Best cycling shorts 2025: The best of every category, for every budget

Three pictures of the cyclingnews tech team wearing the best cycling shorts

The best cycling shorts are about as make or break as it gets in terms of cycling kit. Get it right and you'll be in for endless miles of blissed-out riding in perfect comfort. Get it wrong and you may as well perch yourself atop a housebrick and ride down a cobbled street. 

Whether you're getting your first pair of cycling shorts or your tenth, we've got you covered. Each member of the tech team has tested countless pairs and the following list is what we like to think of as the crème de la crème; it's what we'd tell you to buy over a drink if you asked us (mine's a negroni, if you're asking). 

Recent updates

Last updated on 11th of February 2025

We reviewed and updated this guide to ensure all the products shown were still available. We also refreshed the FAQ section with more guidance on how to choose.

Will Jones
Senior Tech Writer

Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. He’s tried his hand at most cycling disciplines, from the standard mix of road, gravel, and mountain bike, to the more unusual like bike polo and tracklocross. He’s made his own bike frames, covered tech news from the biggest races on the planet, and published countless premium galleries thanks to his excellent photographic eye. Also, given he doesn’t ever ride indoors he’s become a real expert on foul-weather riding gear. His collection of bikes is a real smorgasbord, with everything from vintage-style steel tourers through to superlight flat bar hill climb machines.

With contributions from
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