When it comes to workout apparel, Lululemon has long dominated the scene. Its curve-hugging leggings and men’s ABC pants have become ubiquitous at every Whole Foods and airport lounge—the brand, truly, launched the concept of “athleisure.” But in recent years, we’ve seen a newer brand give the titan a run for its money: Vuori stepped onto the scene in 2015 and matched Lululemon’s elevated comfort while countering it with a more casual, comfortable silhouette epitomizing its Southern California lifestyle aesthetic.
Despite being different in many ways, both brands are now go-to options for anyone wanting nice-looking athletic apparel. In my opinion, they both offer some of the best workout clothes out there. But when it comes to Vuori vs. Lululemon, which brand deserves your hard-earned money? I’ve worn multiple styles from both brands in different environments, from the track to the gym to long travel days, and the answer to which brand is better comes down to your preference on fabrics, fit, sustainability and price.
Out of Vuori vs. Lululemon, which of the top activewear brands is the best?
Vuori Vs. Lululemon: A Brief Overview
Founded in Vancouver, Canada, in 1998, Lululemon was established on the idea of making yoga pants and apparel for women using an innovative, skin-tight fabric that was not only breathable and comfortable but also flattering. Over the years, these are exactly the attributes the brand has become known for. Lululemon also quickly carved out a niche in athletic apparel for other sports, namely running and tennis, as well as men’s athletic wear, but its luxurious technical-performance fabrics and body-hugging yet chic silhouettes are still the brand’s trademarks.
By 2015, the yoga and “athleisure” space had both exploded, largely thanks to Lululemon and its competitors. But most offerings were still in the women’s apparel space. Vuori was launched out of Southern California to fill this void. The brand started with a men’s yoga short, the Kore, and quickly expanded to offer a wider line of both men’s and women’s workout clothing. The core of the brand reflected—and still reflects—the southern California lifestyle it was born from with a foundation of comfort and “move-ability.” But it also puts a heavy emphasis on a versatile, clean and effortless aesthetic that allows wearers to transition from a workout to a casual event in the same clothing.
Vuori Vs. Lululemon: Fabric
One of the key factors that differentiates any activewear brand from another is their fabric—and that could not be more true of Vuori and Lululemon.
As mentioned, Lululemon was founded largely on an innovative fabric that the athletic apparel world had not yet seen in 1998, and that concept became the brand’s cornerstone. Its original performance fabric, Luon, was a cotton-type fabric that had higher levels of microfiber to make it super soft and stretchy. Quickly, the brand expanded its fabric innovation, and its apparel line utilizes a few different fabrics, but the real stars of the show are the iconic Nulu and Everlux.
Lululemon’s Nulu fabric is buttery-soft to the touch and feels nearly weightless on the body—so much so that you actually almost forget you’re wearing pants after a long day out in them, in my experience. That said, the weightlessness is a double-edged sword: Nulu fabric is notorious for pilling after just a few rounds in the washing machine, largely because of the thinness that makes it so comfortable to wear. In my experience, this pilling makes the leggings look old fast and counteracts the luxe aesthetic most people purchase Lululemon for.
The brand also has a devoted following for its Everlux fabric, which is quick-drying, cool against the skin, and feels silky and luxurious to the touch. Everlux provides a medium level of compression that most women find highly flattering, creating the perfect storm for a pair of women’s leggings that feel nice enough to run around town in.
While Lululemon’s fabrics lean luxe, performance and skin-hugging, Vuori specializes in clean-looking, highly comfortable athletic wear—elevated comfort, if you will. The other huge difference: Lululemon offers a range of fabrics for different athletic/lounge needs, whereas Vuori leans on one key material across most of its styles.
Its trademark fabric is called “DreamKnit,” a brushed jersey fabric that feels plush but stretchy and, moreover, incredibly soft. This is the fabric you want to lounge in without feeling restricted. I’d say it provides a similar level of comfort as Lululemon’s Nulu fabric but is far more durable and wears better over time. Also of note, DreamKnit is made largely from recycled material, giving it another sustainable edge over Nulu.
Vuori does have other noteworthy fabrics: BreatheInterlock provides reliable compression while minimizing moisture during a workout and is usually crafted in a second-skin feel. VersaLife is a stretch knit lifestyle fabric that offers quick-dry and anti-odor tech in a slightly heavier weight for errands-to-office apparel. That said, DreamKnit has become Vuori’s cornerstone staple over the years, and the brand leverages it into new silhouettes and styles to maintain their signature on-body feel.
Vuori Vs. Lululemon: Fit And Silhouettes
How workout clothes fit and move with the body is, arguably, one of their most important attributes. But in the day and age of wearing workout clothes outside the gym, silhouette has increasingly moved to the forefront as well.
If you want curve-hugging, highly flattering workout clothes, no one delivers like Lululemon. Pretty much all of their leggings, tops and sports bras are carefully designed to cinch and hug the female figure without compromising performance ability. Key to this are Lulu’s leggings’ high and wide waistbands—most women find this style to be the most flattering against their mid-sections (especially in the compression fabrics), but this design also stays in place during a workout better than a lot of competitor’s leggings that roll down. Lululemon was also one of the first major athletic brands to pioneer flatlock seams, which reduced chafing and bulkiness in the seam areas.
I’ve done nearly every type of workout in a range of Lululemon leggings, from running half-marathons to high-impact CrossFit workouts, and these construction tweaks really do make a difference in how their leggings work with the body rather than against it.
Vuori, meanwhile, generally operates on a more relaxed fit with a higher focus on comfort than aesthetics. True to its brand ethos, Vuori’s silhouettes are more lounge-oriented and the fit less skin-tight. Its leggings are certainly still designed to be close to and move with the body, and the brand does a good job of making looser fits flattering. But across the board, Vuori offers a wider range of silhouettes if you prefer a more typical sweatpant fit but in a lighter, performance-oriented fabric.
That said, you can also find a lot of the same styles of apparel at Vuori and Lululemon. For example, the Vuori AllTheFeels Bootcut and Lululemon Align High-Rise Mini-Flare Pant are both high-waisted, super soft flared yoga pants. Vuori’s Daily Crop and Lululemon’s Align Tank Top are both crop workout tanks with one-inch straps and a built-in bra, made from similar materials.
Vuori Vs. Lululemon: Men’s Offerings
Athleisure brands are often in the spotlight for their women’s apparel, but Vuori and Lululemon are also both go-to brands for men’s workout clothing. The differences are epitomized by each brand’s bestseller.
Vuori was founded in this product category. Its first product was the Kore Short, which are still one of the brand’s bestsellers and represent Vuori’s ethos. Designed, as the brand says, as “One Short for Every Sport,” the Kore Short really epitomizes Vuori’s ethos of functionality, comfort and versatility. They’re made from moisture-wicking fabric (largely recycled polyester and regular polyester with some elastane) with built-in liners to give more comfort and security during workouts. Guys I know love working out in these shorts for their security, breathability and overall comfort, even after being drenched in sweat.
Lululemon’s bestseller is the ABC Pants (it stands for “Anti-Ball Crushing”). They’re made from a stretchy, wrinkle-resistant fabric complete with a snap button, belt loops and pockets—essentially a comfortable, performance-oriented pair of dress pants. Just like its leggings on women, Lulu’s ABC Pants are ubiquitous at the airport for guys aiming for a smart, casual aesthetic.
Both brands are a welcome and high-quality option in the scarce category of sleek men’s athletic wear. But, just like their overarching differences, Vuori is often the more casual choice while Lululemon offers guys a more elevated take on comfort.
Vuori Vs. Lululemon: Sustainability
Neither brand can really be considered a sustainable workout brand. But Vuori has focused more resources than its competitor on being eco-conscious in its production: Its key DreamKnit and BlissBlend fabrics are largely crafted from recycled fibers, with roughly 55% of its overall fabric use coming from recycled fibers. Also, for the past five years, Vuori has offset 100% of its plastic footprint and is a Climate Neutral-certified brand.
Lululemon is trying to be better. The brand recently introduced plant-based nylon and enzymatically recycled polyester, partnering with outside companies to pioneer sustainable fabric innovations. In line with Lululemon’s broader goal to reduce its environmental footprint in the coming years, the brand has set lofty goals to transition over to more sustainable, recycled or renewable fibers by 2025 to 2030, depending on the fabric.
Vuori Vs. Lululemon: Price And Durability
When it comes to price, both brands are considered premium. That said, there’s a noticeable difference in cost: Lululemon’s bestsellers, like the Align leggings ($98) or the ABC Pants ($128), are often more expensive than Vuori’s counterparts, such as the AllTheFeels Leggings ($89) or the Kore Short ($68).
Lululemon’s price is often justified by the high-end performance fabrics, which is arguably fair. On the other hand, Vuori’s products are highly versatile thanks to their more laid-back approach, which means you’re getting more bang for your fewer bucks, too.
Final Verdict
I’ve worked out and traveled in both Lululemon and Vuori, and both brand’s deliver high-quality, versatile and stylish apparel.
Ultimately, the battle of Vuori vs. Lululemon comes down to your style preferences and what you value most. If you want a highly flattering fit to your workout clothes with a decent amount of compression to most styles, or you prefer your athletic apparel to feel second-skin and move seamlessly with your body, Lululemon is worth the higher price tag.
If you’re looking for a pair of leggings, shorts or sweatpants, or even hoodies that you can throw on every day regardless of what’s ahead, or you prefer a more relaxed fit, you may be happiest with Vuori’s apparel that feels comfortable from the gym to the coffee shop. Additionally, if you want to support more sustainable practices, Vuori is a better choice than Lululemon.
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
At Forbes Vetted, we’ve published many intensively tested articles on fitness gear. These include dozens of clothing roundups for both men and women that focus on transitional activewear from many brands including Lululemon and Vuori.
- Rachael Schultz has been a fitness and gear writer for over ten years, testing everything from running shoes to ski jackets to, of course, workout clothing. She’s tested dozens upon dozens of athletic apparel brands, big and small, over the past decade, including the two featured here. She tested the initial iteration of Lululemon’s Align leggings when they first launched nearly a decade ago, along with the brand’s other iconic leggings, workout tops, strappy sports bras and pretty much everything in their lineup over the years.
- This story and the fitness section at Forbes Vetted is overseen by gear editor Cam Vigliotta. He’s tested multiple styles from Vuori, including the lined and unlined versions of the Kore Short, and he regularly wears Lululemon’s ever-popular ABC Pant whether he’s working from home or on the go.
- In addition to the insights provided by Schultz and Vigliotta, we spoke with other Forbes Vetted staffers to learn more about their experiences with both brands and which styles, if any, they enjoy wearing on a regular basis.
- We routinely update our content to ensure it’s still accurate and useful. This story was last reviewed in September 2024.
