Travel Writer Review: Lululemon Align High-Rise Joggers

If I were to start a real life sisterhood of the traveling pants, I know exactly which pair I’d pick, and they wouldn’t be jeans. Don’t get me wrong. I dig denim. But I’d place the emphasis on traveling, and when it comes to being on the go, my go-to pants are joggers. I love that they’re trendy like leggings, comfy like sweats and subsequently, perfect for long days spent in the car or at cruising altitude.

While there are plenty of great joggers out there, I think the best pair is Lululemon’s Align High-Rise Jogger. As a former Lululemon employee, I’ve tried plenty of the brand’s bottoms, and these come out on top by far. And I’m not the only person with this opinion. More than half of the pants’ 4,500 ratings are a perfect five-stars. One five-star review sums it up nicely: “[I] love these joggers! I have several pairs and they are the most comfortable and well made joggers I’ve tried.”

At $118 a pair, I consider these pants to be an investment piece. I justify the expense by knowing how long they’ll last. According to lulufanatics.com, a site dedicated to keeping up with the brand’s latest launches and fan favorites, the Align Jogger, which is a looser-fitting version of the Align Pant that Meghan Markle has been spotted in, debuted in 2018. My pair dates back to 2019, and despite ample wear and tear —  they’ve traveled with me to dozens of countries and every continent except Antarctica — they’re still in great shape.

To buy: lululemon.com, $118

In the last year alone I’ve worn them while cruising the Galapagos Islands, wandering the streets of Lisbon, and relaxing on Sydney’s iconic Bondi Beach. The pants also accompanied me to South Africa where I sported them everywhere from the five-star Babylonstoren wine estate to the bush where I patrolled alongside the famous Black Mambas (the world’s first all-female, all-Black anti-poaching unit).

Although the product description says they’re “made for yoga,” I’ve never worn my Align High-Rise Joggers to a yoga class. I have, however, rocked them in first class. Last October I had the privilege of experiencing one of Qatar Airways’ exclusive Qsuites on a flight to the Maldives. The airline’s strict dress code dictates you have to be in business attire if you’re in a Qsuite. But, paired with ballet flats and a blouse, I was able to get these pants to pass as trousers. I didn’t even have any problems accessing the Qatar Airways business lounge in Hamad International Airport (which also has a dress code).

Could I have worn traditional slacks instead? Sure. But these joggers are much more comfortable. And I didn’t have to worry about them wrinkling if I fell asleep in a weird position on the flight, since they’re made of Lululemon’s signature Nulu fabric, which the brand describes as “buttery soft.” (I’d take their description one step further and say they’re “whipped butter buttery soft.”)

The fabric is a blend of nylon and lycra, so the pants are both stretchy and lightweight. After four years of laundering them all around the world — and in foreign countries when sometimes I’m not even sure if I’m using laundry detergent or fabric softener — mine have definitely pilled a little. Still, it’s not noticeable to anyone but me, and that’s to be expected after so many miles. Fortunately, they haven’t shrunk, either. And on more than one occasion, I’ve made the mistake of putting them in the dryer on high. (The instructions say to machine wash in cold water and tumble dry on low.)

Currently, the Align High-Rise Joggers come in eight colors and sizes 0 to 20. At 5’4” and about 115 pounds, I find size 4 to fit the best. Despite being a jogger, these pants are far from baggy. It may be an oxymoron, but I describe them as loose-fitting leggings. Unlike leggings, however, they have front pockets. They’re even big enough to hold my iPhone 12, and the right front pocket features a smaller interior pocket perfect for stashing my keys. The waistband also has a hidden pocket (which I use for my credit card).

To buy: lululemon.com, $118

To buy: lululemon.com, $118

I have these pants in Dark Olive, but I’m debating on getting another pair in Poolside — a gorgeous blue that reminds me of the rooftops in Greece (as seen in the 2005 film, “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.”) I’m also tempted to try the cropped version. At $98, they’re also not the kind of purchase I’d make every day. But at least I know I could wear them every day, if I wanted to, and they’d last for years. What I don’t know, however, is if I could live without them for weeks at a time. In that case, maybe they’re not perfect for my real life sisterhood of the traveling pants.

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