I tested the viral Lululemon Define jacket against the cheaper Amazon alternative — its sleek fit is nearly identical

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If you're a frequent TikTok user, you've likely seen videos showing off the Lululemon Define Jacket. With countless videos, including one with over 1.4 million likes, the jacket has become a popular signifier of the "quiet luxury" trend. 

Synonymous with laid-back looks for high-impact fitness, Canadian brand Lululemon has become a character in itself in recent years, with people associating it with the cool girl style behind the 'Range Rover Mom'.

After some struggles to get my hands on my own Define Jacket, as well as failing to get it in my color choice, I was instantly sold when I saw users sharing their excitement about an affordable Amazon alternative to Lululemon's original version. 

So, I tried both of them out, side-by-side, to see where the differences lie.

Lululemon Define Jacket vs. the Amazon lookalike

The Lululemon jacket was hard to get my hands on.

The initial craze on social media kept leading to sellouts. For two months I watched the Lululemon website like a hawk, along with sites of other retailers who stock the jacket, and visited multiple stores. Finally, I was able to purchase the jacket, during a middle-of-the-night restock. I couldn't get the black I wanted, so settled for Heathered Grey — close enough.

Admittedly, the Define Jacket fits like a glove.

When the jacket arrived, it looked tiny, but I was pleasantly surprised that the cottony soft fabric is super stretchy, and I had no problem fitting into my regular size 2. I styled the jacket with a vest top underneath, leggings, and trainers. Most of the time, it was just to wear casually for errands. I did wear it to the gym a handful of times, but got too hot to keep it on.

My body truly did look sculpted, something I was really skeptical about after seeing on TikTok. I didn't see how a jacket could cinch in my waist, make my bum look more lifted due to its cut, and my arms more toned. But, it does.

When the jacket was due for a wash, I was a little frustrated to find that it can only be machine washed cold, because I like to know that all my sweat and germs are cleaned off in a warmer wash. Luckily, it doesn't need to be washed very often because of the sweat-wicking fabric.

Then I found a cheaper alternative from Amazon.

After I got my Lululemon jacket, I saw multiple people come up on my FYP sharing that they'd found an affordable alternative on Amazon. I was immediately drawn in.

With over 76% of ratings at five stars on Amazon, I thought that the jacket was well worth a go for the price. I got mine on sale for $39.99, which is less than half the price of the Lululemon jacket, at $118. More so than the attractiveness of the price, I was interested in being able to get a range of colors, in my size, rather than struggling to get my hands on whatever was left.

The jacket arrived packed tightly within a zip-lock bag. It was a little dusty, which wasn't ideal, and it was hard to get the creases out because it had been so tightly packed.

The quality difference is obvious in the way the jackets feel, but not how they look.

On first impressions, the jacket looked practically identical. The back vent was there, it had pockets on both the inside and outside, and it had the thumb holes that I found really useful on the Lululemon version.

I looked further at little details and noticed the Amazon jacket needs to be hand-washed, which is slightly inconvenient. And the jackets are both made of 87% nylon and 13% Lycra, but I instantly felt that the Amazon jacket didn't hug me in the same way that the Lululemon one did. 

In terms of fit, the Lululemon Define Jacket is super figure-skimming, which means that it can be flattering or it can hug parts of the body that you may prefer it didn't. The feel of the jacket is very solid and the fabric feels very luxe. The Amazon jacket is soft, but feels more cottony than the Lululemon jacket, and instead, feels less sculpting and firm.

I prefer the quality of the Lululemon jacket, but the Amazon version is a great lookalike, has more color variety.

The Lululemon Define Jacket ranges in color from neutrals to pastel shades, all in the same texture and feel. Although there are a decent amount of color options, they are more frequently out of stock, especially in black and white. Every color is the same price.

The Amazon jacket has about two dozen different color options, including an animal print, cropped jackets, and fleece lined versions. Their availability tends to vary based on size and flash sales.

The bottom line

After wearing it for a few hours, it was clear that this jacket is a great alternative for the Lululemon Define Jacket for those who don't want to pay the brand name price tag. The quality isn't quite the same, but it's a solid dupe nonetheless.