Whether male or female, a dependable pair of padded bike shorts or tights is a crucial part of any dedicated cyclist’s wardrobe. Not only does padding in your nether regions greatly alleviate the discomfort of riding for long periods of time, but it can also easily help you avoid things like saddle sores.
If you’re in the market for the best women’s cycling tights, you’re in the right place. Padded bike shorts made for women are designed slightly differently than those for men, taking into account the contours and features of feminine body shapes.
While trying to balance the specific needs of women, as well as functionality, comfort, and aesthetic appeal, we have selected 8 different pairs of padded bike shorts we think are really great for the female cyclists of the world.
What We Will Cover
8 Best Women’s Padded Cycling Tights Reviews
1. BALEAF Women’s 3D Padded Cycling Pants
- Breathable Fabric - Padded bike pants made of moisture-wicking fabric breathes well and keeps you dry and cool. Leg grippers with silicone dots inside keep shorts from riding up
- 3D Gel Padding - Women bike pants with multi-density lightweight chamois shape your hip perfectly, alleviates vibration on long rides
- Wide Waistband - Biking capris with arc-shaped and high wide waistband enhance tummy control and adds great comfort
Our first pick today is a highly rated pair of bike tights available from BALEAF. Resembling leggings, this pair is ideal for any female cyclist who likes riding long distances and does not want to sacrifice neither her comfort nor fashion sense.
Constructed from a mixture of 80% nylon and 20% Spandex, these tights promise breathability that ensures you stay cool, dry and hassle-free riding experience. What’s more, these pants are known for providing a snug fit and are true to size.
But of course, the true winning component of these pants is undoubtedly its padding, which is one of the best we have come across. The chamois used in the padding of these pants is of multi-density, wrapping your hips snugly and keeping vibration easily at bay, leading to maximum comfort in the saddle
Meanwhile, the wide waistband of the pants ensures that your tummy will stay securely tucked in and add considerable comfort. And when you’re going on long rides, the back pocket for small and lightweight belongings is absolutely clutch.
2. Santic Women’s Bike Pants Cycling Tights
The Santic Women’s Bike Pants are a great pair of cycling tights that offer the perfect combination of comfort and performance. These bike pants have been designed with an innovative stretch fabric, which allows for freedom of movement while providing excellent support. They also feature a high tech ventilation system to keep you cool as you push yourself on your rides.
- NOTICE: Black cycling pants is US SIZE, PLEASE CHOOSE YOUR SIZE ACCORDING TO YOUR WAIST, HIPS from the SIZE CHART.
- DESIGN FOR WOMEN: Multicolored style make you more attractive the design of simple also do not break drab. reflective strips in leg makes you safe at night riding. Improves the visibility of the athlete under low or poor lighting conditions.
- HIGH ELASTICITY, MULTIDIRECTIONAL STRETCH FOR ACTIVE USE: Our elastic cycling pants mimics the natural elasticity of your skin, allowing full range of motion when you exercise with maximum comfortable. Super light, soft and fresh and cool. The fabric of anti-pilling, adds an antistatic agent and a moerate amout of fabric softeners in the fibre weaving process, to achieve the aim of abrasion resistance to pilling.
Equipped with a sturdy yet soft 4D padding that puts many of their competitors to shame, these bike tights are designed specially to fit the contours of women’s bodies.
Boasting strong elasticity, these nylon-spandex pants fit closely to your body, sitting flush against your skin and allowing you to focus on your ride with maximum mobility.
The cushioning used in these pants is a lightweight foam called Coolmax padding, which has been specially formulated to keep sensitive parts of your body safe and comfortable during bike rides.
The breathability of these pants is one of the best things about them, not only due to the increased comfort you will enjoy but because of their ability to withstand long-term usage. They keep your body dry and cool and prevents bunching up and pilling.
Its anti-static features further prove Santic’s consideration for your comfort.
3. 4ucycling 3D Womens Padded Bike Pants
- CLOSE-FITTING DESIGN- Elastic close-fitting foot design hold the tights in place while pedaling, which can avoid it go up when riding.
- MAX COMFORT MATERIAL- Exercise and Train with 4ucycling women cycling bicycle tights is the best solution to enjoy comfort to the fullest, exercise with ease and look fashionable. Made of premium quality 82% nylon and 18% spandex, which makes you feel max comfortable and it also fits nicely with the shape of your legs.
- MAX COMFORT MATERIAL- Exercise and Train with 4ucycling women cycling bicycle tights is the best solution to enjoy comfort to the fullest, exercise with ease and look fashionable. Made of premium quality 82% nylon and 18% spandex, which makes you feel max comfortable and it also fits nicely with the shape of your legs.
We love these padded bike pants from 4ucycling, and it’s evident from its high rating that its users feel the same way. That’s no surprise, considering the superior construction of these tights, along with their durable build and premium quality padding.
These tights are made from 82% nylon and 18% Spandex, giving them a super snug fit that any bicyclist will enjoy and appreciate (although if you like a loose fit, you should order one size up) while on the trail.
Furthermore, the wide waistband of the pants enhances comfort further by providing a secure fit and streamlining your silhouette for improved aerodynamics.
The padding included with these pants is undoubtedly one of the most efficient we have come across. Its multi-density construction combines with the high-density foam to produce secure and comfortable padding that protects you from chafing and keeps annoying sweatiness at bay.
What’s more, its quick-dry construction also lends itself to greater breathability!
4. XGC Women’s Long Cycling Pants
- Ergonomic design, 3D cutting and advanced sewing process make it comfortable to wear on.
- Functional breathable, moisture absorption and sweat releasing fabrics will help maintain good breathability and efficient sweat releasing, so that you will not feel stuffy, the fabrics will not stick to your skin, and you will stay breathable, cool and dry for a long time when cycling.
- 4D high-density breathable sponges cushion is adopted. Its good air permeability and high elasticity and resilience of sponges will effectively relieve the hip pain or discomfort caused by cycling.
- There is a large area of exquisite light reflecting LOGO design on the front and back of pants, which will make you safer and more dynamic during the night while cycling.
- Large areas of high-cost materials at the bottom of pants will effectively solve your pants from moving up and down while cycling, and also reduces the likelihood of irritability caused by friction during exercise.
The importance of padding will have been felt by any female cyclist who has had to ride for long distances, particularly over unfavorable terrains. But thanks to the existence of 4D padding that finds its way into innovative creations like this one from XGC, that can now be a thing of the past.
Truly, the padding of these pants is very impressive. Constructed from multi-dimensional supportive foam and covered with supportive sanding fabric, this high-density padding not only ensures your comfort but promises to keep hip pain at bay. This is made possible further by the padding’s dynamic segmentation, which allows you to keep riding without having to readjust your position for comfort.
On that note, we love how well these pants fit. Not only is the length perfect, the stitching and construction are also commendable, thanks to flat seams and double-seamed gussets, which allow you to make use of your full mobility. The wide and snug waistband, meanwhile, stays securely in place without rotating or pinching your skin, and the zippered ankles prevent piling or bunching up.
5. Spoear Women’s Cycling Pants
- Transfer fabric sets the benchmark for moisture transfer,incredibly soft & smooth for extreme comfort with very little weight.
- Back zip pocket create convenient storage space for small accessories,like keys ,paper an so on.
- Leg back zipper and waist back with Reflective patterns add elegant and modern elements and also provide a safer and more visible riding at night.
- Flattering wide waistband Improve the higher comfort, Flatlock seams reduce chafing and increase comfort, Classic cut - comfortable, non-restrictive, with compression for support.
- Silicon gel 3D padded protects your hipbone from injuries during prolonged period of competitive cycling and long-distance cycling, provides terrific fitting to your body so that you can move your boday freely when you ride a bike. the 3-D design helps improve air circulation while reducing vibration.
Constructed from a winning combination of 82% polyester and 18% spandex, these cycling tights from Spoear are designed to deliver ultimate ease and comfort while bicycling. With a classic cut design and wide waistband, these pants promise to fit your curves beautifully. Should you choose to adjust the fitment, you can leave the zippers open or closed as per your wishes.
Tired of your bike’s seat tormenting your backside as you ride? You’ll certainly thank the generous padding on these pants for saving you from that. With a silicone gel filling, these pants protect you long-term from hipbone injuries or discomfort. Despite this considerable padding, however, you’ll find that it’s super easy to move around in these pants, so don’t worry about taking on long-distance rides.
Meanwhile, the 3D design of the pants’ padded portion allows for enhanced air circulation as you ride, which not only gives these pants a mark for breathability but vibration absorption as well.
The attention to detail is also impressive: the reflective accents on the pants not only add to their overall sporty aesthetic appeal but keep you safe in low-visibility conditions. And you’ll no doubt appreciate the flatlock seams on the pants, which keep chafing to a minimum.
6. BELE ROY Womens Cycling Pants
- 【Professional Fabric Material】☀Breathable and comfortable fabric moisture wicks quickly away and keeps you dry during biking.☀Excellent stretch on seams gives a cosy feeling, that maximizes both comfort and efficient, women cycling pants is good in stretching and comfort of using high material quality. ☀Mesh Panel: Some style woman’s padded bike pants are with mesh to keep cool and flexible
- 【3D Gel Padded】Silicone gel padded will protect your hip, breathable and Anti-Shocked function will keep you comfortable, reduce vibration, to avoid injuries during the cycling competition and long-distance cycling
- 【Elastic Waistband】Wide elastic waistband make you comfortable, the main panels use elasticity fabric reducing muscle vibration and focuses power for optimal comfort and control
- 【Zipper Pocket】A zipper pocket on the back of waist brand is made of mesh, increase the elasticity and permeability. And you can put your money, card, keys into pocket
- 【Reflective Strips & Leg Zippers】We also design a zipper with reflective strips on the bottom of pants, In order to ensure your safety at night riding. Leg zippers for easy off and on
Any cyclist knows that the look and the get-up are as much a part of the riding experience as any other aspect. If you like to make a statement with your cycling gear, then you’ll love the aesthetic appeal of these padded cycling tights from Bele Roy, which stands out for its distinct design.
But looks aside, these pants perform commendably as well. Equipped with a sturdy and long-lasting 3D gel padding, these pants promise to protect your hips and inner thighs from discomfort, pain, and shock. Meanwhile, the elastic waistband has been equipped with considerable width to ensure a comfortable fit and enhance your silhouette.
Tired of discovering that you’ve lost your headphones yet again before a ride? Thanks to the wide back mesh pocket integrated into these pants, that will no longer be a concern! Beyond just holding your stuff, though, this mesh panel also increases overall air circulation and breathability. And when it’s time to change back into regular-people clothes, just undo the handy zippers at the pant legs. Easy!
7. Fotociti High Waisted Printed Leggings
- MULTIPLE PATTERNS - Taking fashion and practicality into account and detailed with various designs of unique patterns, FOTOCITI offers you this brand new series of printed leggings for every woman who has the pleasure to try new things. Vivid and true-to-picture color together with comfortable stylish tailoring, we sincerely expect you to keep fresh this year!
- 4-WAY STRETCH & ULTRA SOFT - FOTOCITI leggings for women are made from premium polyester and spandex with 4-way stretch technology, non see-through and the fabric is buttery soft to the touch with the support that feels like a gentle hug, these yoga pants allow for maximum comfort and freedom of movement.
- TUMMY CONTROL & HIGH WAISTED - These leggings for women are designed with a high rise and tummy control. They fit slim and comfortably on your waist, hips, and ankles, fewer seams reduce distractions and create a cleaner, sleeker line, perfectly contouring your curves and streamlining your shape.
- PERFECT FOR ANY SEASON AND OCCASION - These printed Leggings can pair them with a fitted top and a blazer to wear to work, or with sneakers when you're on the run. Use them as base layer leggings when layering up with boots and scarves during the fall and winter, or simply pair them with a tunic tops to stay cool during spring and summer. Perfect for yoga, exercise, fitness, any type of workout, or everyday wear.
- GARMENT CARES - Machine or Hand Wash with Cold Water/Hang or Line Dry/No Bleach/No Dry Clean.
Who says bike tights have to be boring? Certainly not Fotociti, who are ready to spoil you with color and pattern choices in their comfortable yet sporty leggings. With a 4-way stretch construction super soft texture, these leggings are so comfortable as to be suited to lounging as well as physical activity.
The high-waisted design of these leggings means you’ll basically feel like a goddess every time you put them on, with your curves accentuated. With a lower amount of seams, a slim fit, and contoured ankles, these pants will make you a show stopper.
Undoubtedly, these leggings are well suited to the exercise of all types. That being said, it’s worth noting that these tights are not the most suitable option for long-distance or heavy biking. We would suggest getting this pair only for recreational or amateur bike riding.
8. HIGHDAYS High Waisted Leggings for Women
Keeping with the theme of funky patterns, our final pick today is available to you from HIGHDAYS. Constructed using 8% Spandex and 92% polyester, this is one of the softest and most comfortable pairs of leggings we have come across during our research. You’ll especially love this one if you’re on a budget.
These leggings, with their snug high-waist configuration, make for a phenomenally fitted silhouette. Accompanying the close fit is a sturdy construction that resists tearing and breakage. As such, these pants are highly suitable for gym and yoga. When it comes to cycling, these are perfect for short-distance rides.
The only drawback is that these leggings do not come with padding. While this may be a dealbreaker for some, it’s worth considering the low price and snapping up a couple of pairs for those leisurely bike rides.
To be sure, this is the ultimate budget pick in padded women’s cycling tights. They’re inexpensive yet durable, and the prints are undeniably fun. However, if you cycle professionally or usually take on long distances, we would suggest considering spending a little more and getting yourself a more resilient pair of tights.
Buying Guide for Women’s Padded Cycling Tights
Having a hard time deciding what the best padded cycling shorts are for you? That’s understandable, given the range and variety of options. So here’s what to keep in mind before making your purchase.
Shorts Type
The world truly is your oyster when picking out a suitable pair of shorts. There are three main types of padded cycling shorts for women: waist shorts, bib shorts, and padded liners/pants. Here’s a closer look at each type.
Waist Shorts
The type of padded cycling shorts most commonly bought are waist shorts. These can vary in length, extending to just above mid-thigh or beyond. These offer a relaxed, loose fit and might be accompanied by easy-to-open buttoned straps. We recommend waist shorts for more casual/amateur riders.
Bib Shorts
Bib shorts are recommended for the more frequent bicyclist who rides for lengthier periods of time. They come with straps that go over your shoulders (hence the name) and keep the chamois padding more securely in place.
The aesthetics of a pair of bib shorts might take a while to get used to, but the comfort they provide is unparalleled. They stay in place and save you from the annoyance of a bunched-up waistband.
Padded Liners/Pants
These are typically meant to be worn in the accompaniment of another kit or underneath other clothing. They’re technically leggings and closely resemble yoga pants (yes, they can also be used as workout clothes). Although these are quite comfortable, they’re not suited to super long rides. Depending on the design, they might not offer the best moisture management and ventilation.
Terrain
When it comes to selecting women’s cycling pants with padding, it’s also important to take into consideration the terrain and distance of your bike route. If you ride a road bike, you will no doubt appreciate the benefits of a pair of lined shorts or tights. For long-distance rides, bibs are preferred due to their thicker padding.
On the other hand, in the case of mountain bikes, which usually come with full shock-absorbing suspension and are made to ride downhill, less padding may actually be better. Longer shorts are usually also preferred by mountain bikers due to the usually lower setting of mountain bike saddles.
Fit
Of course, the fit is important when shopping for any kind of clothes. However, it’s doubly important in the case of cycling shorts as both your performance and comfort depend on your chosen pair of shorts. Furthermore, if the shorts you get are too tight, you will certainly experience painful chafing.
So, if possible, try the shorts on before you purchase them. If you’re ordering online, thoroughly read up on the sizing chart and, if you can, order two sizes. Remember, as they are meant to be worn during biking, the shorts may feel strange when you walk around in them but offer a perfect fit during cycling.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Why is padding necessary in biking shorts?
If you’ve ever had a particularly long bike riding session, you know it can get uncomfortable, or even painful, really quickly. There’s always the possibility of saddle sore and, of course, the grossness of too-sweaty nether regions. Padding helps alleviate all of these problems. Plus, they make your body look super toned.
2. Can I wear my padded biking shorts to the gym?
Yes, absolutely. You can also wear them when doing yoga or going running.
3. Should padded shorts be worn by themselves, or can I wear something over them?
That’s completely up to you. All that matters is that you’re comfortable and able to move efficiently.
4. Should I wear underwear with my padded biking shorts?
This might sound gross… but it’s recommended not to. Underwear actually makes it more difficult for cycling shorts to do their job of managing moisture and friction.
5. What’s the best way to wash cycling shorts?
Use mild detergent and cold water on your washing machine’s delicate cycle. Strictly avoid fabric softeners, as they can tamper with the material’s moisture-wicking capabilities.
6. Is it okay to layer two pairs of padded cycling tights?
Yes; however, it depends on your personal preference regarding the thickness of the layered tights.
Final Words
When all is said and done, we would be hard-pressed not to name the 3D padded leggings from 4ucycling the best women’s padded cycling tights. They’re reasonably priced yet highly efficient and durable.
If you’re on a budget, though (and if you love prints!), then we would certainly recommend these leggings from HIGHDAYS—although if you’re a professional, it may not be the right fit.
Whichever you choose, though, remember that proper saddle fitment should be your first priority. Good luck, and happy riding!