Oh the world of Fitness Influencers. They often share helpful and creative tips to lose weight, gain muscle, eat healthier, and the best fitness apparel to shop. Do you have one that you follow and love? If you’re on Instagram at all, then you’ve probably heard of both Fabletics and Gymshark as great workout clothing brands. And they are! There is a reason why each has a cult following. So which one are you? A Fabletics lover, or Gymshark fan?
The main difference between Fabletics and Gymshark is that Fabletics has a monthly subscription option for you to become a VIP member, and Gymshark does not have any subscription options at all. They’re simply an online retailer. Let’s get into it some more to see which is the best pick for you.
How Do They Work
Chances are that you’ve heard of both Fabletics and Gymshark. Fitness influencers rave about these two brands specifically, so they’re hard to miss. Let’s take a look at how they work.
Fabletics
Fabletics is a fitness apparel brand whose mission it is to provide high-quality workout clothing for “everyone and everybody” at an affordable price. As a subscription service, Fabletics gives its members access to trendy fitness apparel options (for both men and women) at a fraction of the price.
First of all, you don’t need a subscription to shop at Fabletics. You can absolutely shop their site. But becoming a member with a monthly subscription payment gives you steep discounts on their workout clothing. For example, the amount you normally spend on a pair of leggings can get you leggings and a sports bra at the same price. Amazing! Also, Fabletics often collaborates with well-known celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens to create a curated line of workout apparel which is fun.
To get started with Fabletics, you’ll first be prompted to take a brief style quiz. This will cover everything from your preferred fit, colors, and types of workout wear. Once you have completed the quiz, you’ll make an account, sign up for a VIP membership and then shop the site!
Joining the VIP membership not only gives you access to great discounts, but you also get the Fabletics Fitness app. Being a VIP means that you’ll get “credits” every month to put toward clothing that you pick! These credits can be redeemed for a curated outfit (depending on how many you have), or an item of clothing up to $80. Credits do expire after a year, so be sure you use all of them up! ***Another cool thing: You can use your credits at Fabletics sister store Yitty, which is a shapewear apparel brand curated by Lizzo herself!
You’ll have a recurring automatic charge for the VIP membership subscription every month. If you decide you’d like to skip a month and save the money, you can do so between the 1st and the 5th of the month. If you forget, you will be automatically charged, and given credits. But you don’t have to use those credits right away if you don’t want to, and can let them roll over to the next month. I would honestly forget between the 1st and 5th of every month, so I had a lot of credits piling up!
Gymshark
Now onto Gymshark, another fitness brand with a huge cult following…
Gymshark is a British based fitness apparel brand that focuses on creating gym clothing that is top-notch and affordable. They do not offer any type of subscription, and you can shop their site directly at any time. They offer fitness apparel for both men and women.
Just like any other online retailer, you can shop Gymshark’s website directly, make returns and receive refunds. To make a return, all you have to do is send it back within 90 days of when you received your item. It also has to be unworn, with all the hygiene stickers (if swimwear), with tags on and in original packaging. Gymshark does not accept any returns on underwear! You’ll be refunded to your original payment method used at the time of checkout.
*** You can become a VIP with Gymshark by signing up for their emails which will give you first alerts to product drop, exclusive deals and more! Means a little different than it does with Fabletics.
Pros/Cons
These two companies operate so differently, there are pros and cons to each.
Fabletics
Pros:
- There are workout clothing options for both men and women.
- Use your credits at Yitty, Fabletics sister company specializing in shapewear.
- Access to mobile fitness app for workout inspiration.
- Shop single items OR pre-curated outfits, which are dang cute!
- High quality workout clothing for a fraction of the cost.
- Sizing up to 4X
Cons:
- Can only skip the month between the 1st and the 5th. I would often forget, and get automatically charged.
- Monthly subscription cost is higher, which is unfortunate when you forget to skip a month.
- You pay for any return shipping. Lame!
- Styles and curated workout wear from certain celebrities can sell out quickly.
Gymshark
Pros:
- Fitness apparel options for both men and women.
- A very trendy brand that is popular among fitness influencers.
- Great return policy.
- Simple designs – a total plus for me!
- Other accessories available for purchase.
- No subscription required.
Cons:
- Sizing only goes up to XXL
- Not as affordable as other brands.
How Much Do They Cost
Which is truly the more affordable fitness apparel option? Let’s find out.
Fabletics
A subscription for the Fabletics VIP membership is an automatic charge of $54.95 per month. With this membership, however, you can get a fully curated outfit at a fraction of the cost that each item would be worth without a subscription.
If you don’t want to subscribe, you can absolutely shop their site directly. Prices will be higher, and you won’t have first access to certain collabs or product drops which means they might sell out.
To skip a month you’ll need to do so between the 1st and the 5th of each month. Otherwise you’ll still be charged the membership fee and given a credit toward their activewear.
Gymshark
Pricing for all of their items is pretty standard. I wouldn’t put it at the lower end, but definitely not as high as some other workout brands such as Lululemon. For leggings, you can expect to pay around $40-$60, and for sports bras it’ll be around $30. Gymshark doesn’t often have discounts available, so take advantage when they are going on!
What Do You Get? (brands, style, sizes, etc.)
Both of these fitness apparel brands offer a wide variety of workout wear and accessories.
Fabletics
Fabletics has fitness apparel for both men and women. They also have a sister shapewear company, called Yitty, that your credits are valid toward. You have many options for leggings, shorts, even tennis skirts. Sports bras in all different impacts (low, medium and high) and so many cute tops! Fabletics also has some accessories you can purchase such as bags, shoes, socks and outerwear. Sizing for all of these items is standard and goes up to 4X. Fabletics has a lot of options with patterns, but also many more classy and muted colors and patterns available too.
Gymshark
Gymshark is not as size inclusive as Fabletics, with their sizing starting at XS, and only going up to XXL for women and 3XL for men. One nice thing I found is that Gymshark has a very comprehensive sizing chart to help you get the right size the first time.
With their more simple patterns and muted colors, I love the selection for Gymshark activewear. Sometimes I feel that workout clothing can be a bit busy… You can purchase leggings, sports bras, workout tops, as well as other accessories such as socks, bags, underwear and water bottles.
Final Thoughts
So for about the price of one item at Gymshark, you can get multiple at Fabletics with the VIP membership subscription. Gymshark does not require a subscription, which is a plus, so you don’t have to worry about skipping a month between a 5 day period at the beginning of every month. Fabletics is more size inclusive than Gymshark, offering sizes up to 4X. Both of these fitness brands offer high quality workout clothing at a decent price, and have huge cult followings with all the fitness influencers.
We honestly prefer Fabletics for the price and quality of what you get, but you can’t go wrong with either option. If you need larger sizing, then Fabletics is the way to go.
