Are Lululemon Leggings Worth It? An Honest Review

Are Lululemon leggings worth it? I bought my first pair of Lululemon leggings almost ten years ago and today I’m sharing my full review!

The first pair of black Lululemon leggings I bought were Wunder Unders. I saved up all my money and splurged, because the internet was going wild about them. This was in 2011 when I lived and worked in Detroit and shortly before I moved to Hawaii. They were as butt-lifting, slimming, and comfortable as everyone on the internet promised. I still have the pair in my closet!

Fast forward to today, my love of Lululemon leggings is going strong and I’ve added a couple more pairs to my closet, all from the Align shop. But over the years I have wondered, are they worth the splurge? These are $88-$118 leggings and could there be other options out there? Today I’m diving in…

Are Lululemon Leggings Worth It?

How Much Are Lululemon Leggings?

My favorite pair of Lululemon Align leggings cost $88. They do offer a military discount (and other discounts for fitness instructors, and first responders).

Worth noting, I’m also a huge fan of the Super High Rise Align leggings and Super High Rise biker shorts – the following review also applies to them!

They Last

As I mentioned before, I have leggings in my drawers from Lululemon that are nearly a decade old. In the world of leggings, I feel like that is saying something!

There seems to be a trend right now, especially in fitness apparel, for pieces that look and feel like more popular brands (Lululemon and Athleta), but from my experience, they don’t perform as well during workouts, they fall apart at the seams or pill after washing and use, and simply do not last or wind up too smelly to keep in my drawer. I know this isn’t everyone’s experience, but it has been mine, particularly with the popular Amazon brands people rave about.

Of course, the upfront cost is less, but over time, if the item is not performing and I’m buying more, it’s not really worth it, at least to me. I’d rather invest in something that’s going to last over time.

I will also say that I work from home, and aside from a handful of days where I get fully dressed, I wear some sort of spandex daily.

Customer Service

I’ve had nothing but great customer service, and I say that as someone who was initially super intimidated to go into a Lululemon. The Honolulu Lululemon girls have made a lasting impression on me, but I’ve also had a good experience online when I did the chat method.

The Material Feels Weightless

I’ll be honest and say, I’ve felt a lot of “buttery soft” leggings and the Align varietal is no exception. So many brands make soft leggings so this isn’t special to Lulu, but I think it’s worth mentioning while I’m going all in 🙂

Free Alterations

I’m a long torso, short legs kinda gal and sometimes “crop” isn’t always crop. And sometimes full length means it goes over my entire foot – I’ve gotten used to it! But Lululemon offers free alterations in store, so whatever you buy, GET IT ALTERED TO FIT CORRECTLY SPECIFICALLY FOR YOU!

They Pass The Squat Test In Dark Colors

Listen, I’m going to save you the mirror proof, but these leggings pass the squat test IN DARK COLORS. I won’t pull the wool over your eyes, I think the lighter colors are see-through, especially the white printed varietals, based on my experience.

My Experience Wearing Lululemon Leggings

Do Lululemon Align Leggings Pill?

No, and one of the reasons why I fully believe the investment is worth it, especially if you wear them every single day (or darn close to it) like I do. I have noticed that reviewers online complain of pilling, but I’ve never experienced it, and I do know the exchange policy is excellent!

Worth noting, my thighs touch and rub together, so the pill potential is high, and I’ve still never had an issue.

Do Lululemon Leggings Stink After Awhile?

Not in my experience, but I do wash them after every wear!

Do Lululemon Leggings Run Small?

I think this is dependent upon what style of leggings you get. I wear a size 4 in the Align tights and 6 in Wunder Under tights, and those are the only two I’ve tried. Align is my favorite, but I have a pair of Wunder Unders from when I first moved to Hawaii (almost 10 years ago…gulp!) that have a stirrup on the bottom and I cannot quit them!

How To Wash Lululemon Leggings

To be honest, I wash mine with my regular load of workout clothes in tap water with detergent AND I dry them. I didn’t used to. I would go through a specialty wash cycles just for leggings based on their tags, and I guess you could say I’ve gotten lax in my old age. But! My leggings look just as good as the day I bought them – no rips, tears, holes, stretching out, or shrinking.

Final verdict? Yes, I think investing in Lululemon leggings is worth it.