Swim shorts
with pockets

Pockets are the feature people search for by name and the one most likely to disappoint, because a pocket that cannot drain is just a bag that fills with water.

Updated 26 July 2026 · 4 min read

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Drainage is the whole thing

A pocket sewn from the same solid fabric as the shell, with no drain, holds water. You come out of the pool with a litre of it hanging off each hip, the shorts sag, and the pocket stays wet long after everything else has dried.

Well-made swim short pockets solve this one of two ways: mesh backing, so water passes straight through, or a drain hole or eyelet at the lowest point of the pocket bag. Either works. Neither being present is a design failure, and it is the first thing worth checking.

The three pocket types

Side pockets

The most common, set into the side seam. Useful for hands, which is most of what people actually use them for. Open at the top, so anything loose will come out when you swim or sit down. Fine for a key on the walk to the water, not somewhere to leave anything while you are in it.

Back pocket

Usually one, on the right, often with a hook-and-loop flap. More secure than a side pocket because it closes, and better placed — you are less likely to lose something from a closed back pocket while swimming. The flap is also the part most likely to wear out first over several seasons.

Zip pocket

Least common, most secure. Worth having if you regularly swim somewhere without a locker. Check the zip is plastic or coated — an untreated metal zip in salt water will corrode and stain the fabric around it.

What you can actually carry

Item	Verdict
A single key	Fine in a closed pocket
A card or a note	Fine while dry, ruined if you swim
Sunglasses	Only while out of the water
A phone	No

On the phone, plainly: no swim short pocket is waterproof, including a zipped one. A zip closes a pocket, it does not seal it, and the fabric around it is not a membrane. Anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. If you need a phone with you in water, use a dedicated dry pouch or leave it in a locker.

Depth matters more than you would think

A shallow side pocket empties itself the moment you sit down on a lounger, which is exactly when you are most likely to forget you put something in it. If you are choosing between two pairs and one has visibly deeper pockets, take that one.

The trade-off nobody mentions

Every pocket is extra fabric, and extra fabric holds water and takes longer to dry. A short with three lined pockets will dry more slowly than a plain one, all else being equal. It is a small effect and usually worth it — but it is the reason competitive swimwear has no pockets at all.