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Running shorts have the power to make a run fantastic or ruin it. In my 15 years of running, I’ve tested shorts that feel like a second skin, while others have left me chafed, wedgied, and uncomfortable. Much like a good pair of gym shorts, the ideal pair of men’s running shorts will offer support, but not feel too restrictive; its material should be thin and breathable, but able to withstand everything from the occasional jog to a season of marathon training; and lastly, it should look good.
There are generally three types of running shorts: the most common have a classic brief liner — a good choice if you want something non-restrictive; boxer-brief lined shorts have a longer liner that hugs the thighs; and half-tights can come in lined or unlined options. For any type, one of the most important features for runners is storage: you need pockets to hold your gels, keys, phone, and other items that you take with you. Purely because of their design, many brief-liner running shorts simply don’t have the pockets available to carry a lot of gear. Two-in-one shorts, with their boxer-brief style liners, have more pocket options, but sometimes the liner on these shorts is loose and can feel more like a semi-tight pair of underwear. That’s where half tights come in — they offer a more compressive feeling that eliminates any jostling, and are a great option if you need upwards of four pockets to carry multiple gels for long races like marathons.
After testing close to two dozen different pairs, I’ve landed on some favorites that I would heartily recommend to runners of all levels. Below, you’ll find my picks, as well as top selections from running experts who have logged countless miles in multiple pairs themselves.
Update on September 11, 2024: Added Nike Half Tights; updated prices and checked stock for all other products.
Brief-lined running shorts
If you’re looking for a daily workhorse of a short, I’d recommend the Session. I’ve worn both the five- and seven-inch versions of the Session since 2019 for all types of runs, from daily training sessions to track workouts and long runs, and they have shown no signs of wear. Much like the rest of the brand’s apparel, the Session has a collegiate aesthetic with a uniform-like cut, but it has a buttery-soft texture that makes it great for lounging around in, too. It’s also a favorite of Citius Mag founder Chris Chavez.
I’ve been running in my pair of five-inch Nike shorts since 2013, and that longevity is one of the reasons why they’re one of my most frequently recommended shorts. They’re not as soft as the Tracksmith shorts, but Nike’s technical fabric is lighter and slightly more breathable, which makes these great for hot days. Since the shorts have a brief liner, their pocket options are limited to a single zip pocket on the back. But that simplicity is why Danny Perez, a New York City–based editor and marathoner, prefers these shorts for fast workouts. “I use them for shorter distances or speed stuff when I run with my phone in-hand to check pace or times,” he says.
Matt Klein, DPT, professor of physical therapy at West Coast University Center for Graduate Studies, and founder of the blog Doctors of Running, prefers a shorter inseam, reminiscent of racing shorts. “I go through a ton of shorts,” Klein says. “ I am highly biased toward short split shorts.” One of his favorites right now is the Core Sunset Splitz two-inch shorts. “For those of us who wear race day-type shorts every day, this has been a great option,” he says. “The two internal key pockets are also important, as storage is a must!”
I’ve been testing the Van Cortlandt shorts for the past three months, and they’ve been my main pair for easy runs, workouts, long runs, and even a few 5K races. These four-inch shorts are a happy medium between split shorts (which often have a three-inch inseam or shorter) and longer, five-inch-inseam shorts. As someone with larger thighs, I’ve found split shorts often ride up, but the four-inch length on the Van Cortlandt is just long enough where they don’t bunch up or get in the way. That inseam length along with their breathability makes them great for summer running. They’re made with a lightweight mesh that feels like a lighter version of a classic pair of mesh gym shorts. While they don’t have any zip pockets, there are two interior pockets in the back, which can fit a gel and a credit card.
I’m a fan of Satisfy’s running tops, which have a boxier, looser fit that is ideal for running in humid weather. The brand’s brief-lined Space-O shorts are designed with the same conditions in mind. They’re built with a perforated fabric that I’d describe as a lightweight, extremely stretchy version of classic Champion gym shorts. Plus they have a back zipper pocket, an interior key pocket, a key carabiner clip, and a rear stash pocket. While the $220 price tag makes this the most expensive pair of shorts on this list by far, its fabric easily stands out as the one that keeps me coolest on runs in hot weather. Think of these shorts as a well-worth-it investment in summer marathon training.
Two-in-one running shorts
Thanks to their compressive fit and six total pockets, these five-inch-inseam shorts are a great everyday pair for all sorts of runs, including workouts and long runs. (My previous favorite two-in-one shorts were the Bandit five-inch Litewave training shorts, which I used for two seasons of marathon training, but they’ve since been discontinued.)
Running shorts can skimp on pockets, but these don’t — they have two front pockets, two side pockets on the outer thigh of the boxer-brief-style liner, one back stash pocket, and one back zipper pocket. The standout feature is the Vento fabric, a perforated nylon that wicks sweat and has a slight stretch to it.
The Vento’s liner fits me a bit looser than a pair of half-tights would, so keep that in mind if you like a more compressed feel — or want a more secure pocket for your phone (my phone jostles around a little in the thigh pocket). The two gel-like bands on the inside of the liner grip the thigh and prevent them from riding up — a feature that I’ve found prevents chafing. Mike Ko, a running-shoe reviewer known online as Kofuzi, is a fan of the liner in particular. “It’s super-comfy and stretchy yet somehow able to still hold a phone,” he says.
These five-inch-inseam shorts from Ciele have been in my regular rotation of running shorts for the past eight months. Their longer, stretchy polyester liner feels soft and breathable, especially on sweaty runs. (I find the liner more comfortable than some of my boxer briefs, which is why I wear these when lounging around at home, too.) These shorts have a zippered back pocket plus a hidden phone pocket on the thigh.
These four-inch inseam shorts from Bandit combine a breathable outer fabric with a comfortable boxer-brief liner. Perez prefers these four-inch shorts for the majority of his running because of the Vento’s storage options (two hand pockets, two thigh pockets, and a back zippered pocket). “The phone pockets on the liner are great,” he says.
Half tights
These half tights from Janji are the best I’ve tried because of their lightweight feel and smart storage options. I’ve run half-marathons and 10Ks in them, and have used them for daily training in the winter and summer. They have two deep thigh pockets that work well for phones or bigger gels, and two other thigh pockets on top of them for smaller items like additional nutrition. Perez says these tights turned him into a half-tight evangelist, and noted that he’s used them for long runs and his last two marathons.
I’ve been on a yearlong hunt for a pair of half-tights that don’t chafe. (With all that compression, there’s bound to be rubbing down below, especially over the length of a run). While I haven’t found the perfect pair — I’m not sure one exists — these unlined half-tights from Rabbit come very close. Their polyester-spandex feels soft on the skin in a way that doesn’t feel as tech-y as other sport fabrics, and their fit feels secure throughout the whole thigh. Mike Ko agrees: “It fits great, with just the right amount of compression. And it’s got enough pockets to carry all your gels for the marathon.” It has two thigh pockets and a back zippered pocket that’s actually big enough to fit a phone.
I run hot. In colder months, I prefer running in shorts or half tights, but still want them in a more substantial fabric while training so I don’t freeze, especially while I’m taking rest breaks in between laps on a track workout. The Allston is the pair I reach for because it has a thick, nylon-elastane fabric and a compressive fit. They have a brief liner (and are available unlined as well), which offers another level of support to keep everything in place. They also have grippy gel-like bands around the thighs that keep them from riding up, which is why I prefer them for fast track workouts and speed work, where there’s a lot of movement, and where I don’t want to worry about my shorts getting in the way of my stride. Much like the Trackmith’s Session shorts, I’ve found the Allston half tights to be supremely durable — the most durable out of the half tights in my rotation.
Strategist columnist Chris Black recommends these half-tights from Nike, which, he writes, are “super-simple, with no bells and whistles, and they’re a great price.” Plus, they have a drawcord that allows you to tighten them around the waist — most half-tights have only an elastic band that might slacken with frequent use.
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