We’re back with yet another activewear review! Today we’re taking a deep look at the newest AYBL seamless shorts, the Balance V2 Shorts, as well as the Ombre Shorts & Core Shorts. This is my (Erin’s) first time buying from AYBL, so I’m here to share a newbie’s opinion. Mary has been around the block a few times with this brand, so she will be sharing a frequent buyer’s opinion. As usual, since I’m almost always a newbie when it comes to these gym clothing brands. Let’s get into it!
2021 AYBL Seamless Shorts Review
I’m going to start things off with the pair of Balance V2 shorts that I bought, then let Mary take the reigns for the rest of the review. If you’d rather watch our unfiltered reactions, unboxing, and full review (in video form) check out the video below!
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AYBL Balance V2 Seamless Shorts (Navy Blue)
I’ll start by sharing my experience with the Balance V2 shorts, and then Mary will take over from there!
When I initially opened the package and took out the shorts, I was a little shocked. They seemed way smaller than I had expected and I was like “Ummm, these could fit a child…” Obviously, I was a little worried and was getting ready to return them for a larger size.
I’m typically a Medium in most shorts/leggings, sometimes a small, so when my Medium shorts came in the mail and looked like an XS, I was shook.
I immediately texted Mary and was like “WTF bro?!” but she reassured me that they’re very stretchy and to just try them on. Okay, fine…
After putting them on, they actually fit surprisingly perfectly. The stretch level was amazing and kept everything tucked in while still having room to breathe & move. They didn’t stretch too much to where they were see-through either, which is definitely a plus! These shorts were also completely squat proof from my experience.
They were really flattering on my body shape and didn’t gap in the waist or squeeze too tight in the thighs/butt. I loved the level of high-waistedness (is that a word?) that these shorts provided and felt incredibly confident wearing them to work out.
I walked around in these bad boys all day and did a workout and they stood the test of activity. The only complaint I had was that they would ride up a little in my upper hamstring/lower booty region.
They’re very reasonably priced ($30) compared to other brands like Gymshark, Balance, etc., which is a plus when you don’t want to break the bank for a pair of shorts.
I will 100% be buying more pairs of these shorts and trying out other shorts, leggings, etc., from AYBL in the future!
AYBL Core Shorts (Mauve, Navy Blue & Black)
OOOOOOOWEEEEE – Mary here ready to share the good word on these AYBL shorts. Erin, thanks for the introduction to this awesome brand and the love spread on the V2 shorts.
Ya’ll… I have to share that I found this brand from searching through the discover page in Instagram.
Listen here, don’t sleep on this brand. Let me convince you why, if Erin hasn’t already!
First up, we have the Core shorts in navy, mauve, and black. These were the first pairs of AYBL shorts I ever purchased. My first love for anything seamless (including Gymshark), so really I owe them a huge THANK YOU.
I ended up ordering a Large for these first purchases because I was insecure because I was a bit bigger at the time (be proud of yourself ladies). So looking back now, I should have stuck with my size, because now these boys are baggy in the front and don’t stay up and down when I exercise.
Rule of thumb: read the reviews and stick with your normal size if you’re unsure.
But as you can see, they aren’t too tight (since being a Large) and they aren’t too short. Rest assured I did buy a Medium and they are not too tight. The fabric is incredibly stretchy and forgiving and 100% worth the money. Which is cheap btw and not in a bad way. The fabric is solid, not see-through, a little loose, yet full coverage.
I even played in a couple of pickleball tournaments in the mauve and black. They did ride up my thicker than snicker thighs, but I sure didn’t mind. I ain’t mad about showing a lil extra skin. Be loud and proud. BUT they stayed around my waist and didn’t give me a bother, didn’t get see-through showing sweat, and (bonus) I didn’t disrupt my other teammates.
AYBL Ombre Seamless Shorts (Yellow, Grey & Purple)
Talk about complete opposites of the Core Shorts. These babies are much thicker, especially in the waistband. On a positive note, they are much spicier colors. And by that I mean they are GORGEOUS. These aren’t the only colors either. They have some in blue, orange and pink too. I was just drawn to these babes first.
Down to the logistics… What makes these different than the Core Shorts? Well like I mentioned above, the waistband is indeed thicker. Allows for more “coverage” especially for when we are feeling bloated. It has SAVED my confidence more than once.
Secondly, they are thinner in the material itself. By that, I mean around the bum area. Think of a white tank top. How often do you find one that is thick enough that you can’t see your white sports bra underneath? Well, these shorts are not that dramatic, but they are also not squat proof.
Lastly, the material washes better than the Core Shorts. By that I mean they don’t acquire those washer balls. You know the ones I mean? Now the Core Shorts are not outrageous with them, but they did appear for me. However, no balls noted on the ombré, but they do snag quite easily, AND they ride up my thighs.
Woof. Sorry for so much negativity all in one paragraph. Gotta tell it like it is or else people would get the wrong idea. Now, none of the balls (lol) bother me all that much. It’s rather annoying of a feature, but the strings are what get me because oftentimes those can’t be fixed.
You start one run you will likely have another. But since one run, I have been cautiously careful with how I use the shorts. Not entirely something I want to worry about when working out, but they really aren’t that bad.
Final Thoughts
All in all, these shorts are a must-have for your workout routines. They fit well into most exercise environments and only have a couple of negative aspects of each, which are low and easy to adjust to. Not only the shorts, but they have a lot of great pieces to choose from. Leggings (which I actually recommend sizing up in), shirts, joggers, jackets, and more.
If you have any questions about the company, other products we’ve tried, returns, sizing, contact feedback, and more, drop the comments below and we would be happy to help you out with whatever we can. Thanks for reading with us!
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