IN THE 1959, film “North by Northwest,” Cary Grant famously tries to outrun a crop-duster plane in a cornfield while wearing a worsted wool suit. That the suit doesn’t end up in tatters (he later asks a hotel valet to merely sponge and press it) can only be chalked up to movie magic: Everyone knows traditional suits aren’t designed for sprinting. For many of us, that’s fine. But what man who bicycles or power-walks to the office, or travels for work, hasn’t wished for a bit more give in his professional wear?

That wish is being granted, with more brands adding stretch, anti-wrinkle and moisture-wicking via wool-blend “performance fabrics” to suits. As a tailoring purist, my initial reaction was: “Sacrilege!” But in the interest of keeping an open mind, I decided to give stretch a chance.

According to Katie Boiano, vice president of design at Bonobos, the New York-based menswear retailer, the label’s 3%-stretch Jetsetter Suit, launched in 2015, has become its most successful suiting range. Then last year, Bonobos followed up with a range of four-way stretch suits called Italian Performance. “Most guys are on the move today, especially in urban areas,” said Ms. Boiano. “And they need something with a little more function.”

Alan Hedrick, 32, a New York real-estate broker, relies on suiting that yields and adapts. His average daily hustle of meeting clients and showing properties around Manhattan can border on the gymnastic. “I’m not just sitting at a desk. I’ll be out walking,” he said. “I may have to do a fifth-floor walk-up.” And for that he needs a flexible solution, namely the stretch travel suits from the brand Indochino. “I’m not worried about breaking a seam if I have to climb up on a ladder to inspect a roof.”

Though my typical workday as a sedentary freelance writer tends to be less action-packed than Mr. Hedrick’s, I’m drawn to the prospect of looking pulled-together while on the move. So I decided to test a quintet of suits—the Ted Baker Endurance Suit, the Emporio Armani Cool Wool Suit, the Bonobos Jetsetter, the Kenneth Cole Techni-Cole and the Banana Republic Smart-Weight Performance Suit. I would put them through three levels of stress: active pursuits such as bike-riding and skateboarding; normal stuff like climbing into my lifted Jeep Wrangler (which I’ve done in plenty of suits but which is murder on crotch seams); and finally, some low-key fidgeting at my desk.