My Hunt for Two-in-One Running Shorts That Fit a Phone (and Don’t Chafe)

I bought these two years ago, around the same time I got the Athletas. I wore them recently on a ten-mile run and experienced chafing for the first time in my life. As soon as I started running, one side kept bunching up and rubbing up against the opposite leg. I realized that this happens because the inner layer is too short and too loose, therefore riding up immediately. There’s also only one pocket, limiting how much stuff you can bring with you.

Brooks’s Dash shorts are very similar to the Nike ones above. The inner layer is too short and rides up as soon as I put them on. There’s also only one side pocket. But the waistband comes with an adjustable drawstring, which the Nikes don’t have.

I had high hopes for these shorts from Vuori, but the inner shorts were also too short (they have a 2.5-inch inseam, the shortest on this list), too loose, and too thin. I returned them.

On’s hybrid shorts are very nice. I tried two styles: the best-selling two-in-one shorts (see below) and the Volt shorts. The Volt shorts have a thicker inner layer that’s much more compressive, perhaps a little too tight. They have pockets on either side and feel like the original Athleta’s under shorts in thickness and support. The windproof and water-repellent outer shell is looser with a more traditional track-short look. The back half of the bonded waistband has three slip pockets for gels, and the middle one, which fits my phone, has an additional zippered pocket therein. All the pockets make these shorts a great option for race day. They’re expensive, though — the most expensive pair on the list.

I wanted to try an affordable pick as well and found these on Amazon after much clicking around. The reviews were promising, and the price was right. After running with them, I can say they’re a great value. The inner short is nice and compressive and doesn’t ride up, though it’s on the shorter side. The waistband is comfortable. It also has pockets on both layers: two on the under layer and two zippered ones on the outer shell. The only thing I will point out is that the outer layer isn’t as loose as some of the others, which slightly limits access to the inner pockets, but not enough to be a problem. These are a good pair for daily workouts.

These shorts from Ciele are very nice. Overall, they are a very lightweight short, which initially made me nervous about how the thin inner short would feel on a run. But they were great once I was out on the road. Because of the longer inseam of four inches, the inner layer didn’t ride up at all. The shorts have a pocket on either side plus a zippered back pocket that’s big enough to hold my iPhone 16 Pro. And they have a drawstring waist, which keeps them from falling down. (The one knock against my Athletas is that they do not have an adjustable waist, so when my pockets are stuffed with gels, I have to occasionally pull them up while running.)

The two-in-one shorts are on the longer side and have basketball-shorts vibes, and the inner layer doesn’t ride up. The outer shell is stretchy and lightweight. There’s only one side pocket, but there’s an additional zippered one in the back that’s pretty ample — it can comfortably hold my phone — plus a tiny one where the drawstring is, for a credit card and maybe a single key (not really sure what this pocket is for, honestly). I would wear these for daily training. They are extremely comfortable for lounging, too.

Athleta’s new hybrid shorts are an improvement on the brand’s Crossover in a couple of ways. The waistband comes with a drawstring compared to the flat-banded waistband of the Crossover. The outer layer is extremely light and breezy (though a couple of reviewers complain it’s too plasticky) and looks sportier, more like traditional split-leg shorts. The inner layer doesn’t have grips but are just as compressive and supportive as my older shorts and, importantly, stay put.