In this article I’m going to give you the very best women’s mountain bike shorts with chamois.
MTB shorts often come without padded liners, with the general notion being that each rider has their own preferences when it comes to riding comfortably. And it’s better to offer a different product for both the shorts and the liner.
But much can be said for mountain bike shorts with chamois, especially since the quality of liners today has drastically increased. And on top of that, they are almost always far less expensive than buying the two separately, making for a good argument from a financial perspective as well.
Fox and Troy Lee Designs have been my choice for years, but I’ve recently added shorts from other companies as well, especially when I’d like to do some more casual riding.
The saddle you sit on is one of three contact points between you and your mountain bike. So having a good pair of shorts is adamant for a pain free and comfortable ride, especially for those women who like to spend hours in the saddle.
So without further ado, here’s my list of the best women’s mountain bike shorts with chamois.
Club Ride Eden Shorts w. 2 Hour Chamois
With a 7 inch inseam the Club Ride Eden Shorts w. 2 Hour Chamois is a great option for women who like shorter shorts. There really aren’t that many short MTB shorts, let alone those with a padded liner. Another benefit of this length is you save your tan lines.
Considering its length, these shorts aren’t your best option for downhill riding. They simply don’t offer enough coverage over knee pads and obviously protect you less than longer shorts would.
But with as many as 5 pockets and loops for a belt, they are highly versatile shorts for both normal, bikepacking, and trail riding. And they come in a variety of colors to choose from. And as with all MTB shorts, they have a velcro-adjustable waist.
They come with a 2-hour padded liner. Since they are not at the upper pricing level, it ensures that buying these shorts is money well spent. The liner can be removed separately, so you can wash it.
The shorts, made from a lightweight polyester 4-way stretch fabric, ensures cycling is easy without any clinging. And it has a water-resistant finish as well, should you be surprised by a quick rain shower.
All these characteristics make the Club Ride Eden the best and most versatile short shorts.
- Shorter than usual, versatile
- No knee coverage
Fox Ranger Shorts w. Liner
Fox is one of the most popular brands when it comes to MTB shorts and the Fox Ranger Shorts w. Liner is an all-round solid solution.
The shorts offer you a flattering look that doesn’t scream MTB shorts right out of the gate, but offer an amazing fit due to their TruMotion® stretch ripstop fabric. It’s a mix of polyester and spandex with a water repellant finish and above-average stretch characteristics. The finish also ensures dust and dirt is easier to remove.
2 large zip pockets sit on each side, below the waist adjusters. Unlike many other models, these use a side cinch rather than velcro and can be nicely tucked away inside the waistband. It looks nicer and never accidentally loosens.
The dual-density chamois is incredibly comfortable, even after hours in the saddle. And in no way does the stretchy and soft liner draws your attention in a negative way. The fact that Fox added this liner in an already great package provides tremendous value making this one of the best trail riding shorts you can slip into.
- Great allrounder, great fit, very comfortable
- None
Fox Flexair Lite Shorts w. Liner
The Fox Flexair Lite Shorts offer the same padded liner as the Ranger shorts in a more minimal package.
It has 2 more traditionally oriented zip pockets in the same TruMotion® stretch ripstop fabric, which is water, dust and dirt repellant.
The 12 inch inseam length offers enough protection and coverage to get over your knee pads. They are laser-perforated for increased airflow. This makes them a great hot-weather option, but less ideal for chillier conditions.
The waist can be ratcheted in the front to ensure an optimal snug fit.
The Flexair combines all of the great characteristics of Fox’s tried-and-true Ranger shorts and combines it with excellent cooling properties, to make this the ultimate companion for hot summer trail riding.
- Great for summer, comfortable fit
- None
Fox W Ranger Short Purple Camo
The Fox W Ranger Short is the female counterpart to the men’s Ranger short. That means it has the same qualities as those MTB shorts as well.
If you’re looking for an authentic-looking camo short, you’ll be disappointed. Fox decided that women would prefer purplish camo above your standard green.
For the rest it offers the same durable Ripstop fabric, which has the benefit of being water resistant. The same 2 hand pockets, and single zip pocket on the left hand side.
In terms of size, pick your normal size or one size smaller, so you don’t have excess material from your waist adjusters accidentally getting loose.
The stretchy material of the shorts with a 12 inch inseam prevents chafing and sit loose and high, giving room for possible knee pads.
And the liner with chamois provides comfort and a good value-for-money should you not have one.
- Great allrounder, great fit, very comfortable
- None
Troy Lee Designs Lilium Shorts w. Liner
Pocket placement is always difficult on MTB shorts for women, especially if you’re on the curvier side and with today’s phones looking more like tablets.
The Troy Lee Designs Lilium Shorts w. Liner is a breath of fresh air in that respect, with a zip pocket placed on the side and slightly to the back of your left leg. It means that even with the padded liner, my iPhone 11 stays snugly in place with me hardly noticing it’s there. If there’s one thing I don’t like it’s my phone banging around while riding.
The overall style of the Lilium shorts is more form-fitting than the Mischief shorts from the same brand. Even with a tight fit, the 4-stretch material movement with our legs perfectly when pedaling. It offers the same velcro adjusters in the waistband. They are sufficiently wide to stay in place.
A great-fitting MTB short for aggressive female enduro riders.
- Solid cargo pockets, very comfortable
- None
Troy Lee Designs Mischief Shorts w. Liner
The Troy Lee Designs Mischief Shorts w. Liner is a black-only allround option that feels at home on long enduro rides as shorter trail rides.
Significantly more expensive than the comparable Fox Ranger shorts, they are made of Blue Sign Certified 4-way stretch woven fabric, which means that the brand has taken care to ensure these shorts were made as sustainable as possible.
It has 3 zip pockets. 2 for your hands to slide into and 1 located on your quad, a place usually reserved for your phone.
The length is more than adequate to comfortably cover your knee pads, and the UPF 30+ material offers enough stretch and room for you to move without any chafing whatsoever.
Both the fit of the shorts as the comfort of the removable liner were sublime, and if not for the price, these MTB shorts would sit very high indeed on my list of the very best allround shorts you can buy.
- Sustainable fabric, high-quality liner, premium allrounder
- Pricey
Zoic Navaeh Camo Short w. Liner
The Zoic Navaeh Camo Short with liner contains Zoic’s Women’s Essential Liner.
The 5 inch inseam of the liner means it sits well beneath the shorts, without any risk of peeking out. It has flat seams and a very wide yoga-style waistband for comfort and to prevent any marks. They are relatively low-waisted to prevent them from bunching up while riding.
The liner is meant to provide comfort for rides up to 3 hours, so they should be more than adequate for your average trail ride.
- Affordable, many pockets
- None
Zoic Navaeh Shorts w. Liner
Available in a great many colors the Zoic Navaeh Shorts are great MTB shorts for women of slim to average build.
They are great-fitting versatile shorts with 4 zip pockets in a water resistant stretch fabric. They are essentially the same as the camo version with the comfortable Zoic’s Women Essential Liner.
The polyester fabric is really stretchy and together with the velcro straps make for an profound comfortably fit. You can really tell Zoic makes women-specific mountain bike shorts rather than simply downsize the men’s version.
The material of the short is incredibly stretchy, accommodating to a variety of women’s body types. If you’re exceptionally muscular or have really thick thighs even the stretchy material might prove a bit too tight for your taste.
The Zoic Navaeh are both a great and affordable choice for many female riders out there. And it’s a great plus that they offer these great shorts in many different colors.
- Very comfortable, affordable
- Not for big thighs
Specifications women's mountain bike shorts with chamois
Name | Sex | Inseam | Liner | Material | Pockets | Water resistance | adjustable_waist | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Club Ride Eden Shorts w. 2 Hour Chamois | women | 7 inch | yes | lightweight stretch woven fabric | 3 hand pockets, 2 zip pockets | water resistant | velcro | |
Fox Ranger Shorts w. Liner | women | 12 inch | Women’s Fox Aire Multi-D | TruMotion® stretch ripstop fabric | 2 zip pockets | DWR water resistant | side cinch | |
Fox Flexair Lite Shorts w. Liner | women | 12 inch | dual density chamois | TruMotion® stretch ripstop fabric | 2 zip pockets | DWR water resistant | ratchet | |
Fox W Ranger Short Purple Camo | women | 12 inch | dual-density chamois | TruMotion® stretch ripstop fabric | 2 zip pocket | DWR water resistant | side cinch | |
Troy Lee Designs Lilium Shorts w. Liner | women | yes | 4-way stretch woven fabric | 3 zip pocket | velcro | |||
Troy Lee Designs Mischief Shorts w. Liner | women | 12 inch | yes | 3 zip pocket | water resistant | velcro | ||
Zoic Navaeh Camo Short w. Liner | women | 11 inch | Essential liner | VersaLight stretch fabric | 4 zip pockets | water resistant | yes | |
Zoic Navaeh Shorts w. Liner | women | 11 inch | Essential liner | VersaLight stretch fabric | 4 zip pockets | water resistant | yes |
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