We categorize the finest women’s hiking shorts of the year, from traditional bermuda styles to performance designs to everyday cotton selections.

Nothing beats the easy-breezy feel of a hiking short in midsummer or on days when you’re out strenuously. Today’s choices range from technically competent softshells to casually minded options that look good both on and off the trail. Most hiking-specific shorts include strong, breathable, and quick-drying textiles, useful storage pockets, and a customizable waist fit.

Let’s take a look at our top picks for women’s hiking shorts of the year, including fit, storage options, performance, and other features. For further information, see our buying advice.

Women’s Hiking Short Buying Advice

What Defines a Hiking Short?

There is no dress code for hiking, and in 2022, females will hike in everything from running shorts to high-waisted biker pants to waterproof designs that dry fast. These might even be your best bet depending on the circumstances and day’s objective. That said, there is a category of shorts specifically designed for hiking with features such as sturdy and breathable fabrics, useful storage, modest coverage, waist belts that stay put and ride well below a backpack hipbelt, and more.

Hiking shorts are one of the most durable and dependable tools for the task, whether you’re hiking in wet conditions or not. The good news is that there’s something for everyone, from technical, performance-minded items to more laid-back pieces that look great at the street as well as on the trail.

Wearing Running Shorts for Hiking

We’re going to be straightforward with you: when we’re out on a hike, we typically wear jogging shorts. Running shorts are light, comfortable, and allow for plenty of movement – they’re especially ideal on hot days or when combining some running into your trip.

However, there are a few significant drawbacks. Storage is a major issue: some running shorts lack pockets, while others have just one or two small pouches. Second, long-term durability is an issue: running shorts’ thin construction won’t stand up to abuse over time, and hiking shorts will undoubtedly offer a lot more value over time compared to dollar for dollar trekking shorts.

Finally, with short inseams and no bulk of cloth, running shorts provide little protection for your legs against the elements, including the sun, wind, cold bugs, and sharp branches. We adore how comfy they are, but we do think that hiking shorts should take some pointers from running shorts when it comes to simple yet comfortable waistbands and free-flowing designs.

Hiking Short Materials

Most hiking shorts are constructed of nylon or polyester. These fabrics are moisture-wicking, breathable, and lightweight, with a lot of freedom of movement due to their minimal weight. Many designs incorporate tiny amounts of built-in stretch via elastane (spandex), which is fantastic for anything from high-stepping over logs to setting up camp.

The added give and thickness make these shorts among the most durable here, ideal for brushing against rock and branches, sitting on rough surfaces, and withstanding a heavy backpack’s wear and tear.

We’ve also included a few outliers on this list. The Topo Designs Dirt Shorts, for example, are made of 98 percent cotton, which is unusual nowadays in outdoor apparel. Cotton has the disadvantage of not being as durable or flexible as nylon or polyester while soaking up water, unlike the synthetic hybrid blends it absorbs rather than rapidly drying and becoming heavy when wet. The benefit is that the Topo Designs is very comfortable and stylish, which is all any hiker requires for simple hikes.

There are also stretchy, spandex shorts like The North Face’s Motivation High-Rise Pocket Shorts, which have 20% elastic for a more yoga-inspired look. Finally, it’s a good idea to customize your hiking short selection according to your purpose: We like stretch-nylon mixes for serious trekking and 100 percent nylon bikinis for water activities, while cotton and fitted styles are fine for less formal excursions.

Thickness and Durability

Durability is one of the main selling features of a hiking short, especially when compared to casual or running-specific ones. Hiking shorts are designed to endure abuse on the trail and at camp, and ideally should last you years of usage. However, we still see a lot of variation within this class: nylons and polyesters are generally more durable than cotton types, and (in most cases) thicker designs are more abrasion-resistant.

We’ve also found that some but not too much added stretch can increase durability, allowing a fabric to give rather than tear when stressed.

Pockets

Having functional storage is one of our main requirements of a hiking short, but it’s also one of our largest complaints. Ideally, we want a pair of shorts to be able to fit a smartphone in at least one of its pockets, and secure items like a key or chapstick in a zip pocket. Unfortunately, these features aren’t always present; if storage is important to you, you’ll have to shop discriminately. That said, all of the shorts listed above include at least one pocket, and many sport upwards of four or five: two on the front, two at the back, and perhaps one on the side (keep in mind though, these aren’t always super functional). Given that the topic of pockets and storage is so important to us, we make sure to call it out in the write-ups above.

Sizing and Fit

We’ve tolerated our fair share of baggy, ill-fitting hiking shorts over the years, but the good news is that the market has greatly improved in recent years with stretchy fabrics and features like sleek elastic waistbands and gussets for enhanced range of motion. Many companies have also expanded their ranges to include a variety of plus-size choices (REI Co-op and KUHL are leaders in this area).

The inseam length of a short can vary greatly, and it’s not uncommon for them to come in two separate lengths. The prAna Halle II is one such example, with 5-inch and 7-inch options. Like hiking pants, we recommend trying on a number of shorts before you buy.