Finding workout clothing that you love can be downright hard! Every woman has a different shape, size and preference for what they’re looking for. And to add to the fire, oftentimes the clothing you love the most can be PRICEY. Like who wants to spend $100 on a pair of leggings every month? Not me. So what are the alternatives? Today we will be looking at two very well known and popular fitness clothing brands, and see which one is better in quality and for our budgets.
The difference between Fabletics and Athleta is the price tag. If you join a subscription with Fabletics you can see very steep discounts for what I feel like is comparable quality of clothing. But let’s take a closer look at both companies before we decide…
How Do They Work
You can shop the site from both fitness brands, but you can also become a VIP member through Fabletics which gives you steep discounts.
Fabletics
Fabletics is a fitness clothing brand that provides high quality workout wear to their VIP members at an affordable price. To become a VIP member, you must sign up for their monthly subscription.
First of all, you don’t need to become a VIP member to shop at Fabletics. You can absolutely hop on their site, and purchase whatever you want. The benefit to becoming a VIP member is that you get insane discounts which make getting quality workout clothing much more affordable. Being a member also comes with other perks, such as: access to Fabletics FIT app for workout inspirations, and you’ll have first access to new drops and sales.
Once you sign up to become a Fabletics VIP member, you’ll automatically be charged $59.95 every month and will receive a credit to use in return. These credits can roll over each month, and can also be used at Yitty, Fabletics sister shapewear store championed by Lizzo. With a credit you can order a curated outfit or single piece of fitness clothing for a value of up to $100. See the savings there?
Fabletics also gives you the option to skip-a-month if you’d like to save money, and cancellations are also easy. You just need to be sure to do either between the 1 – 5 of each month, which honestly, can be kind of tricky to remember. So set an alarm in your phone as a reminder!
Athleta
Athleta is also a very well known fitness clothing brand for women. They specialize in creating high-quality fitness and athleisure apparel to help inspire and motivate healthy habits for women and girls. This brand has been part of GAP Inc. since 2008.
Athleta does not require a membership or subscription for you to shop with them. You can find their stores all over the country, and you can shop on their website directly. The nice thing about shopping with Athleta is that if you need to make any returns, you can do so at any of the stores under the GAP. umbrella (Gap, Old Navy, or Banana Republic.
Pros/Cons
Both brands have the quality standard high, but there are some cons to each that may be a deal breaker for you.
Fabletics
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PROS |
CONS |
|---|---|
|
Activewear options for both men and women |
Can only skip/cancel between the 1st-5th of each month. Don’t forget! |
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Credits roll over and can be used at sister store, Yitty. |
Styles can sell out quickly in certain sizes and during certain celebrity collab drops. |
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Save money on quality workout clothing. | |
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Size inclusive (XXS to 4X). | |
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Different clothing options depending on the fitness activity you need it for. | |
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Free shipping on orders over $49.95, and free exchanges and returns if done within 90 days. |
Fabletics has more pros than cons in my book for a couple of reasons: they’re more size inclusive, the quality is there without the high price tag, and they have options for all kinds of sports and fitness activities. I also really appreciate the style of their clothing, giving you the option to choose loud bright patterns, or solid classic colors.
Athleta
|
PROS |
CONS |
|---|---|
|
More size inclusive (XXS to 3X). |
Can be costly. |
|
Good quality items. |
No menswear available. |
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Easy returns. | |
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They offer free hemming in stores. | |
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Large range of styles and workout clothing for various activities. (running, swimming, athleisure, etc) | |
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Frequently have decent discounts going on. | |
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Athleta girl line for younger girls. |
Although Athleta has more pros than cons on paper, I’m wondering if it’s worth spending almost $100 on a pair of good-quality leggings, when you can spend about the same at Lululemon and get a very high-quality long-lasting pair of leggings. The price doesn’t seem worth it to me when compared to other more affordable fitness clothing options, and other splurge fitness clothing brands. But I do love the variety of workout wear they offer, their mission to inspire women and girls is incredible, and they do frequently have a good discount going on.
How Much Do They Cost
Both are very average when it comes to the cost of a quality pair of leggings ($75+), but when you join a Fabletics subscription, it gets even more affordable with their steep discounts.
Fabletics
If you want to become a VIP member with Fabletics, then you’ll be automatically charged $59.95 per month. If you don’t want to become a VIP, and want to shop the site, you’re looking at an average of $75 per legging.
When you’re a VIP member, you’ll receive a credit each month to put toward the activewear of your choice. Each credit can be redeemed for an item or curated outfit that is worth up to $100.
Athleta
The average price for a pair of leggings at Athleta is about $90. For a sports bra it’s about $50 average. This is at the higher end of pricing for workout clothing, comparable to Lululemon. Athleta does frequently run promotions and sales though, so watch out for those!
What Do You Get?
Other than workout clothing? Both brands offer clothing for multiple activity types, workout accessories, and more! They are both also very size inclusive.
Fabletics
The specific items of clothing you get from your VIP membership are what you choose! All of the activewear is Fabletics brand, and they collaborate frequently with celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens. Fabletics also has a sister company called Yitty that you can use your monthly credits toward as well.
As far as sizing goes, Fabletics offers sizes XXS to 4X.
Patterns and colors vary, giving you a wide selection of choices depending on your preference. They also have many different styles of clothing perfect for different fitness activities such as tennis, weightlifting, cardio, etc. You can also purchase workout accessories and shoes from them.
Athleta
Athleta does not offer any type of subscription box. Rather, they’re a retail store with many locations across the country. They do also have the option for online shopping.
They offer a large variety of workout clothing and patterns.They also offer classy athleisure wear and can be used for everyday activities as well as light days at the gym. I thought it was very cool they offer swimwear options!
Athleta is very size inclusive compared to most of their direct competitors (Lululemon, Nike, etc.), with sizing going from XXS to 3X.
Final Thoughts
Both of these fitness brands provide very good quality clothing, and a large variety of styles for different types of physical activities. They both have great reviews, a very good list of pros over cons, and are companies that I can stand behind.
As to which one is better, Fabletics is the clear winner in our books.
Not only do they provide quality clothing, but with a VIP membership you can get that clothing at a way more affordable price than Athleta. I feel like if I want to spend about $100 on a pair of leggings, I’d rather go with Lululemon knowing they will last me longer and be more of an investment. That’s one of many reasons why Fabletics is better. I hope this article was helpful in helping you make a decision on which fitness line would help you keep up your workout motivation.
