High-Waisted Volley Shorts for HIIT: Honest Review
The Vitality Cloud II Women’s Athletic Volley Shorts showed up on a Tuesday when my usual training shorts were in the wash and my patience for adjusting a waistband mid-burpee had officially run out.
It was one of those mornings where everything in the gym felt slightly wrong. The music was too loud, the squat rack was taken, and my shorts, a pair I’d been loyal to for two years, kept creeping down every time I loaded the bar. I grabbed the Vitality Cloud II shorts off my gear shelf almost out of spite. They’d been sitting there for a week, still folded in the plastic mailer, while I kept reaching for the familiar pair. That morning changed things. By the third set of Romanian deadlifts, I’d stopped thinking about my shorts entirely, which, as any frequent lifter knows, is exactly the point.
The First Time I Wore It
I found these while scrolling through a roundup of high-waisted HIIT shorts that kept appearing in my search results during a late-night gear audit. The name caught me first, Cloud II, which is either great marketing or a promise the fabric has to back up. What stopped the scroll was the cut: a 5-inch inseam that sits long enough to feel covered but short enough that it doesn’t restrict hip hinge movement. The high waist was the clincher. I’ve been burned by mid-rise shorts that look structured on the hanger and collapse under load.
I ordered them without reading many reviews, which is either a professional hazard or a genuine commitment to forming my own opinion. Either way, I had four weeks and a full training block ahead of me to find out if Vitality had actually delivered on the name.
How It Actually Fits in Training
The waistband is where these shorts earn their keep. It sits wide and flat, about three fingers across, and doesn’t roll or fold during forward hinges, something I tested immediately because that’s where cheap waistbands always fail. The four-way stretch fabric moves with genuine range: squat depth, lateral shuffles, step-ups onto a 24-inch box. There’s no resistance at the hip crease that makes you feel like you’re fighting the fabric. The semi-fitted cut is closer to a second-skin feel than a boxy short, but it doesn’t compress like a tight bike short either. It occupies a middle ground that works well for both lifting and metabolic conditioning.
“By the third set of Romanian deadlifts, I’d stopped thinking about my shorts entirely, which is exactly the point.”
One honest note: the inner brief liner runs slightly small. If you’re between sizes, size up. I also noticed that after repeated washes, the waistband keeps its shape better than the outer leg hem, which softened just slightly after the fourth wash cycle. It’s not pilling, more a gentle relaxing of the weave, but worth knowing if longevity is a priority. For a broader look at how workout short construction holds up over time, the Self guide to the best workout clothes has a useful breakdown of what to look for in training fabrics.
The Sessions I Actually Wore It For
Session 1: Tuesday HIIT Circuit, 6:45 a.m.
I paired the Cloud II shorts with a racerback sports bra from my HIIT sports bra collection, a low-profile tank, and my usual cross-trainers. The workout was 40 minutes of interval work: box jumps, burpees, kettlebell swings, battle ropes. The kind of session that exposes every fit failure in about six minutes. The waistband didn’t move once. I checked halfway through, out of habit, and it was sitting exactly where I’d placed it at the start. The moisture-wicking fabric did what it claims; I wasn’t soaked through by the end, which impressed me more than I expected from a short at this price point.
Session 2: Saturday Squat-Heavy Lifting Day
Back squat, front squat, split squat. The full menu. I wore the Cloud II shorts with a fitted long-sleeve base layer top and lifting shoes, a setup I use when I want to focus and feel like I mean business. At full squat depth, the fabric stretched cleanly without the inner seam pulling toward the center, which is the specific fit failure that makes me discard shorts quickly. The 5-inch inseam held its position through every rep. No bunching at the back of the knee, no waistband gap at the back. I left the gym with the shorts looking almost as neat as when I’d walked in.
Session 3: Weekday Athleisure, Errands Plus a Walk
Not every session is a session. I threw these on with a fitted sweatshirt and sneakers for a morning that involved a coffee run, a grocery pickup, and a 35-minute walk that turned into a light jog when I realized I was running late. The all-season breathable fabric kept things comfortable through the temperature shift of morning to midday. They look polished enough that nobody would clock them as purely gym gear. The solid colorway helps with that. A busy pattern would push them firmly into workout-only territory; the clean solid keeps them flexible. For more ideas on styling versatile training pieces, Women’s Health’s fitness section regularly covers how to transition activewear across contexts.
What Other People Are Saying
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With a 4.4 rating across 41 reviews, the Cloud II sits in solid territory. Ratings in that range typically reflect a product that performs as described with a handful of fit-specific caveats, usually sizing, which tracks with my own liner experience. The consensus would likely confirm what I found: these shorts do their job quietly and without drama, which is a genuine compliment in this category.
Who Should Skip It
If you run long distances, the 5-inch inseam may not be enough coverage for your comfort at mile four or five when chafe becomes a factor. These are built for gym-based training and short-distance movement, not a half-marathon build. Runners looking for something with anti-chafe seam placement and a longer cut should look at Runner’s World’s running gear reviews for shorts designed with distance specifically in mind. If you prefer a relaxed or boxy fit in your shorts, the semi-fitted cut here will feel more structured than you want. And if you’re someone who runs very warm and needs maximal ventilation, the fabric, while breathable, doesn’t have mesh paneling or perforations; a hotter training environment might call for something with more strategic airflow.
What It Replaces in My Kit Bag
I had a pair of high-waisted training shorts from a different brand that I’d been using as my default HIIT short for about eighteen months. They were fine. That’s the most honest thing I can say about them: fine. The waistband had started to soften in a way that made me readjust it between sets, and the fabric had lost some of its snap. The Cloud II took that slot without a negotiation period. It just fit the gap precisely. I’ve also been reaching for these on days I’d previously defaulted to a bike short, specifically on lifting days when I want more visible leg mobility but still want the security of a locked-in waist. They’ve effectively replaced two pieces for one, which is a good outcome for a single short. If you’re building out a full training kit, our editor’s top activewear picks cover the other pieces worth pairing with these.
FAQ
How does the fit run, true to size or should I size up?
The outer short runs true to size for most builds, but the inner liner fits snug. If you’re between sizes or carry more volume through the hips, sizing up will give you a more comfortable fit without sacrificing the waistband hold.
How do you wash these without wrecking the stretch or wicking?
Turn them inside out, cold wash, low or no heat in the dryer. That combination preserves the stretch recovery and keeps the moisture-wicking treatment working across more wash cycles than a hot wash would allow.
Can I wear these for anything other than HIIT and lifting?
Yes. The solid colorway and semi-fitted silhouette work for casual wear, walking, and light studio classes. They’re not a dedicated yoga short (the fabric doesn’t have the same matte compression finish), but they handle a yoga flow without restriction. For a full picture of HIIT training gear that pairs well with these shorts, our category page covers shoes, bras, and accessories that complement this kind of training kit.
Does the build quality match what you’re paying for in this tier?
The finish is clean, the seams are flat and well-executed, and the waistband construction is noticeably more structured than what you’d find in a more accessible price range. Given the level of finish across the waistband and the durability of the stretch after repeated washing, the value reads above what you’d expect at this tier.
What if the sizing doesn’t work out?
Sizing exchanges are the most common reason people return training shorts; I’d recommend referring to Vitality’s size chart and measuring your natural waist before ordering rather than going by your usual clothing size, which tends to run smaller in performance cuts.
The Verdict
Next week I have a full lower-body block on the schedule: three lifting days and two conditioning days, and the Cloud II shorts are already slotted for all five. That’s the clearest signal I can give you. These are the shorts I stop thinking about, which means they’re doing their job. The high waist holds, the stretch is genuine, the inseam length is practical for gym work, and the fabric keeps up with sweat without feeling heavy by the end of a session. For what you’re paying, you’re getting construction and performance that reads above this tier. They won’t suit everyone, the liner fit and the lack of ventilation paneling are real limitations for specific training profiles, but for high-intensity workout shorts that move between lifting, conditioning, and daily wear without adjustment, the Cloud II is a reliable and well-made short that earns its place in the rotation. For more gear at this level, our activewear gift ideas page and the Shape fitness gear section are worth a look if you’re building out a full kit. The Vitality Cloud II is a workhorse short with a clean finish, and that’s exactly what a good training short should be.
Every Angle
The piece as photographed for Amazon — front, side, back, detail.
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