Let’s be real, finding fitness clothes can be straight-up hard. You take hours out of your day to try on legging after legging, do the squat test to make sure it’s not see-through, and make sure all the bright colors and patterns match. It can be an ordeal to say the least. What if I told you there was an easier way to buy workout clothes?
Because there is! And they’re called subscription boxes. Get fitness clothes sent right to your door so you can squat-proof those leggings in the comfort of your own home.
Today I’ll be comparing two activewear subscription boxes: Ellie vs Fabletics. These two boxes are very similar in how they work. You pay a certain amount monthly for a workout outfit that YOU get to choose. No surprises. The main difference between Ellie vs Fabletics are the subscription options. You’ll have more flexibility with Ellie, but have more activewear options to choose from with Fabletics. Let’s dive into these two boxes to find the best fit for your workout needs.
tl;dr: Our pick is Fabletics
How Do They Work
Fabletics starts you out with a brief style quiz, then requires you to create an account to purchase from them. Ellie doesn’t have a style quiz to take.
But if you do, you’ll have access to their “member-only exclusive access” outfits for a great price!
Ellie
This brand doesn’t seem like a subscription service at first! With Ellie, you start by shopping their site for the outfit that you want, decide which subscription option you’d like to sign up for, then add it all to the cart. Easy as pie! Ellie doesn’t sell many individual pieces of clothing, but sells mostly workout sets. This is great because you’ll get a whole new workout outfit that matches completely. I also love that YOU can pick out what shows up in your box. No surprises here! You’ll then receive your box in the mail, try on your new athleticwear, and ROCK your workouts. Or, if you decide that the fit isn’t quite right, Ellie will replace the items for free.
Your subscription with Ellie will automatically renew monthly, but you can skip a month if you’d like. At the beginning of each month Ellie will drop three new outfit collections. You can take a look, decide if you like any of them or want to skip for the month. You’ll need to skip between the 1st-4th of each month to not be charged.
Fabletics
Fabletics is very similar with a few perks! You take a brief style quiz, create an account, and shop the site. Fabletics has a mixture of curated outfits as well as individual pieces. While shopping the site you can choose if you’d like to purchase items at retail cost, or you can join the VIP membership where you get discounts and exclusive offers (including access to a fitness app). With the VIP membership, you’ll purchase monthly credits that can be redeemed for a 2 piece outfit, or an item of clothing up to $80. Buying the credits means you don’t have to get a monthly box if you don’t want to, but can save the credits for workout pieces you really like in the future. These credits have to be used within a year or they’ll expire.
Just like Ellie, Fabletics gives you the option to ‘skip the month’, but you have to do it between the 1st-5th to avoid being charged their monthly VIP fee. If you have extra credits, you can also use your member credits on their shapewear sister company, Yitty.So cool!
Pros + Cons
Now I’ll lay out the pros and cons of each service to iron out the right fit for your needs.
Ellie
Pros:
- YOU pick what comes in your box. No surprises here!
- They provide a good variety of tasteful workout wear options that are high quality, and a great price.
- Free shipping and free returns.
- You can skip any month you don’t want the service.
Cons:
- Not many single-purchase items available.
- They don’t ship internationally.
Fabletics
Pros:
- Has options for both women and men.
- Gives you access to their mobile fitness app.
- You can buy outfits OR single items.
- They have a sister shapewear company called Yitty that monthly credits can be used towards.
- High quality workout clothing.
Cons:
- Prices are steep, especially if you’re not a VIP member.
- You have to pay for return shipping.
- Styles can sell out quickly.
How Much Do They Cost
Both of these subscription boxes have amazing prices for what you get. You can get a high quality three-piece outfit for the price of one pair of leggings at Lululemon.
Ellie
At Ellie you have the option to be able to customize what’s in your box, and how much you’d like to pay for it each month. They have 3 subscription options:
- 2 item subscription (top & bottom) $39.95
- 3 item subscription (top, bottoms & sports bra) $44.95
- 5 item subscription (top, bottom, sports bra and 2 accessories) $49.95
If you would like to cancel your subscription, you can do so on their website or by contacting their customer service line.
Fabletics
Fabletics is a little different. For a monthly charge of $49.95, you’ll have access to the VIP membership where you get steep discounts (we’re talking 50% off) on their activewear. If you’re not a VIP, you can still shop their site but their pieces are a lot more pricey.
If you don’t want to have your card charged for one month, then you can skip it! But if you forget, then you’ll be charged the monthly membership fee and given a credit to put toward future outfits. Same as Ellie, if you’d like to cancel your subscription, you can do so on their website or by calling their customer service line.
What Style Of Clothes Do You Get?
Are you the type of person that doesn’t like obnoxious patterns and colors? Are you the type of person who doesn’t want to wear black all the time though? Me too! Both Fabletics and Ellie have a wide range of options for you to choose from.
Ellie
From sweet subtle prints to solid pastel colors, Ellie’s style options are all sophisticated and fashionable. You have access to sports bras, bottoms, tops and other accessories. Sizing is standard from XS to XXL. Ellie has an in-house brand, but also carries items from other brands like Jessica Simpson and Marika.
Fabletics
Fabletics has a very large variety of colors, patterns, and styles – there is something for everyone! They have more options for sizing starting at XXS up to 4X. All the clothing as far as I can tell is Fabletics brand clothing. They have all the trending styles, and have even dropped a new line for Tennis recently!
Final Thoughts
Both of these activewear subscription boxes are great options if you want to dip your toes into the water of conveniently finding new, quality workout clothing at a great price! Overall, it does seem that Fabletics has more options as far as styles go, which is the better fit in our minds. But in terms of quality, you can’t go wrong with either.
