There’s even a pocket for your iPhone.
- With a barely-there feel, these Lululemon cycling-style shorts don’t ride up or down when you run, prevent chafing and have enough pockets to hold just about everything, meaning you can leave your running belt at home.
- There’s two side pockets on the legs for your iPhone and running gels.
- The shorts are available in two different leg lengths.
Price: $79
Like most female runners, I am on a never-ending quest to find the perfect pair of running shorts. A pair that doesn’t rise up on the leg when I’m doing a track session, or rub on the waistband towards the end of my long run. I want enough pockets to carry all my essentials and I want them to not go bobbly after I’ve washed them a few times.
What’s more, once I discover my favourite pair, I want them to be around longer than one season, so other runners get a chance to nab them (I’m looking at you Lululemon Squat Strong).
One pair that has, so far, stood out from the rest in my recent short’s testing – the Lululemon Fast and Free shorts. At first, I was slightly put off by the cycling shorts design – would they rise up like hot pants and make me feel self-conscious on the run? Lululemon claim the Nulux fabric ‘offers near weightless coverage for a seriously smooth stride’ and has a ‘barely there feel on the run’ and they’re not wrong. Like wearing my favourite pair of running leggings, I felt comfortable in the shorts and forgot to feel self-conscious once I’d reached the end of my warm-up. The legs didn’t rise up at all and the high waistband was extremely comfortable.
Fast and Free Short 6
Price: $79
Pockets, pockets, pockets
One of the major selling points of these shorts, in my opinion, is the abundance of pockets. There’s two leg pockets, which are big enough for my iPhone 11, although it did stick out the top a little, which might be problematic in rainy weather. There’s also three smaller hidden pockets on the waistband, big enough for your lip balm, keys and credit card. I’ve done a long run wearing these and had enough space to leave my running belt at home, without feeling weighed down as I run.
Chafe-free running
Testing these in a particularly warm May, the tighter-fitting style helped prevent chafing, even on particularly sweaty sessions. At 5 ft 2, I tested the six-inch leg length and found they sat mid-way down my calf. There’s also a ten-inch design for taller runners.
The high-waistband is flattering and comfortable and the internal drawcord is made from a continuous piece of elastic, meaning it won’t come out in the wash.
The downsides
Of course, there’s no denying, spending $79 on a pair of running shorts is a lot, but after a month of testing and multiple washes, the shorts are as good as new. From experience, Lululemon kit is built to last, and their customer service team are great when things do go wrong (you can take running leggings into the store to have them shortened, free of charge). I’ve still got more to test, but so far, these are the pair I’m washing everyday to make sure they are ready for my next run.
