Yoga shorts keep wearers cool and comfortable as they move through poses and flows. While you typically wear them for hot or Bikram yoga classes, they’re also popular to wear during other types of low-impact training.
Like yoga leggings, the best yoga shorts use soft, stretchy materials to give wearers a free range of motion. Many styles have unique features, like chafe-free designs or sweat-wicking properties. Gaiam Women's Om Yoga Shorts, for example, remain a top choice and a customer favorite for their sweat-wicking material and stay-put design.
Yoga shorts are available in various materials and blends that affect how they fit, feel and perform. More often than not, you’ll come across cotton or polyester blends.
Cotton blends for yoga shorts usually contain polyester, spandex or elastane. They’re soft and breathable, plus they’re less likely to irritate the skin. However, shorts with high cotton content can shrink in the wash.
Polyester blends, which include spandex, elastane and sometimes nylon, are lightweight and quick to dry. They’re also colorfast and shrink-resistant. Unfortunately, they eventually warp in shape toward the end of their lifespans.
Yoga shorts for women are available in varying inseam lengths that range from 2-8 inches. Some wearers are partial to styles with shorter inseams, noting that less material keeps them cooler during class. Other wearers prefer longer inseams, which may reduce chafing.
Ideally, yoga shorts are low-maintenance and easy to wash. Most styles are machine-washable, though you should let them hang to dry. As many yoga shorts utilize stretchy materials, prolonged exposure to heat in a dryer may cause them to deteriorate prematurely.
Yoga shorts sometimes have comfort features, including flatlock seams, which eliminate friction. These seams are flat enough to glide across the skin in the event that they move. Regular seams, on the other hand, are more pronounced and can chafe skin and leave indentations.
Compression yoga shorts offer a tighter fit that boosts circulation around the hips and thighs. They reduce fatigue and facilitate recovery. Some wearers indicate that compression yoga shorts provide support, plus they’re more effective at staying put through movement than regular shorts.
Like some polyester and nylon blends, moisture-wicking materials sweep sweat away from the body to keep wearers cool and dry during practice. These materials dry quickly, which means wearers won’t feel weighed down by wet, sweaty clothing. Many yoga shorts also have odor-trapping properties.
Basic yoga shorts made with cotton blends cost $20 or less, while mid-range shorts made with polyester and spandex blends run $25-$40. Premium yoga shorts with unique features like compression or wick-away material cost $40-$70.
A. Many yoga shorts have side pockets that hold a phone, cards or keys. While this feature seems convenient, downward or tilted poses may cause items in pockets to fall out. However, if you’re wearing yoga shorts for other low-impact activities where you’re not bending down, these items usually stay put inside pockets.
A. More than anything, it’s a matter of personal preference. Many wearers decide to forego underwear with yoga shorts so they can enjoy uninhibited movement. Others prefer wearing underwear, namely styles that are seamless or have athletic cuts. Additionally, they stick to underwear made with moisture-wicking materials as opposed to cotton.
What you need to know: Soft and comfortable with plenty of stretch, they're great for serious yogis, those just starting their practice and everyone in between.
What you’ll love: They have features that make them great for yoga, such as a stay-put waistband that rises slightly higher in the back so you won't show off more flesh that you want to. They're made from a moisture-wicking fabric that's great for medium-impact exercise. The flat seams minimize the chance of chafing.
What you should consider: They only come in black and with a 9-inch inseam.
Where to buy: Sold by Kohl's
Baleaf Women's High-Waist Compression Biker Shorts
What you need to know: Although sold as biker shorts, they're an excellent choice for yoga as well.
What you’ll love: The high-rise waist stays put while you practice yoga. The breathable, flexible material keeps wearers cool. They have two convenient side pockets.
What you should consider: Some wearers felt the size chart was slightly off.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
SweatyRocks Women's Workout Yoga Shorts
What you need to know: While they have a relaxed fit, these boxer-inspired yoga shorts stay put and won’t shift too much through poses.
What you’ll love: Wearers appreciated the adjustable waistband. The soft cotton and spandex blend retains its shape well in the wash and the versatile design doubles as athleisure or a beach cover-up.
What you should consider: The looser fit occasionally rides up in certain poses, but it’s not a deal-breaker for buyers.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Sian Babish writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
