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When you are shopping for the best gear and apparel for your favorite sport, it can be an overwhelming experience. There are a plethora of available options and brands to choose from, making it difficult to decide on which of all of them is the best for you. One such decision is choosing between various apparel, as there are pros and cons for each piece.
One example of this scenario is in softball. There is no strict dress code, which allows players to choose between shorts and pants. However, there are several positives and negatives to wearing either softball shorts or softball pants.
In order to find the perfect pair of bottoms for you and your teammates, let’s have a look at the pros and cons of shorts for softball.
Softball Shorts
We all know that shorts are most advantageous in the summer and warmer months, but they can also be effectively worn during other months of the year. Yes, even if you play fall ball! But what are all of the pros and cons of them?
Pros
- Breathable
With most pairs of shorts that are made specifically for softball players, their breathability is one of their most remarkable features. These shorts are typically made of material that is best for performance and activity, such as polyester. Polyester is the king of all workout clothes, as it is well-known for its lightweight and breathable structure.
- Water-resistant and loose-fitting
Polyester softball shorts also provide their wearer with material that is water-resistant. This is key because, instead of absorbing sweat and becoming heavier throughout the day, it will instead keep its original structure and allow your sweat to simply drip down and away.
On top of that, they are typically loose-fitting, which is most ideal for men playing nearly any sport. You certainly do not want something that is aggressively tight on your hips, groin, or thighs! These shorts provide you with ample comfort so you can focus more on your game and less on your clothes.
- Wrinkle-free
Another key trait of polyester is that it is a material that doesn’t stand for wrinkles! Therefore, you won’t need to worry about wrinkles no matter if you fold your shorts nicely or crumple them and throw them in your softball bag.
- Adjustable
Not all shorts come with a drawstring, but most do for softball, which is an essential part of your active shorts. This allows you to comfortably adjust your shorts to your optimal comfort, then tie the drawstring to best keep your shorts to where you need and want them to be.
- Big side pockets
Another luxury of shorts is that they have large side pockets! You can conveniently carry around batting gloves, gum, and other such items with you on or off the field.
Cons
While all of the above advantages for wearing men’s softball shorts can be enticing, there are several cons that you need to be aware of prior to purchasing and wearing.
- Not very protective
For those who play softball and often dive or slide into the dirt or grass, you should know that these shorts won’t protect your legs very well. Because they are so loose-fitting, it shouldn’t be a surprise that, when you dive feet first, your shorts can easily ride up and expose your legs.
This could increase your chances of injury from the dirt, grass, softballs, or even other players. In order to best protect your legs from such issues, pants might do the job more efficiently.
- Not ideal for cold weather
You can potentially wear these shorts nearly any time of the year, but they can certainly make you feel very cold during the colder months. Since they only reach around knee-length, they leave your calves exposed to the wind, cold temperatures, and even rain.
This can make you even colder than you would be with pants. Plus, since they are so loose-fitting and made of material that is so lightweight, they won’t keep you exceptionally warm where the fabric covers, either.
- Stuff can fall out of the pockets
While the pockets on these types of shorts can be extremely convenient, they may not be the most dependable for valuables, like your phone, keys, or wallet. They are typically deep pockets, but also have large openings amongst the loose fabric of the rest of the shorts. Because of this, it is easy for things to fall or pop out of them while running or moving.
Plus, they typically don’t come with back pockets. If you enjoy the luxury of back pockets over side pockets, you’re more than likely to be out of luck there.
No matter what men’s softball shorts you’re looking for, we have you covered here at HbSports. Be sure to browse all of our shorts in order to find the right pair (or pairs!) for you! Give us a call as well if you have any questions at 1-888-540-BATS.
