Athletic fit truly allows for freedom of movement and supreme comfort, it hugs you around the back and shoulders, but never restricts you.
The 450 Gram Pearl Weave top and 10 Ounce pants may not seem like a big decision maker when it comes to ventilation and heat, but this jacket just breathes so well. Not once do I feel like I’m panting because of heat or being drenched in sweat, this thing breathes as well as it moves. Excellent.
As previously mentioned, this Gi has been through the ringer. Especially in competition class. One complaint in regard to its durability is the materials ability to sustain its colour. It gets sweat stains and gets them easily. If you are like me and like to keep everything crisp, especially white Gi’s – Beware! It does get yellow, both on the in- and outside. Despite me washing it diligently with whitening detergents and/or whitening softener after every training.
Shrinkage
Another downside that can be seen in the pictures is the shrinkage. Over time Scramble Athlete 3 shrinks despite being washed in 30 degrees Celsius and being hang dried every time. It just got smaller, and smaller as time went on, but my weight and height staying the same. When I first bought it, competing in it would be no problem, but if I were to be measured at a competition today, I would not be allowed in competition. Especially if you stretch the arms. Even the pants shrink, quite significantly too. So please be aware of this when choosing your size. If you decide to buy this Gi and you want to maintain a snug fit, I would advise you to pull on the sleeves and pants just after you’ve washed it, just to mitigate excessive shrinkage.
The Gi is breathable, and light. If I were to cut down for a competition I would choose this as my competition Gi to take some weight off the scale. Even though there are BJJ Gi’s specifically made to be as light as possible, I feel like this is the perfect compromise between quality, style and weight. It offers great overall balance and design.
Price point
The Athlete 3 is indifferent from the Estilo 6.0 in terms of price. They are both in the mid- upper range when it comes to pricing, and in fact are very similar in price. In my opinion, getting the Athlete 3 and paying the extra money is worth it. You will be provided with a durable, stylish, light and comfortable Gi that will be a joy to pull out of the closet before the evening class. In my experience, compromising on price often leads to compromising on fit, quality, durability and other factors. Considering the benefits, I would say the Gi Is worth its price, however I would like to see a longer lifespan in the quality of the colour and a little less shrinkage for me to really feel comfortable with the price point.
Summary, Pros & Cons
Scramble Athlete 3 review was written by Ville Melgén, after 1 year of training. It was not sponsored or otherwise endorsed by advertisers.
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