Feb 21

Feb 21 Lululemon Align Pants versus Aerie Leggings

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I know, I know. We just talked about this! You are passionate about not spending $98 on a pair of leggings, so I’m just here to help. I recently shared a post comparing Lululemon Align Leggings to two pairs of leggings from Amazon. Upon doing that research I realized that I needed to look for leggings that had at least 81% of nylon, as that’s the amount that the Align pants have. I screenshotted these Aerie leggings multiple times before (they had great reviews), but had not tried them out yet. I looked closer at them this go-around and noticed that they were 88% nylon! That’s more than Lulu’s have, but it’s the nylon that give Aligns the amazing feel, so I thought it was worth the try.

Keep reading to learn what I thought of the Aerie OFFLINE Real Me High Waisted Legging in comparison to the Lululemon Align Pant.

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Aerie OFFLINE Real Me High Waisted Legging

Comparison of Lululemon Align Pants and Aerie Offline Leggings:

lululemon align leggings

$98
Comes in 21”, 23”, 25”, 28”, 31” lengths and joggers, plus tops and shorts ( I love the 28” leggings and 6” shorts!)
Made in Cambodia
81% Nylon // 19% Lycra Elastane
Machine wash cold with like colors, can tumble dry on low but I always hang to dry
Waistband Front: 5”
Waistband Back: 6”
I wear a size 6

Aerie OFFLINE Real Me High Waisted Legging

$44.95, but usually on sale for around $30

7/8 length which usually translates to 25”
Made in Vietnam
88% Nylon // 12% Elastane
Machine wash cold with like colors, tumble dry on low
Waistband Front: 5.5”
Waistband Back: 5.5”
I wear a size S
Compared to Align Leggings: Let me start by saying that there is a large “OFFLINE” collection and not everything in it is the same fabrication. The only leggings I’m going to be comparing to the Align Pants are these high waisted leggings. They have almost 2k reviews averaging 4.5+ stars. I did however try the twist front version which is actually the same fabrication as the high waist. I ordered the red color and they were SO see through. The high waist only comes in darker colors / neutrals, so they weren’t instantly see through like the twist were. I performed the squat test on the high waist leggings (keep in mind I ordered them in black) and they were just slightly sheer when I bent over. Nothing crazy that would keep me from wearing them though. If you order these leggings, I would stick to darker colors. Side note - I also tried the Aerie rib leggings and I like them! They are 100% different from the Aligns - thicker and not at all see-through. The feel of this Aerie High Waist fabric is so much more like the Aligns than these Amazon leggings I compared recently. So soft and not too silky! The weight isn’t as comparable to the Aligns though. I think because it has 7% more nylon than the Aligns, it is more lightweight. One of my favorite parts about the Aligns is that they somehow manage to be lightweight, yet not too lightweight? Not sure how they do it! Additionally, because there is less Elastane in the Aerie’s (the same thing as Spandex), it doesn’t seem to be as stretchy compared to the Aligns and even the other Amazon pair. Something I do like about the Aerie leggings is the waistband. It is sewn on in a really flattering “V” and is roughly the same height as the Lulu’s!

lululemon align leggings vs Aerie OFFLINE Real Me High Waisted Legging

On my last comparison post, I deemed these Amazon leggings the winner of the 2 I tried. Be sure to check out the post, because it did come with caveats. Here’s how those Amazon leggings and these Aerie leggings shake out:

Waistband Choice: Aerie, though I didn’t hate the #1 Amazon ones
Fabric Feel: Aerie
Price: Amazon is typically cheaper if Aerie’s aren’t on sale
Stretchiness: Amazon
Squat Test: Both were similar and slightly see-through
Care Instructions: Aerie (you are supposed to hand wash the Amazon ones)
Most like Aligns: Aerie (Amazon #1 feels more like a cross between Align and Fast and Free)

lululemon align leggings vs Aerie OFFLINE Real Me High Waisted Legging

As you can see the two are pretty close, though Aerie squeaks by with the win. Overall, I still deem Lululemon Align leggings the champion, but this Aerie legging is a good contender if you want to spend half the price. Oh and you can machine wash / dry them, which is more than you can say for the Amazon pair I shared the other day! Let me know if you find any other similar pair - would love to try them out!