Lululemon’s ABC Joggers are the crown jewel of the company’s push into men’s activewear apparel. I’m not one of those guys that turns their noses up at men wearing Lululemon. Like many men, I appreciate quality activewear. That price tho. Lululemon’s pricing is on the outer limits of snobbery. 

My wife bought my first pair of Lululemon pants a couple of years ago as a gift. I get it. When you buy a gift, you don’t want to go cheap. After fuming at the $100+ price tag, I quickly got over the sticker shock. The joggers were amazing. I quickly found these were my go-to pants because of the balance of comfort and style. 

I’m not alone either. More men are ditching jeans in favor of a more comfortable alternative. Millennial men have definitely gone casual with their wardrobe.

Fast forward two years, my wife and I decided to start our own company selling quality athleisure activewear at reasonable prices. Our first product was the Everyday Flex Athleisure Pants. We created what we believe are the perfect pants for millennial men looking for a comfortable yet stylish go-to pants.

Today, we are comparing Rugged Black’s Everyday Flex Athleisure Pants and Lululemon’s ABC Joggers.

 

The breakdown:

ABC Joggers by Lululemon

 

Price

The ABC Joggers are an eye-popping $128. That’s 30% more than the popular Lululemon’s Women’s Leggings ($98)! There is a fair bit of brand premium built into that price. Meaning Lululemon communicates “premium-ness” through pricing. The price will quickly justify itself or make you feel ridiculous. Let’s go to the reviews to see if there’s an equal value exchange.

 

Reviews

Obviously, Lululemon has tapped into something special with these pants. Capitalizing on the strength of their brand, consumers will pay over $100+ for Lululemon Men’s Activewear.

They have around 1,000 reviews with a 3.7 rating. Which is not too shabby.

The Good:

“The most comfortable joggers I own…”

“Overall excellent quality I’ve come to expect…”

“…Can wear them all year round and wear them with anything you want.”

 

The Bad:

“When I washed them the first time, as instructed, the waistband got totally destroyed…”

“Not as stretchy as advertised.”

“Go find something for half the price…”

 

Summary:

Men love the quality and fit. They are not breathable or stretchy (which is an indicator of comfort). Durability is a big factor because of the high price tag.

 

The Feel

When I’m wearing these joggers, I immediately feel the quality of these pants. They have a more technical feel rather than a traditional jogger feel. Cotton joggers have that loose, casual feel. The ABC Joggers are more geared toward performance and have that outdoor windbreaker fabric feel.

The fabric composition is basically two types of polyester – 53% Elastomultiester (which is polyester) with spandex-like qualities and 47% recycled polyester. Polyester rose to prominence due to it being durable and inexpensive. The body of these pants will not pill, retain moisture, or tear easily. Polyester will also keep its shape. The waistband is another story.

The comfort of these pants comes from the recycled polyester. Recycled polyester is a great fabric. It’s better for the environment and sustainability. It’s also really soft. Vuori has a great product made of recycled polyester which are some of the most comfortable pants I’ve ever owned.

The lightweight thickness of these joggers means you won’t get much warmth. But since these pants aren’t breathable, you will benefit from the almost windbreaker properties of the fabric. If you live in a warmer area, you can wear these year-round.

 

Uses

Lululemon’s website says the ABC Joggers are designed for On the Move. I wear these joggers when I’m running errands, walking around the neighborhood, and in a casual setting like grabbing a beer with friends. Polyester is often used in outdoor clothing, so these pants were engineered for outside the home.

I don’t lounge in these though. Feel is subjective, but I don’t think these pants rank high in comfort. It’s not as comfortable as some of the other joggers in my closet such as Vuori, Public Rec, and our very own pants.

I also wouldn’t workout in these. Reviews on their website outline problems with durability, breathability, and movement (stretchiness). If you are spending $128 on these bad boys, you don’t want to have to replace them every month, because you are working out in them. Multiple reviews state these don’t hold up in the wash well.

 

Design

The ABC Joggers have the traditional jogger look. They have a ribbed waistband and bottom cuffs. They have this panel designed where it looks like you have huge pockets on the front. Other features include the faux fly, zippered back pockets, and drawstring waistband.

 

Sizing

Like most joggers, these come in small, medium, large, etc. and only one length – 30” inseam. This is okay when you were dealing with bigger, baggier cotton joggers. But if you want to have something a little more fitted, you have to do the waist and length. For the traditional “Lululemon profile,” this won’t be an issue. But if you are taller, have thicker legs, or have a muscular physique, you might have a problem with the limited sizing approach.

These ABC Joggers hit right around your ankle for an average height male (5’7” – 5’11”). The one length approach effectively eliminates the bunching at the bottom of the joggers which doesn’t look as clean and modern. Brands do this because it cuts down on the inventory and ultimately is less expensive. I’m 6’2”, so if I don’t wear these below my waist, I’m wearing capris in these joggers.

 

 

Everyday Flex Athleisure Pants by Rugged Black

 

Price

The Everyday Flex Joggers is $79. That’s 40% less than Lululemon’s ABC Joggers.

We are a newer company with less brand recognition, so we are more aggressive with our pricing without compromising quality. More established companies such as Public Rec, Vuori, and Rhone sell comparable joggers for over $100.

 

Reviews

Our joggers have about 62 reviews with a 4.9 rating. 

That’s a lot less than some of the bigger activewear companies. Each of our reviews holds a verified badge. This badge is generated by our review app provider Judge.me not us. These are actual purchases and real customers.

The Good:

“Love these new pants! Incredibly soft and stretchy…”

“Killer pants that are perfect for every day. I can run in them, go to the gym or the office…”

“You’ve got to give these a try. You won’t believe how comfortable they are…”

The Bad:

“I truly don’t understand why there is an option to choose your inseam if it’s not going to be accurate…”

“The zippers feel cheap…”

 

Summary:

        The Everyday Flex Athleisure Pants are some of the most comfortable athleisure pants on the market. They are versatile, breathable, and cost much less than the competition. The reputation and brand recognition is still being built up, so it’s not as established as bigger activewear companies.

 

 

The Feel

I’m biased. But when I’m wearing our Everyday Flex Pants, I feel they are the best on the market. I literally live in our pants. They definitely feel more like a traditional jogger rather than the outdoorsy technical pants of the Lululemon ABC Joggers. The stretchiness of the fabric allows more movement and breathability.

That’s because the Everyday Flex is made of a nylon and spandex blend – 87% Nylon and 13% Spandex. That’s almost the same as Public Rec’s All Day Everyday Pants. Many men see our pants as a cheaper alternative.

The mid weight heaviness of our joggers is that sweet spot for athleisure joggers especially if you live in a moderate climate. As long as the weather isn’t on the tail ends of the spectrum, you can wear them every season. For me, that’s between 40 degrees and 75 degrees.

 

Uses

We designed the Everyday Flex Pants for maximum versatility. As a cofounder, I test these joggers constantly. I work out in a cold garage gym in Denver. I take my son to daycare, go to the store, lounge around the house, etc. I cannot find an activity other than a professional, business setting that I wouldn’t wear the Everyday Flex.

Unless I work out in them, I usually wash them every other time. There’s no need to unless you sweat profusely. The breathability of these joggers will ensure you stay cool and dry. However, these hold up in the wash very well. Like the tag says cold wash and tumble dry medium. You don’t have to baby them like a lot of Lululemon gear.

 

Design

Our design taste is minimalist. We don’t believe in unnecessary lines, shapes and features. We believe everything must have a function. I grew up wearing streetwear. But one thing I hated was these big logos, unnecessary patches, and crazy design choices. Performance-focused modern streetwear athleisure is our niche.

As designed, our Everyday Flex Pants do not have the traditional jogger look. No ribbed waistband or bottom cuffs. They have a hybrid pants jogger look. It tows the line between active casual and semi-casual. We have a lot of restaurant staff, doctors, nurses, and coaches who like to wear our gear because of the sophisticated look but performance featured joggers.

Other features include the faux fly, zippered back pockets, and drawstring waistband.

 

Sizing

Unlike most joggers, the Everyday Flex pants come in jean sizing - waist and inseam. One of the major complaints of cotton joggers is the fit. They usually look pretty baggy, because they are aiming for a one size fits all approach.

To get the perfect fit, you want to get the waist right and the length right. That way you can get the right pair of jogging pants for your body type. Our joggers go from a 30 inch waist up to 40 inch. And the length goes from 30 inches and 36 inches.

 

Summary

In summary, we hope you found this comparison helpful when comparing our joggers to Lululemon’s. The value of our Everyday Flex Athleisure Pants is some of the best in the market. If you are willing to take a chance on an up-and-coming activewear company, we offer a no-bs money-back guarantee on our gear. We also pay for the return shipping. Don’t get more risk free than that.