Heathyoga 4D Padded Review

The Heathyoga 4D Bike Shorts are high-rise, stretchy, and breathable women's specific bike shorts, featuring a perforated chamois with gel inserts, three stash pockets, silicone leg grippers, and reflective decals. The mesh pocket at the center back is great for keeping your phone secure on rough rides, and we found the padding of the extended chamois effective for most rides up to a couple of hours long. These have a good fit that stays in place well during the ride, but slightly thinner material and less compression than some other bike shorts. For their incredibly low price, the performance across the board is tough to beat, though you do sacrifice a bit of construction quality and durability.

Comfort and Padding

We were more than satisfied with the comfort of these shorts, both on and off the bike. The chamois pad is very ergonomic and feels comfortable for both walking and pedaling. The fabric offers a lot of stretch, and the shorts stay in place well and support full range of pedaling motion. On especially hot rides, we felt a small amount of chafing around where exposed seams converged on the inside, but this was fairly minor.

Budget shorts often have a very simple 2D chamois that can feel either too bulky or far too thin. The Heathyoga 4D has a decent chamois, especially for this price point. While it can't rival high-end cycling shorts, we felt it was comfortable and dense enough for most rides, with the gel inserts providing noticeable support. We wouldn't choose these for a 100-miler, but for mid-distance outings, they were just fine.

Fit and Features

Sometimes budget shorts have a poor fit, but that's not the case with the Heathyoga 4D. They feature seven flex panels with mesh sections in the front to improve fit and breathability, and the high-waisted design stays in place better than some options that cost much more. While the fabric is a bit thinner with less compression, this meant the Heathyoga shorts molded well to a variety of body types without a too-tight look or any uncomfortable squeezing. Perhaps the best part of the fit is the thin, raw-edge leg hems with gentle silicone grippers, which fit really nicely on athletic thighs. Although it does have integrated elastic, the high-rise waistband doesn't dig in and stays up effectively without slipping down, but if you have a smaller waist, you may notice a slight gap in the back when you're in a cycling position.

You don't sacrifice on features here, either. In fact, the Heathyoga 4D shorts have the most pockets of any shorts or bibs we tested. While the thigh stash pockets are just large enough to securely hold a modern smartphone, the mesh pocket in the back keeps it gripped in place even on rough mountain biking descents. We used this pocket often, although it can be a bit tricky to reach while riding.

Breathability

The Heathyoga 4D shorts scored near the top of the pack for breathability, beating out a lot of more premium options. The material feels a lot like yoga pants, and it behaves similarly for breathing and wicking moisture during hot and sweaty efforts.

The face fabric of the chamois pad itself is designed to absorb moisture to wick it away from elsewhere, which works relatively well when combined with the perforated construction for better airflow. The only spot where we noticed sweat consistently getting trapped is around the high waistband. Since there's a bit of elastic there to hold the shorts in place, the thicker fabric combined with limited airflow created a breathability challenge there for really hot rides. Otherwise, these shorts breathe quite well.

Fabric Quality

Understandably, this is where the Heathyoga 4D falls behind more premium options. Throughout the test period, we noticed signs of wear on both the fabric and stitching of these bike shorts. They don't hold up particularly well to being repeatedly washed and dried, and we'd recommend hand washing or using a gentle cycle and air drying when possible. Stitching quality is another concern on the construction of these shorts, as overlapping seams can cause chafing on long rides, and the stitching started to fray and pull out in areas that rubbed while riding, like near the pockets and on the inner thigh.

While we noticed some wear and tear on these shorts, we were still somewhat surprised by how well they held up. For less frequent or more casual use, these affordable shorts should have a respectable lifespan, even though they can't come close to the longevity and durability of more premium options.

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Style

Surprisingly, we actually got more compliments on the trail in these fun shorts than any other pair in the test. These bright shorts bring a bit of levity to your ride. You can tell that they aren't as high-quality as premium options from the exposed seams and materials used, but overall, they have a decent, sporty style.

The bright color might be off-putting to some, and the Heathyoga 4D comes in a wide range of color options, if a more low-key black or gray is your style. They do certainly look like shorts made specifically for cycling, and you won't be able to go incognito as effectively for your post-ride errands. From the leg grippers to the reflective elements, these are quite obviously bike shorts.

Should You Buy the Heath Yoga 4D Padded Bike Shorts?

It's tough to match the price of the Heathyoga 4D, and for most female cyclists, there's little harm in adding a pair of these comfortable and effective shorts to your lineup. If you're new to cycling and looking to try it out without breaking the bank, these are an excellent choice. Even for a serious rider, these are more than sufficient for group rides or casual days. Of course, if you're looking for top-of-the-line peak performance bib shorts, there are other better options.

What Other Women's Bike Shorts Should You Consider?

If you want a higher-end pair of shorts with a similar fit but higher quality fabric, you'll like both the Terry Hi-Rise Holster Short or Terry Bike Bermuda Shorts – although we actually prefer the chamois in the Heathyoga. If you're looking to step it up to a super comfortable and well-fitting bib option, we'd suggest the Rapha Core Bib Shorts.