Given two styles of shorts from the same company (Canari), both for the same price ($40), what style would you choose, 8 panel chamois or gel padding?
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Get them both and you'll know for the future. Personally, I love gel.

BR

Gel feels like I am carry a load in my shorts. Just not for me

I think a lot of people mistake chamois for padding. Chamois is just to deal with moisture. There's also additional material/padding on just about all chamois pads to help with the moisture and/or add padding.

I say this cuz I went searching last year for bibs that have very little padding. Most shorts have a moderate to diaper amount. Which I dislike... they cut into nerves and blood supply and just made me uncomfortable.

Gel = ick!

But actually ... a chamois is leather, and the substance providing me with extra padding isn't leather, it is some sort of synthetic material.

Chamois = "a soft suede leather formerly from the sheep of the chamois antelope but now from sheepskin"
https://www.onelook.com/?w=chamois&ls=a

Chamois with light padding. I find that when the gel breaks it leaks all over your saddle in a yicky mess.

Koffee

Gel sucks. I can stand the pair I have for about an hour, but haven't worn them since I got enough shorts to do without them.
Chamois.