It’s currently summer in the UK and the cycle/bike shorts trend has been around for a while now. This is the first time I’ve tried them out (well, since I was wearing them as a child of the 90’s that is) and I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how functional they are for yoga. It makes sense, as they are really just a ‘short’ form of leggings which we all know are a tried and tested item of yoga clothing. I’ve also purchased the Power shorts from Sweaty Betty, so keep an eye out for this upcoming review as well.

Summary

The All Day shorts are made from a soft, lightweight material that acts as a second skin on your body. They are light compression and provide fantastic 4-way stretch whilst practicing yoga. I’ve also found them to stay in place nicely with little to no rolling at the waist or legs.

Read on for further details!

Pros

• Soft & lightweight fabric that moves with you 
• No rolling of fabric at the waist or legs during yoga
• Adjustable drawstring at waist
• Small hidden pocket at the waist

        (e.g. for a key) 

• Comfy for yoga or wearing casually
  

Cons

• If you are looking for strong tummy control then these won’t be supportive enough for you
• Great for yoga but these likely aren’t robust enough to be ‘do it all’ shorts

        e.g. not for ongoing gym/running/cycling

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Material

The All Day shorts are made from 81% Polyester and 19% Elastane. 

As mentioned in my pros, the material is soft, lightweight and provides a second skin feel that is appropriate for practicing yoga. They are also incredibly stretchy and don’t restrict your movement in any direction.

Appearance

Fit/Style

These are definitely more of a mid-rise than a high-rise style. I must admit that these are probably the first non high-rise bottoms I’ve worn in a long time. I didn’t initially love this to be honest, but after wearing these I’m happy to report that they are comfy to practice in. I can’t help but wonder though, if maybe, they would be even MORE comfy if the waist was higher but this is probably just me not dealing well with change.

“How on earth will you cope with the current low-rise trend?" you might ask. That’s a question for another day… 

In terms of the overall style, these are very minimal in appearance. There are no side pockets, zips, additional seam lines for sculpting etc that you might see on other shorts. I really like the look as they are sleek and simple. These could also be worn casually, for e.g. with a baggy T-shirt or open shirt thrown over them as they don’t look overly sporty or like obvious activewear. 

Length

The All Day Cycle shorts come in a few different lengths, however the ones that I own have a 9” inseam (23 cm). It looks as if Sweaty Betty has temporarily stopped selling this length but they still are available in the 8” inseam (20 cm) length which would be a very similar look. If you were interested in an even shorter length, they also come in a 6” inseam. 

I really like the length of mine for yoga but it comes down to personal preference and how much coverage you want in a pair of shorts. 

Colours/Patterns

These currently come in black, navy and a floral design, however Sweaty Betty is regularly adding different colourways and patterns.  

As you can see from the pics, I own the All Day shorts in black. As much as I like to mix up my yoga wear with different colours, you can’t really go wrong with black bottoms as they can be paired with almost everything. Black also tends to show sweat less and is more opaque (less see-through issues when bent over!)

Support/Compression

These could be described as having low compression fabric that moves with you. Because of this, the All Day shorts are noticeably different to Sweaty Betty’s other bike shorts such as the Power shorts and even the Super Soft shorts which are slightly firmer and more structured. I would argue that the All Day shorts are more suitable for yoga than both of the styles just mentioned, however I’m someone who prefers my yoga wear to be on the lighter side.

Coverage

I’ve squat tested these and can confirm that there are no see-through issues. I can’t speak for all the colours, but the black remains opaque when stretched. 

Comfort/Function

The All Day shorts are very comfortable and I’d say this is likely due to the great stretch they provide and also the lightweight fabric. Nothing about these shorts digs in or restricts you in any way which is ideal for yoga. 

Most importantly, these are functional and in my experience I haven’t noticed the material rolling down at the waist or rolling up on the legs. This is a huge benefit as rolling/slipping fabric can sometimes occur with yoga bottoms and is a massive nuisance when practicing yoga. Not with these.  

What type of activity are they best for?

These are perfect for all forms of yoga from gentle and restorative to more high intensity or hot yoga. I mentioned in the cons that these likely aren’t robust enough to act as your ‘go-to’ shorts for all sporting activities such as the gym, cycling, running etc. I’ll caveat this with, I have actually worn these to the gym and they worked really nicely. However, I would be surprised if these held up longterm if you were putting them under the pressure of more high impact forms of exercise regularly. If you were looking for a more versatile short, then I’d recommend checking out the Power shorts that Sweaty Betty also make which are thicker and more supportive. 

Quality

After washing

Sweaty Betty recommend that you wash these shorts at 40°C and on a reduced spin. I’ve found that these shorts wash nicely, and also dry relatively quickly when left to hang dry. I’d personally recommend washing them in a delicates bag. 

Durability

These shorts have held up well so far and I haven’t experienced any stretching or shrinking after washing and wearing. There are also no signs of pilling or other quality issues to date. As already mentioned, the fabric leans towards the delicate side, so I would recommend wearing these mostly (or only) for yoga or other low impact movement and to follow the care instructions to ensure longevity. 

Breathable?

These are great for sweat-wicking. Not only have I worn these to yoga, but I’ve also tested them during sweaty cardio sessions at the gym and they’ve dried quickly which is reassuring to see. I’d also describe this fabric as breathable, and I haven't felt overheated wearing these when it starts to get particularly sweaty.

Sizes

Available in sizes XXS - XXL which corresponds with size 6 (UK) - size 20 (UK) on their size chart. I’m a size 10 so purchased a small and these fit perfectly. Based on my experience I’d say that these fit true to size.