10 Best Mountain Bike Shorts in 2021

Last updated 04. January 2021

Clothing is an important part of cycling, whether you’re doing it for recreational purposes or as a professional sport. This is especially true when it comes to mountain biking, since you’ll often have to push yourself harder and deal with tougher terrain, not to mention windier weather: that being said, not every mountain will be the same, and you might find yourself unprepared for the humidity level, temperature or type of terrain you’ll be going up against.

Down below is our list of some of the best mountain bike shorts, in no particular order, along with some reasons they might be right for you.

View The Best Mountain Bike Shorts Below

1. Eco-daily Men’s 4D Padded Cycling Shorts Breathable

Eco-daily Men's 4D Padded Cycling Shorts Breathablew

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These nylon and spandex padded bike shorts are designed to fit like a second skin, staying comfortable without trapping heat or sweat against you on more difficult rides. They offer anti-slip bands around the legs to keep them from riding up while you’re moving, using breathable materials to keep air flowing despite the tight-looking fit, and have small reflective patches woven in to make you visible in low light. The cycling shorts also have six layers of protection overall, acting as a buffer against pressure and weight as well as light impacts.

The design of the shorts is meant to promote blood flow and allow for a full range of movement, making them useful for cycling in cold weather that would make other clothing restrictive to wear. Thanks to the stretchy materials, they can easily accommodate a cyclist who gains or loses a small amount of weight after purchasing them and won’t feel too tight on your body during long rides.

Pros:
+ Breathable, padded and moisture wicking materials
+ Tight, comfortable fit
+ Six layers of padding
+ Durable
+ Reflective patches

Why We Liked It – These shorts are incredibly breathable, making them comfortable even in the most humid weather conditions.


2. sponeed Men’s Cycling Shorts Padded Bicycle

sponeed Men's Cycling Shorts Padded Bicycle

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These bike shorts use a mixture of polyester and spandex to wick away moisture and stay comfortable during cold or humid weather, as well as allowing for both hand washing and machine washing. In terms of general comfort, sponeed’s shorts are able to stretch without causing friction burns or uncomfortable tightness if they’re worn for long periods of time.

The 3D Silicon gel padding reduces seat pains without sacrificing ventilation, and the six-panel design is specifically tailored to eliminate chafing and irritation.

Unlike a lot of shorts brands, sponeed also offer to customize their products for cycling teams using their sublimation printing tools, meaning that the logos and color scheme will never wear off, even in harsh weather. They’re also supposed to dry quickly, even after being thoroughly soaked, so they can easily be dried overnight or between bike rides.

Pros:
+ Quick-dry, skin-friendly materials
+ Silicon gel padding
+ Moisture-wicking internal materials
+ No washing restrictions
+ Printing that won’t fade

Why We Liked It – Sponeed’s shorts can feel really comfortable against your skin, and they can make for an excellent underlayer.


3. NOOYME Womens Bike Shorts for Cycling with 3D Padded

NOOYME Womens Bike Shorts for Cycling with 3D Padded

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These Nooyme women’s cycling shorts provide excellent body heat regulation and cushioning, making them ideal for long rides in warm weather. They’re made of a soft, flexible fabric that allows full freedom of movement, including situations where you need to bend at the waist or stretch at awkward angles.

The internal padding provides extra comfort during long rides, as well as acting as slightly springy leg supports to keep your legs in a safe cycling pose – a chamois pad is also woven into the design to increase breathability and comfort while sitting.

The waistband is designed to stay on your waist by using soft, non-irritating silicone grippers, meaning that it won’t slip or roll on your average bike ride. The leg hems also have a row of reflective stripes above the back of your knee that keeps you visible at night, making the shorts safe to wear on roads or in populated areas.

Pros:
+ Regulated body heat and moisture
+ Supports muscles during riding
+ Comfortable
+ Uses grippers to stay on your waist
+ Foam chamois pad for extra comfort

Why We Liked It – These shorts are intentionally springy, and can support your muscles really well on even the most intense trails.


4. Santic Men’s Cycling Shorts Loose-Fit 4D Padded Bike

Santic Men's Cycling Shorts Loose-Fit 4D Padded Bike

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These cycling shorts are made with breathable materials that make cycling far easier in hot, wet or humid weather, preventing water vapor from sticking to the inside of your clothes. They’re designed to reduce sweating as much as possible, in turn making your ride more comfortable and dealing with any rashes or infections they could otherwise cause.

Santic has deliberately chosen to use a baggy design, making them look like regular shorts when you’re not riding – unlike a lot of other cycling gear, you won’t look out of place in public, and getting a perfect size is slightly less of an issue in the long run. This also left plenty of extra room for padding, and these shorts use a cushioning pad with top 4D Coolmax materials to keep you feeling comfortable during long rides without breaks.

Pros:
+ Cushioned design
+ Breathable, sweat-removing materials
+ Baggy shape, like conventional shorts
+ Non-binding legs for better movement
+ Padding

Why We Liked It – The cushioned interior of these shorts make them really comfortable to wear, but they’re also surprisingly cool in hot weather.


5. Santic Cycling Men’s Shorts Biking Bicycle

Santic Cycling Men's Shorts Biking Bicycle

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These shorts use high-quality materials for both flexibility and comfort, being made out of 82% nylon and 18% spandex. This makes them incredibly breathable, especially on the sides of the legs, and allows them to eliminate sweat and water vapor from your body without feeling uncomfortable. The 12-Panel design supports your legs and keeps the shorts in place without restricting your movement, and ensures that it won’t ride up your legs or slip down your waist during an intense ride.

The sides of the shorts have reflective areas to make others aware of your position at night, both from behind and to either side of you. The 4D Coolmax padding gives you extra protection from warm weather and humidity without adding extra bulk to your frame, meaning that it’ll stay aerodynamic while still keeping you comfortable and safe.

Pros:
+ Grippers to prevent legs riding up
+ Breathable materials
+ 4D Coolmax padding
+ Easy to wash
+ Aerodynamic

Why We Liked It – The Coolmax padding makes these shorts really protective without adding extra weight or distorting how they look, keeping them really slim-fitting.


6. NOOYME Women Bike Underwear Gel 3D Padded

NOOYME Women Bike Underwear Gel 3D Padded

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These women’s bike shorts use 3D foam padding to lessen the common pains women can experience on long bike rides – the elastic and chamois padding pushes against the skin without irritating it, helping to support your muscles and make most bike trails more comfortable. The breathable fabric has been chosen to wick away moisture and fight off humidity, with the hip-fitting shape meaning that your legs won’t overheat by being covered up.

The Anatomic Multi-Layer design allows these shorts to retain their shape through nearly any conditions, regardless of whether they’ve been worn often or left in a suitcase for days on end. Even if they do lose their shape, the squishy and flexible fabric means that they can easily be stretched out to fit again without any issues.

Pros:
+ Padded, multi-layered design
+ Small enough to wear under other clothes
+ Retains shape
+ Flexible materials for extra movement
+ Relieves pain

Why We Liked It – These shorts are nice and tight, but the elastic materials keep them feeling comfortable without damaging your skin or causing chafing.


7. beroy Womens Bike Shorts with 3D Gel Padded

beroy Womens Bike Shorts with 3D Gel Padded

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Beroy’s padded shorts make good use of stretchy fabrics, allowing them to stick closer to your skin without feeling uncomfortable or restrictive. They also absorb a lot of moisture and perspiration, meaning that they can help keep you cool and dry in wet, humid or extremely hot weather. The seams of the shorts are sealed tight, allowing them to stretch properly without breaking, and there are three layers of foam padding to reinforce them while also keeping you comfortable during your ride.

The company has also tried to reduce how much lactic acid builds up in your muscles thanks to the silicone hems, which keep the shorts tight against your legs at all times and promotes better blood flow. On top of that, Beroy has managed to use thicker materials around certain areas of your legs to support your bones and make cycling less tiring.

Pros:
+ Moisture absorbent
+ Plenty of comfortable padding
+ Low friction against skin
+ Durable, multi-layered construction
+ Tight but the comfortable hem

Why We Liked It – The way that shorts promote blood flow is something that high-energy cyclists will love, especially if they use cycling as a type of cardio exercise.


8. Baleaf Men’s 3D Padded Bike Bicycle

Baleaf Men's 3D Padded Bike Bicycle

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These lightweight shorts are designed to keep sweat and moisture off your body while you’re riding, and are made of quick-dry materials to help keep them usable in even the worst weather conditions. They’re also very breathable, keeping an air flow going while you’re cycling and making your ride far more comfortable.

The lower area has plenty of padding and support, making pain from long periods of cycling less of an issue, and the outer layer is durable enough to last a long time before showing sights of damage.

Inside the shorts, themselves is a section of 3D padding that protects you from seat pains and helps your shorts keep their shape, along with an elastic waistband that keeps them tight even if the leg sections are slightly too baggy for you. Due to their size, they can even be used as an underlayer in extremely cold weather.

Pros:
+ Small enough to fit under other clothes
+ Can easily deal with water
+ Extremely breathable
+ Plenty of padding
+ Stretchable elastic waistband

Why We Liked It – These shorts use lots of padding to keep you supported and comfortable during long rides, something that casual cyclists and hardcore hobbyists alike will appreciate.


9. beroy Womens Bike Shorts with 3D Gel Padded

9. beroy Womens Bike Shorts with 3D Gel Padded

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The microfiber layers of these bike shorts are designed to deal with abrasion and chafing skin, making them really comfortable while still holding a tight fit on your body. They’re also flexible, able to move with you rather than restricting your muscle movements and offers a thick layer of padding to better protect you while you’re riding, even if you’ve angled your body forwards. The design of these shorts helps protect you from saddle sores or other biking-related pains and skin issues but doesn’t sacrifice comfort or durability in the process.

The 3D gel padding and foam inner layer still allow air to flow through, which also aids in letting out perspiration and dealing with humid conditions. The tight-fitting hems suck away extra sweat and keep your lower body comfortably dry, drastically improving the quality of any ride, especially those in wet weather.

Pros:
+ Designed to stop chafing
+ Breathable
+ Absorb and wick moisture
+ Tight but comfortable hems
+ Protects you from poor weather

Why We Liked It – The flexibility of these shorts give you full freedom of movement, regardless of what angle you’re sitting at while you cycle.


10. Louis Garneau Men’s Fit Sensor 2 Padded

These multi-material shorts use antibacterial memory foam to mold to your body shape, slowly adjusting to fit you better over the course of each ride. Both the inner and outer layers are made with moisture-wicking materials that keep you comfortable and dry, with the rear area also using thermoregulating padding to deal with both sweat and body heat in a way that doesn’t distract from your riding experience.

The inner seams and waist can easily stretch to accommodate most body shapes, especially around the waistline and hems, but still rest tightly against your body to better support your movements – you can even see most of the supporting seams and trims on the outer lining. The entire garment has been designed to prevent pinching and uncomfortable folding, acting like a tight underlayer that you can wear individually or lay under another piece of clothing.

Pros:
+ Regulates heat and sweat
+ Comfortably tight
+ Reflective accents that don’t seem obnoxious
+ Skin-tight, can fit under other clothes
+ Uses memory foam for a more tailored experience
Why We Liked It: The memory foam is the main draw here since the shorts can mold to your exact body shape time and time again.


Mountain Bike Shorts Buyers Guide

The Style

“Shorts” is a very broad term, and there are dozens of ways a single brand can vary their product while still keeping it under the same category of clothing. Some people might prefer a tight-fitting pair that mold to their body shape, while others might want a less streamlined style that can double as normal shorts when they’re not cycling.

Comfort

Staying comfortable is one of the key things you should consider when buying some mountain bike shorts – it’s no secret that tougher bike routes can lead to you being in more pain afterward, especially if the saddle is constantly rubbing or pushing against your backside and inner legs. There are a lot of things to consider in terms of comfort: the size, materials, texture, stretchiness, and supportiveness of your shorts will all make a difference, no matter how small.

The level of comfort you need will also change as you change your biking habits – if you suddenly switch to taking rougher routes, you’ll need more padding to deal with the bumps and impacts, for example.

Skill Level

If you’re very new to cycling, either because you’ve just learned how or you’ve just picked it up as a hobby, you don’t need super-specialized gear. A lot of high-end clothing is meant for professionals and long-time cyclists, and might actually end up feeling uncomfortable if you’re not used to them. That’s not to say you can’t buy them, but something simpler might be a better place to start. Professionals, on the other hand, should avoid underselling themselves: using high-tier cycling gear can make a huge difference in your performance.

Which color should my shorts be?

While color isn’t too important, it can still matter for late-night or early-morning cycling. If you’re a fan of cycling in the dark, make sure you’re choosing vivid colors that can make you stand out to others on dangerous trails.

How many pairs should I buy?

This depends on how long a given pair will last, but the average cyclist usually won’t need more than one or two at any given time. If you’re a fan of taking on different challenges and trails, it might be worth keeping a few different pairs around to deal with different types of weather.

Amazon Recommends:

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