Lululemon Align Leggings Review: Are They Worth It?

It’s time for a super honest Lululemon Align leggings review. Lately, I’ve been seeing A LOT of social media posts about various dupes of the Lulemon Align Legging. I personally haven’t tried any of these dupes (yet!) but am here to give a full breakdown of my thoughts on Lululemon’s Align pants. Are they really worth the hype and price?

Lululemon Align Leggings Review: Are They Worth It?

Let’s start with the basics: What the heck are Lululemon Aligns? According to Lululemon, the Align Pant was designed for yoga with its buttery soft (their words, not mine), weightless, Nulu fabric, and high waist. Think of them as the all-encompassing basic yoga pant.

What started as just one option (to my knowledge, at least) has expanded to various styles thanks to the popularity of the Nulu fabric. Some of these styles and inseams include:

•  crop (23″ inseam)
• ankle (25″ inseam)
• long if you’re a shortie like me (28″ inseam)
• shorts of various lengths
• jogger
• super high rise options
• and even a few bras in the same super soft material.

My personal favorite is the 25″ length. I’m 5’2″ and it hits me right at my ankle, but I can also pull it under my heel for barre if I really want. I do like the 28″ length, but then I definitely need to pull those leggings under my heel since there’s a lot of extra fabric.

[Note: In the above photos I’m wearing the 28″ length super HR variation]

 

The Price:

Aligns start at about $88 for crops and $98 for full length. This is pretty average for Lululemon and other high-end activewear companies. I can definitely understand that spending that much on a pair of pants to sweat in sounds outrageous.

But for me personally, I work in the fitness industry. I’m lucky to receive a discount from Lululemon as an instructor. I also believe in investing in workout clothes since they are my work clothes, too! I’ve always preferred spending more on high-quality items that will last.

 

But… do they last?

In my experience, the pants definitely hold up over time! I’m pretty sure I bought my first pair of Aligns in 2017. I’ve probably worn them every week or every other week since then — often times while sweating buckets teaching hot yoga for a few hours a day. This means I’ve washed them well over 100 times. I honestly can’t tell you which are my oldest pair of leggings versus newer pairs I bought this year as they feel pretty much the same.

 

The Fit:

I find the Lululemon Align fits true-to-Lululemon-size. I’m almost always a size 4 at Lululemon which is also what I wear in the Aligns. I know recently Lululemon expanded up to a size 20 in some colors, and I hope they will continue to expand their offerings with more inclusive sizing.

The fit is tight in the sense that it hugs your body, but not so tight that you feel like you’re being squeezed in like a sausage. If you’re looking for hardcore compression, this ain’t it. But the high waist does give you some compression.

They are truly the comfiest fit of any of my yoga pants which makes them perfect for lounging in addition to working out. And wow, have I done a lot of lounging these days.

Different Lengths:

As mentioned above, I find the 25″ inseam to be the right fit for me for everyday wear. It hits me right at my ankles without excess bunching. I do love the 28″ inseam if I want to feel extra cozy with my slippers — or pull them under my heels with barre socks which is something I like to do with leggings. Lulemon also offers free tailoring if you’re not happy with the length.

Biker Short:

I haven’t tried the new 10″ biker short option, but do have a pair of older 4″ and 6″ shorts. They’re not my favorite biker shorts for “everyday fashion” wear in the summer, but were awesome when I was on a workout retreat last winter in Nicaragua. I couldn’t imagine putting in leggings for beach workouts in that humidity so these shorty shorts were perfect.

Joggers:

I like to wear the joggers for lounging or barre. They are fitted around the butt and waist but then become looser around the legs.

(I chat about them in this blog post)

Maternity?

I can’t speak to this myself but I have heard quite a few times that the Aligns can stretch with you quite a bit as maternity pants — and it won’t ruin them in the long run. Obviously, I don’t know anything about being pregnant, but if that’s true WOAH.

 

What I think Aligns are great for:

• Pretty much most workouts:
  • Yoga
  • barre
  • strength training
  • spin
• lounging. Which I’m sure is something we’re all doing more of these days.
• Travel: I always bring a few pairs when I travel as they’re super versatile. I can be comfy on the plane. I’ll wear them with a cute top and a jean jacket as an outfit. And then of course I also wear them for working out.

What I don’t think Aligns are great for:

• Hot yoga. I definitely do wear them for hot yoga, and I’m sure some people would disagree with me and say they love their Aligns for heated classes. I find they don’t wick sweat as quickly as some other materials so afterward feel a bit cold.
• Running — I haven’t tried them for running but imagine they wouldn’t stay up the whole time from the motion and the friction from your thighs. I also personally 100% prefer running in shorts or pants with a drawstring. Y’know… back when I used to run.
  

How to Keep Your Lululemon Align Leggings Looking Fresh:

1. Wash with other workout clothes on cool. They’ll survive with a cotton t-shirt or undies but NEVER EVER EVER wash them in the same load as towels or anything with zippers.
2. Some people air dry them. I’m lazy and don’t have room to air dry things so I put them in the dryer on medium or low. DO NOT use dryer sheets or anything else that could clog the fabric.

Your Lululemon Align Leggings FAQ:

I’ve heard the Lululemon align leggings pill. What’s the deal with that?

I have heard complaints from others about the Nulux material pilling.

Mine are a tiny bit pilled, but not enough to bother me. I just inspected various pairs of Aligns that I have and notice the most piling around the butt, probably from sitting on rough surfaces. But I had to really inspect to see the piling.

I’m super strict about washing my workout clothes only with other workout clothes to maintain the quality of the fabric. This might be a reason why I haven’t had any major problems with piling. I personally do put them in the dryer on medium or low, which I’m sure is a no-no for some, but I haven’t had any issues with the pants shrinking.

I’ve heard from others that you can trade-in your leggings at Lululemon if they’ve had some serious pilling, but can’t confirm if that’s true or not! Might be worth asking if you have an older pair or before investing in new ones.

 

Do they stay up?

All bodies are different, and all pants fit differently on different bodies, but in my experience, the pants pretty much stay in place and I don’t feel like I have to hike them up all day.

I’m not sure if that would be the case for running. But for yoga, barre, and lounging they are fuss-free.

Do they pass “the squat test”?

Ah, the squat test, where you do a squat to make sure the fabric doesn’t become see-thru around your butt.

I can’t speak to all the colors, but the black ones 100% pass the squat test.

 

Old Aligns vs. New Aligns

Several people mentioned that the fabric is now different and less soft. I’ve bought several pairs between 2017 and as recently as the end of 2020. I typically only buy them in black so I can’t speak to the colorful fabrics. The fabric feels a tiny bit different at first. But at this point after a few washes, I can’t tell the difference between my older ones and newer ones.

 

All in All:

In my opinion, Lululemon Align Leggings ARE worth it. While I haven’t tested out any of the popular dupes myself, I personally would prefer to invest in clothing that can last me a few years.

While Aligns aren’t cheap, with the proper care these leggings will last for well over 100 washes. They are versatile and great for travel as they can be worn for working out, lounging, and casual outings.

For me, they are my go-to leggings — both in pandemic times but also in normal times.

✨

Looking for more fitness fashion? Check out my review of the Amazon dupe for the popular Lululenon Align tank here.

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