Lululemon dominates the premium yoga apparel market. For hot yoga studios, the question is not whether Lululemon makes good leggings (it does) but whether your members should be wearing a competitor brand's logo during your classes or yours. Studio-branded hot yoga activewear in comparable fabric quality builds community identity in a way a third-party brand never will. Here is how studio-branded gear stacks up against Lululemon and why the comparison matters for your studio business.
Hot yoga practitioners buy Lululemon because it is available, it works, and it has strong brand recognition in the yoga community. The brand signals participation in the yoga lifestyle more broadly, beyond any single studio affiliation.
For studio owners, this is both understandable and a missed opportunity. Every pair of Lululemon leggings in your room is marketing for a company that is not your studio. Every pair of your studio-branded leggings is marketing for you.
The practical reason studios do not offer a branded alternative historically: minimum order requirements and inventory management made it economically impractical for studios with 80-150 members to stock quality branded gear. Bear Grips Pro Shops removes the minimum and the inventory, making studio-branded quality activewear viable for studios of any size.
The honest comparison between Lululemon performance fabric and the fabrics available through Bear Grips Pro Shops studio-branded gear:
Lululemon strengths: Proprietary Luon (nylon-Lycra blend) and Everlux (fast-dry polyester-Lycra) fabrics with precision construction and quality control at scale. Consistent sizing, reliable performance, strong brand equity that members have already decided to trust.
Studio-branded gear strengths: Bear Grips Signature Seamless Leggings and High-Waist Pocket Leggings use comparable nylon-spandex or polyester-spandex constructions with four-way stretch and moisture-wicking properties. At a retail price of $65-78, these sit in the same tier as Lululemon's accessible entry products ($68-98). Bella+Canvas performance tanks are widely used as a Lululemon alternative in studio retail contexts and accepted as quality by practitioners who shop that category.
The key difference: Your logo on it. Members who see value in supporting their studio and building community identity choose the studio brand over the third-party brand when the quality gap is small and the price is competitive.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Retail price comparison for hot yoga core items:
| Item | Lululemon Retail | Studio-Branded Retail (suggested) | Studio Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-length leggings | $98-148 | $68-78 | $14-22 |
| Biker shorts | $64-78 | $52-62 | $8-14 |
| Sports bra | $54-68 | $58-68 | $12-18 |
| Tank top | $38-58 | $36-44 | $8-12 |
Studio-branded gear is competitive with Lululemon on price while generating margin for the studio. The pitch to members is clear: same performance tier, your studio's identity, price at or below the alternative, and you are supporting the studio you practice at.
Members who own studio-branded gear are more retained than those who do not. This is documented in gym and boutique fitness contexts consistently: a member who has purchased branded merchandise from a studio has made an identity investment in that studio that goes beyond a monthly membership. They own something that represents their affiliation.
For hot yoga studios specifically: when a member is deciding between your studio and a competitor studio during a pause in membership, the presence of branded gear in their closet is a tangible anchor back to your community. A Lululemon legging is not.
This is not speculation: it is the reason boutique fitness brands like SoulCycle and ClassPass partners invest so heavily in branded retail. The merch creates the retention anchor that the membership alone cannot.
Custom studio activewear at competitive prices. No minimum, no inventory, free shipping.
Start FreeThe fabrics used for studio-branded gear through Bear Grips Pro Shops (nylon-spandex and polyester-spandex constructions) are in the same performance category as Lululemon entry and mid-tier products. Lululemon's proprietary fabrics are engineered to a premium standard. For most hot yoga practitioners, the performance difference is small and the identity benefit of wearing your own studio's brand is larger.
Yes. Bear Grips Pro Shops has no minimum order and no inventory requirement. A studio with 40 members can carry branded leggings, bras, and tanks without ordering a single item until a member purchases. There is no upfront cost.
Bear Grips Pro Shops