How to Get Rid of Lululemon Pilling? (and Return Policy Explained)

Lululemon has been a fan favorite for many years. It is a relatively high-end brand that caters to the athleisure space.

In fact, one could even argue that it started the athleisure revolution by creating active-wear clothing items that are just as comfortable and stylish as they are functional.

As such, customers are willing to spend hundreds of dollars on purchasing the signature Lulu leggings made of exceptional fabrics. Generally, you would expect the brand’s products to last for years.

But even Lululemon leggings are not completely immune to pilling.

Yes, the dreaded nightmare where your precious garments just start falling apart! And there’s seemingly nothing you can do about it.

But that’s not entirely true. There are several methods through which you can deal with pilling on leggings and other clothing items.

But first, let’s learn a little bit more about what actually is pilling.

What Will I Learn?

What is Pilling?

Pilling refers to the appearance of tiny balls or little “pills” that form on the surface of your clothes, mainly as a result of friction. This happens when the cloth fibers brush against harsh surfaces, causing them to break, loosen, shed, and then group together.

While pilling does not necessarily reduce the durability or lifespan of your clothes, it can ruin the smooth and sleek look of your athletic wear.

Some fabrics are more prone to pilling than others, especially the synthetic and blended alternatives.

While Lululemon uses high-quality fabric mixtures like Luon and Everlux, they are still synthetic and blended, resulting in a slight chance of pilling after continuous use.

Fortunately, knowing what pilling is and how you can prevent it can actually help you a lot. So, let’s move on to that.

Why are My Lululemon Leggings Piling?

It’s not often that you see Lululemon leggings pilling because of the high-quality build and excellent fabrics used.

However, they are still clothing items and prone to these common wears and tears. So, if you are facing Lululemon piling issues, here is a list of potential causes:

Friction Against Other Surfaces

The most common reason behind pilling is the repeated friction between the fabric of your Lululemon leggings and other types of surfaces.

There is little you can do to prevent this, as friction can even be caused due to everyday activities like walking and sitting.

Increased friction can lead to breakage in the clothing fibers, resulting in them becoming tangled together and the formation of clumps. These lint balls ultimately get stuck to clothing and look like little “pills” that damage the appearance of the leggings.

Improper Washing and Drying Techniques

Lululemon fabrics are high-quality and have distinct care instructions. If you don’t follow them thoroughly, they are likely to get damaged and deteriorate over time.

Thus, improper washing and drying procedures can also lead to pilling. Aggressive washing methods, like using harsh detergents, washing at high temperatures, or using rough cycle settings, can lead to pilling on the fabrics.

Similarly, tumble drying at high heat can also lead to pilling issues.

Wearing Layered Outfits

Since friction is the primary cause of pilling, layering clothes while wearing your Lululemon leggings might not be the best idea.

That is because if you wear them under other garments, like skirts made from rough fabrics, the likelihood of pilling will increase.

In some cases, this cannot be prevented, as leggings can even face pilling due to contact with boots, shoes, and other essential parts of your apparel.

Stress Due to Excessive Stretching

While most Lululemon leggings are designed to withstand stretching, there is a limit to what they can endure.

Constant stretching and intense physical activities can lead to the gradual weakening of the fabric. This will further lead to pilling in your leggings.

Age-Related Damages

All good things eventually come to an end – even Lululemon leggings. While the brand is known for promising longevity, its clothing items are not designed to last forever.

After regular use, the fabric of your leggings will naturally wear out and become more susceptible to pilling.

How to Get Rid of Pilling on Lululemon Leggings?

If you are reading this article, it means you are already facing Lululemon leggings pilling issues.

So, while you can use the above-mentioned information to prevent pilling in the future, you also need an immediate solution for the already-damaged clothes.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to remove those pesky pills from your Lulu leggings. Here’s what you have to do:

Use Fabric Shavers or Razor Blades

First, inspect your leggings to locate the loose threads, knots, and pills on the surface. Now, get a fabric shaver or razor blade from the market, whichever is more convenient and get to work. You can also use a pilling comb if you have one.

All you need to do is grab either of the tools and gently glide them over the affected area on the leggings. This method is the most effective way of removing pills without causing any further damage.

Trim the Pills with Nail Scissors

This method requires more skill. But it’s also more effective than the other techniques. For this, you need to lay your leggings on a flat surface and stretch it completely, quite like how you would do while ironing them.

Grab a pair of nail scissors and make sure the fabric is taut for better visibility. Now, start trimming the pills one by one without damaging the fabric.

Rub Sandpaper Over Fabric

You can use a sheet of sandpaper or a sandpaper sponge to remove pilling from your leggings. All you need to do is rub the sandpaper gently over the pilled surface of the fabric.

After a while, you should notice the pills coming off effectively.

Use Lint Brushes or Rollers

While lint rollers and brushes were only designed to deal with stubborn lints, they can work wonderfully on pilling as well.

All you need to do is guide the roller or the brush over the affected area and see the pills come off one by one.

Use Pumice Stones

You can also try using a pumice stone or a sweater stone on your Lulu leggings. As these stones are rough, rubbing them against the pilled surface of the fabric can easily get rid of pilling from your clothes.

Try Velcro Hair Rollers

Get a velcro hair roller to remove pilling from your leggings. All you need to do is lay down your affected clothes on a flat surface and gently guide the roller on the affected part of the fabric. The roller will pick off the pills one by one.

Use Sweater Combs

You can also use sweater combs to scrape the pills off your Lululemon leggings.

Lay down your leggings on a flat surface and stretch it until the affected area is taut. Now grab the sweater comb and guide it in a single direction using short and quick strokes to scrape off the pilling.

Sweater combs are highly effective as they are made specifically for removing lint and pilling from your clothes.

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How to Stop Lululemon from Pilling?

We have told you about the causes as well as the solutions to facing pilling issues on your Lululemon leggings.

But what about the prevention techniques?

Fortunately, there are many steps that you can take to increase the longevity of your Lululemon leggings.

Here’s what you can do to prevent Lululemon clothes from pilling:

Minimize Abrasion

As friction is the primary cause of pilling in Lululemon leggings, avoid rubbing them against harsh surfaces.

Be cautious when you are wearing a particularly layered outfit, especially with contrasting fabrics like denim rubbing against your leggings.

Wearing backpacks or seat belts can also lead to pilling as they are also prone to rubbing against your leggings and causing abrasion.

Choose Leggings For Their Intended Use

Lululemon is an athleisure brand. But not all their fabrics are designed to have the same level of endurance and capacity.

Clothing items made from the EverLux fabric, for instance, are less prone to pilling due to high-impact stretching and other kinds of physical activity.

Others, like Luon, will not yield the same results if you work out in them regularly.

Different leggings are designed for different applications. If you wear them properly based on this information, they are less likely to have pills.

Get the Sizing Right

Overstretching is one of the main causes of pilling. If your leggings are too small for you, they will be stretched constantly.

As such, they will be more susceptible to getting pills quickly.

So, make sure that you get your sizing done perfectly. The trademarked Silverescent fabric, for instance, might be less prone to pilling if you size up your leggings by one point compared to your normal.

Turn Clothes Inside Out When Washing

Before you put your clothes into the washing machine, make sure that they are turned inside out.

Doing so will minimize the friction between the fabric and other clothes spinning inside the machine, thereby preventing pilling.

Use Gentle Washing Cycles

The best way to prevent pilling is to minimize friction using whatever strategy you have in your mind.

One good strategy for doing so is to use delicate and gentle cycles on your washing machine. Aggressive washing will increase friction and stress on the fabric, leading to more pilling.

Wash Similar Clothes Together

Another way to prevent pilling while washing your leggings is to wash similar fabrics together.

For example, all the clothing items made from the EverLux fabric can be washed together in one go.

Doing so will reduce the risk of friction and abrasion with rough fabrics like denim, causing more pilling.

Don’t Overcrowd the Washing Machine

Overloading or overcrowding your washing machine will undoubtedly increase the friction between different garments, leading to pilling.

Make sure that you leave enough space in the machine so that your leggings can move freely during the wash cycle.

Air Dry Your Clothes

The best way to dry your Lululemon leggings to avoid pilling is to let them air dry instead of using a dryer.

That is because the high heat present in the dryer can weaken the fabric and make it more susceptible to pilling.

But if you have to use a dryer for some reason, make sure you use the low-heat setting.

Consider the Lifetime of your Leggings

Sometimes, pilling might be unavoidable. After years of use, using the same prevention techniques will stop working.

That’s because the fabrics will eventually wear down and weaken on their own due to regular use and accumulative stress.

When that happens, it’s best to be realistic about the lifespan of your clothing items and stop trying to prevent pilling.

In this situation, it’s always best to replace older garments with new products.

Does Lululemon Refund for Pilling?

No, Lululemon does not provide any refunds specifically for pilling, as the company has declared that pilling is a non-quality issue. This implies that pilling is caused due to improper use of the clothing item and not because it lacks quality.

Even so, you should contact Lululemon and lodge a complaint with the customer support staff to see if they can resolve the issue.

However, if you see signs of pilling within the first 30 days of the purchase, you can opt for a simple return. Simply contact the Customer Support team of the brand and tell them about your concerns.

In most cases, your refund/return will be processed if you have all the proper documentation to prove it. Make sure that you read all Lululemon refund policies to make the process smoother.

The main reason why Lululemon stopped entertaining refund requests for pilling is that customers started taking advantage of the brand’s Quality Promise by returning Align Leggings 9-12 months after the purchase.

Will Lululemon Replace Leggings with Pilling?

No, Lululemon’s policy states that it won’t replace leggings with pilling if they have been worn several times by the customer.

According to Lululemon’s Quality Promise – “If our products do not perform for you, we’ll take it back.”

This implies that their warranty covers all clothing items with quality issues. However, in 2019, Lululemon stated that pilling will no longer be considered a quality-related problem.

As such, it’s unlikely that Lululemon will replace your leggings if you have been wearing them for a long time and they started developing pills after constant use.

However, if the leggings already arrived with pills on them, or if the pilling started after just 2-3 uses, you can contact the Support Team and request a replacement as it was defective prematurely.

Will Lululemon Fix Pilling?

No, Lululemon will not fix any piling issues as they have declared that it is not a quality-related problem.

Lululemon’s clothing items are made from high-quality, abrasion-resistant materials. As such, they are already designed to provide a long lifetime to the wearers. So, if your Lulu leggings start developing pills after a while, it’s likely due to stress-induced wear and tear.

So, the brand is not responsible for that, and the quality of the leggings cannot be put into question. So, Lululemon is not liable to make any efforts to fix pilling in their clothes.