Whether you’re at the gym or the airport, it’s hard to turn around and not see someone sporting one of lululemon’s classic silhouettes be it the brand’s Scuba Hoodie or Align Leggings.
Our social media feeds are full of lululemon-esque recommendations, but there’s no need to spend your money on a cheap Amazon copy when there are so many athleisure brands out there making high-quality clothing.
If you’re looking for new athleticwear, these are the best brands like lululemon to shop.
Our top picks
1. Fabletics
On-The-Go PowerHold High-Waisted Legging
Our favorite piece: On-The-Go PowerHold High-Waisted Legging, $74.95 for non-members, $22.48 for VIP members
You may know Fabletics for its several celebrity partnerships, notably Kate Hudson, Kevin Hart, and Lizzo among others. While the brand originally catered to women, it introduced the Fabletics Men line in conjunction with Kevin Hart, featuring everything from golf duds to loungewear for men. The brand functions primarily on a subscription model with VIP members paying a monthly fee of $60, which acts as a store credit.
How it compares to lululemon: As a past customer of Fabletics, I found the trendy styles and budget-friendly prices to be unbeatable, although you might not get as much wear out of the clothing in comparison to lululemon.
2. Public Rec
Here To There Legging
Our favorite piece: Here To There Legging, $98
While Public Rec offers men’s and women’s clothing in classic athleisure silhouettes, like leggings and sweatshirts, it also sells elevated options that can masquerade as business casual, like the much-loved All Day Every Day Pant. The clothing brand’s price points are similar, but Public Rec does shy away from accessories like workout gear and shoes.
How it compares to lululemon: Public Rec emphasizes comfort with very similar styles to lululemon in primarily neutral colors, toeing the line between athleisure and officewear.
3. Ten Thousand
Seamless Shirt
Our favorite piece: Seamless Shirt, $64
Known as a gym and training clothing brand, Ten Thousand’s apparel leans more into the athletic side of athleisure. Its pieces sport a high price point comparable to lululemon with somewhat minimalist, barebones designs, but it makes up for it with durable, performance-worthy material that will last.
How it compares to lululemon: The men’s clothing brand excels at training apparel more than athleisure, from hitting the weights at the gym to outdoor workouts.
4. Path Projects
The Wheeler FT shorts
Our favorite piece: The Wheeler FT shorts, $68
This running-specific brand focuses on technical fabrics made to maximize performance. It has a relatively small range of products, offering men’s shorts, pants, shirts, base liners, and accessories. The brand’s designs are very minimalist yet functional, with shorts featuring extra phone pockets and tees made of cooling tencel-blend fabric.
How it compares to lululemon: Path Projects offers practical, pared-down men’s apparel with a specific focus on running that differs from lululemon’s wide range of athleisure.
5. Alo Yoga
Alo Yoga ⅞ High-Waist Airlift Legging
Our favorite piece: Alo Yoga ⅞ High-Waist Airlift Legging, $128
This trendy athleisure brand extends far beyond yoga and into knitwear, nightwear, and more. As its name suggests, most of Alo Yoga’s materials are stretchy and yoga-ready and slightly less geared toward high-impact activities, although it does sell apparel for tennis, running, and other types of training, like lululemon.
How it compares to lululemon: Alo Yoga’s range of products and vibrant colorways feel very reminiscent of lululemon’s clothing, offering both men’s and women’s lines.
6. Odlo
The Zeroweight Insulator running vest
Our favorite piece: The Zeroweight Insulator running vest, $190
Odlo is the brand for outdoor adventurers, particularly those into winter sports. The Nordic-inspired brand is based in Switzerland and known for its ground-breaking technical fabrics, including incorporating silver ions to reduce odor. One of the brand’s specialties is its base layers, which, priced as high as $200, may not be the most accessible option for the casual outdoors person.
How it compares to lululemon: From cycling to cross-country skiing gear, Odlo’s clothing is more outdoorsy than lululemon’s with a specific focus on winter sports.
7. Aeance
Women’s Bonded Long Sleeve Merino Jersey
Our favorite piece: Women’s Bonded Long Sleeve Merino Jersey, $121
With a focus on sustainability, Aeance manufactures durable, quality performance clothing in Portugal with a tech-forward approach, featuring techniques such as laser cutting, bionic membranes, and glue-bonded seams. The fabric used in the minimalist-style apparel touts a handful of certifications, including OEKO-TEX and GRS.
How it compares to lululemon: Aeance’s clothing for men and women is more uniform and minimalist than lululemon’s styles, catering to outdoor adventurers and athletes alike.
8. Outdoor Voices
The Exercise Dress
Our favorite piece: Outdoor Voices The Exercise Dress, $100
With an eye for sustainability and longevity, Outdoor Voices caters to the person who’s trying to get outside and have some fun. The brand offers high-quality men’s and women’s athleisure, making use of recycled materials for its clothing and packaging. In my experience, OV’s styles are worth the money, offering versatility and long-term durability. You can find the lululemon-esque clothes both online and in several brick-and-mortar locations.
How it compares to lululemon: OV has a similar price range to lululemon with a mix of outdoorsy and casual styles.
9. Sweaty Betty
Power 7/8 Gym Leggings
Our favorite piece: Sweaty Betty Power 7/8 Workout Leggings, $108
Based on its styles and pricing, Sweaty Betty may just be the British counterpart to lululemon. The women’s clothing brand’s main draw is its sought-after leggings, but it also sells everything from swimwear to yoga mats. The luxury London-based brand (now available internationally) doesn’t shy away from vibrant colors and patterns in its apparel.
How it compares to lululemon: While both brands offer similar prices, Sweaty Betty’s styles tend to be more fashion-forward and edgy.
10. Rhone
Commuter Shirt
Our favorite piece: Rhone Commuter Shirt, $138
Rhone is for the man who wants to wear his athleisure to work without raising any eyebrows. The brand excels at performance-minded workwear, such as its Commuter Pant and WFH Polo, while still offering some traditional athleticwear options. Although the clothing currently only caters to men, the brand is expected to release a line for women this summer.
How it compares to lululemon: Rhone is the menswear version of lululemon, selling comfortable, office-ready wardrobe basics for men.
11. Vitality
Cloud II Pant
Our favorite piece: Vitality Cloud II Pant, $92
If the name Vitality isn’t ringing a bell, you may know this brand as Balance Athletica since it underwent a recent rebrand following a trademark infringement lawsuit by New Balance. The family-owned company aims to be body-inclusive, offering sizes from XXS to XXXXL. Sustainability is also top of mind with fabrics made from recycled materials and a uniform color palette that allows you to mix and match old and new products.
How it compares to lululemon: Vitality offers colorful yet simple athleisure for both men and women with similar sustainability initiatives yet a much larger size range than lululemon.
12. Girlfriend Collective
Black Compressive High-Rise Legging
Our favorite piece: Girlfriend Collective Compressive High-Rise Legging, $78
Girlfriend Collective takes sustainability to a whole new level, using recycled materials to make its clothes and packaging — you can actually see exactly what recycled materials were used on each product page, such as plastic bottles. The brand even has a recycling program for its own leggings. I’ve found Girlfriend Collective’s leggings and sports bras to be of similar quality to lululemon. The brand does sell a few men’s/unisex styles but mostly catered towards women.
How it compares to lululemon: Girlfriend Collective offers a very cohesive collection of athleisure primarily geared toward women with sustainability at top of mind.
13. Vuori
Kore Short
Our favorite piece: Vuori Kore Short, $68
If there’s one thing that Vuori does, it is make unbelievably soft, comfortable athleisure wear. Inspired by the lifestyle of coastal California, the brand’s apparel — both men’s and women’s — feels very casual. While you may be able to dress up some pieces for a visit to the office, Vuori’s clothing is best suited for activities like hiking and water sports.
How it compares to lululemon: Many of Vuori’s comfort-forward clothes offer similar styles to lululemon, leaning a little more casual.
14. Fourlaps
Swift Quarter Zip
Our favorite piece: Swift Quarter Zip, $118
The men’s clothing brand Fourlaps sells sustainable, functional athleticwear. While it doesn’t have the biggest collection out there, the apparel is minimalist yet performance-minded and can easily be shopped for workout gear or comfortable office basics. Fourlaps claims that 90 percent of its products are made with recyclable or biodegradable materials, from recycled polyester to plastic bottles.
How it compares to lululemon: Fourlaps’ focus on sustainability rings true of lululemon’s philosophy, but its specialty of minimalist menswear sets it apart.
15. Tracksmith
Session Short
Our favorite piece: Tracksmith Session Shorts, $68
Tracksmith is a running-centric brand, specializing in workout clothing and training gear for amateur runners. The company offers men’s and women’s apparel as well as footwear, and its clothing leans a little more sporty and feels almost vintage-inspired in comparison to lululemon’s sleek, modern silhouettes. The apparel is made with a range of high-quality materials, such as merino wool.
How it compares to lululemon: Tracksmith’s specific focus on running sets it apart from lululemon as well as its old-school New England-inspired aesthetic.
16. Satisfy
MothTech™ T‑Shirt
Our favorite piece: Satisfy MothTech T-Shirt, $140
Launched in 2015, Satisfy focuses on running apparel and gear, including shoe collaborations, hydration vests, base layers, and more. The brand creates somewhat funky yet minimalist styles in darker, cool-toned neutrals, leaning towards black, brown, and gray. And it does offer more outdoorsy options for climbing, trail running, and more.
How it compares to lululemon: Satisfy’s clothing is more technical and less colorful than lululemon’s, focusing specifically on running gear and apparel.
17. Skims
Fits Everybody T-Shirt
Our favorite piece: Skims Fits Everybody T-Shirt, $48
Famously founded by Kim Kardashian, Skims is most known for offering comfortable, neutral basics, including shapewear, bodysuits, tees, sweats, and more. With an emphasis on the leisure part of athleisure, Kardashian’s brand can be easily shopped for work-from-home loungewear or a night out on the town. The brand originally catered primarily to women, but now has a full line of menswear offering everything from hoodies to boxers.
How it compares to lululemon: Skims focuses on a range of wardrobe basics and seasonal drops, rather than solely athleticwear.
18. Athleta
Conscious Crop Bra
Our favorite piece: Athleta Conscious Crop Bra, $59
Brought to you by the same umbrella company as GAP, Old Navy, and Banana Republic, Athleta boasts the most similar style match to lululemon’s athleticwear even pricing its clothes similarly. My own Athleta sports bra has lasted years, barely showing any wear. While Athleta does not make menswear, it does have a full line of clothing and accessories geared towards young girls.
How it compares to lululemon: While lululemon is trendier, Athleta offers a very similar range of athleisure, from high-rise leggings to crossbody bags.
19. NoBull
Micro Ripstop Short
Our favorite piece: NoBull Men’s Micro Ripstop Short, $72
Most closely associated with CrossFit, NoBull has most recently become known as the company that merged with Tom Brady’s TB12 and Brady brands, making Brady the second largest shareholder. While many people recognize NoBull for its training shoes, the brand offers a wide range of products from waxed canvas duffle bags to golf apparel.
How it compares to lululemon: NoBull has a more training-heavy focus with a slightly macho aesthetic, featuring frequent camo and dark neutral colors with the exception of its brightly-colored shoes.
20. ASRV
Tetra-Lite Cargo High Rib Jogger
Our favorite piece: ASRV Tetra-Lite Cargo High Rib Jogger, $158
ASRV offers an elegant line of cohesive athleisure, from its lightweight performance joggers to thermal hoodies. Its styles feel at the same time bro-y and fashion-adjacent with its sleek designs and often monochrome styles that put functionality over flashiness. The athletic and streetwear brand has created several proprietary fabrics to enhance performance, such as its Tetra-Lite and Tech Essential fabrics.
How it compares to lululemon: ASRV’s hybrid training and casual performance apparel offer a different aesthetic to lululemon with sleek, almost futuristic styles.
21. Ciele
GOCap
Our favorite piece: Ciele GOCap $40
While Ciele does sell apparel, the brand also specializes in headwear and footwear. The brand’s running caps range in price from $40 to $85 and are tailored for different situations, from keeping you warm on a long cold weather run to protecting your skin on a hot summer day. Ciele has several notable shoe collaborations with brands including Puma, Salomon, and more.
How it compares to lululemon: Ciele’s special emphasis on hats and shoes sets it apart from lululemon’s wide-ranging apparel offerings.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Athleisure Brands
With all the athleisure brands flooding the market, it can be difficult to determine which stores are worth your money. All the brands on this list meet a high standard of the factors below.
- Quality of materials: Great materials might require extra care, like handwashing or hanging to dry, but they’ll also be able to withstand repeated workouts without pilling or wearing through.
- Pricing and value for money: lululemon is not the most budget-friendly brand out there, but its clothes last a long time, making it a great value in the end.
- Style and aesthetic appeal: A lot of athleisure brands focus on timeless basics that won’t go out of style, but consumers should be wary of overly trendy clothing that doesn’t match anything else in their wardrobe.
- Brand ethics and sustainability: Brands can prioritize ethics and sustainability in a variety of ways, including offering in-house tailoring, creating humane working conditions, and working with sustainably sourced materials.
Published on Feb 27, 2024 by 
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