The Best Gym Shorts for Women: 3 Styles and How to Choose

The right pair of gym shorts disappears the moment you start moving. No tugging them down between sets, no wondering whether they go sheer when you fold into a squat, no chafing on the last kilometre. Most of that comes down to one quiet decision: the length, and the cut, that suits how you actually train.

This guide walks through the three styles of women's gym shorts, what each one does best, and how to choose the inseam length that will feel like a second skin rather than something you keep adjusting.

The Short Answer

The 3 Styles of Gym Shorts for Women

Nearly every short you will train in falls into one of three families. They are not better or worse than one another; they simply solve different problems. Knowing which one you are reaching for makes the fabric and length decisions much easier.

1. The short biker short (around 12 cm inseam)

A fitted, compressive short that sits high on the thigh. It gives you the most range of movement of the three, which is why it suits deep squats, lifting, and floor-based work like pilates and mat sessions. Because it hugs the leg, it stays exactly where you put it. Our Pulse Shorts 12 cm are this style.

2. The longer biker short (around 17 cm inseam)

The same fitted, stay-put silhouette with more leg. That extra length adds coverage and, importantly, protects the inner thigh from rubbing over longer sessions. It is the most versatile of the three and the one most people can wear across the widest range of workouts. Our Pulse Shorts 17 cm live here.

3. The looser running short (with a liner)

A relaxed, woven short cut for airflow, usually with a built-in liner underneath. It moves away from the body rather than with it, which feels cooling on hot days and over distance. This is a style rather than a single length, and it trades the compression and squat-proof coverage of a biker short for lightness and breathability.

Style	Best for	Coverage	Trade-off
Short biker (approx. 12 cm)	Squats, lifting, pilates, HIIT	High on thigh, full compression	Less inner-thigh coverage on long runs
Longer biker (approx. 17 cm)	Running, cycling, mixed sessions, everyday	Mid-thigh, full compression	Slightly warmer than the shortest cut
Loose running short (with liner)	Hot-weather running, high-impact cardio	Airy, less fitted	Not squat-proof; more fabric to move around

How to Choose the Right Inseam Length

Inseam is the seam that runs down the inside of the leg, and it is the single measurement that changes how a short feels. The two lengths we build, 12 cm and 17 cm, are only a few centimetres apart on paper, but they behave differently in a session.

A shorter 12 cm inseam gives your legs the most freedom. If your training is built around big ranges of motion, deep squats, lunges, split stances, mat pilates, it keeps nothing in the way. The trade-off is less fabric between the thighs, which some people notice on longer runs.

A longer 17 cm inseam is the safer starting point if you are choosing one pair for everything. It keeps all the compression and stay-put fit, adds a little coverage, and puts fabric exactly where inner-thigh chafing tends to start. If you are torn between the two lengths, begin here. The same logic that helps you pick between flared and straight-leg leggings applies to shorts: match the shape to the movement, not to a trend.

Are Your Shorts Squat-Proof? Opacity and Coverage

This is the detail that quietly decides whether you trust a pair of shorts. A short can look perfect standing still and turn sheer the moment you bend, stretch, or load a squat. The culprit is almost always thin fabric with poor recovery, the fabric stretches to its limit and the weave opens up.

Squat-proof fabric is dense enough, and elastic enough, to stay opaque when it stretches. It is the same quality you look for in leggings, and we cover the science in depth in our guide to leggings that do not go sheer when you squat. The honest test is simple: put the shorts on in good daylight, fold into a full squat in front of a mirror, and look. If the seams pull pale or the fabric shows through, they are not squat-proof, whatever the label says.

Waistband, Chafing, and Fabric: The Comfort Details

Beyond length, three details separate shorts you forget you are wearing from shorts you fight all session.

The waistband

A wide, high waistband is what keeps shorts up without digging in. It sits above the hip, holds through hinging movements, and does not roll down when you bend forward. A thin or low band is the first thing to fail, it folds over and starts to slip.

Chafing

Chafing happens where skin rubs skin or seam rubs skin, repeatedly, usually on the inner thigh. Two things prevent it: enough length to keep the thighs from meeting bare, and flat, smooth seams that lie against the body instead of sawing at it. This is where a 17 cm inseam earns its place for anyone who runs or does long cardio.

The fabric

Everything above depends on the fabric doing its job. Our shorts are made in PulseFlex™, the same technical fabric as our leggings, engineered to feel soft against the skin, breathe through a session, and spring back to shape rather than stretching out. Good recovery is what stops shorts riding up and going sheer over the months you own them.

Which Gym Shorts Suit Your Workout?

If you mostly lift, squat, or do pilates and mat work, reach for the shorter 12 cm biker short. The range of movement is the point, and coverage matters less when you are not covering distance.

If you run, cycle, or move between several types of training in a week, the 17 cm biker short is the one to own. It handles impact, protects against chafing, and looks composed enough to wear straight from a class to the rest of your day, the same everyday versatility we talk about in what to wear to the gym.

If you train in heat or push long, high-impact cardio, a looser running short with a liner will feel cooler, as long as you are not relying on it for squat-proof coverage. Many people keep both a fitted biker short and a loose short and choose by the day.

Frequently Asked Questions