California woman notices new Lululemon jacket showing wear after one wash. Then she learns something shocking about the fabric: ‘Bunch of scammers’
A woman noticed some issues with her Lululemon jacket the moment after she washed it for the first time. Confused, she took it to the Lululemon store, where they gave her advice that she never would have realized unless she had asked.
In a video with over 1.1 million views, Caitlin Tran (@catlintran) explained how different Lululemon fabrics need special care. Unfortunately, she learned through personal experience, as her brand-new oversized jacket from the company pilled almost instantly.
Tran washes a jacket, only to notice its pilled
Tran, a Southern California-based content creator, washed a near brand-new jacket from Lululemon alongside other activewear she had. But she accidentally threw in a couple of socks that had a “towel” texture to them. When she checked on her jacket, she realized it was pilling. There were tiny little fuzz balls all across her jacket.
Tran went to her local Lululemon store to ask them about the issue. The employees gave her a gift card, but they also let her know a few things about different fabrics used for their activewear.
She shared, “They said, ‘You’re not supposed to wash your Lululemon with socks, because when you turn your socks inside out, it mimics the material and the roughness of a towel.”
They also recommended that instead of getting the “luon” fabric, Tran purchase Nulu leggings.
“ I thought all fabrics were made equal,” Tran said. “Anyways. This is a PSA. Don’t get Luon. Get Nullu. Don’t wash your socks with the rest of your workout gear.”
What are ‘nulu’ and ‘luon’ fabrics?
Nulu and Luon are two different types of fabrics that Lululemon frequently uses for its activewear.
Luon is reportedly “very soft” and a bit heavier than Nulu. It compresses the skin, so it has a slight “hugging” or “sticky” feel according to regular wearers. In the jacket, commenters noticed that it had a heaviness that was great for seasonal wear.
But it has issues with pilling that customers regularly discuss on Reddit and through other forums. Websites like Scimiggy Reviews directly recommend that those wearing Luon avoid intense exercise as to prevent future pilling. Similarly, Luon has special washing instructions. You can’t mix it with towels or even socks, as Tran noticed.
Nulu is another soft fabric, although it’s a bit more lightweight and built for casual wear. It also has special washing instructions, and it’s technically considered less durable than Luon.
Generally, you should wash your Lulu clothes with similar items. Always wash your synthetic fabrics together in one load on cold, and never use fabric softener. You can hang clothes to dry or dry them on the coolest setting in order to make sure they last.
@catlintran Major props to the sales associates being honest about the Luon fabric tho #lululemondefineoversizedjacket #defineoversizedjacket #lululemonquality #lululemonhack #creatorsearchinsights ♬ original sound – Catlin Tran
Some commenters are saying Nulu pills more than Luon. Is that true?
Despite Tran saying that Luon was many Lululemon employees’ “least favorite fabric,” commenters disagreed. Many said that Nulu was actually the “problematic” fabric for them.
“I’ve always thought the opposite. My nulu stuff pills sooo fast, but my lion jackets from [years] ago are still in great shape!” one said.
A Reddit thread in r/lululemon echoed a similar sentiment. Commenters generally preferred Luon to Nulu, saying that it was more durable overall. But some said that Nulu was more comfortable.
As one Redditor described, “If you’re concerned about longevity and compression you will probably be better off with Luon. That being said, pants wise I only own aligns and unlimits which are both Nulu because I love the fabric so much and they are SO comfortable. My aligns are four or five years old and have only some very minor pilling and I wear these to the gym as well as for outside runs and lounging. I fixed the pilling with a fabric shaver and now they look almost new minus some fuzziness at the hemmed areas from wear. I have never experienced the horrible thigh pilling that some people have and personally think the pilling concerns are not as great as some others may think.”
Generally, it depends on your preferences and the way you wash your gear. There’s not really a definitive answer as to whether Luon are Nulu are better, so just make sure your specialty was the one you do end up getting.
The Mary Sue has reached out to Tran and Lululemon for comment.
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