4 Best Women’s Compression Underwear

For many serious athletes, compression underwear can be a great investment. These undergarments are designed to constrict the muscles to improve blood flow and overall health and muscle growth while working out or exercising. They have often been a staple of men’s clothing, but not women can enjoy them as well.

Well, they can somewhat enjoy them.

In keeping in a long tradition throughout history, ladies, women’s clothing once again needs to be unnecessarily complicated and focused on shaping the body instead of fitting. When trying to find compression underwear for women, the items that typically pop up are actually shapers meant to slim the thighs and stomach instead of actually provide some athletic benefit.

So, it can be quite difficult to find compression underwear that actually works. Luckily for you, this article has identified some of the best products currently on the market, and even included a little buying guide to help you find the best qualities available.

Just remember that you should take these panties off at some point, but you might not want to when you realize how comfortable they are.

Here are our picks for the best compression underwear for women.

Top 4 Best Compression Underwear for Women

1. MD Women’s Shapewear Compression Underwear

Let the Girl Breathe: One of the primary benefits of the MD Women’s Shapewear Compression Underwear is that the panties are made of 90% nylon and 10% spandex with extra breathability built into the gusset, or the region that sits underneath the crotch. This ensures sweat and discharge doesn’t have a chance to build up while exercising and create an uncomfortable swamp. The composition of the fabric also ensures that this model is stretchy and comfortable, capable of fitting any woman’s buttocks with ease.

Besides being stretchy and comfortable, the MD Women’s compression underwear also has the benefit of actually offering compression around the upper thighs, buttocks, and part of the stomach. This makes the underwear easy to wear under other compression gear like shorts, and also means that slipping and discomfort is kept at a minimum. The seamless design adds to this comfort by not having seams or ridges that dig into the skin while exercising or leaving behind angry red marks and indents.

MD makes this line of underwear in two colors: Black and a nude/tan color. The underwear is typically sold in pairs, although single panties are available if you would like to sample the underwear and aren’t willing to invest the extra money. The material remains cool while exercising, and has some mild moisture wicking properties to help balance and manage sweat.

The one downside to this underwear is the same con that affects all women’s compression underwear: There is not adequate thigh coverage. While the manufacturer claims there is enough material to stop chafing on the upper thighs, this is only true if the wearer has a natural thigh gap. For the rest of the population, ladies will be out of luck and will need to deal with uncomfortable leg rubbing.

2. Emprella Slip Shorts/Boy Shorts

You Get a Refund! And You Get Refund!: Okay, the promise of a refund isn’t always the best thing to receive when trying to buy anything, but it’s always wonderful to have a money back guarantee when shopping online. These Emprella Slip Shorts/Boy Shirts are well made, so you are unlikely to have to send them back. They are comfortable, frequently sold in packs of three, and are a solid black.

The material used to make these slip shorts is 95% cotton and 5% spandex. The spandex ensures there is enough stretch to make these underwear comfortable and stretchy, while the cotton is breathable and soft on the skin. This results in pairs that are fun to wear and work well for all sorts of athletic activities, whether it be running, biking, playing volleyball, or just doing yoga at the gym. Plus, unlike other pairs, Emprella realizes that women also enjoy having their thighs covered by compression underwear and features a design with fabric that ends just above the knee.

If there is an issue with this underwear, it’s that the material was not intended to be moisture wicking. This isn’t bad for someone who only does moderate workouts, but the cotton can really absorb the sweat during more strenuous activities. On the bright side, these Emprellas are machine washable, so ladies can just toss them in the washing machine when they get home.

3. Cadmus Women's High Waist Stretch Athletic Workout Shorts

Drain the Crotch Swamp: Ladies, no longer do you have to fear your vulva drowning in a pool of its own making. While many compression underwear and shorts seemed to miss the memo that women enjoy moisture wicking to combat sweat and discharge, Cadmus answered our prayers by releasing their “Women’s High Waist Stretch Athletic Workout Shorts.” This model can be worn as underwear or shorts, making them quite versatile. The fabric is a blend of 85% polyester and 15% spandex, making the shorts comfortable yet stretchy.

These shorts fit with a reasonably large but well-fitting waistband and plenty of coverage for the upper and mid thighs. This ensures there is enough compression to offer athletic benefit and also stop thigh chafing. Although some women have the right bone structure to get a natural thigh gap, most of us do not and have to deal with regular chafing and discomfort.

Besides these features, one nice aspect of these Cadmus athletic workout shorts is that they come in packs of two and three and are also available in multiple colors. You can get underwear in black, white, red, blue, gray, and even a burgundy orange. There is even some coverage for the lower stomach for ladies who feel discomfort in that area while exercising. Plus, there is a pocket to hold materials when your workout pants don’t have pockets.

The one downside to these compression shorts is that you need to size down when ordering, otherwise you might end up swimming in fabric. Also allow to air dry when possible to avoid shrinkage.

4. Baleaf Women's Cycling Underwear Shorts

Who Needs Wedges?: One of the biggest problems when underwear shopping, especially for women, is the dreaded wedgie. It seems like there just isn’t a great compromise between being good looking, form fitting, and comfortable. This is especially true in the case of compression underwear, which is meant to be tight. Luckily, there is now an answer to our prayers: The Baleaf Women’s Cycling Underwear Shorts.

Because these underwear were meant to be worn during extreme bouts of exercise such as long distance sizing, the fit is excellent. The material is cut to be comfortable around the legs and crotch with riding up, meaning there is no wedgie and no uncomfortable pinching around the vulva. The fabric is 90% polyester and 10% spandex, meaning it has moisture wicking qualities and is also stretchy and form fitting around the waistband.

The female-specific 3D chamois creates extra comfort and helps reduce vibration. The design means the fabric extends over the upper thighs, helping to stop chafing and irritation from the flesh rubbing together. Sizing is also excellent and true to the standard of the United States, so you don’t have to worry about sizing when ordering. The one downside is that the underwear is only available in black with pink stripes, but who cares when they are so perfect?!

Compression Underwear Buying Guide

Compression underwear has long been a subject of controversy because unscrupulous manufacturers will claim that unnecessary additions have unprecedented effects on someone’s athletic prowess. Some of you ladies might have heard of the copper controversy, when one company kept claiming that its addition of copper in its underwear would improve an athlete’s performance.

Spoiler alert: It didn’t.

Athletic compression underwear can also be quite uncomfortable if the fit and material aren’t right. For this reason, it’s important to take a close look at these qualities before purchase.

Best Fitting Compression Underwear

A big problem women run into is that a lot of designers go for style instead of function. So, the fit of the compression underwear often doesn’t include enough thigh coverage and instead focuses on the stomach, which doesn’t need to be constricted during exercise.

Instead of settling – as many of us often do – it’s important to find underwear that has some fit around the thighs and buttocks. The material should not be too tight or focused on creating an attractive or sexy form. Instead, it needs to be tight enough to help blood flow but loose enough to not constrict while moving.

When possible, avoid seams. Seams can dig into the flesh and create unpleasant and uncomfortable lines. For many women, they can also lead to digging around the vulva, which just creates a whole host of issues.

Best Material for Compression Underwear

Avoid Clickbait

As mentioned earlier with the copper controversy, some companies have a tendency to overinflate the importance of their products. This is especially true when it comes to women’s underwear, because there are numerous manufacturers and more elements to consider like having a good fit around the butt and helping with moisture wicking.

So, ladies, when it comes to buying compression underwear, don’t be taken in by clickbait. Copper won’t make you a better athlete, nor will a silk gusset or extra lines in the material. Instead of buying into the hype, focus on good, solid fundamentals like the fit and material so you can improve your own athleticism through hard work, dedication, and exercise.

When in doubt, emphasize simplicity above all else. Your body will thank you.