The 19 best shorts for men in 2024

When choosing the best overall shorts, we prioritized good looks, durability, and, most of all, versatility. On that scale, the Vuori Kore Short — complete with 16,000-plus glowing user reviews — rises to the top.

Available in 14 colors, these shorts feature a soft, lightweight, four-way stretch fabric that's moisture-wicking, quick-drying, and ready for anything from hanging out to hardcore HIIT. Spacious slash pockets accommodate your EDC, while a drawstring waist and breathable boxer brief-style liner keep everything in place, no matter what kind of adventure the day brings.

You don't have to break the bank to score a quality pair of shorts. Exhibit A: these good-looking, fitness-friendly Born Tough Air Pro Shorts cost less than $40 even when they're not on sale.

The fabric, a blend of polyester and spandex, ensures 4-way stretch flexibility, and the loop on the back is an ideal place to stash a towel on gym days and your shirt on hot ones. Embedded compression shorts, complete with a handy phone pocket, ensure essentials stay in place when you're on the move.

Tough days in the gym require tough shorts, and in our experience, they don't come any tougher than the Ten Thousand Interval Short.

With a rugged yet lightweight construction, secure-zip phone pocket, silver ion anti-odor finish, and durable yet flexible polyester/spandex blend fabric, these shorts can take anything your Romanian-deadlifting, Bulgarian split-squatting self can dole out. With three inseam lengths, six sizes, and an optional liner, you're sure to find the perfect pair, too.

Since its founding a decade ago, New England-based Tracksmith has consistently blended form and function to produce garments of pure running excellence, and the iconic Session Shorts are no exception.

In addition to inimitable style, these shorts boast Veloce fabric, an innovative Italian stretch knit that's breathable, moisture-wicking and UV protective. An odor- and bacteria-resistant hygiene liner keeps the family jewels in place, while a rear zip pocket and internal drop-in pocket accommodate your phone, keys, cards, gels, and other essentials.

A staple of Patagonia's plethora of outdoor offerings, Baggies can take on just about any warm-weather adventure but are particularly qualified for hiking.

The sustainable main fabric is NetPlus 100% postconsumer recycled nylon faille (made from recycled fishing nets), complete with a PFAS-free durable water water-repellent treatment to ward off light rain. A quick-drying 100% recycled polyester liner keeps you cool and comfortable, and depending on where you shop, you can score these shorts in almost any color imaginable.

Read our full Patagonia Baggies review.

Desperately seeking shorts that can tackle the trail, the gym, and the beach with equal aplomb? Look no further than the ever-versatile and relatively wallet-friendly Jetty Session Short.

These shorts boast an elastic drawstring, spacious side pockets, and a zippered back pocket for stashing valuables. But the not-so-secret sauce is the fabric, a sustainable blend of Oystex (yes, that's oyster shells), rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), and spandex that's both stretchy and quick to dry, so it doesn't slow you down.

Having been around for more than a century, chino shorts were long overdue for a modern update. Enter the Flint and Tinder 365 Short.

Like the best of their predecessors, these multi-pocketed shorts pack plenty of style and utility, while 2% spandex mixed in with the cotton fabric gives them just enough stretch to crush a round of backyard badminton or croquet. The Huckberry-owned brand also offers loads of variety: Three inseam lengths and nine colors — plus a 2 for $130 deal — make it hard to pick up just one pair.

A distressing number of cargo shorts look unfashionably bulky, even when the pockets are empty. Leave it to the Swedes to develop a more streamlined solution, in the form of the Fjällräven Vidda Pro Lite Shorts.

Thanks to a cotton/polyester blend called G-1000 Air Stretch, these shorts are lightweight, breathable, and ready for rugged hikes — urban, rural, or otherwise. Even so, they offer plenty of storage options, including hand pockets, buttoned leg pockets, an internal phone pocket, and a sneaky multitool pocket, handy for stashing granola bars in a pinch.

While the term "jorts" may conjure images of the excessively baggy borderline culottes that helped brands like JNCO rule the '90s, the Ripton Jorts are decidedly more adventure-ready, with their own sort of "throwbackcountry" vibe.

Constructed of a cotton/elastane/polyester blend and gusseted to keep your crotch comfy, these denim dynamos stop well above the knees and feature 54% stretch, enabling you to hike, bike and generally galavant through your world with relative grace. They're available in both cut-off and hemmed styles, but we strongly recommend the former: You're already wearing jorts, after all.

Smart, stylish, and adaptable, the Roark Explorer 2.0 Hybrid Shorts impress in a number of ways, making them an optimal casual wear option.

Highlights include a drawstring and belt loops, so you can dress down and up as you like, multiple mesh-lined pockets, and a zippered thigh pocket for securing valuables. The polyester/elastane blend boasts four-way stretch and quick-dry capability, keeping these shorts equally at home on land and sea.

Don't let its technical features fool you; the Foreign Rider Odyssey Tech Short still packs more than enough understated style to grace just about any modern workplace.

These shorts also boast a breathable, moisture-wicking recycled polyester shell, four-way stretch, double- and triple-stitched seams, a wicking liner waistband, and a soft texture on the inside to keep you comfortable and confident from 9-to-5 and beyond.

Sizes: 28–36, 38, 40

Colors: Heather Navy, Pacific Surfature, Phantom Block, Bright Black, Heather Charcoal, Pitch Black Surfature, Heather Olive, Plum Wine Lei Block, Java Camo, Dope Rope, Dark Roast Ripley, Olive Night, Mineral Red Rain Block, Twizone Block

While there's no shortage of great boardshorts on the market, we trust arguably the world's greatest surfer ever to crush this assignment, which is why we give the nod to the Outerknown Apex Trunks, made with 100% post-consumer waste.

From the brand 11-time world champ Kelly Slater co-founded in 2015, these board shorts pack plenty of pro features, including 4-way stretch, stitch-free welded seams and a smooth inside fly to minimize chafe, laser-cut details for optimal drainage and ventilation and a secure back pocket — into which you can pack the shorts themselves when you hit the road.

If a retro SoCal surf vibe sounds appealing, consider classic cords. Prime example? The Jungmaven Cabuya Cord Short.

Made with a hemp corduroy blend and available in more than a dozen colors, these shorts feature an elastic back waistband for comfort, reinforced belt loops, and four spacious pockets. Note: The Cabuyas are unisex, so men may want to go up one size.

Short shorts might not be your jam, but if they are, go with the brand that brought 4-inch inseams back with a vengeance in the form of the Chubbies Original Stretch Short.

Primarily cotton with just a bit of spandex in the fabric for stretch, these elastic waistband shorts are easy, breezy, and as comfortable as can be. The buttoned back pocket fits even the biggest phones, while the vast range of colors — plus twill and seersucker options — suit even the most eclectic aesthetics.

Lululemon may not have invented yoga apparel, but the Vancouver-based brand has nearly perfected it over the past 26 years, as evidenced by the excellent Lululemon Balancer Short.

Made of the brand's fastest-drying fabric (Everlux, a semi-stretchy nylon/elastane blend), these no-nonsense shorts are well-qualified for everything from hatha to hot yoga. An elastic-free waistband, tapered fit, and zippered hand pockets help keep your movements smooth, streamlined, and supple.

The finest travel shorts are comfortable enough for long trips and functional enough to tackle big adventures once you reach your destination. On both fronts, the Arc'teryx Gamma Quick-Dry Short excels.

An integrated adjustable waist belt sits seamlessly under a backpack, and five zippered pockets keep your valuables safe and close at hand. Meanwhile, the breathable, quick-drying, wind- and abrasion-resistant TerraTex stretch nylon fabric is equipped for everything from middle seats to trail hikes to lake dips.

Though it's best known for its flashy throwback eyewear and irreverent attitude, Pit Viper has made a surprisingly successful foray into bike apparel, highlighted by the radical High Speed Off Road MTB Short.

The light, stretchy fabric enables maximum mobility, airflow vents keep your legs cool, and the hook-and-loop waistband ensures a secure fit. You also get three handy pockets (including a zippered thigh pocket), and while these shorts are intended for mountain biking, they are slim and stylish enough to rock on paved roads too.

Mack Weldon burnishes its already sterling reputation for elevating everyday basics with its beloved, unparalleled Ace Sweatshort.

The fabric is a buttery, micro-brushed French terry (95% cotton/5% stretch), augmented by a reliable drawstring, deep hand pockets, and zippered thigh and back pockets. Somehow, they are both more comfortable and more stylish than your grubby cutoffs of yore.

This guide would not be complete without something of a wild card, and we're playing it with a pair you'll love come the colder months, the Maloja BORNM.

These shorts boast Primaloft Bio insulation (made of 100% biodegradable recycled fibers), a durable water-repellent treatment, a Windstopper front, and light, multi-stretch fabric (88% nylon/12% spandex) making them a welcome layer for cross-country skiing, biking and even running. The zippered rear pocket is perfect for storing small essentials, too.