Two double-compartment pockets at sides, back center pass-thru pocket

The Velum short has great storage all around, literally—the elongated waistband doubles as a running belt that gives you 360-degree storage that stays close to the body. It’s sectioned off into four different pockets to keep gels, keys, and your phone organized and in place.

Test Director Jeff Dengate uses these on both road and trail runs and found the 4.5-inch deep pockets hold an iPhone 14 along with plenty of gels without bouncing. The drop-in pocket style makes your belongings easily accessible and the three layer construction keeps everything secure—no gels, phone, or keys bounced out during testing. These pockets are even large enough to hold a water flask.

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The strategic pocket placement on these shorts keeps your phone from bouncing by securing it in the spandex material of the liner. The thigh location keeps it out of the way on runs while still staying relatively accessible. This pair has two drop-in pockets at the waist and a concealed zip pocket at the right rear to hold cards or keys.

There’s a hole to feed headphones through from the phone pocket up to your ears. Though most people have a pair of wireless headphones they use for working out, some runners swear by wired headphones—there have been plenty of occasions when my AirPods didn’t charge in the case and I don't realize it until I'm walking out the door.

These help to keep wires out of the way when you’re in a pinch, and the pocket is big enough to fit your earbuds case, too, if you like to keep things wire-free.

Lululemon built its name on exceptionally soft leggings and the brand’s reputation carries over to its popular Pace Breaker shorts. Associate Editor Tom Price tested both the lined and unlined versions of these running shorts and found the phone pocket, which is only available on the lined version, does a great job of keeping his phone in place during long runs.

The fabric is exceptionally lightweight and has a noticeably softer feel than other high-end running shorts. He also put these shorts through weightlifting and yoga workouts and found them to be a great pair for cross-training in general.

While the compression liner does a great job keeping belongings secure, Price did notice they took some getting used to since they’re quite snug.

The Sykes shorts are a lightweight pair of running shorts that minimize any bounce in the pockets using Spandex to compress and a zip closure to secure your phone, cards, and gels. Since there’s no liner, you can wear these on colder runs with tights and keep them going in summer with compression shorts.

Many customers report the exceptional durability of the material on these shorts as they’ve been running in the same pair for years. They also mention these dry very fast and never feel weighed down by sweat even on the hottest runs of the year.

Bandit was founded by runners from different New York City run crews, and it’s making some of the sleekest run gear out there. The Litewave shorts have slash pockets at the waist and a zip pocket at the right rear to stash cards, keys, and gels. Its phone pocket is on the right leg of the liner so it stays close to the body and doesn't bounce on runs.

The pocket is a bit higher up than others and sits at the upper thigh, which we found to be more comfortable and stable. These are also comfy for lounging, but they cost more than most of our other picks.

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Running in tights can reduce chafing and discomfort by cutting down on the amount of fabric you’re wearing, but that sometimes also cuts down on storage. Janji’s trail tights solve the problem with double side pockets that are tiered to maximize storage and keep things separate.

The drawstring waistband ensures a secure fit and the pocket on the back is big enough for a couple of gels or a light rain jacket—plus the pocket opens back up at the bottom, so you can also pull a base layer through to keep it from riding up.

Customers report the fit on these is spot on and liked the functionality of the strategically designed pockets. They’re also available in full-length tights for when the temps drop—Deputy Editor Zoë Hannah has tried those out, and she loves the functional pockets and low-profile seams on this design.

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The Run Visible shorts will—you guessed it—keep you visible for all those runs after sundown. These have fluorescent and 3M reflective accents throughout the front and back so cars will see you whichever direction they’re coming from. Drop-in pockets on the liner of the shorts can fit your phone, keys, and a couple of cards without bouncing.

The top shorts are perforated and have a split hem to maximize breathability. There aren’t any pockets on the outer shorts, which keeps the silhouette more streamlined.