Despite stiff competition in recent years, lululemon’s grip on the athleisure market is ironclad. Their April 2023 quarterly market valuation placed them at just over a record $48 billion dollars, and they remain the brand worth investing in in the eyes of this commerce editor. Extra emphasis on invest, for as much as lululemon is known for their high-performing gear, they’re also known for high price tags. Thankfully, I’ve found a perfect dupe on Amazon for 60% cheaper, and the resemblance is uncanny.
CRZ YOGA has done what numerous cheap Amazon brands attempt to do, but fail miserably at: create lululemon alternatives that look and feel just like the real thing. Their stuff feels so similar to actual lululemon gear that I’ve mistaken it numerous times while packing and doing laundry. They even have a minimalist logo at the tailbone of the leggings and lower corner of the shorts.
The women’s leggings, available for only $32, feel just like lululemon’s Butterluxe fabric. The men’s linerless shorts are a perfect $28 replica of lululemon’s $68 shorts. I’ve washed their gear as I would lululemon gear — cold cycle and a regular drying cycle with my other clothes (don’t come for me) — and the quality holds up. Their stuff is sweat-wicking and lightweight. It looks expensive, as far as athleisure goes, and I can’t believe more people aren’t talking about this brand.
It’s so good it almost feels illegal. I’ve tried other, cheaper athletic wear on Amazon. It does fine for a while, but ultimately pills, rips, or becomes so rigid and itchy that the price of lululemon’s fabrics looks more justified. My CRZ YOGA gear has yet to turn that corner.
The problem with lululemon, for me, is that it’s always been a little too expensive and rarely goes on sale. At the end of the day, these stretchy multicolored fabrics are being used to cover me up while I sweat. They’re not shielding anyone from gunfire or warding off frostbite at sub-zero temperatures. They make movement easy and help the body regulate its temperature, and that shouldn’t require spending hundreds of dollars.
CRZ YOGA is also just as good for men’s gear as it is for women’s, and the price for the quality you’re getting is hard to beat. Here are a few of my favorite things with a few testing notes about each one.
CRZ YOGA Men’s 7″/9″ Linerless Workout Shorts
These are very close to lululemon’s Pace Breaker shorts, complete with the option for a 7- or 9-inch inseam, and the ultralight fabric feels exactly like it was made by lululemon. They feel smooth, cooling to the touch, and don’t ride up unnecessarily during high-intensity movements. They’re also available in a bunch of neutral lululemon-esque colors and because the price is low you can stock up on multiple pairs without splurge-induced guilt.
CRZ YOGA Men’s 2-in-1 Running Shorts With Liner
Skimping on running shorts is a bad idea, especially for long-distance races where cheap material will fail you fast. These don’t perform at the level their price tag may imply. The liner inside stays in place, the outer layer performs much like the linerless shorts and the pockets inside feel dependable. Their design inspiration appears to be the Fast and Free Lined Shorts from lululemon, without the extra $56.
CRZ YOGA Men’s Stretch Golf Work Pants
lululemon’s ABC Pants revolutionized men’s work pants by making them flexible and comfortable without looking shlubby. These take that a step further by dropping the price by more than $80.00, so you can be a budget-friendly former shlub. They’re marketed towards golfers but are one of the closest dupes to lululemon’s office-appropriate pants I’ve seen to date.
CRZ YOGA Men’s 4-Way Stretch Golf Joggers
These jogger pants are another rip off of lululemon’s ABC joggers, a sleek pant for lounging and brunch stops where sweatpants aren’t appropriate. They have zippers along the ankles for extra breathing room on warmer days, exactly like lululemon, and are made of stretchy fabric for easy movement. Most importantly, they’re less than half the price and certainly don’t look like it.
Cheap dupes normally reveal themselves to be shortcuts by sharply losing quality and not holding up long-term. CRZ YOGA doesn’t do that, which is astonishing given how intense of a beating athleticwear takes both while being born and washed.
Dupe culture has been rightfully criticized for its environmental impacts akin to fast fashion, since it’s much cheaper to produce a ripoff than a real pair of Bottega Veneta earrings. Dupes steal and devalue artistic work while bolstering the value of authenticity. Dupes make pretty things more accessible. There is truth to both sides of the argument.
I also think there’s room for both the real deal and the knockoff in someone’s wardrobe — so long as the dupe is good enough that it doesn’t crap out and end up in the trash after three wears. There are times when splurging on the real thing is more than warranted. With CRZ YOGA, though, you revel in Luxstreme softness without paying a premium.