The Best Gym Shorts for Men in 2023

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.

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.

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. 

The beauty of these shorts ($78) is in the details. Subtle perforated venting along the sides and back waistband, a built-in elastic strap on the waistband to carry your shirt or towel on runs, and zippered pockets all add to the appeal of these shorts.

The four-way stretch outer is accompanied by a super-soft interior boxer brief liner. These combine to make a short that is luxuriously comfortable and provides the same amount of freedom as wearing nothing at all.

But it’s a lot more supportive than wearing nothing. The interior liner keeps everything in place during long runs, burpees, and box jumps. The added support also came in handy during multiple jump roping sessions. The shorts dried well, but the liner takes a little extra time to dry after a workout.

We love the durability — the shorts resisted abrasion well, and after the workout, the chalk brushed right off. And thanks to the flat-lock stitching, we had no chafing or irritation during long runs and hour-long metabolic conditioning.

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.