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Summer is coming a lot faster than I expected, so of course, like many others I’m trying to tone up for bikini season. Living in Southern California means I’ll be living in short-shorts, tank tops and of course, swimwear!

I’ve been hitting motivational blocks when it comes to working out, and I felt like it was time to spruce up my activewear wardrobe for a push in the right direction. My workout attire has been nothing but plain leggings and T-shirts for as long as I can remember, but now I’d like to feel somewhat cute when I’m training rather than just a sweaty mess! Also, who says new workout clothes can’t be a valid source of motivation?

Ellie is a fitness subscription box that includes 5 workout items for $49.95. Every month, you get a full activewear outfit including a sports bra, a top, bottoms and 2 pieces of equipment. You’re not bound by any contracts, and you can always skip a month or cancel at any time.

The May Box

This month featured several goodies from Marika. I’ll admit, although I love fashion, I’ve never looked for cute activewear because 1) it’s usually outrageously expensive and 2) I prioritize comfort and functionality. All the items fit perfectly and were surprisingly made of quality material.

The Marika top features moisture-wicking technology, which is a godsend for me because I sweat really easily (literally, I can drip sweat, it’s really unattractive). I took a run around downtown and noticed I was a lot less sweaty than I normally would have been.

I’m really picky about sports bras because although I don’t have the biggest chest, bouncing can still be a painful problem when it comes to high-impact workouts. This strappy sports bra has moderate support and removable padding, so you’ve got options. Also, hooray for my first cute sports bra! All the others I own are plain and boring.

Marika’s capri leggings have also officially become the cutest leggings in my gym wardrobe – I love the sheer cutout and actually have some purple runners that’ll match them perfectly. Bonus: it passed the squat test! Having a big butt and wide hips means my underwear is bound to show through, so I have to pay a premium for thicker material. Most leggings that successfully conceal my underthings start at $50, which is pretty much the price of this entire box.

Equipment

I’ve always been more of a cardio person more than anything, just because gym workouts can be quite boring and non-dynamic. I was actually thinking of buying an arm holster for my phone, but I’m glad I didn’t. The one that came in my Ellie box fit my iPhone 7 Plus perfectly – I just have to remove it out of the case.

Also included in the May box is a 3-pack of hand therapy balls, perfect for people who weight lift, as sometimes those forearms can really burn the next day. Since I don’t weight lift (I know, I know, I should), I’m not sure if I’ll be able to take full advantage of them, but I’ll leave them on my desk since I tend to get forearm and hand fatigue from typing so often.

Value

My main concern when receiving this box was if the items included had MSRPs well over $49.95 in total. With my previous subscription box experiences I’d discovered that many of the items were actually priced very cheap. After factoring in things like production and shipping, the subscription company was making a significantly bigger profit margin, thus ripping customers off.

I did some snooping around on the Marika website and found many of their items to be priced a lot higher than I had expected. Their sports bras start at $45.00, leggings at $42.00, and tanks at $40.00. Not including the additional items that were included, you can probably imagine the total retail value of what was in the box.

If you’re like me and are looking to gradually replace your old and ratty gym clothes without going on a crazy shopping spree, I definitely suggest trying out Ellie for a few months! You’ll be saving tons of money on cute athletic clothing by subscribing to Ellie, and it’ll feel like Christmas every month.

Click here to get the Ellie May box for $49.95.

I received free products in exchange for writing this review. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.

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