The 8 Best Bike Shorts with Pockets

The Ewedoos pair is the most complete answer to the actual question behind this category, which is carrying a phone without a bag. It has both pocket types that matter rather than one: two side thigh pockets deep enough for a handset, and a rear waistband pocket sized for a card, a key or an earbud case.

The construction of those side pockets is what separates it from pairs that look similar in photos. They are cut from the same stretch fabric as the short rather than lined with thin mesh, so the opening closes around the phone and holds it under its own tension. A mesh pocket sags under weight and lets the phone swing.

The waistband is the other half of the design. Any loaded pocket pulls the short downward, and a high, firm band with a tummy control panel spreads that pull across a wide area instead of letting it concentrate at the hip. That is why this pair stays put on a run when a narrower band would migrate.

The trade is comfort at rest. Firm compression is what makes it stable in motion and slightly less relaxing to sit in for a long stretch, and this listing offers a single inseam, so there is no longer version for anyone who wants more coverage.

Bottom line: the pair to buy if you want one that carries a phone properly and does not need a second thought.

• Pockets: two side thigh plus one rear waistband
• Rise: high waisted with tummy control panel
• Fit: compression
• Pocket lining: main stretch fabric
• Intended use: running, training, everyday wear
• Care: cold wash, hang dry

Buy this if the phone is the point: running, gym sessions, dog walks, errands, anywhere a bag is a nuisance. The firm band suits anyone who has had shorts slide down with a phone in them. Choose a lighter compression pair instead if these are mainly for lounging or long desk days, and look at a listing with multiple inseams if you want a longer leg for wearing under a dress.

Wash cold and inside out, and skip fabric softener entirely, since it coats the elastane that gives the waistband and pockets their grip. Hang dry rather than tumble drying, because heat is what permanently kills the recovery in a compression short. Wash them away from towels, hooks and zips to avoid pilling on the face of the fabric, and empty the pockets before washing so a forgotten key does not tear the seam.

What makes this listing worth its place is the inseam range. The same short is offered from a short workout length through a mid thigh everyday cut to a near knee length, which means the single most consequential fit decision in this category is yours rather than the maker's.

That matters because inseam determines what the garment is for. A short cut reads as gym wear, the middle lengths are the everyday option that stops thigh chafing, and the longest reaches far enough down to sit under a dress or to stay put on a bicycle saddle without riding up.

The waistband is a high rise tummy control design, which is the construction that carries a loaded pocket without letting it drag the short down. Side pockets appear on every length, so you are not trading the feature for the fit.

Two things to weigh. Compression here is moderate rather than firm, so a heavy phone moves more than it would in a tighter pair, and the inseam choice that makes this listing good also makes it easy to order the wrong thing. Read the measurement rather than the description.

Bottom line: the pick when you know what leg length you want, and the safest route to a longer pair with real pockets.

• Inseam: four options from short workout to near knee
• Pockets: side pockets on all lengths
• Rise: high waist with tummy control
• Fit: moderate compression
• Use: gym, everyday, under dresses in longer cuts
• Care: cold wash, hang dry

This is for anyone who already knows their preferred leg length, or who has been let down by a short that turned out shorter than expected. The long inseams suit wearing under dresses and cycling; the short ones suit training. Choose a firmer compression pair if you run with a phone in the thigh pocket and want it locked in place rather than moving with your stride.

Measure from your own crotch to where you want the hem to land, then match that number to the inseam options rather than guessing from the photos, since the same length sits very differently by height. Check the size chart against your waist and hip measurements too, because the letter size on the label is not comparable across brands. Confirm the inseam shown in your cart before checkout, as the variant is easy to leave on the default.

Colorfulkoala built its reputation on handfeel, and that is the reason this pair is here. The fabric is brushed and soft in a way people describe as buttery, which is the quality that makes a short feel more expensive than it is and the reason a pair gets reached for repeatedly.

The six inch inseam is the sensible everyday length. It sits mid thigh on most frames, which is long enough to stop the inner thigh chafing that shorter cuts allow and short enough that it still reads as a short rather than a cropped legging.

The side pockets are sized properly for a phone, and the high rise band gives them something to pull against. This is a comfort oriented pair rather than a firm compression one, so it is pleasant to wear for a whole day rather than only for a workout.

Two caveats worth naming. Brushed fabric is warmer against the skin than a smooth nylon blend, which matters in summer heat or a hot studio, and the lighter colourways in this range show stretch more readily than the black does. With an unfamiliar fit, black is the low risk first order.

Bottom line: the softest pair here, and the one to choose for all day comfort rather than for hard training.

• Inseam: 6 inches
• Pockets: side pockets
• Rise: high waist
• Fabric: brushed soft handfeel
• Fit: comfort oriented rather than firm compression
• Care: cold wash, hang dry

Buy this for everyday wear, travel days, working from home and light activity, where comfort over hours matters more than compression during a run. It also suits anyone upgrading from a cheap pair who wants the handfeel to feel like a step up. Look at a firmer compression pair if these are for running, and at a cooler nylon blend if you overheat easily.

Brushed fabric is the kind most damaged by heat and softener, so wash cold, inside out, and hang dry. Fabric softener flattens the nap and coats the elastane, which costs you both the handfeel and the recovery. Keep them out of a wash with towels or anything with hooks, since the brushed face pills more readily than a smooth knit does. Empty the pockets before washing.

The no front seam construction is not a marketing flourish, it is a response to the most frequently described fit problem in this whole category. A vertical seam up the front of the crotch creates a pull line under compression, and cutting that area as one piece removes it.

Everything else here is the modern standard done properly. The waistband is high with a tummy control panel, which is the construction that carries a loaded pocket, and the side pockets are cut to take a phone rather than just a card.

The practical benefit beyond comfort is how it looks under fitted clothing. A smooth front with no seam reads cleaner under a dress or a long top, which widens where the short can be worn beyond the gym.

Two things to know. Seamless panels rely on the fabric alone in the highest stress area, so they can show wear sooner than a seamed construction under heavy use, and compression here is moderate rather than locked down. Neither is a fault for everyday wear, but a serious runner may want something firmer.

Bottom line: the pair to buy if the front seam has bothered you before, and a clean choice under fitted clothes.

• Front rise: cut without a seam
• Pockets: side pockets for a phone
• Rise: high waist with tummy control
• Fit: moderate compression
• Use: training and everyday wear
• Care: cold wash, hang dry

This is for anyone who has returned shorts because of how the front sat, and for anyone who wears these under fitted dresses and tops where a seam line shows. It is a comfortable everyday choice with real pockets. Look elsewhere if you want maximum compression for running, or if you need a choice of inseam lengths.

Size from the maker's chart using your waist and hip measurements rather than your usual letter size, since a seamless front relies on the fabric sitting correctly to do its job. Pull the waistband to its full height rather than rolling it, as a rolled band concentrates stress in one line. If wearing under a dress, choose the smoothest colourway you can, since texture is what shows through thin outer fabric.

Buying four pairs at once changes what this category is. Anyone who wears biker shorts several days a week ends up doing laundry around a single good pair, and a pack of four removes that problem in one order. That is the argument for this entry and it is a strong one.

The cut follows the same template as the single pairs here: high waisted with a tummy control band, pockets included rather than reserved for a different variant, and a length that works for both a workout and an ordinary day.

The fabric is aimed at value rather than at a premium handfeel, and it is fair to expect it to feel like a workhorse rather than a treat. For shorts that will be worn hard and washed often, that is arguably the right priority.

The real risk with any pack is fit. You are committing to four pairs of the same size before wearing any of them, so the size chart deserves proper attention rather than a glance, and the colours in the pack are chosen for you.

Bottom line: the value pick here, and the sensible way to buy if you already know these work for you.

• Pack: four pairs
• Pockets: included on every pair
• Rise: high waisted with tummy control
• Use: yoga, workouts, everyday wear
• Colours: mixed within the pack
• Care: cold wash, hang dry

This is for someone who already wears biker shorts regularly and wants a rotation instead of a single pair, or for a household buying for more than one person in the same size. It also suits anyone whose laundry cycle keeps colliding with their favourite pair. Buy a single pair first if you have not worn this style before, since a pack is a commitment to a fit you have not tried.

Measure your waist and hips and read them against the maker's chart before ordering, because a pack multiplies a sizing mistake by four. Check which colours the pack contains rather than assuming, and confirm the pack quantity in the cart, since some listings offer two, three and four pair options under one page. If you are between sizes on a compression cut, going up usually produces a short that slides rather than one that fits.

Baleaf's high waist pair is the long serving option in this list, and there is real value in that. A listing that has been available for years has an accumulated fit record, which is worth more when ordering clothing unseen than any feature bullet.

The pocket arrangement is the complete one: two side thigh pockets for a phone and a rear waistband pocket for a card or a key, which covers both of the jobs people buy these for. The high waist gives those pockets something solid to pull against when loaded.

The cut is athletic and unfussy. There is no attempt at a fashion silhouette, which is why it works as a training short and disappears under a longer top for everyday wear.

Where it shows its age is in refinements rather than function. The fabric is functional rather than notably soft, and the construction predates the seamless front rise designs that newer entries here use. Neither stops it doing the job.

Bottom line: a dependable three pocket workhorse with a long track record, if not the most refined pair here.

• Pockets: two side thigh plus one rear waistband
• Rise: high waist
• Fit: athletic
• Use: running, training, everyday
• Availability: broad size and colour range
• Care: cold wash, hang dry

Choose this if you want the full three pocket arrangement in a plain athletic cut and would rather buy something with a long fit record than something new. It suits running, gym work and everyday errands equally. Look at the softer or seamless options here if handfeel or the front rise finish is what you care about most.

Cold wash inside out, no fabric softener, and hang dry, which is the same routine every pair in this list needs to keep its recovery. Check the rear waistband pocket before washing, since it is small enough for a card or a key to be forgotten in. Avoid washing with anything that has hooks or zips, and do not iron, as direct heat damages elastane permanently.

Plus size ranges are frequently just straight sizes scaled up, which fits nobody well, so a listing cut specifically for a plus size proportion is worth naming. This is a three pair pack, which makes it a rotation rather than a single purchase.

The construction follows the same template as the rest of the category: a high waist band that carries the weight of a loaded pocket, and a side pocket sized for a phone on the pocket version of the short.

That phrase, the pocket version, is the thing to pay attention to. This listing sells both a pocket and a no-pocket variant under a single product page, with the choice sitting in a dropdown. Since the pocket is the reason to buy from this category at all, the variant selection is the most important click on the page.

Beyond that, expect a value oriented fabric rather than a premium one, and treat the size chart as required reading, because a pack multiplies any sizing error by three.

Bottom line: a sensible plus size rotation, provided you select the pocket variant rather than the plain one.

• Pack: three pairs
• Sizing: plus size specific cut
• Pockets: available on the pocket variant only
• Rise: high waist
• Use: everyday and workouts
• Care: cold wash, hang dry

This is for a plus size wearer who wants several pairs at once and a cut designed for the proportion rather than enlarged from a smaller pattern. It suits everyday wear, walking and gym use. Buy a single pair from another listing first if you have not worn this style before, since a three pack is a commitment to an untried fit.

Select the pocket version explicitly in the variant dropdown and then confirm it in the cart and on the order confirmation, because the no-pocket option looks identical in thumbnails. Read the size chart against your own waist and hip measurements rather than relying on the letter size. If you are between sizes, note that going up on a compression short usually produces sliding rather than comfort.

A two pair pack sits in a useful gap. One pair means doing laundry around it; four pairs means betting on a fit you have never worn. Two is enough to rotate through a week while keeping the risk down if the sizing turns out not to suit you.

The specification is the everyday standard for this category: a six inch inseam that sits mid thigh and stops the inner thigh chafing shorter cuts allow, side pockets cut for a phone, and a high waist band to carry that weight.

It is a straightforward short rather than a distinctive one, and that is the point. There is no seamless front panel or brushed premium fabric here, just the arrangement that works, supplied in a quantity that makes sense.

The caution is that this is a newer listing, so there is less accumulated feedback to read before ordering than there is for the long established names above it. Treat the size chart carefully rather than assuming your usual letter.

Bottom line: a sensible two pair rotation at the everyday inseam, and a lower risk way into a multipack.

• Pack: two pairs
• Inseam: 6 inches
• Pockets: side pockets
• Rise: high waist
• Use: everyday and workouts
• Care: cold wash, hang dry

Buy this if you want more than one pair but are not ready to commit to four, or if you already know a six inch inseam is the length you want. It suits everyday wear, walking and general gym use. Choose one of the longer established listings if you would rather order against a deep fit record, or a larger pack if you already know these work on you.

Measure your waist and hips against the size chart before ordering rather than relying on your usual letter, since a two pack doubles any error. Wear the waistband at its full height rather than rolled, which is what lets it carry a loaded pocket. Wash cold, inside out and without softener, and hang dry, so both pairs keep their recovery through frequent rotation.