Workout Shorts

24 products ranked by Scout score

Best workout shorts right now

Harvest & Mill American Grown Indigo Men's Shorts 100/100
Scout's analysis: Made from 100% organic cotton grown and processed in the USA without synthetic pesticides or GMOs, this short is one of the cleanest activewear options available — no…
Wayve Flow Short Cherry Blossom 100/100
Scout's analysis: A 50/50 blend of organic cotton and merino wool — two of the cleanest natural fibers available. No plastic content, no plastic leaching, and 2 sustainably certified…
Vuori The Rise The Shine Shorts Maroon 98/100
Scout's analysis: Vuori The Rise The Shine Shorts scores 98/100. 98% organic cotton with 2% elastane — about as close to a pure natural fiber as a stretch short gets. Organic cotton is…

What to skip

Shein Men Drawstring Waist Zipper Pocket Shorts 1/100
Scout's analysis: Shein Men Drawstring Waist Zipper Pocket Shorts scores 1/100. Made from 100% polyester — a petroleum-derived plastic fabric that sheds microplastics with every wash and…
Lululemon Pace Breaker Linerless Short 16/100
Scout's analysis: Lululemon Pace Breaker Linerless Short scores 16/100. Shell body is 86% Recycled Polyester and 14% Elastane. Back mesh panel, inner waistband, and pocket lining are all…
Lululemon Zeroed In Linerless Short 17/100
Scout's analysis: Lululemon Zeroed In Linerless Short scores 17/100. Body is 50% Elastomultiester and 50% Recycled Polyester — 100% synthetic construction. Multiple pocket components add…

Ingredients to watch in workout shorts

The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 24 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.

Spandex (5%) in 2 of 24

What the better workout shorts have in common

Organic Cotton in 3 of 24
Organic Cotton (50%) in 2 of 24
Merino Wool (50%) in 2 of 24
GOTS-Certified Organic Cotton (95%) in 2 of 24

Common questions about workout shorts

What scores highest in workout shorts on Scout?

Harvest & Mill American Grown Indigo Men's Shorts leads Scout's workout shorts ranking at 100/100, followed by Wayve Flow Short Cherry Blossom (100) and Vuori The Rise The Shine Shorts Maroon (98). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.

What should I avoid in workout shorts?

Shein Men Drawstring Waist Zipper Pocket Shorts scores 1/100, the lowest of the 24 products Scout has analyzed in workout shorts; next lowest are Lululemon Pace Breaker Linerless Short (16) and Lululemon Zeroed In Linerless Short (17). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.

What drags scores down in workout shorts?

Across these 24 products the one flagged ingredient that recurs is Spandex (5%) — it appears in 2 of them.

How does Scout score workout shorts?

Every product in workout shorts gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.

How Scout scores workout shorts

One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →