As a high school student that only works a few days a week, I will do almost anything to find deals in order to get the best price for something: coupons, sale sections, and even dupes for some of my favorite, more highly-priced items. 

One brand comes to mind immediately whenever the word overpriced is involved, everyone’s favorite clothing brand to splurge on: Lululemon. I am not quite sure when wearing over one-hundred-dollar leggings became the social norm at our school, but all I know is that I can’t make it ten feet down the hallway without spotting the classic silver Lululemon logo. 

Although I do have a small collection of my own Lululemon clothing items, I was curious to see if the Amazon dupes I kept seeing all over my TikTok For You Page were really as similar—both in style and quality. 

For nearly a quarter of the price, I personally invested in the Align top dupe, Hottie Hot High-Rise Lined shorts, and the Track That shorts dupe.

In addition to these Amazon pieces, I also own a pair of Lululemon brand Align leggings. Although I cannot personally speak on the Amazon version of the Align leggings, after a deep dive through reviews and speaking to friends who have ordered them, I have a grasp on their comparability. 

I have had all of these items as well as their Lululemon counterparts in my wardrobe for multiple months in order to see how they would wear over time. When it comes to the Align top, the Amazon dupe is a stretchier athletic material, and although it’s slightly thinner than the real thing, it’s not see-through. 

Whereas the original Align top has a thick material and a little bit more structure, particularly with the built-in sports bra, and overall feels more durable. 

However, after wearing both to many cheer practices, I actually prefer the lightweight material of the dupe when it comes to working out purposes. It allows for more flexibility and isn’t so constraining. The original Align, on the other hand, is better suited to just be a cute top. It’s one that can be worn around school for six hours straight and still be comfortable. 

Depending on your needs, either top is a viable option. However, the dupe costs around fifteen dollars while Lululemon’s price is fifty dollars.

When it comes to the Amazon version of the Hottie Hot shorts, they might be my favorite purchase. Aside from the fact that they fit me really well, they were almost identical to the real thing in terms of performance and appearance. 

The material felt to be the same, unlike the Align top, and overall, I have no complaints. If you are willing to forgo the classic Lululemon logo and save some money, then these are definitely my preferred version. 

However, if you find yourself liking the look of the Track That shorts better, I would not purchase from Amazon. I had really high expectations for these shorts, but when they came in the mail, I was slightly disappointed. 

The fabric felt thin and was a noticeably lower quality to the touch, and the fit was completely different. On Lululemon’s site, they offer a variety of different lengths of shorts in order to accommodate different heights, but on Amazon, there is only one length available. 

As a shorter person, the shorts didn’t hit at the right spot on my legs, and combined with the fabric, it just wasn’t a flattering fit. 

Lastly, the most commonly seen Lulu product—the Align leggings. I have had the real pair for about three years now and have just recently started to see a few signs of pilling. However, aside from that, they have been a trusty wardrobe staple.

As I mentioned earlier, I don’t personally own the Amazon versions of the leggings, but from what I gather from the reviews, most experiences with the purchase are positive. They state that although the quality might be slightly lower, it is not something you would be able to easily notice, and it’s certainly the best quality you are going to get for a price of twenty-two dollars. 

There are a few bad ratings sprinkled throughout written by people who said they’ve bought multiple pairs of the Amazon leggings and noticed a couple of discrepancies in the material’s consistency. Sometimes, it’s a durable fabric that feels good on the skin, but on other occasions, it’s constructed of something completely different and has a cheaper feeling. 

Lululemon’s quality is notably more reliable, but for the hefty price tag, many people don’t find it to be worth it. However, if you’ve got the money to spend, it’s never going to fail you. 

But if you want to save some cash and have a nearly identical look, Amazon is definitely the way to go.