Best Running Shorts for Men: 9 Options That’ll Keep You Cool

“For most of my competitive running ‘career’ I was sponsored by Adidas, so I’m biased,” admits movement coach Brock Armstrong. “But even now that I have to pay for my shorts, I like their X-City Cooler shorts. They have longer legs (so I avoid the skin-on-skin action), but they also have nice slits up the sides so my stride isn’t impacted by the longer legs. They also have a back zip pocket which is handy for keys or a phone. Basically, in the summer months, I like any of their moisture-wicking AEROREADY material.”

Super lightweight and breathable, these barely-there shorts include deep slits up the sides and a flyvent waistband, ensuring full ventilation throughout your run. Nike’s classic Dri-FIT tech helps to wick away sweat, too, so if maintaining as fresh a "downstairs area" as you can is a priority, look no further.

If you’re the type of runner who likes to disappear into the wilderness on your runs, you’re probably looking for something extremely lightweight, fast-drying, and water-repellent. And wouldn’t you know it, these shorts are all of those things! They also have four pockets to hold everything from energy bars to your cell phone, so you can have a handy snack while figuring out where the heck you are.

Sometimes you just want everything to stay in place when you’re running. Equally, though, you don’t want to feel like you’re being squeezed, or inadvertently look like a sausage bursting out of its casing. The Fast and Free shorts split the difference, feeling incredibly lightweight and breathable, but staying in place thanks to their four-way stretch fabric and the silicon grippers on the hem, which stop them from riding up.

If your legs need a little extra space to breathe, Fabletics’ One Short is probably going to be a good fit, literally. Going up to 4XL, these roomy, versatile shorts are designed to work for just about any activity, allowing you to hit the pool or the trail without getting changed in between (although, y’know, take your shoes off in the pool).

You can certainly find cheaper shorts out there, but considering their feature-stuffed design and overwhelming popularity, $35 starts to look like a bargain. Lightweight, fast-drying, and comprising NB DRY technology to wick away sweat, the Accelerate shorts will do pretty much everything you need them to do, at less than half the price of many competitors.

Ten Thousand is responsible for a legendarily rugged workout shirt with its aptly-named Durable Shirt, and these shorts make a perfect pairing. Designed and tested by some of the most hardcore runners in the business, they’re ultra-light, sweat-wicking, anti-odor, and feature bonded hems and seams to cut down on weight and reduce chafing. Maybe you’re not planning to try an ultra-marathon when you buy these—but they’ll make you feel like you could.

Don’t like to be without all your necessities when running, but also don’t want to carry a backpack? Rabbit’s FKT 2.0 shorts are essentially the Batman utility belt of running shorts, featuring an impressive six pockets: A back zip pocket large enough to fit most phones, two side pockets capable of holding a water bottle, two further back pockets, and an internal key pocket. Go ahead and throw on a cape, too, it just makes sense.

Hey, that nature you’re running through sure looks nice, huh? If it’s putting you in the mood to go a little greener, consider shorts from Tasc, who is on track to have all of its products made with at least 85% sustainable materials (recycled and/or plant-based) by 2024. All of their packaging is biodegradable, their sewing facility uses 100% wind and solar energy, and all of the water used in dyeing their clothes gets recovered and reused (minus the small fraction that evaporated, for obvious reasons). All of this, and their Recess shorts are lightweight, stretchy, and breathable. Although weirdly, they don’t come in green.