*Adds to basket*
Yep, the cost of living crisis is pretty real right now. Many are cutting corners to save costs as the months get colder and sadly, new stats show that one of the first things women appear to be canceling to cut costs is their gym membership.
We all know that movement is absolutely pivotal for boosting your mental health and everyday wellbeing, so have been scouting the internet for good deals for you, providing content on everything from free home workouts, to how to exercise for free.
So you can imagine our excitement, then, when we saw this lululemon dupe doing the rounds on TikTok. It's cut in a similar design to the athleisurewear giant's Swiftly long-sleeved t-shirt, but retails for around a third of the price (the Amazon alternative is £20, whereas the lulu Swiftly retails for £68).
Do we have your attention yet? We thought we might.
The reviews on the above tee are positive - over 800 reviews and an average 4.4 out of 5 rating, the majority of women who've bought the tee are happy with their purchase.
That said, one user, Joe, pointed out some key differences in the design, commenting: "I’m a Lulu snob, but I was looking for something else since a new swiftly is not in the budget right now. I wouldn’t say this is a Swiftly dupe since the fabric is thicker, less breathable, and the thumb holes are much smaller."
"I’m normally a size 6-8 in lulu tops and I ordered a large in this. It’s short and tight fitting so I definitely recommend sizing up. Good quality shirt for price, though."
My take? If you workout a lot, it's likely worth trying - at £20, it's an absolute steal and looks like a nice fit, too.
When you do have a bit more budget to play with, I'd advise investing in certain items of gym kit - a long-sleeved tee for the winter months being one of them. Top tip: keep your eyes on the lululemon "we've made too much" section of the website for reduced items if their full-price items are unaffordable for you. That way, you're getting high-quality items for less.
I have a grey lulu Swiftly long-sleeved t-shirt - I've had it since around 2018 - and maintain that it still smells, feels, and looks good as new. It's actually really rare to find a long-sleeved running top that doesn't retain a funky smell after a few washes - the Swiftly is one of them, so it's definitely worth the investment.
