If you love the athleisure trend, you’ve likely come across Fabletics. They are hard to miss since their advertisements pop up just about everywhere. Whether you’re on social media or walking through the mall, chances are you’ve seen the advertisements ‘Leggings 2 for $24!’
You can’t beat it, right?
There’s a catch. To get that crazy low price, you need to be a Fabletics VIP member. What does that mean and is it worth it?
I will help you understand all of the details below.
What is Fabletics?
Fabletics is a subscription-based athleisure store selling women’s and men’s clothing. Co-owned by Kate Hudson, Fabletics has a lot of cute and useful clothing items including shoes and accessories. Most of the clothes are meant for working out, but if you are like me and live in leggings, you could find many cute and useful outfits there.
Your Fabletics membership entitles you to regular access to the latest releases, many of which are collaborations with celebrities like Madelaine Petsch (Riverdale actress), Liza Koshy (YouTube actor), and Demi Lovato just to name a few. But not all releases are collabs.
They do come out with new outfits and accessories monthly, so it’s kind of fun to see what they have each month.
If you don’t like shopping online, you can also shop at one of Fabletics’ 50 brick-and-mortar stores. The selection isn’t as large as you find online, but you can see the items in person.
How Does it Work?
Fabletics isn’t your typical athleisure clothing store. To pay their rock bottom prices, you must be a member.
Members agree to either shop the latest Fabletics releases each month or pay $49.95 a month to get a ‘member credit.’
Credit gives you access to one two-piece outfit or item priced up to $80. You’re only charged $49.95 on the 6th of each month if you haven’t used your membership and made a purchase between the 1st and 5th.
You also have the option to skip the month. If you skip no later than midnight on the 5th, you won’t be charged $49.95 and don’t have to make a purchase.
Credits are good for 12 months. So if you aren’t ready to buy something this month or they’re out of stock of the item you wanted (this happens often), you can save your credit and use it at a later date.
Why Sign up for a Fabletics VIP Membership?
It almost feels like Fabletics forces you to buy something each month, so why sign up?
If you avidly workout or love wearing athleisure wear, you’ll love the member-only prices. Fabletics claims members save 20% – 50% regularly and they often run special promotions that make the price even lower.
If you aren’t a member you pay the full retail price. If you’re consistent about skipping months you don’t want to buy anything, you aren’t forced to spend money you didn’t want to spend.
Another reason many people sign up for Fabletics is their amazing introductory deal. All new members have access to great promotions such as leggings 2 for $24 with no exceptions. Since many of their leggings have a regular price of $80, this is quite the deal.
Yet others sign up for it for the hot ‘collab’ releases. My daughter recently signed up just because she was excited about the Madelaine Petsch releases. We bought the items she wanted at greatly discounted prices and have skipped most months since.
We did forget to skip a couple of months so we had a couple of credits, but we found great ways to make use of them.
Other Benefits of a Fabletics VIP Membership
Besides the rock bottom pricing on your favorite athletic clothing, shoes, and accessories, VIP members enjoy the following benefits:
- Free shipping on orders over $49.95
- Free access to the Fabletics FIT app
- Easy cancellation at any time with no penalties
How Member Credits Equal More Savings
For most, it seems confusing to understand how member credits work versus taking advantage of Fabletics’ member prices.
Here’s a quick breakdown.
- Non-members pay full retail price
- Members pay a discounted price, usually 20% – 50% savings
- A member credit costs only $49.95 and can buy you an outfit or item up to $80
Sometimes it works out that you save even more money using a member credit, but you’ll get the most out of it when you buy a 2-piece outfit or an item with a much higher retail price.
Pros and Cons
Like any membership, Fabletics has pros and cons. These are the benefits I find the most enjoyable.
Pros
- Free returns and exchanges – VIP members get free returns and exchanges for 45 days
- Access to exclusive products – Some new Fabletics releases are only available to members or members who get early access. Since most items sell out fast, non-members usually don’t get the option to buy them.
- Earn points for every dollar spent – You’ll earn one Fabletics BeneFITS point for every dollar you spend. You can redeem your points for cash off your order (5,000 points equals $5 off) or for free merchandise like socks, a sports bra, a shirt, or an entire outfit.
- You can skip as many months as you want – You can hit ‘skip the month’ between the 1st and 5th of each month. Set a reminder on your calendar and you won’t be charged for your membership if you don’t want to use it that month.
- You can cancel at any time – You don’t have to keep your membership for a certain length of time. You can cancel it whenever you want.
Cons
It’s always important to understand the downsides of membership to make sure it’s worth it for you.
- Sizes run out fast – Fabletics releases new styles on the first of each month, but the sizes go fast. If you have your heart set on something, make sure you shop on the 1st or you’ll likely not find your size.
- Unused member credits expire after 12 months – While Fabletics reminds you that credit is about to expire if you forget, you could lose any credits you don’t use. At $49.95 each, that’s a lot of money to lose.
- Sizing varies considerably – You should always check the sizing measurements before buying any clothes from Fabletics. From one outfit to the next, the sizing varies drastically which could leave you unhappy with your new purchase.
- Shipping is only free if you spend $49.95 – You’d think if you’re paying for a membership, you’d get free shipping on any order, but you don’t.
Fabletics FAQs
Can you cancel Fabletics after your first purchase?
Yes, you can cancel Fabletics at any time. If that means you sign up just to get the 2 for $24 leggings and then you cancel, you can do it. If you don’t cancel because you’re worried about missing another great deal, make sure you skip each month you don’t want to be charged $49.95.
Is Fabletics as good as Lululemon?
Most women compare Fabletics to Lululemon, wondering which is best. As far as quality goes, they are both high quality. Lululemon may last a little longer, but both hold their weight during even the toughest workouts or most rugged wear.
As far as pricing goes, Lululemon is much more expensive than Fabletics if you’re a VIP member. Lulu doesn’t have a subscription model, everyone pays the same prices.
Is it difficult to cancel Fabletics?
There’s no fee to cancel Fabletics. You can cancel via phone (1-844-322-5384), via online chat, or on your Account Page.
If you cancel and have unused membership credits, you may still use them, just don’t let them go longer than 12 months. You’ll pay full retail price for any items you buy after you cancel your membership, though.
Can you shop at Fabletics without a membership?
You can shop at Fabletics without a membership, but you won’t enjoy the savings. Non-members pay full retail price for the items.
Final Thoughts – Is Fabletics Worth It?
At $49.95 a month or with the purchase of at least one item, is Fabletics VIP membership worth it?
It’s a personal decision. I have one and choose to skip most months. I keep the membership because I love the quality of their leggings and once in a while I like to splurge on a few other items that I would never pay full price for (Fabletics retail prices are high).
Because I’m good at clicking ‘Skip this Month’ on the 1st of every month unless I know a new collab is coming out, it’s worth it for me. If you don’t remember to skip the month or you just don’t buy athleisure wear often, it may not be worth it, or it may be worth grabbing those 2 for $24 leggings and then canceling your membership.
