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I was one of the first in the world to try lululemon’s new Glow Up range – and think they might just be the brand’s best designs yet

February 17, 2025

Hands up if you feel like you’re eternally on the hunt for fit kit that genuinely supports you through your sessions but also looks good? It’s an endless struggle. While there are plenty of brands out there designing stylish bras and leggings, most of them aren’t actually sweat-wicking or supportive and end up falling down or crinkling around your knees mid-Reformer or Tree Pose. Similarly, there are only a handful of athleisurewear brands that strike the balance between genuinely functional but also fashionable kit – lululemon being one of them.

While the cult-favourite brand has some amazing ranges to its name for running and yoga, it’s long missed a trick when it comes to gym and studio-specific gear that sculpts, supports, and seamlessly blends into your day-to-day wardrobe. Enter their new Glow Up women’s range which launched last week, featuring leggings and tanks specifically designed to hug, sculpt and support your body and empower you to train without holding back.

Think the figure-hugging confidence that Skims designs provide and the well-documented sweat-wicking guarantee of the other lulu designs and you’re on the right track. So, when the opportunity came up to be one of the first in the world to try the new designs before they hit stores this week, I was all ears. Below, I share my honest review, plus why I’ve been raving about the designs to both family and friends. Keen to read our other kit recommendations, while you’re here? Don’t miss our tried and tested round ups of the best workout leggings, plus the best petite leggings, high waisted workout leggings, leggings with pockets, and patterned leggings. We’ve also got edits of the best sports bras, best workout tops, and best gym trainers, to complete the look.

I was one of the first in the world to try lululemon’s new Glow Up range – and it’s one of my top kit recommendations for 2025

Launching this week, Glow Up is lululemon’s newest women’s collection. The leggings and tanks promise to help you feel held in and provide shape without compromising on the all-important ease of movement or comfort needed from genuinely effective workout gear.

Think sleek, smooth designs that feel barely there but also make you feel seriously supported.

Made using a newly re-engineered form of their Ultralu technical fabric – a fabric that was previously only used in their bra formulations – the brand adapted this fabric for bottoms and tops after cottoning on to how super-soft yet sculpting it is.

The kit also promises to be lightweight, abrasion-resistant and quick drying, making your transition from Barre to brunch or deadlifts to dinner that bit more seamless. TLDR: you’ll love the range if you’re a fan of body-hugging, move-enhancing support, a streamlined silhouette, and kit that makes you feel held in and empowered.

“Every product we design solves an unmet need for our guests,” says Melanie Anayiotos, vice president of women’s design performance at the brand. “Glow Up introduces a new fabric innovation and waistband technology that delivers the supportive fit and sculpted look our guests wanted. It’s the perfect marriage of performance and style so you can train with total confidence.”

What I thought when testing the new Glow Up range:

I’ll be honest – when I was asked to head in-studio at Barry’s to try the new lulu range, I didn’t really bat an eyelid. Testing fit kit is part of my job as Senior Health Editor, you see, and I try hundreds of new launches a year.

That said, it’s rare that a collection really catches my eye and that I rate so much, I immediately recommend it to friends and family. And that’s how I feel about the Glow Up range – it’s a sweat-wicking, sculpting, figure-hugging triumph of a range that promises to see you through any workout and then brunch after, too.

If you’re a fan of the lululemon brand, the best way I can explain the new designs to you is a blend of their butter-soft Aligns with the compression and hold-it-all-in feel of their Wunder Train range.

I tried the longline tank and 25 inch leggings and the material for both is thick without being heavy, seriously impressive at moulding to your body, and seam-free. Don’t be surprised if you feel like the leggings won’t go over your hips, to begin with – I actually thought I’d ordered the wrong size but as soon as I got them up, they snatched in my waist while still being comfortable (quite the feat).

It’s worth noting here that I’m not particularly a fan of the “snatched” workout gear look – I’d far rather go with a comfortable, cosy kit or technical yet stylish support than leggings that sculpt your body and leave you with stomach ache afterwards. But that’s what I found so impressive about the new lulu range – they offer all of the sculpting prowess of other competitors without being painful.

I put the leggings and tank to the test during a 50-minute Barry’s lifting class which, for full disclosure, was a seriously sweaty one – think deadlifts, dumbbell rows, goblet squats and wall holds. But the Glow Up kit was a sweat-wicking, quick-drying, and supportive ally throughout.

As a Health Ed who tests more kit than I care to count, the ultimate sign of a good workout gear design, for me, is barely noticing that it’s there during your workouts. By that, I mean no saggy knees, waistbands that gape or fall down, seams that chafe or unwanted sweat patches. When testing, I found that the Glow Up range did all of that and more, empowering me through my session so that I didn’t even need to think about the kit I was wearing.

While I can’t attest to how long specifically these designs will retain their shape or how well they’ll wash, one thing I can say is that I often recommend lulu to those wanting to invest in forever kit because of its seemingly unfaltering quality levels. I invested in my first pair of Align leggings aged 21 and they still feel exactly the same as the day I bought them, nine years later – not something you can say of many brands, so highly worth the price point and investment, IMO.

My only criticism comes in the form of support in the built-in bra – while it’s definitely enough for low-impact activities, like strength training or yoga, it’s a shame that it’s not supportive enough to wear for the likes of running or HIIT, too.

Keen to shop the new range yourself? Keep scrolling.