After years of poor body image encouraging me to resist the urge to wear tight running shorts, I finally took the plunge bought a pair from Runderwear after I earned a 20% discount by completing a Strava challenge. I was so pleased with them that I bought two more pairs from different brands to compare and decided to write a review for anyone contemplating refreshing their running wardrobe this summer. I wore each pair of shorts for both an initial shorter test run, followed by a longer run of an hour or more. Here are my thoughts:
Price: £23
Rating: 5/5
These were the shorts that started a mini revolution. They lived up to everything they promised, including an extremely comfortable seamless and breathable texture, silicone leg grippers to hold them in place for a run of any duration, and opaque yet lightweight design giving me the confidence to wear them without a second layer. I honestly don’t think the shorts moved a single millimetre for the whole session - they didn’t ride up and they didn’t fall or roll down at the waist. The lack of thigh chafing in muggy summer conditions made me an instant convert. They are also super stretchy (size down if you are between sizes) which combined with the gel leg grippers gives you freedom to choose exactly how close to the knee you want the shorts to sit, which is a great confidence boost for any tight shorts virgins like me! The only (tiny) downside for me was the lack of any pockets, however, I think that for these shorts a pocket would actually spoil the design as they are so streamlined. They are very reasonably priced for the quality and the delivery was cheap and swift, with sleek and understated packaging. They are available in three colours, but a pair of black shorts is a classic staple for anyone’s activewear collection.
Price: £40
Rating: 4.5/5
Despite being an owner of a running clothes drawer that is mostly made up of black leggings, one of the first things that drew me to these shorts is the striking pink colour. I am trying to make a conscious effort to brighten up my running gear, and these fit the brief perfectly. I love the ethos of the brand too, which is to create comfortable, supportive and flattering activewear suitable for exercise during pregnancy, the postnatal period and beyond, especially as I was so uninformed and unconfident about exercising during my own previous pregnancy. They are definitely supportive, with a very high waist and made of very soft and stretchy material. I can imagine they are just as perfect for keeping a growing bump secure as they are for supporting a postpartum tummy during high impact exercise. The only small issue I found was that as the waist panel is so long, it did roll over very slightly during the course of the session. However, I was really impressed with the fact that the shorts didn’t ride up at all, and I have the tan line to prove it after running in them on one of the hottest days of the year so far! They also have two large side pockets, plenty big enough to hold a phone and key if you are hoping to head out without any extra baggage. Although these shorts were the most expensive of three I purchased, for a brand dedicated to specialist pre and postnatal activewear, the price is not extortionate and the packaging and service I received was excellent. And if you’re not quite ready for such a bright colour, they are also available in three other colours, including black.
Price: £30
Rating: 4/5
This brand prides itself on its flamboyant and colourful prints, of which there is plenty of choice in their wide selection of active shorts, however I decided to stick to a block colour this time around. The downside to this choice was that awkward sweat patches were definitely more prominent on these than they would have been on a bold print, but I do still love the emerald green colour as an addition to my collection. These shorts stayed in place well, with very limited need for mid-run adjustments and despite being the only pair I tested with an actual elasticated waistband rather than simply stretchy material all over, they didn’t dig in at the waist at all. They were comfortable but slightly bulky in comparison to the other brands, with the thickest material of the three and also the most obvious seams. However, I am a big fan of the secure zip up back pocket, plenty large enough to keep a smartphone and keys safe, and also love the extra detail of the reflective feature of the brand name and slogan. I also liked the fact that the shorts were delivered in recycled packaging. The price is reasonable and there are often flash sales or discount codes available which are worth looking out for.
Overall I would say that I will without a doubt be running in this style of chafe-free running shorts for many years to come, despite the tan lines that come with running in them at the height of summer! I will happily continue to wear all three of the pairs featured in this review and would consider buying more in different colours or patterns from these brands in future too.
Which brand of activewear is your favourite? What do you look for when choosing running shorts? What would you like me to review next? Let me know in the comments!
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