In this article I’m going to give you my personal picks for the best women’s cycling shorts with thick chamois.
Before I go into the list, I feel obliged to mention that although there is a positive correlation between the thickness of a pad and its comfort, there are a number of other factors that determine whether or not a cycling short is good for you.
For one, the best brands pour an enormous amount of resources and development into their cycling apparel, which enables them to reduce the thickness of chamois while at the same time increasing comfort for longer periods.
They did so buy incorporating multiple seamless layers with various characteristics like breathability, moisture-wicking, and pressure relief, in an overall well designed cycling short. In other words, it takes more than simply slapping a thick piece of padding in a short to prevent a sore bum.
With all that being said, any of these shorts will let you ride with a smile. So let’s take a look at the best women’s cycling shorts with thick chamois.
Pearl Izumi Women's PRO Bib Short
The Pearl Izumi Women’s PRO Bib Short sits at the top of the range of this Japanese brand. What you get in return is one of the most comfortable cycling bibs money can buy with a number of other fantastic features.
The short comes with the Women’s Levitate PRO chamois, which is a 3-layer setup of various densities. What this accomplishes is that it gradually spreads the pressure on the sit bones to a larger area, and absorbs standard road vibrations.
Taking a cue from saddle design, the chamois also has a female specific pressure relief channel. Layers are connected at the front and back, introducing flexibility and reducing body friction. Finally, the entire chamois is tapered at the edge and attached to the bib seamlessly.
All that technology pays dividends on the road, giving you that no-feel fit without the need to constantly adjust the seat of your pants.
Furthermore, the cycling bibs have a drop-tail design. It’s a large horizontal cut at the lower-back, which enables bathroom stops without the need to completely undress. Simply pull down the lower part of the shorts and you’re ready to answer nature’s calling. A small, but great bib innovation for female road cyclists.
The shorts are made from Italian PRO Transfer fabric, which creates moderate compression and an allround superb fit. The laser cut hems are finished with silicone grippers that ensure they stay in place without seams creating that dreaded sausage look.
Last but not least, the cycling bibs feature 2 large thigh pockets, and 2 smaller back pockets. So plenty of cargo space to accommodate either your phone or energy bars.
The Pearl Izumi Women’s PRO Bib Short are the perfect shorts for female cyclists that want the best and are willing to pay for it.
- Superbly comfortable, female-specific cargo bib shorts
- None
Giordana Women's Fusion Bib Short
The Giordana Women’s Fusion Bib Short offers their thicker 3-layer 13 m. Cirro-W chamois.
The rest of the shorts offer a lot of the same characteristics. The same overall shape with clipless straps ending in a comfortable large back panel, with tall laser cut hems that grip comfortably. It’s a high-waist short to provide appropriate coverage and support for a flattering figure.
The chamois has an Aloe Vera infused layer that prevents bacteria build-up and offers cooling factors, is sewn atop a tick 8mm. layer of memory foam. This open waffle-textured layer offers excellent moisture-wicking and ventilation properties, preventing it from becoming a damp, attention-grabbing patch on longer rides.
A bit less performance oriented for the casual rider, these shorts will still amaze when staying many hours in the saddle.
- Durable, great-looking mid-tier bib short
- None
Castelli Endurance W Bibshort
Targeting towards ultimate comfort, the Castelli Endurance W Bibshort offers the most protection on longer rides.
It has the Progetto X2 Air Donna chamois, where a soft skin-layer sits atop a perforated foam layer. This multi-stretch comfort layer is totally seamless, offers different densities to provide the most damping where needed, and has padded inserts. What all this technology does is provide a carefree fit with loads of comfort for arduous multi-hour rides.
The Italian brand always offers flattering designs, and it’s no different with this short. They forgo the droptail design with the horizontal slit other brands incorporate for bathroom stops, and instead opt for extra elastic straps that can be easily pulled down.
The Endurance Evolution compression fabric sits snugly without hampering movement and even with the all-black color, does a good job of keeping you cool and evaporating sweat.
I’ve been a favorite of this brand for years and this affordable short does nothing to change that point of view. Providing great value-for-money in a short that offers the best in the area of comfort for epic rides.
- Mid-tier compression bib short with comfortable seat pad
- None
Castelli Velocissima 3 Bibshort
The Castelli Velocissima 3 Bibshort offers a slim feel while still offering enough protection to keep you in the saddle comfortably for many hours.
The KISS Air2 Donna chamois is a multi-layered pad with differently gender-specific densities offering moisture-wicking and ventilation aspects in its durable microfiber.
The popularity of Castelli lies in the fact that they offer excellent quality in affordable packages. The Castelli Velocissima 3 Bibshort is a great example of this, with a premium-looking short offering the right amount of comfort.
The drop tail straps are extremely elastic, making it easy to pull down the shorts for bathroom stops. And the elegantly striped legs end in firm leg grippers that keep them in place without making you look like something you can buy at your local butcher shop.
The straps can be worn in a standard straight fashion or crossed both front and back to suit your personal preference. And the cooling Endurance Evolution compression fabric is available in a number of gorgeous colors other than your standard black.
- One of the best mid-tier bib shorts worth your money.
- None
Sportful Total Comfort W Bibshort
In every category there are products that sit at the right end of the specific spectrum and the Sportful Total Comfort W Bibshort does this in the area of their chamois. The biggest question that needs answering when offering a product that promises unparalleled levels of comfort, is whether it performs as expected. The answer to that question is yes, with a slight caveat.
With the 18 mm. Total Comfort W pad it’s by far the thickest and widest pad on this list, which will suit riders who failed to find comfort in other premium offerings. So for those who prefer triple-digits rides, these are the perfect shorts for you. There’s loads of comfort to be found in a pad that feels like you’re riding on a pillow.
To ensure a design that doesn’t look like you’re wearing diapers, the incredibly thick pad is strongly tapered and has a variable thickness. Once in the saddle they don’t feel any different from pads that are almost half this one.
These are not shorts for women who like to ride aggressively in a forward position for longer stretches. The thickest area of the pad is located at the back, preferring a more upright position. So not only will these shorts provide high levels of comfort in a more relaxed position, they’re also a perfect choice for gravel aficionados, where damping features are more highly appreciated.
The rest of the shorts are of a quality appropriate for it’s steep price, with the entire upper part of the shorts and wide straps made from breathable mesh. It all means these shorts target a distinctive audience with specific needs, but it does so excellently.
- Extremely thick chamois for endurance riders
- Hit or miss in the comfort department
Sportful Supergiara W Bibshort
The Sportful Supergiara W Bibshort is a more traditional bib short from the Italian brand, which also caters to the gravel community by offering bibs with pockets.
It’s meant for race-day with a tight compression fabric but still holds their impressively comfortable 18 mm. Total Comfort W chamois. Such a pad does make a difference when traversing less than ideal road conditions for longer periods.
The entire back panel and front straps are created from mesh fabric, with a large side section connecting front and back. Together with the fabric you get a pair of shorts that stay in place, look flattering and feel comfortable.
There are 3 pockets. One located at the left leg and two in the back, measuring 10 x 13 cm each, with the one on the leg being 16 x 11 cm. With today’s huge phones, especially when sleeved, you might still opt to place them somewhere else. But they perform adequately for energy bars.
The shorts are beautifully crafted and fit your average build perfectly, but as far as cargo shorts go, there’s room for improvement.
- Gravel-oriented performance bib shorts with pockets
- None
POC Womens Ultimate Vpds Bib Shorts
The POC Womens Ultimate Vpds Bib Shorts are comfortable shorts for women with bigger thighs.
The Swedish brand offers cycling shorts with silicone inserted chamois meant for long distance riding. The inserts are cleverly located to relieve pressure for a female specific anatomy, and sit seamlessly atop a perforated base layer.
The cycling bib has a reversed back panel, meaning there’s only one wide mesh strap in the front and two in the back. The straps offer enough elasticity to be pulled down, ensuring easy bathroom stops without the need to remove your cycling jersey.
Seams are kept to an absolute minimum including ones for the laser cut hems, which have integrated silicone grippers. Women with bigger thighs won’t have to worry about sausage legs with these bibs.
- Premium-looking, well-designed and comfortable bib shorts
- None
Craft Adv Unbound Bib Shorts
The Craft Adv Unbound Bib Shorts is another gravel-oriented cargo short that takes its name from the popular Kansas gravel event.
It holds the C1 chamois reserved for their premium lineup. It’s an impressive 16 mm thick pad made from recycled polyamide that has 4-way stretch to it, with a varying density. Craft is big into sustainability and they have a proprietary way of creating their chamois in such a way it reduces waste material.
The straps cross at the back and have a front panel that sits very high on the waist. There are both stretch and zippered pockets. The stretch pockets sit at the legs, with the zippered pockets at the back. Obviously zippered pockets take greater care of what you put into them, but can be a nuisance when trying to open and close while riding.
- Premium cargo short with thick seat pad,
- None
Specifications women's cycling shorts with thick chamois
Name | Price | Chamois | Straps | Material | Hems | Pockets | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pearl Izumi Women’s PRO Bib Short | 225 USD | triple-density Women’s Levitate PRO | clipped straps w. drop tail | Italian PRO Transfer fabric | laser-cut w. silicone gripper | none | |
Giordana Women’s Fusion Bib Short | 130 USD | 3-layer 13 mm. Cirro-W | seamless straps w. mesh back panel | Lycra® | tall laser-cut | none | |
Castelli Endurance W Bibshort | 160 USD | Progetto X2 Air Donna | drop tail bib straps | Endurance Evolution compression fabric | GIRO3 leg gripper | none | |
Castelli Velocissima 3 Bibshort | 140 USD | KISS Air2 Donna | drop tail bib straps | Endurance Evolution compression fabric | raw-cut w. silicone | none | |
Sportful Total Comfort W Bibshort | 230 USD | 18 mm. Total Comfort W | perforated straps w. back panel | laser cut | none | ||
Sportful Supergiara W Bibshort | 195 USD | 18 mm. Total Comfort W | mesh straps w. mesh back panel | Compression fabric | elastic woven | 1 mesh cargo pocket on left leg and 2 mesh pockets on back | |
POC Womens Ultimate Vpds Bib Shorts | 200 euros | Women’s Multi D | reverse suspender | laser-cut w. silicone gripper | none | ||
Craft Adv Unbound Bib Shorts | 160 euros | 16 mm. C1 | mesh straps | Lycra® Sport Energy | elastic woven w. silicone | Stretch pockets at legs, zip back pocket |
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