The BEST lululemon shorts for women in 2023 — with a size and fit guide! From running shorts that don’t dig in or ride up, to the most flattering and comfortable shorts for lounging, these are our top picks.
This guide is brought to you in partnership with lululemon. All words and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Nourish Move Love and all the content you see on this blog possible.
Trying to decide which pair of lululemon shorts is right for you? Our team put some of lululemon’s most popular shorts to the test to compare different styles, fabrics, compression levels, and inseam lengths.
A few reasons why we love shopping lululemon include:
Looking for more gift guides? Check out our best lululemon leggings, best lululemon running gear, best lululemon maternity clothes, best lululemon men’s gear and best lululemon matching sets.
The Hotty Hot Shorts are a lululemon classic, and one of the most popular shorts purchased online. These are loved by reviewers both as a running short and for casual wear. Our team loves the buttery soft Align Shorts for everyday wear and lounging.
lululemon makes some of the best shorts for working out. Each style is tailored to different needs and athletic activities. For example, the Speed Up Short and Base Pace Short are great for runners. Whereas the Align Shorts are great for yoga and low impact lifting.
Most of lululemon’s athletic shorts for women have a built-in liner for additional coverage. If you prefer shorts without a built in liner, lululemon offers the Inner Glow Short and Softstreme Short which are both designed to be a more casual or everyday short.
The Track That athletic short and Base Pace biker short are our personal favorites for squatting in. The Track That shorts have a built in liner and four way stretch fabric for coverage and comfort through the full range of motion of a squat. If you prefer a biker short, the Base Pace biker shorts are sweat wicking and super stretchy, with extra coverage thanks to the longer length.
Best For: running and everyday wear.
The Hotty Hot Short is a fan favorite and great for various types of training, including running.
They’re designed for runners, with extra room in the leg opening and hips for a long stride. The lightweight fabric has four way stretch for moving in all planes of motion and subtle mesh panels for ventilation.
The Hotty Hot Shorts come in various rises (low-rise, mid-rise and high-rise) and inseams (2.5″ or 4″).
Sizing Notes: these shorts run true to size. However, if you have athletic quads, we recommend ordering one size up from your typical size. Megan is 5’5″ and is pictured wearing the High Rise 4″ Hotty Hot Short in her typical bottoms size.
Best For: athletic quads and more room through the thighs.
The Track That Short was specifically designed with athletic quads in mind. The ‘split short’ design on the sides provides extra room in the leg opening and hip area.
This short felt more lightweight and “flowy” to us compared to other lululemon shorts. This short also has a small side zipper pocket that securely holds a credit card or key during runs.
The Track That Short comes in two rises (mid-rise or high-rise) and two lengths (3″ or 5″ inseam).
Sizing Notes: these shorts run true to size. Rachel is 5’8″ and pictured wearing the High Rise 3″ Track That Short in her typical bottoms size.
Best For: a running short with additional coverage and length.
The Speed Up Shorts have a wide, flat waistband that is all about keeping you comfortable on long runs and training sessions. The stretchy waistband is also great for pregnancy and postpartum.
This lined short felt like it offered more coverage through the thighs and butt compared to other styles.
The Speed Up Shorts come in various rises (low-rise, mid-rise, and high-rise) and inseam lengths (2.5″ and 4″).
Sizing Notes: these shorts run true to size. Lindsey is 5’8″ and pictured wearing the High Rise 4″ Speed Up Short in her typical bottoms size.
Best For: yoga, pilates, casual wear, and pregnancy/postpartum.
This is the biker short that made biker shorts cool again. Made with the same super soft buttery Nulu ™️ fabric you’d find in the Align Leggings, these are our top pick when it comes to comfort.
The Align Bikers were our team’s most worn pair of shorts of the year. They’re perfect running errands, low impact workouts, walks, and yoga/barre/pilates. Lindsey also lived in these shorts during pregnancy and postpartum.
The Align Shorts come in two rises (high-rise and super-high-rise) and various lengths (4″, 6″, 8″ and 10″ inseams).
Sizing Notes: these run true to size, but have a good amount of stretch. If you’re between sizes, we recommend sizing down. Caroline is 5’5″ and pictured wearing the High Rise 8″ Align Short.
Best For: running and high intensity training.
The Base Pace Shorts were new to us last year, and a surprise favorite. These are our top pick for a training biker short.
If you want biker shorts that stay in place without digging into your thighs, these are for you. Instead of a hard seam at the bottom, these biker shorts have a “grip” fabric on the inside at the bottom seam. This prevents them from rolling up during runs or training sessions. The quick drying and sweat wicking fabric is also ideal for training.
The Base Pace shorts are all high-rise and come in 6″ and 8″ inseams.
Sizing Notes: these shorts run true to size. Lindsey is pictured wearing the 8″ Base Pace Shorts in her typical bottoms size.
Best For: a compressive short for HIIT and strength training.
The Wunder Train Biker Shorts are made for your sweatiest workouts. This fabric has the most “hug” or compression to stay up through training sessions. These were also designed with extra shape retention, which is great if you wear your shorts more than once before washing.
The Wunder Train Shorts are all high-rise, and come in 4″, 6″ and 8″ inseams. They also recently launched a Contour Fit line with extra room through the hips and thighs for athletic and curvy builds.
Sizing Notes: these shorts run true to size, but are definitely the most compressive short we tried on. If you’re between sizes, we recommend sizing up. Rachel is pictured wearing the 6″ Wunder Train Shorts in her typical bottoms size.
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Nourish Move Love is a health + fitness blog that helps women create a lifestyle and body they love.
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Love posts like this! It is so much more helpful than just reading clothing reviews on the company website. I’ve been looking for some new running/workout shorts as the weather warms up, now I know where to look. Thanks, NML!
Emma! So glad you are loving our clothing reviews and find them helpful! Keep coming back for more!