Peak Velocity: Amazon’s Answer to lululemon?
As retail continues to get more and more cutthroat, brands, stores, and sites are looking to get a piece of whatever is hot. And right now nothing (short of lava) is hotter than athletic wear. Or athleisure. Or both. Look at the success of lululemon, whose men’s segment is growing and growing fast. There is a huge (ripped?) chunk (hunk?) of the consumer base that is willing to pay and pay handsomely for clothes that can perform both in and outside of the gym. Whether it’s doing burpees or doing the laundry, they want contemporary, well fitting, high performing clothes that can keep up with their workouts and sweaty/adrenaline chasing lifestyle.
And Amazon being Amazon wants in on it. Like their men’s fashion brands Goodthreads and Buttoned Down, this new brand Peak Velocity is exclusive to Amazon. It’s all theirs. And it’s a lot cheaper than the competition. Here’s a snapshot of what should be some of their most popular products, all of which are shown on 5’10” / 200lbs of gristle and gym face.
Peak Velocity VXE Cloud Run Quick-Dry Athletic-Fit T-Shirt – $25
A real winner that honestly feels like it should cost more. The inclusion of mesh panels up the side for extra ventilation and stretch is a really good design feature. Know that those panels aren’t transparent nor are they translucent. They’re just natural AC for your pits. Body is 100% poly with those panels being 87% Polyester, 13% Spandex. Size shown above is a medium. This fit me/felt better than the polo, couldn’t tell you why. Four color schemes to pick from.
Peak Velocity VXE Cloud Run Quick-Dry Athletic-Fit Tank – $25
A workout sleeveless that feels and moves great. Again, the inclusion of mesh panels up the side for extra ventilation and stretch is super appreciated. Body is 100% poly with those panels being 87% Polyester, 13% Spandex. I own about ten Under Armour “Raid” sleeveless tees, which ran $30 full retail if I recall correctly, but those are discontinued. I’ll slowly be swapping those out for these as the UAs slowly succumb.
Peak Velocity Trackster Athletic-Fit Pant – $27
I refuse to call these joggers. Why? Because they’re 100% tech/track-pant fabric instead of gross cotton sweatshirt/terry material. They also do NOT have elastic cuffs around the ankles. (Zippers instead for easy on/off over shoes! Yay!) And… well I like them. And I can’t like joggers. It’s a philosophical rubicon. If I cross that line then I stand for even less than I thought I did. I love these things. That said, they do seem to have quite a gap between sizes. Larges are too large, while mediums on my thicker than average lower half (easy tiger) are sneaking up on too tight. But the material (smooth, breathable, flexible) is so good that I’m now fully committed to these things in a size medium. Love ’em. Zippered pockets on the side keep keys/wallet/phone secure. These are my chosen “I need to get sh*t done” pants. If I have a day where I have to get a workout in, then get some yardwork done, then have a dental appointment, then walk the dog, and in between run a men’s style website that’s deadline heavy? It’s usually what I’ll lean on. Five colors to pick from here.
Peak Velocity Aeros Performance Quick-dry Athletic-Fit Polo – $25
Tremendous, with one catch: there seems to be quite a big jump between sizes. Shown above is a medium, and it’s just a touch too tight for my taste. That said, a large was WAY too big. This isn’t a unique issue. Lots of brands are struggling with these big size jumps in the 21st century (see Target’s Goodfellow & Co.) But back to the polo. It’s the real deal. Feels great, not cheap. 52% Polyester, 48% Nylon fabric is lightweight, moves great, and looks polished, not… “techy.” Six colors to pick from.
Peak Velocity Men’s Elite-Stretch Quick-Dry 10″ Short – $19
Not as good as the rest. 86% Polyester, 14% Elastane is lightweight for sure, but it’s so smooth and so stretchy that it almost feels… uh… slinky? Also, clingy, depending on how much you sweat? I found myself pulling on the legs of these things a lot during a recent workout. Which I don’t do with my other shorts. Don’t get me wrong, there are PLENTY of worse workout shorts out there. But these just don’t feel as good as the rest of this Peak Velocity stuff. Maybe these would be better? Shoes shown are the Asics Gel Kayano 25, which is also what’s shown on the top of the post (albeit in black instead of white).
BEST IN SHOW: Peak Velocity Long Sleeve Fitted Henley – $29
I’m a sucker for lululemon’s metal vent-tech henleys. But even on sale, they’re a tough financial bullet to bite. I actually like these from Amazon better. So that’s saying something. Size shown above is a large. 55% Nylon, 39% Polyester, 6% Spandex fabric feels great. It’s not featherweight, but not heavyweight either. Breathes well. Great stretch. All season worthy.
And that’s just the start. Peak Velocity has a LOT more than that, including “build your own” joggers which should appeal to plenty. Have you tried anything not mentioned above from Amazon’s new Peak Velocity brand? Send those tips into joe@dappered.com. Looking for something for the lady workout partner in your life? I think (think) Amazon’s women’s version of Peak Velocity is the brand Yvette. Or IcyZone. Or Play Bold. Or GoodSport? Good grief it seems like they’re trying to flood the market.
