As an avid fitness enthusiast and athletic apparel connoisseur, I‘ve tested my fair share of activewear brands. When a friend first told me about Ellie, I was skeptical that this relatively unknown company could compete with athletic giants like Lululemon and Athleta.
But as I dug into this Ellie activewear review, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality, comfort, style and value this brand delivers. Keep reading for my in-depth assessment of whether Ellie activewear lives up to the hype.
Ellie Activewear: The Brand Behind The Leggings
Before jumping into the nitty gritty details, let‘s get familiar with the young activewear startup behind those colourful leggings popping up on your feed.
The Origins
Ellie was founded in 2013 by Greg Wimmer in Los Angeles, starting out as a small subcrand under the parent company Fam Brands. While they began quite modestly, this fledgling startup has taken the athletic apparel world by storm.
Fuelled by rave reviews across social media and press outlets like Cosmo and Buzzfeed, Ellie has amassed over 150,000 Instagram followers. They‘ve strategically leveraged influencer marketing and their subscription box platform to carve out a niche in the oversaturated activewear space.
The Mission
"We hope you feel the love we pour into creating every piece of clothing, in sweat-testing every outfit, and in styling every look. We hope that each Ellie outfit you wear helps you feel a bit more confident as you hit your stride. And we hope that you believe, like we do, that feeling that way is worth every penny."
Ellie wants to empower women in and out of the gym by providing flattering, functional and affordable athletic apparel. They pour heart and soul into perfecting the fit, feel and performance of every sports bra, legging and top.
The goal is for active women to look and feel their absolute best while crushing their workouts, all without blowing their budget.
The Brand USP
So in an oversaturated market brimming with activewear giants, what makes Ellie stand out? Two key differentiators:
- ✔️ Monthly subscription model delivering surprise workout sets
- ✔️ Affordable, quality athletic apparel
We‘ll analyze both of these unique selling propositions throughout this review.
Unboxing Ellie: How The Subscription Works
Ellie‘s claim to fame is their monthly subscription box delivering surprise activewear straight to your door. But how exactly does it work?
The Plans
You can select between three subscription plans, each offering a different number of athleisure pieces per month:
- 📦 2 Item Plan: 1 top + 1 bottom = $40/month
- 📦 3 Item Plan: 1 top + 1 bra + 1 bottom = $45/month
- 📦 5 Item Plan: 1 top + 1 bra + 1 bottom + 2 accessories = $50/month
With free shipping included, that shakes out to just $10-$12 per high quality activewear piece.
The Personalization
Here‘s where Ellie subscription boxes stand out—members get full customization over the exact items selected month-to-month.
Before the next month‘s shipment, you fill out a style survey sharing your preferred colors, patterns, workout types and sizing details. Ellie‘s team hand selects pieces to match your taste profile.
You can even add specific styles to your Wish List if you have your eye on a particular sports bra or legging set.
The Flexibility
Ellie gives you complete control over your subscription. You can easily pause, skip or cancel your monthly box, no strings attached.
This flexibility makes it low commitment and low risk to test out the subscription. You won‘t get stuck with a mountain of spandex you don‘t like.
The Ellie Activewear Lineup: What I Tried
Alright, now that we‘ve got the subscription details down, let‘s get into the main event—the clothes!
To bring you the most thorough review possible, I tested out several of Ellie‘s most popular activewear pieces across categories. Here‘s the rundown of what I sampled:
- 🔺 Sports bras: Tulip Bra, Freya Reversible Bra
- 🔺 Leggings: Compass Ankle Legging, Fleet Foot Colorblock Legging
- 🔺 Tops: Cassie Wrap Hoodie, Briar Twist Back Tank
- 🔺 Shorts: Supersonic Bike Short
I put this Ellie gear through a gauntlet of HIIT workouts, runs, weight sessions and yoga flows over the past two months.
So how did they hold up? Keep reading for my in-depth review across the key athletic apparel criteria—fit, function, comfort, durability and style.
Fit & Sizing
Like many other athletic brands, I found Ellie bottoms and tops run true to size while their sports bras fit quite snug.
Across all leggings, shorts and tops, my usual size small was spot on. The waistbands were compressive without feeling restrictive, and length was ideal for my 5‘4" frame.
For reference, I‘m 32C in Lululemon and Athleta bras, but sized up to a medium in Ellie. Their bras have slightly less give than other brands, so sizing up ensures ample support without squished spillage.
If you fall between sizes, I‘d recommend following suit and sizing up in Ellie sports bras. Their customer service team is also happy to provide individualized fit advice over email.
Function & Performance
Now onto the make or break functional test—did these leggings pass the squat test?
I‘m thrilled to confirm Ellie bottoms are certified squat-proof, surviving deep squats, lunges and floor stretches without even a hint of show-through. Both the Supersonic Bike Shorts and Compass Leggings quickly passed this examination.
All Ellie activewear is crafted from smooth, breathable fabrics blending moisture-wicking tech with plenty of stretch. This combination kept me cool and comfortable through sweaty HIIT workouts and open gym sessions.
The Foldover Waistband on the Compass Leggings and Tulip Bra ensured my midsection stayed put during runs and burpees. While a few other Lulu dupes dug into my sides, I felt secure and supported in Ellie gear.
My only performance gripe is that lighter colored Ellie tops show sweat stains. The grey Briar Twist Back Tank revealed some wetness between my shoulders during a particularly steamy spin class.
Comfort & Feel
In terms of softness and comfort, Ellie pieces feel virtually indistinguishable from my Lululemon and Outdoor Voices sets that cost 2-3x more.
Their proprietary Super Soft fabric blend makes these leggings and tops buttery smooth against skin without feeling slippery or shiny like cheaper athletic brands.
No joke, the Compass Leggings rival my beloved Aligns for all-day coziness from home to the gym and beyond. Ellie also nails high-stretch, non-compressive waistbands ensuring I never felt restricted.
My one ding here is that thicker, less breathable fabrics are used on some Ellie bras. The Freya Reversible model felt slightly stuffy during cardio compared to my beloved Energy Bra.
Style & Prints
Alright, let‘s get to the fun part—all of the colors, prints and styles that set Ellie activewear apart!
Ellie kills it when it comes to playful, eye-catching looks in rich jewel tones and bold patterns. They offer way more variety than basic black and grey staples from mainstream athletic brands.
Fun details like mesh paneling, contrast stitching and back straps make basic leggings and tops feel special without going over the top. I particularly loved the coral accent stitching on the Fleet Foot leggings and Tulip Bra.
Speaking of standouts, the ombre blue Supersonic Bike Shorts and matching Cassie Wrap Hoodie pairing made me feel like an influencer gearing up for pilates class.
Ellie perfectly balances on-trend looks with subtle details ensuring their leggings and tops work as well for the grocery store as the gym. Functionality never gets sacrificed for fashion.
Durability & Care
After two months of near daily testing across 60+ wears, washes and workouts, all Ellie pieces still look and feel brand new.
From fabric quality and seam strength to wash durability, Ellie gear rivals beloved athletic brands in resilience through wear and tear.
I will say lighter items like the Briar Tank show signs of pilling faster than darker, more durable styles like the Compass Legging. But a fabric shaver quickly returns them to smooth splendor.
One huge advantage is that Ellie activewear holds up wonderfully through both machine washing and drying without shrinkage or fading. I simply wash all my Ellie gear in cold water then dry on medium.
For the price point, Ellie activewear durability goes toe-to-toe with far pricier competitors. Significantly cheaper than Lulu and friends without sacrificing quality or longevity.
Value & Cost
Alright, let‘s talk dollars and cents. How does Ellie stack up next to the competition on pricing?
Subscription Box
First off, the subscription box delivers tremendous value, shaking out to just $10-12 per high quality activewear piece. Where else can you get a designer-detailed sports bra or squat-proof leggings for $10?
Compared to StitchFix at $20 per piece or Wantable at $18 apiece, Ellie clearly comes out on top. Factor in the customization and flexibility, and this subscription becomes a steal.
Individual Pieces
Buying Ellie a la carte sits around Fabletics or 90 Degree Reflex pricing, substantially cheaper than Lulu or Athleta. Sports bras run ~$25-45 and leggings ~$50-80 depending on the exact style.
For the exceptional quality, detail and performance Ellie delivers, I find their individual pieces well worth the reasonable price tags. Pieces feel far more premium than cheaper brands with similar MSRPs like Colorful Koala.
When scoring across critical categories like materials, construction and longevity, Ellie gear performs like $100+ Lululemons for half the price. Count me a convert to saving with style!
Additional Ellie Activewear Review Considerations
Before concluding this review, I wanted to quickly touch on a few other notable factors potential customers would want to know.
Shipping & Delivery
Ellie offers fast, free standard shipping on all subscription box and a la carte orders. I‘ve consistently received my packages 2-4 days after placing an order in California.
They also provide USPS tracking info, so you can follow along with estimated delivery, helpful for when life has you on the go.
Returns & Exchanges
One area Ellie drops the ball is returns. They currently only offer refunds for quality issues but not fit or style. And a clunky return authorization process had me jumping through hoops.
I‘d love to see them streamline returns and allow standard fit exchanges like most athletic brands. Fit is highly personal, and accommodating exchanges bolsters customer satisfaction.
Sizing Consistency
While individual styles fit consistently size-to-size, Ellie does run into issues between certain styles or collections. One monthly box I received included a pair of leggings 2 sizes smaller than what typically fits me.
Tighter quality control between styles would help avoid inconsistencies and improve customer experiences.
Environmental Impact
As a bonus, Ellie scores eco-friendly points for utilizing partially recycled materials in 75% of their fabrics. Small details like recycled hang tags further reduce unnecessary waste.
So they edge out fast fashion competitors on sustainability without charging the typical green premium.
Ellie vs. Fabletics: Which Is Better?
To conclude this comparative review, I wanted to pit Ellie against fellow subscription-based budget athletic brand Fabletics. Which affordable activewear brand ultimately comes out on top?
I already spilled plenty of (virtual) ink on Ellie‘s strengths and weaknesses. In short, exceptional quality and style at a reasonable price thanks to their subscription model.
Fabletics shares some commonalities around budget-friendly athletic apparel and monthly membership model. But they falter short of Ellie in a few key areas:
- ❌ Inferior fabric quality and construction
- ❌ Limited style variety and customization
- ❌ Lackluster durability
- ❌ Aggressive VIP sales tactics
Based on first-hand testing across both brands, I believe Ellie offers superior value and quality without upselling or hassling customers. Yes, Fabletics boasts partnerships with celebrities like Demi Lovato, but their gear simply doesn‘t perform as well pound for pound.
Ellie runs circles around Fabletics when scoring across all my crucial criteria—comfort, function, fit, style and bang for your buck.
Is Ellie Activewear Worth It? My Final Verdict
If you couldn‘t already tell by my overwhelmingly positive review, Ellie has firmly won me over as an enthusiastic customer. This relative upstart delivers premium activewear rivaling the giants—without demand brand name markups.
From buttery soft leggings I happily live in 24/7 to supportive bras with trendy details, Ellie gear deserves a permanent spot in your athletic lineup. I swear by both their subscription box and a la carte pieces for quality, style and value.
So if you‘re bored with the same old black leggings and basic bras, give Ellie‘s colourful, creative aesthetic a try. I guarantee their cheerful prints and cool cutouts will have you feeling like an influencer gearing up for your next workout—all at half the price.
Thanks for joining me for this in-depth Ellie Activewear review! Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions before placing your first order.
