The Gear Junkie: Lululemon yogawear

By STEPHEN REGENOLD, Special to the Star Tribune

Last update: April 29, 2008 - 4:47 PM

Lululemon Athletica began in Vancouver, British Columbia, as a surf brand and is now known for yogawear. The company (www.lululemon.com) has a good reputation and unique touches in its clothing line, including secret pockets for keys and MP3 players, metal grommets to route headphone wires and stretchy, breathable fabrics.

But two products I tested last month from the company had fatal flaws.

Item No. 1, the Endeavour Pants, $89, look like semiformal dress khakis. But these trousers were made to be a workout alternative to sweatpants. They are comfy and stretch adequately for all kinds of exertion.

The flaw is minor, though annoying: The pants' main snap popped open on occasion while I was doing yoga poses or abdominal exercises. A button would make all the difference.

Lululemon's On the Move Jacket, $99, was similarly a nice product with one major issue. The stretchy workout jacket -- which has features such as hidden pockets for your keys and underarm vents -- employs a fabric unfriendly to the male face. Specifically, the collar can snag whiskers. My stubble stuck like Velcro whenever I turned to look left or right during a workout. One word: Ouch.

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