Tennis shorts buying guide

Looking to buy some new tennis shorts and not sure where to start? Well, let us help you figure it out – or at least, give you some more information to work with. There are a lot of options out there, but many that don’t have some basic features you need – partially why we started our company in the first place. Read on for some key features to look for when buying new tennis shorts.

Fit. First and foremost, fit is the most important. You have to have shorts that fit you right. A baggy short won't work, since you don't want to be worrying about your shorts falling off, or extra fabric getting in the way. Too tight and you'll be uncomfortable or at worse restricted in some of your movement. There's really no substitute for trying a pair on and seeing what works best for you.

Inseam. Part of fit but tennis shorts come in many different inseam lengths, or the length of the short from the crotch to the hem. Shorter inseams are in style now, but get what you prefer. Anything much shorter than 5” and you may have a hard time keeping balls in your pockets. 9” is better for longer legs or more coverage and 7” is more generally a standard or middle option. One thing to note, not all inseams are created equal – depending on the rise of the short (length from the crotch to the waistband), a certain inseam may provide more or less coverage than another short with the same inseam.

Liner. Shorts often come with or without a built-in liner or underwear. Some even have compression and phone pockets built in. Liners can simplify your dressing option since you only need one item instead of 2 but reduce your availability of options since you're automatically excluded from shorts without liners and shorts with liners that aren't quite right. Unless you're partial to a specific pair, we recommend getting shorts without liners and finding a liner or underwear that you prefer. It gives you more options and is a better use of resources, reducing the impact on the environment of extra pairs that aren't used or sold. Plus, underwear and liners wear down faster than the outer short, and it's easier and less costly to replace underwear than a full short and liner combo.

Fabric. After the fit and related features, the fabric is going to be the most important. Most shorts are either made from a woven or knit fabric from a synthetic material. Wovens are more durable and are a tighter weave, meaning they stretch less and are more structured. We prefer woven materials for our shorts with spandex for a more durable, structured performance fabric that stretches for flexibility. Knits are more breathable, more flexible and airy but if not heavy enough, may droop too much, not support the pockets (and in particular, tennis balls in the pockets) or wear down.

Fabric fiber content is also important. Polyester is more readily available and is a better wicking, drying option. Nylon is more durable and can have a better hand feel but without a lot of spandex may be too tight for a short that requires a lot of flexibility. We don't recommend natural fibers at the moment for shorts because they'll break down too soon, and hold too much sweat meaning you'll likely end up wanting to replace them if you do go this route.

Other options that are a part of the fabric that you should look for in tennis shorts are wicking, anti-odor and sun protection. We've made sure our shorts have all of these with the highest level of quality available. Our ionic+ anti-odor solution for example is made by infusing silver ions in the fiber filament to make the yarn, and is a much longer lasting solution than fabric topical treatments.

Pockets. If you've played at all, you'll likely have experienced some shorts that don't have great pockets to hold tennis balls - they either pull out easily, can't hold many balls or in the worst case, you play without pockets and have to constantly pick up between or even during points. We make and test our short pockets to make sure they perform for tennis specifically and hold up to 4 balls without falling out during play.

Other features. There are a ton of other features on athletic shorts. Some of the most important to look for in a tennis short:

1. Side to side flexibility (our Match Shorts are designed with an overlapping and extended side vent and panel construction so there’s extra fabric to allow more stretch to the side)
2. Elastic waistband with drawcord for a flexible and adjustable fit
3. Phone pockets for running and training (ours have an elastic envelope phone pocket on the back waistband that weighs less and has no zipper that breaks down with repeated use and washing)

Other than that, make sure you love the color and style most importantly – you do you! You shouldn't be thinking at all about your clothes or your shorts while you play. For such a mental sport, we want you to feel confident when you're playing and having the right clothes that give you confidence can help contribute to a better match.

Explore our Match Shorts for a premium tennis short with an elevated style that's made to make your game better. For a more casual or less intense game, check out our new Garden Short in a natural material and classic tennis look with a 5” inseam.