How to Tell If Lululemon Is Fake (And Where to Find Real Lululemon)

Our simple guide to catching counterfeit Lululemon products

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: November 30, 2022 References

Signs of Fake Lululemon

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Reputable Retailers

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Sites to Avoid

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What to Do With Fake Lululemon

You’re looking online or at the thrift store for some cheap Lululemon pieces, and you finally found an awesome garment at a reasonable price. But something feels… off. Your gut isn’t wrong—since Lululemon is a wildly popular athletic brand, there are tons of fakes floating around, especially on the internet. But with our helpful guide, you won’t have to second-guess yourself anymore. Take a look at our list of signs that a garment is fake to avoid counterfeit products. Then, read our list of places you can shop at safely and which sites you want to avoid to spend your money wisely.

Things You Should Know

Look for a square or untapered logo to tell if the item is fake.
Check the rip tag, and look for misspelled words or random capitalization.
Inspect the quality of the garment, and make sure it feels high-quality and thick. Check the stitching, too, to make sure it is free of flaws.
Make sure the pattern matches up if your garment is printed.

Section 1 of 4:

Signs of Fake Lululemon

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Square or untapered logo The Lululemon logo is instantly recognizable, and most fakes come close to mimicking it. However, take a closer look. The real Lululemon logo will be slightly rounded at the top and have tapered edges. Fake Lululemon logos often look clunky, squashed, or untapered at the ends.^{[1]
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- Lululemon leggings often have a small, printed logo on the waistband. Other garments might have an embroidered logo or a logo on the tag.
- If your Lululemon has a reflective logo on the outside, make sure it’s actually reflective. If it isn’t, it might be a fake.
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Misplaced rip tag The rip tag is the tag inside of the Lululemon piece that gives you washing instructions. Normal rip tags are on the left side of the garment near the seam. If the rip tag is anywhere else, it’s likely that it’s a fake.^{[2]
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- These tags are meant to be ripped off of the garment. If you’re buying second-hand Lululemon, your garment likely won’t have one of these.
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Errors or misspellings on the rip tag Inspect the rip tag carefully. Do you see any spelling errors or oddly capitalized letters? If so, it’s likely a fake—real Lululemon rip tags use correct grammar and capitalization rules.^{[3]
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- Look at the font, too, and make sure it’s consistent throughout. If the font switches halfway through the tag, the piece is probably not real.
- If there is a QR code, make sure it scans properly. If it doesn’t, it’s likely a fake.
- Look up the product code on the rip tag. If it doesn’t exist, the garment is probably a dup.
- Many fake Lululemon items will say “Lululemon athleticá,” with an accent over the “a.” This is a key indicator that the garment is fake, since real Lululemon says “Lululemon athletica.”
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Cardboard tag attached to the rip tag If you’re buying a piece that’s new with tags, take a look at where the cardboard tag (or the hangtag) is. Real Lululemon will never put the cardboard tag on the rip tag—typically, it’s inserted into a seam so there are no marks left when you remove it.^{[4]
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Missing size dot A size dot is a round, printed circle that tells you the numerical size of the garment. Size dots are common on Lululemon leggings. Check the inside of the small pocket on the back or the side of the legging’s waistband. If you can’t find a size dot or if the size dot has a sheet of plastic over it, it may be fake.^{[5]
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- Not all Lululemon leggings have a size dot inside, but most do. Consider this one a red flag more than a glaringly obvious sign.
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Low quality fabric or stitching Lululemon products are made with high quality fabric, which is why they tend to run on the higher end of the pricing scale. You can tell a Lululemon piece is fake if the fabric feels cheap or thin, or if the stitching looks hand sewn or like it’s coming apart.^{[6]
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- Lululemon garments will always use thread that matches the color of the fabric. If you can see the thread and it’s a different color, it’s likely that your piece is fake.
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Misaligned pattern If your garment has a pattern, take a look at the seams or where it zips up. Real Lululemon will always pattern-match, meaning that the pattern will look seamless throughout the piece. If it seems misaligned or looks off in any way, it’s probably not real.^{[7]
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- This is especially common with stripes. If the stripes don’t line up, the garment is not real Lululemon.
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Unreleased print Sometimes fake Lululemon garments don’t get it quite right: they use a print that hasn’t been sold. If you’re not sure, try posting in a Lululemon Facebook group or checking out the Lululemon website to see if you can find the print yourself. If you can’t, then it’s definitely a fake.^{[8]
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Pricing that’s too good to be true Lululemon is high-quality athletic wear, so it tends to run on the more expensive side of things. If you find a Lululemon piece that’s super cheap, that’s a big red flag. Most Lululemon garments are around $100, with some variation depending on what you’re buying.^{[9]
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- Not sure if the price is too good to be true? Take a look at the reviews on the website. If there are lots of complaints or 1-star reviews, it’s likely that they’re selling fakes.

Section 2 of 4:

Reputable Retailers

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Lululemon.com The most reputable way to find real Lululemon is obviously the Lululemon site itself. There, you can order things safely and be sure that you’re only buying real products that are sent straight to your home.
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Lululemon outlet store Want to find Lululemon for a little cheaper? Head to an outlet store to buy products that didn’t sell in-stores. These garments are usually cheaper, and they often run sales where you can get steep discounts. Find an outlet store in your area by visiting the Lululemon outlet store locator.
- Unfortunately, Lululemon warehouse sales are a thing of the past. However, the stock that used to be available in the warehouse sales now ends up at outlet stores, so you can still find it.
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Lululemon studio partners Lululemon will sometimes send stock to fitness centers and yoga studios. If you show up for your morning pilates class and find your instructor selling Lululemon leggings, rest assured that they’re likely the real deal.
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Lululemon collabs Sometimes, Lululemon will collaborate with fitness brands like Soul Cycle to sell their clothing. You may be able to find Lululemon pieces on your favorite fitness brand websites, and that’s usually a sign that it’s legit.

Section 3 of 4:

Sites to Avoid

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AliExpress AliExpress is a well-known site that unfortunately offers less-than-reputable clothing. Most of the Lululemon on the site is fake, and it’s not high-quality, either.
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Amazon Yes, it’s true—this giant online shopping center has a fake clothing problem. While you might find some great deals on Amazon, you’re also very unlikely to find real Lululemon pieces there, because Lululemon does not sell their goods on Amazon.

Section 4 of 4:

What to Do With Fake Lululemon

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Request a refund from the seller. Any reputable seller will give you your money back and work to fix the issue. If you know that your Lululemon is fake, send a message to the company or person you bought it from letting them know that you’d like your money back.^{[10]
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- “I recently purchased Gray Lululemon Leggings from your site. It’s come to my attention that they are not real Lululemon, so I’d like my money back.”
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Get a chargeback on your card if you can’t get a refund. Shady sellers will often refuse to give you a refund, even if you can prove the garment is fake. In that case, you can contact your bank and request a “chargeback,” meaning a refund on your card. They will look into your purchase and get you your money back.^{[11]
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- Keep in mind that requesting a chargeback often means you won’t be able to make purchases from that site or retailer again.
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Report the seller. If you purchased the item from a company or a business, you can report them and have their business looked into. Contact your local police department and report the seller for fraud.^{[12]
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