How to Size Muay Thai Shorts So You Only Order Once
Almost every return we get is a sizing return, and almost every sizing return starts the same way: someone ordered Thai shorts the way they order gym shorts. Different cut, different sizing, different meaning behind the letter on the tag. Here is how to get it right the first time.
Why Thai shorts feel wrong when you first put them on
Traditional Muay Thai shorts are short and wide. The leg opening is deliberately generous and the side slit runs high up the thigh, because the shorts have to get out of the way of a head kick and stay out of the way in the clinch. Western fight shorts solve that problem with stretch panels. Thai shorts solve it with cut.
So the first time you pull on a pair that fits correctly and look in the mirror standing still, they will look roomy. That is not a sizing mistake, that is the garment doing its job. Shorts that look fitted standing still will stop your kick at hip height.
Measure your waist, ignore your jeans
Jeans are vanity sized and vary between brands by as much as three inches. Thai shorts are sized to an actual waistband measurement, so the only number that matters is the one you take yourself.
- Stand relaxed and breathe normally. Do not suck in, you will be breathing hard in these.
- Run a soft tape around the point where you want the waistband to sit. On Thai shorts that is higher than jeans, usually on or just above the hip bone.
- Keep the tape level front to back, snug but not tight.
- Write the number down in inches.
The actual numbers
These are garment measurements for Sabai Thai shorts, not body measurements.
| Size | Waist (in) | Waist (cm) | Width (in) | Length (in) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | 28-30 | 72-77 | 27.5 | 14.1 |
| M | 31-33 | 78-83 | 30.7 | 14.9 |
| L | 34-36 | 84-91 | 33.8 | 15.7 |
| XL | 37-39 | 92-99 | 37.0 | 16.5 |
Thai sizing runs smaller than US sizing
This is the part that catches people out. A US medium is frequently a Thai large. If every pair of shorts you have ever bought came from a US or European brand, expect to order one size up from what you think you are, and trust the measurement over the letter.
Between sizes? Size up, every time
The waistband is elastic and takes up slack. The leg opening is not, and gives nothing back. Sizing down for a snugger waist costs you exactly the range of motion you bought Thai shorts for. If you land on a boundary, 30.5in or 33.5in, take the bigger size.
Sizing the tops
Tops are sized on chest and length rather than waist, and run XS to XXL.
| Size | Chest (in) | Chest (cm) | Length (in) | Length (cm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 36.2 | 92 | 23.2 | 59 |
| S | 37.8 | 96 | 24.0 | 61 |
| M | 39.4 | 100 | 24.8 | 63 |
| L | 42.5 | 108 | 26.4 | 67 |
| XL | 45.7 | 116 | 28.0 | 71 |
| XXL | 47.2 | 120 | 28.7 | 73 |
The cut is a standard training tee, so your usual tee size is usually right. Check the chest number if you are on the line.
Does any of this change for women?
No, and that is deliberate. Thai shorts are unisex and always have been, and the cut has never been split by gender in the sport. Order by the same waist measurement as everyone else. The women's collection is the same shorts, just filtered so you are not scrolling past sets and tops to find them.
How to keep the fit
Cold wash, inside out, hang dry. Heat is what kills an elastic waistband, and a dryer will take a size off a pair of shorts faster than anything else you can do to them. No fabric softener, and never iron directly on embroidery or print.
Still not sure
Email your waist measurement and what you currently train in to admin@sabaifightwear.com and we will tell you which size to order. Thirty seconds for us, one avoided return for you.
Full charts, including centimetres and garment width, are on the size guide. More answers on the FAQ. Ready to pick a pair? Every Muay Thai short we make is here, and they ship from Santee, California the same or next business day.
