What Makes Lululemon Special

Lululemon is one of my absolute favorite shops for workout and athleisure gear! If you want to jump straight to the list, go ahead! However, there are a few key/outstanding elements about Lululemon to know up front. First, not only are their sizing options excellent, they also have length options with shorts, leggings, and shirts. This basically makes every piece customizable to you without the customizing cost. Second, if you want to make changes to an item, Lululemon will do hemming for you at no cost. This is a great option if you want to crop a shirt or if you find a pair of leggings you love that are not the right length. Third, if you ever have a quality issue, which honestly should only happen after years of wear, they will exchange it for a brand new version of that item. So, when you’re looking at the price tags know that you will always get your money’s worth. There’s a reason Lululemon is a crowd favorite, and here are my top picks!

The Align Legging: Price $88-$118

I cannot recommend any Lululemon piece before the Align legging. These leggings are why the phrase “buttery soft” exists, which should be enough to peak your interest. The Align leggings are smooth, comfortable, soft, and forgiving. They are also durable, long lasting, and form fitting at the same time. Multiple lengths means no matter how tall or short you are, there’s a pair for you. They are always coming out with new colors and patterns, so good luck keeping yourself to only buying 1 pair. There’s a reason these are a Lululemon cult favorite.!

My opinion is that these leggings are best for low impact workouts like barre, yoga, or Pilates. They are also great to wear for athleisure or travel! Without a doubt if you’re new to buying from Lululemon, make these your first purchase!

The Wunder Train Legging: Price $88-$118

The Wunder Train leggings are newer to Lululemon, released about a year ago. People have been wearing and loving them ever since! These bad boys are built for your more high impact, sweaty workouts. They are made of a slicker, but compressive, material making them great for HIIT style workouts. Obviously they are also very comfortable, the quality is excellent, and the color and designs are always super cute. I really enjoy wearing these at the CrossFit gym or with any workout where I don’t want to be concerned about picking or snagging my leggings. These also come in multiple lengths, so you can buy long or short depending on what works best for you!

The Speed Up Short: Price $58

These are the first pair I bought when I wanted to try shorts from Lululemon. They are short enough to not make my legs look stumpy, and always have great looking colors and patterns. The Speed Up Short is ideal for running or high intensity workouts since they do have the underwear sewn in. They also have a drawstring you can use to tighten the waistband if you ever need to. These have enough flow that you don’t feel restricted, but are also snug enough that you won’t worry about them sliding. I have ended up having to tie the draw string on a couple pairs that I’ve had for a while, but when they are new they always fit perfectly. They do have longer lengths than the 2.5″ that I buy, and also offer a high waisted option. I would highly recommend these as a first step option into the Lululemon world!

The Hottie Hot Short: Price $58

As I’ve continued to buy from Lululemon, these shorts have become a strong favorite. There are a couple differences between these and the Speed Up short that might help you decide between one or the other. These do have a tighter elastic waistband that holds up very nicely during the same high intensity workouts. These shorts also tend to be more flowy through the hips, which some prefer because of the extra space for squats, lunges, etc. I might argue that these stay up on my body type better than the Speed Up shorts. The Hottie Hot short does have the sewn in underwear similar to the Speed Up shorts, so that’s a bonus. I always pick these shorts any time I’m jumping rope or doing explosive movements and need to feel secure because they do fit a snug in the waist. Again, there are longer length options if you’re taller or want that additional length as well as a high waisted option.

The Energy Bra: Price $52-$68

Out of all the bras I’ve tried from Lululemon, the Energy Bra is by far my favorite. There are sizes to fit literally any chest size, from an A cup to a DDD. It has great coverage, and is fairly compressive which makes it great for those high intensity workouts. It’s also built really well for running because of the compression, but does not fit so snug that it’s uncomfortable to wear while traveling or running errands. They actually have these bras categorized as high or medium support, depending on what type of security you’re looking for! The high support option has a clasped back, while the medium support does not. The strappy back on it is adorable and looks great underneath tank tops! There are enough color and pattern options in this favorite to make your head spin, and I would recommend it over and over again.

The Swiftly Tech Racer Back & Long Sleeve: Price $58-$78

I combined these two top options because honestly the Swiftly Tech line is just THAT good. These two are my absolute favorites and I wear them both to death, alternating depending on the season. The long sleeve option is the best running or outdoor training shirt for the cooler months as it’s very compressive. It will keep you warm on it’s own, but is also slim enough to fit underneath something else. The long sleeve has thumb holes in the bottom of the sleeve, adding that extra cute touch while keeping your hands warm. Because the long sleeve option is very compressive, I recommend going up 1 size if you want a little more room.

Moving on to the tank top option, I love this so much because they’ve recently released multiple lengths! I have a couple in the regular length, but hands down prefer the “race” length they’ve recently made a staple. The race length is just a little bit shorter, but not as short as a crop. It hits me perfectly right at the waist, and is super flattering. This tank top is great year round if you’re training inside, and also ideal for the warmer months when you spend time outside. The racer back allows those cute Energy Bras to peak out, which is just a little extra icing on top. Lastly, the compression on the tank top is less than that of the long sleeve, so staying true to size is the way to go!

Sizing

I remember the first time I tried to buy something from Lululemon, the sizing totally freaked me out. I had no idea that it was going to be sized in numbers instead of small, medium, large, etc. Once you get a hang of the sizing it is not nearly as intimidating as it seems. For reference, I buy a size 6 in literally everything. That includes leggings, shorts, bras, and tops. They have a great sizing chart online, but I recommend finding a Lululemon store to actually try some different sizes on. The staff there is always super helpful, and can give recommendations based on how you feel things are fitting!

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