Smartwool Active Shorts Are Built for Runners’ Thighs and Have Real Pockets

In a world with ever-shortening hemlines and disappearing pockets, Smartwool made active shorts for ladies like me with powerful thighs and crap to haul around.I’ve had these for three months and washed them about a dozen times, and they’re now the pair I reach for first. That’s not something I say lightly about activewear, which usually disappoints me in at least one specific and predictable way. (Typically, it’s because my thighs eat them.)ProsStays put on the bodySuper breathable linerLaunders easilyGreat pocketsConsLimited sizes and colorsShockingly, it wasn’t the length or the style that wowed me. Nope, it’s the breathability that surprised me the most. There’s a merino wool liner against the skin and a lyocell-and-poly shell over it, so I assumed that would feel hot and swampy. It doesn’t. The liner manages sweat and odor, the shell moves air, and the shorts shed heat instead of trapping it. I’ve finished humid runs and stayed comfortable enough not to change right away, which is rare for me. I’m not one to dally in activewear after my postrun floor lay.They’re also practical all around. The pockets are just freaking boss. Not just that they exist at all, but that they’re deep and functional. I run with my phone in one, and keys in the other and don’t think about them at all. Most women’s shorts offer a token tiny slip of a pocket that holds a key and nothing else, so a real pocket that carries what I need is incredible.They’re Durable, Y’allThe Smartwool Active shorts hold up super well in the wash, which is where I expected the wool to give me trouble. After all, I’ve shrunk a lot of wool in my day. After a dozen cycles they aren’t shrinking, pilling, or looking a hot mess, and I haven’t been especially careful with them. Whatever construction Smartwool used, it’s built for careless ADHD launderers like myself.The detail I appreciate most, however, is that they stay in place. I have strong legs with runner’s thighs, and a lot of shorts respond to that by riding up or bunching between the thighs, which means constant small adjustments on a run. These don’t do that. The liner and the four-inch length hold their position, and there’s no chafing, so I never find myself fixing them at a light, which is oh-so-awkward.Cat BowenThe 4-inch inseam on the Smartwool Active shorts stay put while running.They’re also quiet. No swish, none of the nylon rustle that some athletic shorts produce with every stride. It’s a small thing, but I’m super sensitive to that, and these pass the annoying noise test.The Final WordThey aren’t inexpensive, and the price gave me a bit of an eye twitch at $75. But three months in, I reach for them over everything else I own, and I’ve stopped thinking about what they cost. Powerful thigh ready, plenty of space to schlep your crap, a ton of comfort and utility make these one heckuva pair of running shorts.Shop Smartwool Active Shorts Cat Bowen, senior editor of commerce; reviews, is a seasoned runner with more than 20 years of distance running experience, including dozens of marathons, half marathons, and even a few ultra marathons. For over a decade, she has tested parenting, fitness, home, and running gear and written in-depth guides to help readers with their next purchase. Holding multiple advanced degrees and currently studying kinesiology, Cat Bowen brings research-backed insight to all of her guides. Passionate about women’s health and neurodivergent inclusion, she advocates for closing research gaps and helping others—especially AudHD people—find joy in running and fitness.