Kiscorpse Gymnastics Leotard Review: sparkly kids’ kit that keeps up with training (mostly)

I got this Kiscorpse purple long-sleeved leotard set for a 7–8 year old who’s just started proper gymnastics classes, twice a week. So this isn’t a one-off costume for a school show; it’s getting thrown in a sports bag, worn on sweaty evenings, and dragged across crash mats and beams. I’ll base this review on about three weeks of use, so roughly six training sessions plus some messing around at home.

First impression out of the bag: it looks like the product photos. The purple is bright, the sparkles and diamantés are there, and my test kid did the classic “oooh shiny” and wanted to put it on straight away. So visually, it hits the target for this age group. It doesn’t feel luxury, but it doesn’t feel cheap market-stall thin either. I’d call it mid-range quality that you’d expect from an Amazon leotard in this price bracket.

What I wanted to check was: does it ride up, does it dig in, and does it survive a few washes without the colour fading or the stones falling off. I’ve had other budget leotards where the leg holes are cut badly and the kid spends half the session yanking it down. That’s the kind of stuff that really shows if the design has been thought through or if it’s just made to look pretty in photos.

Overall so far, it’s been a pretty solid everyday leotard set. Not perfect, and there are a couple of details that show it’s not a premium brand, but for a growing kid who will outgrow it in a year, it does the job. The real plus is that the child actually likes wearing it and doesn’t complain about itching or tightness, which is half the battle with kids’ sports gear.

Taking everything into account – the three-piece set (leotard, shorts, scrunchie), the comfort, the look, and the build – I’d say this offers good value for money for parents of beginners or casual gymnasts. You’re not just paying for a single leotard; the matching shorts alone are genuinely useful and save you having to buy a separate pair. The scrunchie is a nice extra, even if it’s a bit oversized for smaller kids.

Compared to some bigger gymnastics brands, you’re obviously not getting the same level of fabric quality or finishing. Those can easily cost double or more, though. For a 7–8 year old who’s going to outgrow everything in 6–12 months and might even change hobbies, dropping a lot on a high-end leotard doesn’t always make sense. This hits that middle ground: looks the part, performs fine, doesn’t wreck your wallet.

The main trade-offs for the lower price are: slightly thinner fabric, colour that stretches a bit when pulled tight, and the hand-wash recommendation that most people will ignore. If you’re expecting a premium, club-branded feel, you’ll be underwhelmed. If you go in thinking “solid Amazon leotard that my kid will think is pretty and can train in safely,” you’ll probably be happy with it.

So from a value point of view, I’d buy it again for a growing beginner or intermediate kid, especially as a second leotard in rotation. For hardcore training every day, I’d mix this with at least one tougher, more expensive option. But as an entry-level or backup leotard set, it’s a pretty solid deal.

Design-wise, this leotard is very much aimed at kids who like sparkly stuff and bold colours. The purple gradient and the diamanté pattern look good from a distance and hold up pretty well close up too. It’s not tacky, just clearly made to please 5–10 year olds who want to look like they’re in a proper gymnastics squad. After a few sessions, none of the rhinestones have fallen off yet, which honestly surprised me for the price.

The cut is fairly classic: round neck, normal back, long sleeves. The neckline sits flat and doesn’t gape, and it’s not so high that the kid feels choked. The leg openings are moderate – not super high-cut like competition leotards, but not baggy either. That’s important because if the leg holes are wrong, you either get wedgies or the fabric bunching. Here, the kid could do cartwheels, bridges and splits without constantly tugging at it, which is a good sign.

Where the design shows its budget side is in the way the colours stretch. When the fabric is pulled tight over the bum or shoulders, you can see the purple lightening a bit and the print looking slightly washed in those areas. It’s not terrible, and it still looks fine for training, but up close you can see it’s printed on, not woven. Also, the scrunchie is oversized compared to the general scale of the set, which looks cute but isn’t super practical for thin hair.

Overall, I’d say the design is kid-pleasing and functional, but not super polished. It looks like the photos, your child will probably be happy with the sparkles, and for a training leotard that’s what matters most. If you’re after something for a big competition or photoshoot, you might want something slightly higher-end, but for everyday practice this design works.

Comfort-wise, this leotard did better than I expected. The 7–8 size on a slim 7-year-old fit true to size: snug but not strangling, and with a bit of stretch left so she can grow into it over the next few months. The sleeves are long but not hanging over the hands, and the neck doesn’t dig in. She could lift her arms fully without the whole leotard pulling up too much, which is key for bars and beam work.

During training, I specifically watched for fidgeting – pulling at the bum, scratching at the seams, complaining about tightness. There was a bit of normal wedgie adjustment here and there (honestly, every leotard does this at some point), but nothing excessive. She didn’t once say it was itchy or too hot, and she kept it on after class at home for another hour, which is usually a good sign that it’s not bothering her.

The shorts add a lot to the comfort level. They stop the leotard from riding up too much and give a bit of confidence for moves like handstands and cartwheels where kids worry about showing too much. The waistband on the shorts is soft and doesn’t dig in. If anything, I wish more brands would include matching shorts like this because it makes a big difference for self-conscious kids.

If I nitpick, the only minor downside is that the fabric is quite lightweight, so in colder gyms kids might feel a bit chilly at the start of class. That’s where the long sleeves help, but the body is still thin. Overall though, comfort is a strong point: stretchy, no obvious rubbing points, and my test kid actually asked to wear it again, which says more than any spec sheet.

The fabric is listed as 82% polyester and 18% elastane, which is pretty standard for gymnastics leotards. In the hand, it feels smooth, stretchy and lightweight, more on the thin side than thick. Think of a decent swim costume rather than a heavy dance leotard. For gymnastics, that’s fine – it allows movement and doesn’t trap too much heat, which is important when kids are flipping around for an hour.

On the inside, the seams are okay. They’re not super soft flatlock seams like on expensive sportswear, but they’re not scratchy either. My test kid didn’t complain about itching around the arms or neck, which is usually the first thing they mention if something is bothering them. I didn’t spot any badly finished threads or obvious defects out of the bag. It does feel like a mass-produced Amazon item, but not a dodgy one.

The downside is that the print and colour are clearly surface-level. When the fabric stretches, you can see a slight whitening of the purple, especially over the bum and shoulders. It doesn’t go see-through, which is good, but you can tell it’s not top-tier fabric. Also, the label says hand wash only. I did one gentle machine wash in a mesh bag at 30°C to see what would happen (because let’s be honest, most parents will do this), and it survived fine: no shrinking, no colour bleeding, rhinestones stayed on. Still, long-term I’d avoid tumble drying and keep it to gentle washes.

In short, materials are decent but nothing special. They’re good enough for regular training, comfy on the skin, and breathable enough. If your kid is in the gym five times a week, I’d look at sturdier brands. For 1–2 sessions a week and general play, this fabric level is okay and matches the price point.

Durability is always the big question with cheaper leotards. After around three weeks of use, with six training sessions and three washes, this Kiscorpse one is holding up better than I expected. The seams are still intact, no popped threads, and the leg and arm openings haven’t stretched out or gone baggy. The rhinestones are all still there, which is honestly where I expected the first failure.

That said, you can tell it’s not built like a tank. The fabric is on the thinner side, so if your child is constantly sliding on rough mats, climbing ropes, or doing outdoor stuff in it, I can see it snagging or wearing through faster than a thicker, pricier leotard. It’s not fragile, but it’s also not the kind of thing I’d hand down to three siblings in a row and expect it to look new.

Washing is officially “hand wash only”, but like I said earlier, I tested a gentle 30°C machine wash in a laundry bag. No damage so far, but I wouldn’t risk hot washes or tumble drying; that’s how you’ll kill the stretch and maybe loosen the rhinestones. If you’re willing to treat it a bit carefully – cool wash, air dry – I think it’ll last at least a season of once- or twice-a-week use.

Overall, I’d rate the durability as decent for the price bracket. Not bulletproof, but not disposable either. Good enough that I don’t feel like money was wasted, but I also wouldn’t expect it to look perfect after a full year of heavy club-level training. For a growing kid who will change size quickly, that’s a fair trade-off in my opinion.

In practice, this leotard handles the basics well. The kid has done cartwheels, handstands against the wall, bridges, forward rolls, and some basic beam work in it. The fabric stretches easily in all directions and bounces back without feeling bagged out by the end of the session. There’s no restriction around the shoulders or hips, which is exactly what you want. It’s clearly been cut with sport in mind, not just for looks.

On the sweat side, it’s polyester-elastane, so it doesn’t really absorb sweat like cotton. It feels a bit damp after a heavy session but dries fairly quickly once it’s off. It doesn’t stick horribly or feel gross, which is something I’ve seen with cheaper, thicker fabrics. After about six wears and three gentle washes, the rhinestones are still in place and the sparkly look is basically the same as day one. No peeling print, no obvious pilling yet.

One thing I did notice is that the colour stretch on high-tension areas (bum, shoulders) is more obvious after a few wears. It’s not fading exactly, but the print looks a bit lighter when it’s pulled tight. For training, it’s fine; no one in the gym is inspecting that closely. But next to a brand-new, more expensive leotard you can see the difference in print quality.

So in terms of performance, it gets the job done: good freedom of movement, no serious comfort issues, and it survives regular use. If your kid is training at club level several times a week and you need something that will last a full season with heavy use, I’d still consider investing in one higher-end leotard as well. For beginner to intermediate kids going once or twice a week, this one is more than enough.

This listing is a bit wordy, but in practice for the purple long-sleeved option you’re basically getting a leotard plus matching shorts and a scrunchie. The brand is Kiscorpse (never heard of it before this), and the size I tried was 7–8 years, which on the kid I tested fits roughly a UK age 7 with average build, not especially tall or short. So if your child is at the top end of the age range or very tall, I’d say consider sizing up.

Out of the packaging, everything was folded reasonably neatly, no strong chemical smell, no loose glitter falling off everywhere. The shorts are honestly the highlight of the set for me. They’re a nice length – not booty-short tiny, but not long cycling shorts either. They give a bit of extra coverage for beam and floor work, and my test kid liked that she didn’t feel like her bum was hanging out when doing splits or handstands.

The scrunchie is big. On thin hair or on a younger child it needs to be wrapped several times or it just slides around. On the older girls in her class with thicker hair, I can see it working fine, especially for a bun. So it’s usable, but it’s not the most practical bit for smaller kids; it’s more of a cute matching accessory than a proper training essential.

Value-wise, you’re getting three pieces that match: leotard, shorts, scrunchie. Compared to some brands that sell just the leotard for a similar price, that’s good value for money. But you can tell most of the thought has gone into the look and less into the finishing details, which I’ll get into more in the design and materials sections.