Summary
Founded in 2013, Sphere Kimono Co has unique lines of gis that they offer to the ever expanding jiu jitsu gi market. They sent us their Nomad Oasis gi in Navy blue and after a 6 month review period we think we’ve rounded down our opinion of the gi. Get it? Rounded down?
Disclosures
This Gi was submitted to me free of charge (by way of gireviews.net) for review. I have never done any work with or for Sphere Kimono Co.
Introduction
I had never heard of Sphere before they reached out to Gi Reviews about a review, and didn’t really know what to make of them. The gi they sent over arrived with an awesome pair of shorts made of ripstop with a gi material gusset (a very rare treat) but unfortunately the shorts were completely permeated with a strong smelling chemical that I’ve been unable to wash out. To Sphere’s credit they did mention this issue and offered to send a replacement pair once they go them.
The gi also came in a very nice very thin yet sturdy drawstring bag
A Pakistani made gi, the “Oasis” got put through the ringer as one of my main training gis for the past 6 months. I wanted to see how the Coolmax/Soft Flex inserts would hold up to abuse.
Fit
I generally wear an A2L in most gis, but A3 is an option if the L sizes are unavailable. This gi is an A3 and I found that after throwing it in the dryer it fit like an A2L. I found the gi to have the perfect combination of flow and fit. By this I mean it was tapered enough to hinder grips by my training partners but not so much to prevent me from being able to move around.
Overall the gi reminds me a lot of another gi I reviewed in the past, the Habrok Tactica 2.0.
A: 6.75
B: 28.75
C: 31.25
D: 21.25
E: 21
F: 13
G: 8.25
H: 39.25
Design
The gi is a pleasant shade of navy blue. Some companies make their navy more of a purple finish, this gi looks like worn dark denim.
The color scheme is navy blue with brown and khaki details. Plenty of branded seamtape and a coolmax yoke panel boasting a desert scene.
I found all of the embroidery to be tightly woven with no loose threads. One feature that I found unique to this gi is the “Soft flex” fabric throughout, a silky spandex material similar to coolmax. They hid this fabric throughout the gi to aide in comfort during training. I didn’t find this to make any real difference for me, but the fabric seemed to be of high quality and certainly wasn’t uncomfortable.
Jacket
The jacket of this gi is made of a 480gsm pearl weave with ripstop taping throughout, some of the ripstop taping has branded taping on top of it. The yoke panel is made of coolmax with a desert theme on it, and inside the elbows is a silky spandex material that Sphere refers to as “Soft Flex”
The top has logo hits on each arm and one between the shoulder blades. It also has what I refer to lovingly as a “tramp stamp patch” on the lower back with the “Nomad” logo. This same logo appears elsewhere.
The skirt of the gi has rounded edges which gives the gi a very soft feeling fit. I greatly enjoyed training in this gi.
The lapel is magnificently thick and rigid with a ripstop over foam composition.
One thing I noticed with all of the reinforcements throughout the gi top is that it is perhaps the most sturdy 480 gsm top I’ve ever worn. For a company I’ve never heard of Sphere really seems to have pulled out all the stops on quality.
I found this gi top to be very similar to the Habrok Tactica 2.0 which I reviewed a few years back. If you like Habrok’s fabrics you’ll like Sphere’s.
The taping on the gi was never scratchy and a lot of it was put externally over ripstop taping. Good job, Sphere.
Trousers
The pants on this gi are awesome!
Very comfortable and soft right out the bag, these ripstop pants have gi material inserts in the knees as well as the crotch gusset.
The pants also have branded patches on both thighs as well as a Sphere logo hit on the left shin.
The trousers have a 4 loop closure system with a stretchy rope. One neat feature is that they have a wide loop on the outer part of the closure which made them stay tied very nicely. They also have interior seamtape that helps them catch a bit better.
Rolling Performance
This gi was about as good as one could hope it to be. Very comfortable and soft while not giving away too much pliability.
The fit made it a great gi to roll in and I’d absolutely compete in this gi.
My ONLY criticism of the gi is that the spandex inserts seem superfluous. But there’s no accounting for taste or preference.
Conclusion
At $189.00 the Sphere Nomad seems like a pricey product, but if the aesthetic appeals to you the gi itself is remarkably well made and comfortable.
For this and other products hit up Sphere’s website here https://spherebjj.com
