Best women's cycling shorts 2025: Padded bib shorts to keep you comfy on the bike
Female-specific cycling shorts can play a huge part in ensuring you stay comfortable in the saddle, these are our favourite options
Wearing padded bib shorts on a ride can substantially improve comfort. Alongside having a saddle which works for you, finding a comfy pair of bib shorts can amplify your joy on the bike.
Choosing the best cycling shorts can be an absolute minefield with tons of options currently on the market. There are many different elements to consider, from chamois pads and bib straps to pockets, compression and comfort as well as sizing options. All play their part, and these elements are quite personal and subjective to the individual.
Having tested many of the market's offerings, we've rounded up a list of what we think are the best women's cycling shorts you can buy today.
Of course, everybody is built differently, and like the best women's road bike saddles what works for one person may not work for the next. Choosing cycling shorts is just as personal as choosing the best women's cycling shoes.
If possible, it’s always good to try a pair before buying, or look for online purchases which allow free exchanges or returns. We've also included a handy guide at the bottom of the page to answer any questions you might have.
Once you've found a great pair of bib shorts, why not pair them with one of the best women's cycling jerseys or explore our round-up of the best women's gravel cycling kit?
Quick list
A firm favourite amongst many, these are perfect for long days in the saddle, with deep pockets and a neat comfort break mechanism.
Effortlessly comfortable with tons of colourways to choose from and perfect for off-road riding.
These shorts pack tons of tech into a smaller price and have an excellent comfort break feature.
Silky smooth shorts with excellent pull down comfort break mechanism.
A great pair of waist shorts with decent pockets that offer excellent value for money.
Extremely lightweight and low-bulk, these shorts are effortlessly breathable and race ready.
Last updated on 01st of May 2025 Added Maap Alt_Road Cargo bibs, Matchy Altitude Wardrobe, Madison Roam Women’s cargo cycling shorts and Albion Cycling Women’s ABR1 Pocket Bib Shorts.
Best women's cycling shorts available today
Best for long distance
Specifications
Reasons to buy
- Lots of sizes
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want tons of pockets: These shorts feature three pockets so you can stash whatever you need with you.
✅ You want a comfort break feature: The high stretch elastic system is great.
❌ You want tons of colours choices: These only come in black.
Updated for 2025, the ABR1 Pocket Bib Shorts are a pair of shorts loved by many women who like to ride long distances.
Designed to strike the balance between optimum compression, comfort and practicality, while also maintaining a solid fit and feel, you won't go far wrong with this pair.
The shorts feature Albion's unique three pocket configuration which essentially allows you to stuff more bits and bobs on your person as there are two pockets on the legs and a rear side entry pocket as well.
They have a high stretch elastic strap system for quick and simple comfort breaks without having to remove layers.
If you are in need of a long distance, bike-packing friendly pair of shorts, these are definitely worth a try.
Check out our review of the male version of ABR1 Pocket Bib Shorts which has very similar features minus the comfort break mechanism.
Best for entry-level
2. Endura Women's FS260 DropSeat Bib Shorts
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want value for money: These shorts pack tons of tech into a smaller price.
✅ You want a comfort break feature: The DropSeat feature makes it easy when nature calls.
❌ You want top-level tech: These are an entry-level pair of shorts.
❌ You want compression: These do not offer much compression.
You don't have to pay a fortune to get a versatile pair of cycling bib shorts that are well-designed and thought-out. Endura's FS260-Pro DS bib shorts, for example, come with a modest price tag compared to some of the options listed here, and yet they offer an extremely comfortable fit, along with one of the ultimate things we look for in women's bib shorts: a great comfort break feature.
Endura's solution is a dropseat contraption, which means it has extra material at the back so all you need to do is pull these down, and the faff is gone.
Of course, because these shorts are more affordable than some of the others listed here, they don't offer as much in the way of compression or breathability, as the fabrics are less technical. Also, Endura's chamois pads often tend to measure up a little wide compared to other brands, so this may not work for some but these are a great pair of entry level shorts.
Best cargo
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want fun colour options: Maap offers fun colour choices to add personality to your kit.
✅ You want to ride far: These are made for long-distance riding, on and off road.
❌ You want a comfort break feature: These do not offer a quick solution for nature calls.
❌ You want bigger sizes: Offered up to XL, these do not cater for bigger sizes.
The Maap Alt_Road Cargo bibs are another pair of excellent bibs for long distance riding, except unlike the Albion offering, these come in quite the selection of colour options.
The fit is high rise and decent compression on the thighs, with thick cuffs and silicon grippers keeping the shorts nicely in place.
Our contributor Emma Cole wore two pairs of these for 18 days straight on a bikepacking trip and absolutely loved them. She found they offered the perfect balance of comfort, compression and practicality thanks to the pockets.
Of note is that the lighter colour options such as the green do show sweat and there is also no comfort break option which is a shame but not a deal breaker.
Maap recently updated the Alt_Road cargo bibs with a 2.0 version which offers much the same but with even more pockets.
Best for a second-skin fit
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a lightly compressive fit: These shorts are lightweight and smooth, offering light compression which helps with blood flow.
✅ You want a comfort break feature: The Flyfree mechanism is excellent.
❌ You want pockets: These do not have any storage.
❌ You want thick cuffs: The raw cuff design might not appeal to all.
There's a small segment of summer (at least in the UK) when the temperature is sweltering and you want to wear as little as possible while out on a ride. That's exactly the type of weather that Velocio's Ultralight bib shorts are designed for. They're made from a thin, woven fabric that feels slightly papery between the fingers and offers ultra-high-gauge stretch.
Inside is the brand's proprietary EIT chamois that's luxuriously soft and contains varying foam density in strategic zones to provide support.
Velocio is a brand that has perfected the art of women's cycling shorts by adding its own FlyFree design, which essentially equates to a stretch panel at the rear, allowing you to pull the shorts down and pee, without needing to remove your jersey. It works exceptionally well.
Due to their thin and lightweight nature, we also find these shorts to work very well for indoor cycling, too.
For an in-depth look at these, read our Velocio Women's Ultralight bib shorts review.
Best for style
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a pair which goes with everything: These shorts are super easy to wear.
✅ You want a performance fit: These are made for riding fast in style.
❌ You want pockets: These are not made for bikepacking.
❌ You want a comfort break feature: There is no feature to make it easy when nature calls.
Similarly to Velocio's Ultralight bib shorts mentioned above, Castelli's Premio All Black bib shorts also reap the benefits of woven fabrics as opposed to the more traditional knitted ones. In fact, it's here that the woven fabric really gets to shine.
Essentially, it comes down to having a higher density gauge, which makes the material completely opaque, while retaining stretch and reducing bulk. The resulting bib shorts from Castelli are super lightweight, thin, comfortable and deliciously airy when it's hot.
The women's Progetto X² Air Seamless chamois is great as well, with varying levels of foam density to offer targeted support where it's needed, namely under the sit bones and perineal area, without over-cushioning the soft tissues at the front that need room to breathe.
Check out our review of the Castelli Premio Black bib shorts, written by a male reviewer but with input from our female reviewer Mildred who spent several weeks riding with the women's version.
Best for nature breaks
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want recycled materials: These shorts are made from 87% recycled polyamide.
✅ You want a comfort break feature: The Velocio Flyfree system works effortlessly.
❌ You want pockets: These are a minimal-fuss pair of shorts.
❌ You want entry-level: These are top of the range in terms of tech and price.
As one of the market leaders for women's focused brands, Velocio appears on this list more than once because its bib shorts are just that good. The Luxe shorts are designed to be worn all day, over many miles, and they definitely deliver on that front.
It's actually difficult to adequately explain the feel of the fabric: a soft touch, almost brushed finish, it feels silky, smooth, and soft, while maintaining high levels of compression. We found the shorts some of the most flattering over the hip area, while the design of the upper part of the shorts is unique on the market, too.
A solid mesh front prevents there from being any pressure on the chest, (and almost doubles as a base layer) whilst the 'fly free' back design means stopping for a quick nature break is easy. The stretch of the fabric in the rear panels means that you can literally just pull them down without having to remove the straps (and, as a result, any upper layers).
Minimal seams reduce chafing points, which is something we can confirm from long days in the saddle. The compression was really noticeable on our test rides (which is a good thing), giving support to key muscle groups and keeping everything feeling fresh with good blood flow.
The pad is the company's Signature chamois, the latest iteration is a dual-density pad, incorporating an anti-vibration super-high-density layer with a supportive high-density layer to create all-day comfort and support. The only minus to the shorts was the smidge too tight banding on the legs- we noticed mainly on our first ride, after speaking to them, they've mentioned they will have options next year without it, and options in multiple lengths. That said, as with the tightest banding on the legs, a few runs through the wash and some extra hours on the bike loosen these up nicely.
While it was written by a male tester, it's well worth checking out our review of the Velocio Luxe bib shorts, as our female tester Mildred has covered many miles in the women's version of these shorts, and agrees with everything in there.
Best for the changing seasons
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a high-tech pair of shorts: These are packed full of high-performance features.
✅ You want year-round: These are made to fill the gap between summer and winter.
❌ You want colours: These only come in black.
❌ You want a comfort break feature: These shorts do not accommodate nature breaks.
Those days when it's chilly in the morning, but once the sun breaks through and you've climbed a hill or two, you start peeling off layers, that's what the Assos Women's Dyora Spring/Fall RS Bib Shorts are designed for. Also working well with some of the best leg warmers.
The outer fabric is Assos' proprietary Osmos Heavy textile, which acts as a shell that offers compressive support, while inside the leg is lined with low-bulk fleece for added warmth.
A highlight is a chamois pad, made from Assos' superAir microShock foam, an 11mm-thick foam with a perforated fabric layer for breathability and vibration damping, topped with a foam layer with large perforations. A neat addition is what the brand calls its goldenGate technology, where the sides of the pad aren’t sewn into place, keeping this sensitive area completely seam-free.
Our reviewer Mildred, who's on the round side, found the Assos Dyora bib shorts to be curve-friendly. The leg is relatively long, sitting just above the knee on her small 5'2/156cm frame.
For more details, head over to our Assos Women's Dyora Spring/Fall RS Bib Shorts review.
Best for racing
8. Rapha Women's Pro Team Powerweave Bib Shorts
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want a premium pair of shorts: These are top of the range with a price to match.
✅ You want hot-weather shorts: These feature highly sweat-wicking materials
❌ You want entry-level: These are high-performance.
❌ You want a comfort break feature: You will need to take off layers when nature calls.
Rapha’s Pro Team Powerweave Bib Shorts are the top-end race-ready offering. They are constructed from the brand’s proprietary Powerweave fabric, which is woven rather than knitted (the more traditional material for bib shorts), similarly to the Castelli and Velocio Ultralight shorts listed above.
From experience, we've found them to offer decent compression, supporting fast recovery and helping to prevent fatigue, while there's a lot less bulk to weigh you down on race day. Since they are designed for high-intensity race efforts in summer, they offer high breathability and moisture wicking. In fact, Rapha claims they wick away moisture twice as fast than with knitted fabrics, and while we can't quantitively confirm or deny this, we definitely found them to manage sweat build-up really well compared to other shorts we've tried.
Other features include ergonomic laser-cut bib straps, an integrated radio pocket, and a brand new race chamois pad that Rapha says is more breathable, quicker drying, slimmer and lighter than its predecessors.
However they are incredibly expensive, so think of them as more of a long-term investment in your racing success.
Best budget
9. Madison Roam Women’s cargo cycling shorts
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want value for money: These shorts pack tons of tech for a smaller price.
✅ You want a comfort break feature: The fact these don't have straps makes it easy when nature calls.
❌ You want top-level tech: These are an entry-level pair of shorts.
❌ You want compression: These do not offer much compression.
The Madison Roam Cargo Cycling shorts are an excellent pair of waist shorts at a good price.
Notably, these are the only one's in the guide without straps. While straps are common place, not everyone is a fan, for multiple reasons including chaffing, comfort and when nature calls, so waist shorts can help remove any of the faff.
The Madison Roam offer a simple fuss-free design with two leg pockets to stash your stuff, and a premium Italian chamois pad gives great comfort when riding.
Our contributor Emma has been wearing these regularly and found them to be a delightful balance of tech and comfort, hitting all the entry-level points bang on. She finds them perfect for a casual ride.
In her experience though, the sizing comes up quite big which is something to consider but make sure you check the size guide to suit you.
Shorts without bib straps offer both a great way of getting into cycling and make life easy when nature calls.
Best for casual riding
10. Matchy Women's Altitude Wardrobe
Specifications
Reasons to buy
Reasons to avoid
✅ You want effortless style: These shorts are silky smooth and look great with most jerseys.
✅ You want a comfort break feature: The back straps easily unclip from the shorts so you don't have to remove any layers.
❌ You want pockets: These don't feature any storage.
❌ You want smaller or larger sizes: These don't cater to a wide range of sizes.
The stylish Altitude Wardrobe bib shorts are from Matchy Cycling, a small french brand nestled in the foothills of the Alps in Annecy.
The shorts are sumptuously silky and smooth against skin, and offer a nicely compressive fit.
What we particularly rate is that the bibs have removable back straps which means no need to take off all your layers when nature calls and the bibs remain stylish at the same time as there is no extra material included.
The chamois is comfortable and made from bamboo and recycled polyester which is a nice sustainable touch.
Like the Castelli's, these bib shorts go with pretty much everything and look super stylish, although it's a shame that smaller and larger sizes aren't catered for.
Contributor Emma loves these for every day road rides, vouching for the comfort, style and great nature break mechanism.
How to choose the best women's cycling shorts
What are the key things to look for in women's cycling shorts?
When choosing the best cycling shorts for you, first consider what you'll be using them for.
For example, if you're a long-distance rider and likely to be spending all day in the saddle, you should look for shorts with an endurance-focused chamois pad that can support your nether regions for hours on end without chafing or moving around too much.
If you're out for hours at a time, you'll likely need to take a pee break occasionally, so consider a pair of shorts with pee-friendly design features, to avoid having to undress behind a hedge. You might also want pockets.
If you are more of a fair weather cyclist, you can get away with minimal design features as long as the fabric is thin and breathable, whereas if you ride year round and plan to wear shorts through spring and autumn, look for added warmth, like a fleece lining and thick fabric.
If you're training hard, look for a pair of shorts that offer a decent amount of compression, which helps keep the blood flowing to your leg muscles and makes for an easier recovery.
How important are bib straps?
Most cycling shorts will come with bib straps as they help shorts stay in place whilst cycling and lend additional support.
However, some people prefer non-bib shorts like the Madison Roam in this guide as they make toilet breaks a little easier and can feel more comfortable if you don't like the feeling of having straps against you while you ride.
Do I need a chamois pad?
More often than not, women who cycle long distances or spend at least several hours on a saddle prefer some padding to help with comfort and support, however, there are some who thrive without them. It depends largely on your individual anatomy and preferences.
Finding a chamois pad that works for you could dramatically increase comfort whilst cycling. The best thing you can do is try a few different brands and see what feels right to you. It's a good idea to check the returns policies, as some companies allow you to return a product if you don't like it, which gives you the option to try lots of options before you commit. Some will also have crash replacement discounts and warranties.
If you've been cycling for a while and have a pair of shorts you are super happy with, stick with that company, or at least that pad. Luckily, many pad manufacturers tend to be third-party, so you'll find different brands using the same chamois.
Most companies have a range of different options all using the same pad as well, so you can have some variety and range whilst ensuring performance and comfort.
How important is compression in bib shorts?
This is again a personal choice, but typically the compressive shorts will stay in place and help blood flow to the legs. This has been seen to have performance gains.
Some people don't like super compressive shorts as it can feel restrictive.
Everything you need to know
How tight should women's cycling shorts be?
The best women's cycling shorts should be skin-tight but not uncomfortable. You want to be able to breathe, and you don't want to be cutting off your circulation or experiencing bulging 'sausage legs'.
However you also don't want them to be too loose, otherwise, the chamois pad is more likely to shift from side to side as you pedal, causing unwanted friction and making it more likely that you'll develop saddle sores.
If you measure up between sizes, it's the best bet to go for the smaller size, however, if you're unsure you should always try them on first before you commit, so either visit your local bike shop or check different companies' returns policies first.
Do you wear underwear beneath cycling shorts?
Absolutely not! It may seem strange if you're new to cycling shorts, but one of the key jobs of the chamois pad is to absorb and wick away moisture, keeping your downstairs area clean and free of harmful bacteria build-up. If you wear underwear underneath, then the chamois cannot do its job, you'll experience more sweating and bacteria as a result of the extra layer, and are at a higher risk of developing saddle sores and/or a yeast infection.
What's more, the best women's cycling shorts are usually designed with minimal seams to prevent any rubbing or friction. Adding elasticated underwear into the mix will likely cause irritation.
Should I buy shorts with pockets?
Having pockets on the sides of your bib shorts can be really helpful with having added storage or if you don't like storing items in the back of your jersey pockets. It can also be great for taking pictures on the go as it makes accessing a phone very easy and quick.
Of note is that if you leave your phone in your pocket, it will likely get quite sweaty so turn the face of your phone away from your thigh to ensure it still works once you finish riding.
There are tons of cycling storage options, including jersey pockets, bib pockets and on the bike bags too like saddle bags.
Why does cycling hurt your bum?
When you think about it, it makes a lot of sense that you might feel sore downstairs after a day on the bike, because you're resting all your body weight on a small object (your saddle). There are so many reasons you could be experiencing discomfort, so if this is a real problem for you, we'd, first of all, recommend you check out our saddle sores feature, which details how to prevent and treat all undercarriage-related discomfort.
It's also worth mentioning that if you are struggling to achieve comfort on the bike investigating a bike fit may help correct some positional issues that are causing discomfort as this may not wholly be down to just the shorts you are wearing.
Wearing padded shorts can help ease this discomfort, as it creates a cushioned barrier between your sensitive skin and the firm surface of a saddle. This pad is called a chamois (pronounced 'shammy') and there are lots of different types to choose from, depending on which brand and style of women's cycling shorts you opt for.
It's also down to your choice of saddle, so be sure to take a look at our guide to the best women's road bike saddles too.
I'm overwhelmed by all the choices. How do I choose the best shorts for me?
If all else fails, wear what you like and what you like yourself in. There's absolutely nothing wrong with opting for the shorts that are flattering over the ones with maybe the slightly better pad. If you feel good and confident, you will want to spend more time on the bike, and ultimately that's the goal. There are enough high-end women's cycling shorts out there that performance, comfort and style can all work hand in hand, and at least we can know it's not our shorts stopping us from going the distance.
How we test
We love cycling, and as women we know all too well how important it is to feel comfortable on the bike.
We've rigorously tested these bib shorts, wearing them for hours in the saddle, wearing them on long and short rides, and on both gravel and road.
We've tried 100s of women's bib shorts between us, and with every test and ride get more clued up about what works and what doesn't.
With bib shorts, our testers look for a balance between comfort, performance, comfort break features and pockets, and take note of when one aspect might trump the other.
We also take a critical look at the chamois pad, noting whether it's thick enough for the intended use, and whether it moves, as well as features like leg grippers, straps and, of course, where there is a comfort break feature or isn't.
See our How We Test page for more information on Cyclingnews' testing protocol and scoring system.
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Mildred joined as Reviews Writer for Cyclingnews and BikePerfect in December 2020. She loves all forms of cycling from long-distance audax to daily errand-running by bike, and does almost everything on two wheels, including moving house, and started out her cycling career working in a bike shop. For the past five years she's volunteered at The Bristol Bike Project as a mechanic and session coordinator, and now sits on its board of directors.
Since then she's gone on to write for a multitude of cycling publications, including Bikeradar, Cycling Plus, Singletrack, Red Bull, Cycling UK and Total Women's Cycling. She's dedicated to providing more coverage of women's specific cycling tech, elevating under-represented voices in the sport, and making cycling more accessible overall.
Height: 156cm (5'2")
Weight: 75kg
Rides: Stayer Groadinger UG, Triban RC520 Women's Disc, Genesis Flyer, Marin Larkspur, Cotic BFe 26, Clandestine custom bike