I’ve been running since I was a little girl, and over the years I’ve naturally evolved as a runner. With age and experience, I’ve also become much more selective about the gear I wear. The one item that has always been tricky to get right is a good pair of running shorts.
For me, the perfect running shorts need to handle the heat, literally. They should be made from high-quality, sweat-wicking material, make you feel and look good, and have pockets secure enough to hold your essentials no matter how fast you are moving. Ideally, they are so light and unobtrusive that you forget you are even wearing them.
Back in September, I tried the Lululemon Fast and Free Short 8" Light Special Edition and honestly, I haven’t gone a week since without wearing them. The “limited edition” tag comes from Lululemon’s Nulu fabric, which is designed to be extra light and breathable, plus the shorts feature additional airy panels for ventilation. While this may mean they won’t be around forever, the good news is they’re on sale right now.
They are ridiculously lightweight
I can safely say these are the lightest running shorts I’ve ever worn. To put this through a little test, I weighed my Lululemon Fast and Free Short 8" against my Sweaty Betty 6" Cycling Shorts, which on paper look quite similar. The Lululemon pair came in at 3.7oz (106g), while the Sweaty Betty shorts weighed 4.5oz (130g). Even though the Sweaty Betty pair is a size up, I think this still shows just how light the Fast and Free shorts really are.
They don’t feel thick or heavy at all. On the contrary, they are incredibly soft and light, and if I’m not carrying my phone in the pocket, I genuinely feel like I’m wearing nothing at all.
They pass the sweat test
I’ve put these shorts through some pretty intense runs, from long, sweaty outdoor sessions to indoor treadmill intervals where the air is close and unforgiving. Despite the light green (Bay Leaf) colorway, they never show any questionable sweat patches. Because they are so light and sweat dries quickly, I’ve found that on trips when they’re the only pair I’ve packed, I can hang them up after a run and they’re ready to wear again without feeling heavy or uncomfortable.
I really put their quick-drying qualities to the test during a Spartan race, which included swimming, running, and obstacles. There were three swimming sections, and I worried I’d feel soggy and weighed down running to the next part of the course. But the Fast and Free shorts hold up beautifully, and thanks to the sunny conditions, they’re dry, just as comfortable as when you first put them on, and you get the added bonus of UPF 40+ protection for the areas the shorts cover.
Pockets, pockets, pockets!
I’ve always found that women’s running shorts are often poorly equipped with practical pockets or sometimes have none at all. These days, with more conversations around female runners’ safety, carrying a phone has become essential for emergencies or sharing your location with a loved one.
If you're not a fan of the feeling of wearing a vest or one of the best running belts, that means relying on your shorts to have pockets that are both large and secure enough to hold your phone.
The Lululemon Fast and Free Shorts deliver on that front. Each leg has a pocket. One is a pouch-style pocket deep enough to hold a phone. Despite the slick material of the shorts, my cased iPhone 17 has stayed secure no matter the pace. The other pocket is smaller and zipped, and I find it to be more than ideal to safely store my keys or a couple of gels. If you need to carry more gels, I've found I can fit two alongside my phone in the pouch pocket.
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