Here’s how to get an exclusive look at lululemon products before they’re released

Editor’s Note: lululemon is no longer accepting applications for the wear testing positions.

How excited would you be if we said you could try out lululemon products before they’re released to the public? To be able to rep some exclusive items out on the trail, track, or pool? Oh, and also be able to give your feedback to the team to ensure the final product is as good as it can be? Real talk: you can.

lululemon is currently looking for apparel aficionados who are interested in previewing and testing unreleased products, and providing their feedback on each piece.

The need-to-know

lululemon is looking for people of all genders and ages to participate in these fun opportunities. If you typically wear anywhere between 0 to 24 and bra sizes from 28 to 46 (band), A to G (cup) in womenswear or XXXS to XXXL in menswear, lululemon wants to hear from you.

The brand knows its guests — people like you — are the best product testers because of the invaluable insight you can share on the fit of a garment, how the fabric feels, and ultimately how functional it is when you’re on the go. So let’s get into the details.

Product Technical Services

Up first is wear testing. What exactly does this mean, you ask?

It involves lululemon’s Product Technical Services team giving you gear to use as your own. This means wearing the piece during your go-to activities, whether a spin class, bootcamp session, or while power walking on your lunch break.

Testing for this position is always done remotely (i.e., not at a store or Store Support Centre) on your own schedule, and could pertain to any of the activities lululemon designs for (yoga, training, running, hiking, golfing, tennis, swimming, on the move apparel (OTM), and so forth).

Immediately after the testing period, the team will reach out for your feedback on the product through an online survey (the number of surveys required is based on the length of the test). Usually, the brand’s wear tests run for approximately three to four weeks, but this can vary, and wear-testers are made aware of the time commitment before signing up. After the testing period, you’ll return the sample piece to lululemon.

Added bonus: you can be based outside of the Metro Vancouver area and still participate (though some location restrictions may apply).

The Product Innovation team

The next opportunity that might spark your interest is with lululemon’s in-house Product Innovation Team.

This team puts people at the forefront of product innovation. It’s a human-centred approach that strives to solve issues people actually experience out in the real world. As such, this opportunity requires participants to visit lululemon’s head office in Vancouver, making it ideal for those who live nearby, are curious to see lululemon’s head office, and want to learn more about product design and fit at lululemon.

Testing is scheduled between Monday to Friday, anywhere from 9 am to 5 pm and takes one or two hours to complete. Those who take part in the testing are contacted on a project-to-project basis, based on whether their demographic meets the project need. (This means you can choose which projects you want to be involved with, case-by-case.)

Every product category is tested in the lululemon lab at the Store Support Centre (pants, tops, bras, and so on) using a climate chamber, motion capture in the biomechanics lab, or lululemon’s testing pool — in the case of swimwear, albeit on rare occasions.

While the product innovation team would usually validate the performance of most pieces in-lab, the COVID-19 crisis and lab space limitations have led to a pivot to in-field testing when required. In these instances, a test runs for three to five days and involves participants answering a survey.

If participating in either of the lululemon opportunities described above sound like a fit for you, fill out the required paperwork through the survey here. With limited slots available for testing, it’s advisable to send in your request to participate soon. In the meantime, you can email any questions you have to [email protected].