How to Find the Best Shorts for Big Thighs: Thick Guy’s Guide

Whether you’re a slab of beef with muscles bulging out of every inch of your body, or you’re a thicker guy looking to put in the work and improve your health, you probably have one big problem. Those thighs of yours aren’t exactly built for the average shorts on the market.

No matter what you wear, things tend to get a bit tight down there, and you end up chafing, dealing with unpleasant amounts of sweat, and unfortunately, your shorts tend to wear out and tear a bit sooner than expected. 

That doesn’t mean you’re screwed, though. With a few pointers from your favorite veteran-owned clothing brand, you can find the perfect shorts to work, have fun, or just lounge around in without worrying about all those little details. 

So let’s find the best shorts for those bigh thighs! 

1: Choose a Non-Abrasive Fabric

The biggest problem thicker guys have is that they don’t have a thigh gap, and that causes any pants they’re wearing to rub their skin with every move they make. That’s not a big deal if you don’t move around much, but when you’re active, it’s a pain in the ass.

Since that’s not avoidable unless you slim your thighs down enough to give your thighs some “clearance”, your best bet is to choose shorts that minimize the friction caused by that rubbing. 

Polyester and spandex blends tend to perform best in this category. They create slick fabrics that don’t build up friction, but they don’t stick and annoy the hell out of you, either. 

If you’re used to wearing denim and similar materials when you’re working out, you’ll definitely notice the difference when you slip some of these on. 

2: Moisture-Wicking Fabric 

The next big issue thicker guys face is that sweat tends to build up, and it doesn’t evaporate to create a cooling effect. It gets stuck in the crevices between your thighs and your family jewels, and it just sits there stinking up the place and feeling as if you just rucked through a swamp for 8 hours. 

Again, there’s not much to do about it other than slim down your thighs, but you can wear shorts that pull that excess moisture out instead of letting it sit there. 

Shorts labeled “moisture-wicking” will perform admirably in this category. Some specially designed training shorts made of polyester and spandex can do this, and cotton blends are naturally good at it. 

What happens is that you sweat around your intimate areas, the fabric soaks it up, and it evaporates off the fabric. 

3: Loose-Fitting Designs

If you opt for shorts that are somewhat loose, you’ll solve two problems. 

First, you’ll allow for more airflow even if your thighs are a bit too thick to maximize it. This will keep you comfortable and dry. It’ll also keep you from having to waddle around like a duck just to get a slight breeze down there and air it out. 

However, a loose-fitting design also reduces friction. When you wear tighter shorts, the fabric doesn’t have anywhere to move. Sure, you can move a lot more naturally with the right-sized shorts, but that fabric constantly rubs. With a looser design, the fabric can move easier and minimize friction; keeping your thighs and family jewels comfortable and in good shape throughout the day. 

It is worth noting that we only mean the portion of the shorts that cover your thighs. You don’t want baggy shorts that slide off your rear end every five seconds, and it helps if the end of the shorts that your legs stick out of are a little tighter. 

Take a look at our Combat Iron Ranger panty training shorts. They’re a great example of what you should be looking for. They’re slightly loose around the thighs, but they’re well-fitted at the waist and leg openings to keep them out of the way while you move. They’re kind of like a hybrid between tight shorts and baggy shorts. 

4: Breathable

Airflow has been a common theme throughout this guide, and that’s for a good reason. Thicker thighs block it. So, you want shorts that are made to be breathable. They’ll keep you warm and comfortable, but they’ll also allow air to flow in and out of the fabric. 

This won’t change the fact that your thighs are naturally blocking airflow, but it will allow air to move around in there a lot more than denim or similar materials. 

5: Stretch-Fitted

If you’ve got thick thighs, it’s pretty likely that your waist is going to be thick, too. Whether you’re muscle-bound or a bit overweight, those two things just tend to correlate. 

With any shorts you’ll be wearing for an active lifestyle, making sure they are snug around your waist is crucial. You won’t be wearing a belt, and you can’t have them falling off your ass. Not to mention, you’re already competing with thick thighs the whole time you’re working out. You don’t want to compete with your pants, too. 

Stretch-fitted shorts are the best way to solve this. They’re typically a little smaller around the waist to let them stretch to the perfect amount of snugness, and they can tighten up or stretch a bit more if you build more muscle or pack a little more weight on. 

They’ll also stretch as your body moves to keep them from ripping or being too rigid against your body and hindering your movement. 

Buy the Best Quality Possible

Like we’ve said, you’re already competing with your thighs. You don’t want to compete against your shorts, either. 

The quality of the shorts you buy has a lot to do with that on top of the traits we’ve mentioned. Better quality shorts are simply going to perform more admirably while you go about your day-to-day life. 

Combat Iron Apparel has you covered. 

All our clothing is designed by veterans who have lived some of the most active lifestyles possible, and our clothes are built to maximize your efficiency whether you have a lean muscle body or you’re an absolute beefcake.