Comparing Popflex vs. Blogilates Activewear: Save or Splurge?

If you’ve ever looked for at-home workout videos on YouTube, chances are you’ve come across Cassey Ho, aka Blogilates. She was one of the platform’s first fitness channels to explode in popularity. Though in recent years, Cassey has stepped away from creating fitness content in order to work on her fitness clothing and accessory brands, Popflex Active and Blogilates at Target!

Popflex Active has been her main project– higher-end activewear with thoughtful designs that even Taylor Swift herself wears while rehearsing! Her brand Blogilates at Target, on the other hand, has been mostly focused on active accessories like weights, yoga mats and bags… until recently. Cassey just launched 24 activewear SKUs for her Target brand that actually look a lot like her Popflex bestsellers… but at a fraction of the cost.

As soon as the Blogilates activewear launched, I personally purchased every single time that looked like they were inspired by the Popflex pieces I already owned. I was on a mission to see what the differences were, and if you can get away with saving– or if you should definitely splurge– on Cassey’s activwear.

Watch the video at the top of the page for full size-by-side comparisons of all features.

Popflex Cloud Hoodie vs. Blogilates Marshmallow Hoodie

One of Popflex’s signature designs: the Zip Cloud Hoodie. This is a super oversized, plush hoodie that’s poofy and cozy. From the Blogilates line, we have a similar look in the Marshmallow Full Zip Hoodie.

Left: Popflex Zip Cloud Hoodie in Bubblegum ($70)
Right: Blogilates Marshmallow Full Zip Hoodie in Light Pink ($35)

Both hoodies have an oversized fit and drop shoulder, with a cropped style cut so that the waistband tapers and sits above your hips. I’m wearing S/M in Popflex, and Small in Blogilates.

The biggest difference between these hoodies is the fabric. The Popflex Cloud Hoodie is quite thick– almost to a fault. The fabric is heavy and actually often falls off of me or pulls back with the weight of the hood. But its thickness also gives it more of that poofy structure. The Blogilates Marshmallow hoodie is very soft, but much more lightweight and so is a bit more floppy vs. poofy. However, I do feel like it ends up staying on my shoulders better because of the weight (or lack thereof).

Watch the video at the top of the page to see the hood comparison— both feature an “enchanted” style hood that sits wide around the face. I love that they carried over this design to the budget friendly design, because I think it’s part of what makes the hoodie so special. Frankly, a couple of the details they left out are actually a positive for me. I prefer my hoods without the strings/metal closures which can make machine washing tricky.

Overall, I think if you’ve had your eye on the Cloud hoodie, you’ll be happy with the Marshmallow hoodie for half the cost.

Popflex Crisscross Hourglass Flared Leggings vs. Blogilates Criss Cross High-Rise Flared Leggings

My favorite, favorite, activewear pant is the Popflex Crisscross Hourglass Flared Legging. They are incredibly flattering, the fabric is a dream, and they’re functional as both activewear and casual wear. I’ve genuinely been looking for a dupe because they’ve been sold out in my size. Will the Blogilates Criss Cross High-Rise Flared Leggings cut it?

Left: Popflex Crisscross Hourglass Flared Leggings ($65)
Right: Blogilates Criss Cross High-Rise Flared Leggings ($35)

Both brands feature a high-waisted criss cross waist band, though the Popflex flares hit me just the slightest bit higher for a more pronounced V-shape. On the other end, though, we have one of the biggest differences: the inseams. The Popflex flares offer 5 inseam options– I wear a 31″ (I’m 5’4″) and it hits about an inch above the ground when wearing sneakers, The Blogilates flares only come in a singular length that is unforunately too long for me, and touch the ground even in shoes.

Both leggings are made without a front seam, which I am so happy about. I hate front seams in my activewear pants, because they give camel toe so easily. They also both have two generous pockets on each size that completely secure my iPhone 13 Pro.

Again we have a much lighter and thinner fabric with the Blogilates design, but this time it’s something I can’t look past. The Popflex fabric is thick, buttery, and doesn’t cling on to much lint or pet hair. At the same time, they’re breathable, and can honestly double as normal black pants in casual outfits. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of the Blogilates fabric. It’s thinner and static-y, making it not only cling on to lint but also cling my body weird so that you don’t have as clean of lines in the flare shape. Its thinness shows in how the waistband sort of buckles on the body, too.

Between the two, I personally think the Popflex flares are worth the splurge. However, the Blogilates pair is higher quality than Amazon leggings I’ve tried… if the length works for you.

Popflex Twirl Dress vs. Blogilates Romance Run Dress

Popflex is most well known for their feminine, functional activewear dresses and skirts. Their Twirl Dress is one of my favorites to wear for activities like pickleball, or even just running errands. Let’s see how the Blogilates Romance Run dress stacks up!

Left: Popflex Twirl Dress in Bubblegum ($85)
Right: Blogilates Romance Run Dress in Light Pink ($40)

First off, I do want to say that I have a long torso, and all-in-ones, or romper styles, can be a little tricky for me. I have to wear a Large in both brands, despite being a size 6, to get more length for the built-in shorts. However, because the Blogilates dress doesn’t have much cinching in the waist, the dress overall ends up looking too big on me in my opnion.

Fabric wise, I don’t feel too much of a difference between the brands. The Blogilates dress may be slightly thinner, but it’s still thick enough where this light pink color isn’t see through at all. It’s also just as soft as the higher-end version.

Besides the dress silhouette, the biggest difference is in the chest area. The Popflex Twirl Dress not only has a shelf bra, but also removable bra pads. The Blogilates Romance Run dress has neither. For active dresses, I definitely prefer a built-in bra, so I don’t have to worry about wearing anything underneath and finding the “right” kind of bra to pair with it. Because I had to size up for length, I don’t feel like I have enough chest support in the Blogilates dress on its own. It does, however, have slots where you can add your own bra pads.

Between the two brands, sizing is going to be a big factor on which you may lean toward. The Popflex dress fits me better overall, but the Blogilates dress could work for the right body type.

Popflex Half Zip Warm Up Hoodie vs. Blogilates Marshmallow Half Zip

Out of the several outerwear pieces I have from Popflex, their Half Zip Warm Up Hoodie is my absolute fave. It’s oversized, but still sits on my body comfortably without weighing me down. I wear it around the house, working out, and out and about. I was surprised at just how similar the Blogilates Marshmallow Half Zip looked, even in the smaller details!

Left: Popflex Half Zip Warm Up Hoodie in Heather Gray ($75)
Right: Blogilates Marshmallow Half Zip in Black ($35)

Both half zips have a cropped, slightly oversized look. The waistband is actually adjustable on both hoodies, with elastic strings and closures to cinch it, or loosen it for more of a straight silhouette. I was really surprised this detail was carried over to the budget-friendly version!

Once again, the Popflex offers slightly different details like zip closure pockets and the hoodie strings/closures. On the Blogilates half zip, the pockets close with very sturdy snaps– they’re actually a bit hard to open and close– and a plain hood. The sleeve cuffs are also different, where the Popflex Half Zip has a thick, wide cuff and the Blogilates sleeves end in a very standard sweatshirt cuff material.

Both hoodies feature a kangaroo pocket, meaning that the front pockets are really just one large compartment. For reference, I can fit my Kindle Paperwhite inside with room to spare. I do prefer the zip closures– especially if I’m going purse-less.

While the Popflex Half Zip is definitely thicker, it doesn’t feel like too much of a difference. You can totally save and go with the Blogilates Marshmallow Half Zip and get such a similar product for $40 less.

Popflex Find Your Inner Fleece Jacket vs. Blogilates Campfire Fleece Jacket

This last comparison has the biggest price gap– does the quality follow suit? I find myself wearing the Popflex Find Your Inner Fleece Jacket a lot during winter, especially in windy weather. It’s a super high quality fleece jacket that truly keeps me cozy in the desert chill. The Blogilates Campfire Fleece Jacket is $125 cheaper, though. What differences justify such a difference?

Left: Popflex Find Your Inner Fleece Jacket in Ice Cream ($165)
Right: Blogilates Campfire Fleece Jacket in Light Taupe ($40)

The fleece on both jackets surprisingly felt and looked similar on both jackets, but the Popflex fleece is definitely heavier, since the accent panels on the front and back are polyester fabric. On the Blogilates fleece, these accents are thin and light nylon.

The detachable hood is definitely a highlight for the Popflex fleece. While I typically wear it without, it makes the jacket more versatile. This one also features a chest pocket, aside from the ones at the waist, all with zip closures. The extra pocket has come in handy while traveling and can fit a passport.

While both jackets have an elastic waist to give the cropped and poofy look, the Popflex jacket has the same adjusters as the half zip, whereas the Blogilates fleece is not adjustable. The waistband is elastic, though, and generally stays above my hips during wear.

Finally, the thumbhole sleeve cuffs are a nice touch for cold weather for the Popflex jacket. On the Blogilates jacket, the sleeves end in a thinner elastic cuff that still helps keep them pushed up on the arm.

In my opinion, if you’re actually going to be dealing with very cold weather (albeit, not wet weather), the Popflex jacket is probably going to keep you more comfortable. If you like the look but don’t necessarily need the extra bells and whistles for your climate, you will still be happy with the Blogilates version.

Overall, Cassey did an amazing job adapting her popular Popflex activewear designs for the budget-friendly Blogilates brand. Aside from these pieces, I was also incredibly happy with the Cardio Queen Sports Bra, which I’m definitely buying a second of since a lot of my sports bras no longer fit well after losing weight. I also picked up the Love Story Long Sleeve Top which I will absolutely be wearing casually outside of workouts.

Which brand do you see yourself purchasing from?