How to Find the Best Muay Thai Shorts for You

Muay Thai fashion is certainly a massive thing in this day and age. Rocking up to training, looking the part and making sure your kit is on point, is as important as a night out on the town with friends. It’s serious business! Let’s not forget the sweaty mess we all look like after a hard session LOL.

When starting out in Muay Thai, you can probably get away with sports shorts, but eventually, you will want to invest in a pair of shorts that are comfortable, look and feel great but are also not restrictive when kicking, switching, kneeing and moving.

In the past 30 years, Muay Thai shorts have evolved a lot… From the 80’s basic, classic designs with a few lines (and maybe a few stars), to today, where we see some of the most intricate designs that are truly an artistic masterpiece.

There is nothing worse than going online, buying a pair of shorts, only to have them arrive and they are uncomfortable, the wrong material or don’t look anything like the pic you saw online. Here are a few things to look for when choosing a good pair of Muay Thai shorts:

Style
When I look back in time, it seems the baggy, oversized parachute style of Muay Thai shorts have progressively shrunken.

Perhaps the advent of European kickboxers in K-1 Max rocking short shorts caused manufacturers to lean toward the shorter style of design, or perhaps the goal of efficiency, lightness, and reducing the feeling of restriction when kicking/moving has caused them to become smaller.

In saying this, you can choose from the short sorts ‘retro’ style which are shorter up the thigh and somewhat more of a smaller cut, or you can choose from the classic Muay Thai short that is longer and wider in cut, not quite as long as traditional boxing trunks, but comfortable and rollable from the waist in training.

Sizing
One of the most frustrating things with Muay Thai shorts today is that there is no universal sizing -Meaning you might be a medium in one brand, and have to buy an XL to fit into another!

Unfortunately, brands originating out of Thailand would have “Thai” and “Westerner sizes” meaning that variations amongst sizes would be inconsistent. Eg. Medium shorts may fit a 32-34″ waist for “Western sizes” and 28-30″ waist for “Thai sizes”.

One of the best things you can do, is try on a pair of your training partner’s shorts and see how they fit, or visit a local retailer and physically try them on.

Design
When it comes to design, there is a myriad of different artistic combinations. From super loud, busy designs, to bare basic, “less is more” styles. It’s up to you when it comes down to what you prefer. One thing to bare in mind is that if you are looking to compete and hoping to wear those shorts, some events, require you to wear a pair of coloured shorts symbolic of the corner you’re fighting out of. Eg. red for a red corner, blue for blue corner etc. When it comes to training, some love having everything the same colour, whilst others, love collecting as many different coloured pairs as possible!

Fabric
When wearing Muay Thai, breathability and comfort is key. Whether you’re in training in the humidity of Thailand, you are going to work up a sweat and be dripping by the end of a session and your shorts may or may not become heavy when wet… There are two main types to choose from when it comes to shorts 1) Satin and 2) Nylon. Satin is your silkier, boxer short kind of material that is a little thicker; whilst your nylon is like a super lightweight parachute material that is much thinner and dries super quickly. Be aware that the thinner nylon in a light colour may become transparent when wet, so be sure to wet an undergarment with them 🙂

Collection
There are lots and lots of different collections that boast different colours, styles and designs. You will find shorts that match glove ranges, shorts that are exquisite, whilst others that are so basic, that less speaks more.

I have always found that finding a favourite pair of shorts takes time and when you find them, just like any sort of clothing, try and make sure you always get more of that brand!

Finding a good pair of Muay Thai shorts can take time, but collecting is always a lot of fun!

Happy hunting! 🏹

Whitney Tuna
Co-Founder/Director