The Planet Fitness Dress Code: What You Need To Know Before You Go

Planet Fitness gets a lot of guff over what many perceive to be strict rules, and the Planet Fitness dress code is lumped right in there with the rest of them.

But many don’t know their dress code, so before you make the trek down to your nearest Planet Fitness location, I wanted to break down the Planet Fitness dress code for you. This is not just about helping to keep you prepared before you go but showing you that their rules are pretty common in most gyms and nothing to be concerned about.

The Planet Fitness Dress Code Rule

Below, we are going to show you word-for-word what Planet Fitness has stated on its website as to what the actual rules are. Remember that these rules apply to all their stores, so you don’t have to wonder if some certain have a different set of rules.

Let’s get into the dress code’s ins and outs.

The Main Rule

Planet Fitness states on its site the following:

That sounds pretty reasonable, right? It does to me. Don’t wear stupid stuff, and you’ll be fine.

But the problem is, stupid, offensive, or unsafe; those words can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people. So, Planet Fitness went a few steps further and laid out specific examples of what could fall under each category to help take some of those differences in definition away.

Safety Example #1

The PF website gives some examples regarding safety and types of clothing to consider. The first example is given as such:

So, this one is a bit of a head-scratcher to me. Not that I have seen this at the gym (yet), but I don’t see any situation where an open-toe shoe or sandal would be any more of a safety risk to your feet or body than regular shoes. Either way, if you drop something on your foot, it will be a problem.

I think this rule has more to do with being “gross” than with safety, but that’s just my opinion. You shouldn’t wear these types of shoes to the gym anyways.

Safety Example #2

The second example is another one where I think the dress code is reaching a bit. Per their website:

I’m not exactly sure what a “prominent grommet” is, but if you have something sticking so far off your jeans that it’s a safety issue, perhaps consider getting new jeans.

And a side note, I see people in my Planet Fitness fairly often wearing jeans. That’s not to say it’s allowed within the Planet Fitness dress code. Still, some locations might enforce this one more than others, depending on the demographics and lifestyle of the local community.

Offensive or Lewd Clothing

As we said before, “offensive” and “lewd” can mean a lot of things to different people. Some that might find one type of clothing offensive might find something else totally normal that others might find offensive.

It’s a slippery slope.

Planet Fitness has tried to define it a little, though:

Well, it sorta defines it.

I think you could probably put here any clothing with a standard curse word or sexual references or photos; those seem obvious. Perhaps strong political statements or statements of violence might get the Lunk Alarm sounded on a person.

I think this is a situation where common sense should prevail. If you have clothing you are unsure if it would be a problem, it never hurts to ask the staff about it before you wear it to the gym.

Or, for that matter, save it for other times.

But notice something is missing from the statement about “offensive” clothing…it doesn’t mention anything about showing too much skin or “provocative” clothing. That’s because Planet Fitness is trying to avoid that conversation and present more of an “open arms” mentality regarding dress code.

Otherwise, Wear What You Want!

Planet Fitness wants members to be comfortable and not feel too restricted, so they felt the need to put out messaging that lines up with that sentiment.

So basically, as long as you are not breaking one of the rules above, Planet Fitness accepts pretty much everything else. Anything from full body coverings to outfits that shows a little (or maybe a lot) of skin, Planet Fitness is giving the green light here.

Although, I do think it’s odd that they mentioned being OK with collared shirts but weren’t OK with blue jeans, but whatever.

The Planet Fitness Dress Code vs. Other Gyms

If you look at the rules, they are quite logical and don’t really seem to be overreaching. In fact, as an avid gym-goer, I would say these are the general clothing expectations in the majority of gyms I have been in.

Workout clothes can be interpreted in many ways, but some common sense threads of similarities between what to wear and not to wear don’t take much thought.

Even if I do find it a bit strange that Planet Fitness made it a point to mention jeans and collared shirts, the majority of people who go to Planet Fitness are never going to have an issue with following the dress code with little to no thought.

Final Thoughts

The Planet Fitness dress code is relatively simple and straightforward. The main rule is to avoid wearing offensive or unsafe clothing that could damage equipment or present a health hazard.

The gym has provided specific examples of clothing that are not allowed, such as open-toed shoes, jeans with prominent grommets, and clothing with offensive messages. However, Planet Fitness encourages its members to wear whatever they feel comfortable in, as long as it does not violate any of the rules.

If you are considering signing up at Planet Fitness, just signed up, or maybe part of the High School Summer Pass program, and are unsure whether a particular piece of clothing is allowed, it is best to ask the staff before wearing it to the gym. Remember that the dress code rules are put in place to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all members.