I’m at the point in my life where I want fewer clothes that do more. I don’t need separate pants for work, dinner, traveling, and whatever else I have going on. I want one pair I can throw on without thinking about it and know I look put together.
Two pants kept coming up in my research: the Don Pant from Fabletics and Lululemon’s ABC Pant.
I’ve worn both, and while they’re going after a pretty similar guy, they definitely don’t wear the same. So instead of giving you a long rundown of every tiny detail, I compared them based on the five things I believe most men actually care about when buying pants: mobility, price, comfort, fit, and how many options I have.
Here’s where each one wins.
Mobility and Stretch ... Fabletics Don Pant
This was probably the easiest category for me.
The Don Pant uses Fabletics’ RepelKnit fabric, and the biggest thing I noticed is how much stretch you get without the pants looking like athletic pants. They have 4-way stretch, so whether I’m sitting at a desk, traveling, walking around all day, or just generally moving around, I never really feel restricted.
The ABC Pant has some give too, but to me, the fabric feels a little stiffer. They’re comfortable enough, but when I wear the two back-to-back, the Don Pant just moves better.
Basically, Fabletics feels like an athletic pant disguised as a normal pair of pants, which is exactly what I want.
Winner: Fabletics
The Ones That Actually Fit All Leg Types ... Fabletics Don Pant
This is actually the category that sold me on the Don Pant.
I lift pretty heavy, and finding pants that fit my legs properly has always been annoying. If something fits my waist, there’s a decent chance it’s way too tight around my quads. If I size up enough to get room in my legs, suddenly I have a bunch of extra fabric around my waist.
It’s the classic “do these pants fit, or can I sit down?” dilemma.
The Don Pant is one of the only pairs I’ve found that actually fits my quads without looking baggy everywhere else.
The stretch definitely helps, but the cut itself also feels like it was made for someone with an athletic build. I still get a clean, tailored look through the leg without feeling like the seams are fighting for their lives every time I sit down.
The fit of the ABC Pant was just okay, but for my build, the Don Pant wins pretty comfortably.
Winner: Fabletics — especially if you lift
The Best Price ... Fabletics Don Pant
I like Lululemon, but spending $128 on a pair of everyday pants still requires me to mentally justify the purchase.
The Don Pant normally retails for $124.95 for nonmembers, but new Fabletics VIP members can get the Don Pant for $19.
Nineteen dollars.
That’s less than I’ve spent ordering takeout for myself.
Even before deciding which pant I preferred overall, the price difference made Fabletics feel like a much lower-stakes way to see if this style of pant actually worked for me.
Winner: Fabletics, and it’s not particularly close
Colors & Style Variety ... Lululemon ABC Pant
Okay, Lululemon gets this one.
If you’re someone who wants to find your favorite pant and then buy it in a bunch of different colors and variations, the ABC lineup gives you more to play with.
That’s genuinely nice, especially if you’re trying to build out a work wardrobe and don’t want to wear the same two colors every week.
For me, it’s not enough to outweigh the differences in fit, comfort, and price, but Lululemon definitely wins when it comes to variety.
Winner: Lululemon
Most Comfortable Pair ... Fabletics Don Pant
This one goes hand-in-hand with the stretch.
The Don Pant is lightweight, breathable, and soft enough that I don’t immediately want to change out of it when I get home. That sounds like a low bar, but if you’ve ever spent a full day in stiff “nice pants,” you get it.
The ABC Pant is by no means uncomfortable. I just notice that I’m wearing pants more when I have them on, if that makes sense.
With the Don Pant, I kind of forget about them.
And for something I want to wear to work, on a flight, out to dinner, or just around town, that’s a big win.
Winner: Fabletics
So, Which One Would I Actually Buy?
For me, the Fabletics Don Pant wins 4 out of 5 categories.
Lululemon takes the win for color and variety, and I can see why the ABC Pant has such a loyal following. It’s a solid pant.
But when I’m actually deciding what I want to wear on a random Tuesday, the Don Pant is the one I keep reaching for.
It stretches more. It’s more comfortable. It actually accommodates my quads without looking oversized everywhere else. And getting your first pair for $19 as a new VIP instead of dropping $128 makes it almost unfair as a comparison.
I originally wanted a pair of pants I could wear pretty much anywhere without thinking too hard about it.
Turns out, that’s basically what the Don Pant has become for me.
