A few months ago, we went to DisneyWorld and Universal Studios and I noticed a number of women wearing cuter version of the 80s fanny pack, and primarily worn crossbody instead of at the waist.
Fast forward a few months later and I come to find out it’s a lululemon belt bag, and is in such high demand that it’s constantly out of stock. When it is in stock, the bag is $38 before tax. But if you REALLY want one, you can buy a belt bag from resellers for $60-$100! What!?
I have a one shoulder crossbody bag from Yes.Fit, but it’s still too big. When I bend over to pick up a kid or tie my shoes, it tends to swing around from the weight shift. I often have to stop it from hitting my child’s head.
The belt bag seemed like a good size for necessities and accessibility but wouldn’t be a hazard to my kid. I really wanted to try a belt bag and see if it was that good.
Since the lululemon belt bag is consistently out of stock, I bought the Amazon belt bag that the reviews state is a very close option.
- It costs $19.
- It comes in 42 different colors.
- It has an adjustable belt buckle.
- Size: 8″ x 2″ x 5.5″
- One zippered, large pocket inside with side mesh pockets.
- One zippered slim pocket on the back.
I’ve used the Amazon belt bag for a few weeks now and it is honestly quite convenient. It holds my phone, wallet, car keys and another small item or two.
The belt bag is especially useful when I’m out for an active rest day or when I’m on the go and only need a few items. I’ve worn it crossbody, and when more convenient, around my waist. But never like a fanny pack!
How to buy a lululemon belt bag online
As time progressed, I became more curious of how the Amazon belt bag compared to the lululemon one.
Let’s take a minute to reflect on the fact that lululemon could certainly make more belt bags. Since they don’t, I’m pretty sure they are limiting quantities purposely to generate demand and that scarcity feeling.
It worked on me. I really wanted to figure out how to buy one from lululemon.com at cost.
So, I set my computer’s default browser homepages to include the lululemon belt bag page and brought it up on my mobile browser too. Every time I was on my phone or was on my computer, I’d refresh the page and see if a belt bag was available.
Don’t be fooled by the “mini belt bag” or “large belt bag.” You want the “Everywhere Belt Bag.”
Often in the AM, the belt bag appears on the page, but if you clicked on it, the color would be sold out. If you refresh, you’ll see it changes colors regularly if one shows at all.
They really toy with you.
Since I’m up early to workout, I would refresh my mobile browser first thing in the morning. And then also throughout the day. You’ll see availability changes. If you see one available at all, it is sold out within minutes.
The first time I got a belt bag in the cart, I took too long to set up my account and it was sold out by the time I checked out. So lesson learned:
- Create a lululemon account ahead of time
- Log in regularly so you’re signed in when one is available.
- Keep refreshing your browser sporadically.
- If the color you want becomes available, it’s only a few quick clicks to purchase!
If I saw one available, I bought it no matter what color. (Hello scarcity mentality.) It’s free shipping and returns so why not?
Over the course of a week, I ended up buying 4!! 3 of them, I purchased around 5:30 a.m. and one around lunchtime. In order, the colors I purchased were white, silver, pink, then finally black. I wanted black, or at least a dark color. Success!
Now I’m finally done and can return the other 3. Or maybe I’ll keep these to give away as Christmas gifts?
Comparing the lululemon vs. Amazon belt bag
The reviews are correct – the Amazon belt bag is extremely similar to the lululemon belt bag. The differences are primarily that the lululemon bag:
- Costs $38.
- Also has an adjustable belt buckle, large inside zippered pocket with side mesh pockets, and a slim zippered pocket on the back.
- Is the same or nearly the same size (7.5″ x 2″ x 5″)
- Has a thicker fabric with a slight sheen to it (not shiny, but not dull either). Both claim to be water resistent/repellent fabric.
- Has a sturdier looking zipper. It looks like plastic with thicker teeth while the Amazon bag has skinnier teeth and more metal zipper. See the image below for comparison.
The most visible difference is the branding. The lululemon belt bag obviously has that silver lululemon symbol in the bottom right corner and a “lululemon” tag in the bottom left.
Since I bought the Amazon belt bag weeks earlier, I haven’t used the lululemon bag as much. But, I’ll use them interchangeably depending on the outfit and activity.
While I’m keeping the black lululemon bag, I do feel like the lighter colors wouldn’t get dirty as easily with that fabric. It might be water resistant, but lighter colors aren’t smart for my life with young kids.
If you don’t have the patience, money or desire to get a lululemon bag, the Amazon belt bag is a great option! You can get two Amazon bags for the price of one lululemon bag!
Do you have the lululemon or amazon belt bag? Or have you seen them and have no interest? If you have a belt bag or any bag that you love and is convenient for mom life, comment below. I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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