Montane Women's Ineo Lite shorts review: stay fresh and comfortable when you're moving fast in the mountains

Meet the reviewer

Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.  

Montane Women's Ineo Lite shorts: first impressions 

If you're in the market for a pair of women's hiking shorts, you might not be so keen on the looser cargo design or perhaps you don't want to make do with a skimpy pair of trail running shorts. If so, the high-waisted biker short style of the Montane Women's Ineo Lite shorts might be right up your alley, especially if you're planning on moving fast in warm weather this summer.

Made with 100% nylon, these shorts are surprisingly stretchy and built for comfort with flatlock seams and a gusseted crotch. We've tested them on the trails in hot weather and were pleasantly surprised by how well they manage temperature and moisture.

With a mid-thigh design, they're not too skimpy but also don't provide as much sun protection as long shorts. They have only one thigh pocket, and while it's not big enough for a map it's plenty to stash your phone. That said, these are clearly intended for trail users who are carrying a backpack or wearing a jacket with pockets.

What really stands out in these shorts is the excellent odor control. We've been wearing them for hiking, trail running and yoga in hot weather and even though we haven't washed them, they still don't smell thanks to the Polygiene tratment, which blocks the growth of odour-causing bacteria.

They're also really versatile across different warm weather activities, which helps you pack light for active travel. They're a good price and without added stretch, should hold up longer than similar shorts, but as usually we'd like to see more recycled materials used.

Montane Women's Ineo Lite shorts: in the field

Scotland isn't exactly the best place to test shorts but with lots of trips to hot climates coming up and based on how much I like the Montane Women's Ineo Pro hiking pants, I was happy to test these shorts for Advnture.

With milder weather here recently, I broke them in on a few trail runs in Scotland then took them away to the Greek island of Corfu where I was planning on hiking, trail running and doing yoga and didn't want to check a bag.

Here’s how they performed:

Sizing, fit and comfort

I tested a US 4 which is my usual size and I'd say they fit like a glove. Obviously they're meant to be skin tight and they are, but they're not too tight which is a relief.

They're high-waisted but not ridiculously so, and come down to about mid-thigh, so they're neither too skimpy nor are they too reminiscent of 1980s biker shorts for my liking. If I'm being honest, I'm not a fan of this style of shorts for aesthetic reasons, and while I don't find them flattering on anyone who isn't a supermodel (even then, it's debatable), I actually don't mind how these look on me.

I also don't usually go in for this style of shorts because they're not always very comfortable, but I've had no issues with these shorts thanks to 4-way stretch,  flatlock seams and gusseted crotch and never suffered even while wearing these in very hot temperatures.

Performance

I've worn these now for hiking, trail running and yoga in either mild or hot weather and however I'm moving, they stay put without needing yanked up. 

If you'd asked me to predict how they were going to perform when running in 90-degree heat I'd have said they'd be clammy, sticky and hot, but I would have been totally wrong. They handled sweat and breathed well and dry nicely, even when I pulled them on over wet swimsuit bottoms.

Even though they have a simple, low-profile design and a slightly more fashion-forward look than most hiking shorts I've tested, I'd say they're quite technical.

Storage and odor control

These shorts only have one thigh pocket, and while a second wouldn't go amiss, the one that's there is ample for my phone which is all I really want it for. I wouldn't expect to be wearing these on days when I'm also carrying gloves and a hat, so for the most part I'm happy with the storage.

The best part of these shorts, for me, is the odor-control. I've sweated in them plenty and though I'm yet to wash them, they just don't smell. Whatever the Polygiene treatment is, it works, and it means I won't have to wash these often. That in turn means that while they don't use any recycled materials, they earn back some eco points.

Montane Women's Ineo Lite shorts: the bottom line

This style of hiking shorts isn't for everyone, but if you like something that performs like a technical legging but is built for warmer weather, you'll appreciate how well they perform in terms of movement, managing sweat and odor control. You won't get tons of storage or heaps of sun protection, but in a longer, looser short, you also lose some versatility.

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