The Best Gym Shorts for Men in 2024

Some of our favorite workout shorts are the ones that don’t look like workout shorts at all. The Banks Shorts ($68) from Encinitas-based apparel company Vuori perform like top-tier workout apparel but look like a comfy pair you’d wear to grab coffee with a friend.

This is due in part to the recycled polyester exterior, which gives the shorts a fabric look and texture instead of the smooth shininess that you see in many workout shorts. The scalloped leg openings and contrasting waistband add to the eye-pleasing aesthetic.

In the gym, the Banks just gets better. The elastane provides plenty of stretch, giving wearers a completely free range of motion. During power cleans, the shorts held up to repeated impact and bar friction with no pilling or abrasion.

We soaked them through with sweat during row intervals, but they recovered faster than we did. After 10 minutes, our tester was still sitting on a bench with his head in his hands, but the shorts were bone dry.

So you wanna be a baller? A shot caller? And you want to do it on a budget? Then check out the Champion Mesh Shorts ($15). These are the OG athletic shorts — old-school cool, if you will. They offer a classic style, and at $15, they also offer tremendous value.

Chances are if you played any kind of team sport growing up, you’ve probably owned a pair of Champions’ mesh shorts. While these aren’t the lightest or most technical shorts on the list, champion hits the mark with ample airflow, a full athletic fit, and two front pockets.

At 9 inches, the inseam is definitely on the longer side, but these shorts still fall just above the knee and allow for totally unencumbered movement in any plane. The waistband is comfortable and functional with a simple drawcord to keep them where you want them. Everything you need, nothing you don’t.

If you’re not looking to break the bank on a pair of gym shorts, and you just need something practical and functional to hit the court and then the weight room, look no further than the Champion mesh shorts.

Simply put, the Active Pursuits Shorts ($45) are everything you need in a running short at a reasonable price ($45). Made of polyester and spandex, these shorts offer both unencumbered movement and excellent sweat-wicking. The waistband is comfortable and features a drawstring to keep things in place while you’re putting in the miles.

The recycled polyester liner is comfortable and wicks sweat well, and combined with flat seams to prevent chafing, you’ll be comfortable mile after mile. The active pursuit is an especially good trail short, featuring UPS 50 sun protection and a zippered front key/cash pocket.

While they aren’t as stylish as the Gym Swim, or as comfortable as the Ponto, these are the shorts we’d choose to run and hike in 10 times out of 10. They’re more than happy to pull double duty in the weight room too, where the 4-way stretch and flat seams really shine by offering comfortable, full-range movement for all of your lifts.

If you’re looking for a great trail running short that you can wear to the gym too, look no further than the Active Pursuits Short.

Merino wool is one of nature’s super-fibers we’ve yet to synthesize. It’s comfortable, temperature regulating, sweat-wicking, anti-microbial, and it doesn’t smell. There’s a good reason so many apparel companies have incorporated some kind of merino wool into their product line. NoBull has recently launched a whole line of blended merino wool including pants, shirts, and shorts. We had the 7-inch version of the Blended Merino Wool Short ($82) for testing and our tester thought they were truly excellent. 

The flat waistband and internal drawstring fit true to size and stay secure and comfortable just above the hip. There is no bunching, shifting, or riding up. The pockets on these shorts are oriented slightly more forward, which puts objects on the inside of your thigh instead of the lateral aspect of your leg. At first, we thought this was a little odd, but our tester found that he actually liked smaller objects sitting more forward as it reduced bouncing and it felt more comfortable than having a set of keys rubbing on your thigh.

Our tester wore these shorts to the climbing gym and was impressed by the way they moved through high steps and heel hooks. It was the same story in the weight room — squats, lunges, and deadlifts presented no problems or restrictions in range of motion. We didn’t make it to any yoga classes during testing but we’re confident that these blended merino shorts would be just as at home on the mat as they were in the weight room and climbing gym. They are truly comfortable and offer wholly unencumbered movement.

We love simple here at GJ, and the NoBull blended merino shorts are mercifully simple (as well as being quietly stylish). We struggled to find fault with them in our short-term test. Literally, our only gripe is the lack of color options that are offered. The wool, lyocell, and spandex blend allows for unencumbered movement regardless of whether you’re lifting, running, climbing, or relaxing.

They are excellent at regulating temperature — staying cool when it’s warm, and retaining a little bit of heat when the temperature begins to dip. We’re keen to see how these shorts stand up in the long term and whether they will stretch or deform, or begin to pill as wool often does. But at the time of this review, however, we can’t recommend these shorts enough. 

The Chubbies Swim Gym short ($59) is top of the list for best everyday short for a few simple reasons: they look good, they fit well, and they perform great in the gym. If you’re the kind of person who finds yourself stopping by the river after you’ve been at the gym or running errands around town before you hit the weight room, look no further than the Swim Gym.

These shorts feature two front pockets with ample room and a rear zippered pocket to keep your keys and small items stowed safely. Featuring four-way stretch fabric and a comfortable elastic waistband, these unlined shorts will have you feeling as good as you look.

We think unlined shorts are just the ticket on super hot days, but if you prefer a little more support in your day-to-day, be sure to check out Chubbies’ underwear offerings.

Additionally, you’ll have your choice of 5.5-inch or 7-inch inseams depending on your own personal proclivities, though we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you of one of our favorite sayings — “Sky’s out, thighs out.”

The Vuori Ponto Shorts ($78) are very comfortable, and with their four-way stretch and moisture-wicking recycled material, they’re equally at home lounging at the coffee shop or smashing a WOD at your local CrossFit Box.

The Ponto is a four-pocket short, featuring two front hand pockets, a zippered rear pocket, and a fourth zippered key pocket inside the front right pocket. The fit and finish of these shorts truly are a cut above the rest. The waistband and drawstring are part of what make these shorts so comfortable and keep them riding on your waist without pinching or exerting undo pressure.

These shorts are unlined which is normally a huge plus in our book, but because of the way the material canvases your features, we’d recommend “layering up” if you catch our drift.

At $78, the Ponto is double the price of many shorts on this list, and while they certainly sport a premium fit, finish, and feel, it’s hard not to wonder if the price is worth it, especially with shorts like the Swim Gym on the list.

But hey, if you’ve got the budget and you want to look good and feel even better, take a look at the Ponto Short.

The prAna Peak to Pavement Short ($75) is another super comfortable runner with a 6” inseam and a UPF 30 rating.  As we’ve come to expect from prAna, these shorts fit well and are extremely comfortable with little to no frills, while still bringing all the performance you’d normally associate with prAna. We especially appreciate the shirt loop on the waistband as well as the rear zip pocket on the back of the waistband, which keeps keys or energy gels secure without bouncing around.

The sizing for the Peak to Pavement short is spot on. They are lightweight but high quality, and offer great moisture-wicking and breathability. The Peak to Pavement is an excellent trail or pavement runner, but could easily pull double duty as a gym short for hot days. 

Our only criticism is that the colorways are a bit lacking, but with the fit and performance of these shorts, it’s an easy thing to look past. If you are in the market for a comfortable pair of running shorts with excellent performance and great value, look no further.

We are big fans of the Vuori products here at GJ — The Banks Short has long held the top spot on this list, and more recently we reviewed the uber-comfortable Ponto Short. For this round of reviews, we took the opportunity to review the Kore Short ($68). It offers the same excellent fit that we’ve come to expect from Vuori while scoring points for being stylish, comfortable, and utilitarian. 

Out of the packaging, these shorts look and feel great. The polyester and elastane mix is lightweight and breathable without feeling too thin or cheap. The Kore short does feature a liner — something we were skeptical about initially, but after trying them on that skepticism faded quickly.

These liners are less about compression and more about comfort and don’t ride up or bunch. The waistband on the Kore Short is also very comfortable and sits at the hips without riding up or requiring frequent readjustment. A simple drawstring assures they stay snug right where you want them. 

One aspect in particular that we like is how the Kore short sports premium features without feeling like an overly fancy or gym-specific pair of shorts. These things are super comfortable and easily dress up or down depending on your preferences. Our tester frequently wore the Kore shorts outside of the gym, running errands, doing chores around the house, to yoga, and even for a handful of impromptu naps. The Kore shorts stayed fresh thanks to their anti-odor feature and their 4-way stretch allowed for unencumbered movement regardless of what he was doing.

While their versatility may be unmatched, we did run into one potential issue with the Kore Short. After just a few short weeks, our tester noticed that the stitching on the bottom and side seams had started to become frayed and begin piling.

So far, this hasn’t become an issue, but it is enough to raise some questions about the durability of these shorts — time will tell. It’s certainly not a deal-breaker, but at $68 we’d hope to get at least a couple of seasons’ use out of a pair of shorts. Regardless, the Kore shorts remain an excellent, comfortable, stylish, and practical option for folks in the market for one short to do everything. 

Lululemon is the standard to beat for premium gym clothing, so we had high expectations when we ordered the T.H.E. Short ($68) for testing. As you probably guessed, T.H.E. is an acronym — it stands for Train Hard Everyday, and if you can get past the fact that Everyday really should be two words here, you’ll find an excellent, comfortable, and stylish pair of training shorts.

The T.H.E. short is very lightweight and highly breathable — this may or may not be to your liking depending on the season and the session. We found these shorts to be a perfect option for high-output sessions like your typical CrossFit WOD, kettlebell complexes, and aerobic endeavors like running and rowing. Regular abrasion from a barbell or other equipment could potentially prematurely wear out these shorts, but we had zero issues with that during testing.

The fit and finish are top-tier, as expected from a brand like Lululemon. The flat waistband is incredibly comfortable and doesn’t ride up or shift around much. The drawstring cinch allows for fine-tuning your fit while the front pockets comfortably fit a phone or wallet and the rear pocket features a zipper for valuable or important items. These shorts come in 2 lengths — 7 and 9 inches, and those of you in the anti-liner camp will be relieved to hear that they’re linerless as well.

The T.H.E. shorts are aimed pretty squarely at the gym crowd but they make a great everyday short too, especially if you are the type to hit the coffee shop before the gym or after yoga. They’re easy to dress up or down and comfortable enough to lounge in while still retaining excellent stretch and breathability.

The thing that stood out to us about these shorts is that nothing stood out about these shorts — and that’s a good thing. They just quietly get the job done. They fit and move well, they’re lightweight and breathable, and they’re highly versatile as both a training and an everyday short.

If you find most of your training revolves around logging miles on the trail or pounding pavement, take a look at the Under Armour Launch short ($35). These shorts feature a 7-inch inseam, four-way stretch, and a polyester liner as well as one of the most comfortable waistbands of any shorts on this list.

The anti-odor tech keeps your running funk to a tolerable level during and after long hot runs, which is a plus for running errands post-workout.

The launch shorts come with two front pockets but unfortunately no rear pocket and nowhere else to store small items like keys or gels. They do, however, feature a right-side “power mesh” phone pocket, which certainly helps to keep your phone secure but isn’t exactly practical for dealing with bouncing during running.

While these shorts are an excellent option for running, we recommend looking at other options like the Banks Short or Swim Gym if most of your fitness pursuits are in the gym.

Super comfortable and quite stylish, the Roark Bommer Short ($89) nails it. The camo colorway scores big points in our book and offers a couple of well-thought-out features that really round out the package. 

The magnetic phone/key pocket on the compression liner is an excellent touch and keeps essentials secure (no one likes things bouncing in their pockets when they’re running). One liner-averse tester found these to be the only liners he didn’t want to immediately cut out.

The 4-way stretch offers excellent mobility and unrestricted movement out on the trail. Additionally, the Bommer shorts are very well ventilated which has been crucial as the temps have started climbing. The 3” inseam makes us think these will likely be reserved for summer trail runs, and don’t think we’ll be lifting in these shorts anytime soon. Somehow, Roark made the Bommer feel super lightweight without feeling like they’re going to wear out.

One caveat here though: If you’re a fellow MOG (man of girth), or your friends jokingly refer to you as “Quadzilla,” you might want to consider sizing up. The large size fits well at the waist but the compression short liner is *tight* after this year’s ski season. But, to their credit, the liner didn’t ride up or pinch even a little, which is saying something. Well done, Roark. 

Nike’s flex woven short ($35) is an excellent option for both runners and lifters but falls short in a few key categories. As the name implies, the Flex Woven short stretches, flexes, and moves well both in the gym and on the track. With an 8-inch inseam, these surprisingly lightweight shorts are reminiscent of our best budget pick, the Champion Mesh shorts but aren’t as practical or as comfortable.

At $35, the Flex Woven short is decently priced, but compared to the $35 Chubbies Swim Gym, these shorts fall flat. The Flex Woven Shorts don’t have pockets and the sizing is definitely off. No pockets, not even for a single key or gel, is a big miss for running shorts, and the lack of even a rear zippered pocket really limits the practicality of these shorts.

Additionally, our tester found the large to fit more like a medium, which lead to a slightly oppressive feeling of limited mobility, especially while squatting. Potential buyers may want to size up or try these shorts on before purchasing.

If you value lightweight flexible shorts with a longer cut and don’t care about pockets or don’t wear workout clothes outside of the gym, the Flex Woven short could be just the ticket. If, like us, you need a little more function and practicality and don’t care about weight, we’d recommend looking at other options like the Chubbies Swim Gym or the Vuori Ponto.

We are generally impressed with the Interval Short from Ten Thousand ($68). These shorts sport many well-thought-out features including a variety of pockets for your wallet, phone, and keys, an optional anti-microbial liner, a no-bunch waistband, and your choice of three different inseam lengths (5, 7, or 9 inches).

We received the lined 7-inch inseam short in Adobe for our test. Out of the box, the shorts fit well, though it’s important to note here that our tester ordered a size up from what the website recommended.

Typically, we aren’t big fans of lined shorts, but the Interval short does things a little differently with its integrated anti-microbial liner. The liner is slightly thicker, and much less constricting than a traditional compression short liner, and it’s miles better than any mesh liner we’ve ever encountered.

Despite the liner being a little more heavy-duty than average, these shorts breathe very well and offer excellent sweat-wicking with little to no musty gym smell at the end of the day. The 4-way stretch provides unencumbered movement whether you are running, jumping, or lifting, and our tester found the Interval shorts to be a particularly comfortable choice for trips to the climbing gym.

We do have a couple of complaints about the interval shorts, however. The crotch in the liner hangs quite low and our tester found himself needing to frequently adjust his shorts during testing. It’s an interesting problem because typically we associate compression liners with riding up, but instead, we found the Interval’s liner would fall down and needed to be hiked up for comfort.

Additionally, the waistband did bunch up a little despite claims to the opposite. The material is quite comfortable and once flattened out, it’s not a huge problem, but since Ten Thousand lists the “no pinch, no bunch” waistband at the top of its features we thought we should weigh in.

Minor gripes aside, there’s a lot to like about the interval shorts. The main pockets are appropriately roomy, there’s a key sleeve in the band and a zippered double pocket for your valuables on the right side. These shorts dress up fairly well and are great for working the gym floor or a quick lunch or coffee trip before or after your gym session, and with the anti-microbial liner, you don’t have to worry about being funky in public (or at least it won’t be because of your shorts). Those of you looking for a pair of good-looking, well-made, and comfortable gym shorts will be well served by the Ten Thousand Interval Short.