Road Testing
the Most Efficient
Workout Shorts

Best men's 2-in-1 workout shorts with liners 2021 Best men's 2-in-1 workout shorts with liners 2021

Road Testing
the Most Efficient
Workout Shorts

We put the best two-in-one shorts through the paces

Efficiency. Whether it's finding the time to squeeze in a 30 minute workout in your busy schedule or getting faster and stronger in the workout you're doing, there's always something that can be more efficient. So why not in the clothes you're wearing? More specifically, combining your workout shorts and compression underwear. Stick with me on this ...

Recently, more and more brands have been refining the two-in-one workout short. One part short, one part compression liner, they are no longer two items that have to be bought and dealt with separately. These tight-fitting liners are a serious step up from standard performance gear, offering the sweat-wicking, anti-chafing properties you won't get in your regular underwear. The ability to grab a pair of these shorts, a performance tee and then be on your way out the door in the morning, having everything you need to sneak in a quick workout at lunch or on your way home from work? Nothing can beat that efficiency.

We recently tested a handful of shorts in the gym. Here is our shortlist of the ones worth considering.

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The Best
2-in-1 Shorts in 2021

For High-Intensity
Training Sessions

The Interval short carries the convenience of not having to use and wash a baselayer, and the comfort and seamlessness of one pair of shorts. It has a single waistband (instead of the doubling up) that cuts down on bulk and allows for a better range of motion. Fantastic for tough HIIT sessions, metcons or sprints, these durable shorts can handle it all and never results in that gross “two washes won't clean this” smell. I found their Session short is better suited for longer runs, so best to try both out to determine which suits your needs.

Interval shorts,
$68 by Ten Thousand

Great for Both
the Gym and Nature

These not only have the wildest contrast colors for their liner (my favorite is the charcoal with a teal lining), but the boxer-brief style is less restrictive than more serious compression-style shorts. It's more supportive than plain underwear and can be worn all day. Plus, it dries really fast. When we say fast, it's like freakishly fast. Featuring deep hand pockets, a hidden zippered back pocket and four-way stretch, they perform particularly well in total range of motion exercises like sprints, squats, or a long hike on the trail (especially if there's a swimming hole--more supportive than trunks and they dry about as fast).

Momentum shorts,
$68 by Myles

The “So Light You
Barely Notice Them” Option

Typically known for their shoes, these two-in-one Hybrid shorts from On Running stand apart from all the rest mostly because the liner is detachable from the main short. But it's actually impossible to notice the attachment pieces when running, lifting or even while doing some side crunches. The shorts are incredibly lightweight and very simple to pack, compressing to take up very little space. The two items are perfectly seamless and make for a fantastic no-distraction run. And as an added bonus, since the two pieces are detachable, you can utilize just the compression shorts under a different pair of shorts of pants if desired.

Interval shorts,
$99.99 by On Running

Three Other Pairs
to Consider

Rhone Mako Shorts

Mako shorts,
$68 by Rhone

Nike Flex Stride Shorts

Flex Stride shorts,
$55 by Nike

Lululemon T.H.E. Lined Shorts

T.H.E. lined shorts,
$68 by Lululemon

The Benefits of Compression

The Benefits of Compression

Athletes prefer the specialized, super-tight compression fabrics because they can boost muscle recovery by circulating more blood to your quads, hamstrings and glutes.

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