FlipBelt Ouray Compression Shorts

FlipBelt

Most runners are probably familiar with FlipBelt through their running belts, which give you a standalone option to carry quite a bit of gear around your waist. What people may not be aware of is that FlipBelt has taken their belt know-how and started creating an entire apparel range, from socks to singlets, and the focus of this review — running bottoms with the belts effectively built in. Sizing isn’t the most inclusive (it appears I can’t presently fit into any of their tops), with the size range available as XS to XL for bottoms. But as you’ll find out below, at least one option really works for me, a bigger runner who often needs to carry a lot.

Practical Fabric Selection

FlipBelt has selected what I will describe as a nice, but not especially luxurious fabric for the Ouray compression shorts (which I’ll call half tights from here on out). Listed on their website at 90% polyester and 10% spandex, the fabric comes out feeling technical, but also sturdy and durable, sitting somewhere between light- and mid-weight. It doesn’t have too much of that common synthetic sheen or slipperiness. In hand and on body the fabric is soft and comfortable, not feeling at all like a cheap synthetic material, which hasn’t been the case for other brands.

From a performance perspective, I find the fabric choice to be solid. Given the relatively low percentage of spandex, I would describe the fabric as being on the more supportive and compressive end, but still comfortable and easy to put on and wear. While the half tights definitely become saturated with sweat, they do not end up feeling heavy or weighed down, and do not leave the legs overly hot. In addition, I have noticed that the front of the half tights (presumably due to airflow) sometimes actually manages to dry out a bit, or at least feels less saturated than the back, by the end of a run. Among the half tight fabrics that aren’t trying to feel luxurious (looking at you, Tracksmith), I would describe this as among my favorites — effective, comfortable, and to the point.

One thing I will add is that unlike most running brands, FlipBelt actually has fun fabric colors, with contrasting details like pull tabs, stitches, and logos. I personally appreciate having the option of something other than a shade of black or blue. Keep it up, FlipBelt!

Top Tier Construction

I will state this up front and not bury the lede — I think the Ouray compression shorts may be one of the most well-constructed pairs of half tights I own, especially considering the price. The more you wear the half tights or look them over, the more you find little construction details everywhere that indicate someone really thought this through. Overall, the stitches feel durable and unobtrusive, seams are well placed and cause no irritation. Below, I’m going to give you a bulleted list of every little detail I’ve noticed and what it brings to the party.

• Front Liner Layer: My favorite type, the Ouray compression shorts have the front-only liner layer. Basically, they’ve taken a second layer of the same fabric as the short, cut it in a trapezoid shape, and attached it free-floating from the waistband to the crotch gusset. This provides a nice additional layer of support and modesty, without the bulk of a complete brief.
• Bonded Leg Opening Hem: While I don’t know the exact details, the leg opening hem on the Ouray compression shorts is bonded in some way, not stitched. This leads to a crisp hem with almost nothing to irritate the skin. I find it stays in place perfectly, without any silicone grippers required.
• Leg Pocket Construction: The pockets on the legs use a unique design compared to other half tights I’ve worn, which usually stitch a second layer of fabric on top of the leg to make a pocket. FlipBelt instead uses a second type of fabric — a fine stretchy mesh — which has been cut into a long rectangle and folded in half. This is then inset into the leg instead of stitched on top. The opening of the pocket is a bonded hem, meaning no snagging items on the way out. There is no bottom stitching at all — one corner is supported with a bonded-on reflective detail on the outside, the other a small bonded patch on the inside. The net effect is the pocket is pulled tight against the body by the compressive exterior leg fabric, minimizing bounce and sway. The lining fabric for the pocket is the perfect level of slick, making it the easiest pocket I’ve found to get things in and out of — even sticky silicone phone cases.
• No Front Seam: The panels of the half tights were designed such that there is no front seam — nothing to rub and irritate the sensitive bits. While I’ve never had any issues with irritation from front seams, it’s nice to avoid the issue entirely through garment design.
• Perfect Elasticity in Waist Storage: FlipBelt’s history of creating running belts is clear on the belt-like waistband storage. The elasticity of the materials is dialed-in and, combined with the spaced-out tacks/separator stitches, makes the waist storage hold everything perfectly.
• Pull Tabs for Accessibility: A small, but thoughtful design detail, is the tiny pull tabs on the front and back waist storage compartments, which make it that much easier to pull open and grab things.
• Excellent Gusset: Like many half tights, the Ouray have a large crotch gusset — it’s nothing special, but it’s well designed and executed, contributing to excellent mobility.
• Durability: When it comes to durability, after over 4 months of usage, I have noticed no issues — no pilling between the thighs or loss of stretch in the fabric.

All the Pockets

When you need to load up on the cargo, the FlipBelt Ouray compression shorts are the way to go. Due to the design, it is hard to land on a count of pockets, but at minimum you have:

• One reasonably sized drop-in pocket on each thigh (two total).
• A zippered storage pocket on the front right waistband.
• A stretch-mesh storage area on the front waistband.
• A smaller segment of stretch-mesh storage on the front left waistband.
• A large stretch-mesh storage area covering the entire rear waistband.

Let’s cover each of these pockets in detail, along with my personal use case for each, starting with the drop-in thigh pockets. As outlined in the construction section, these have a unique approach relative to other half tights I’ve worn. I tend to reserve these for soft flasks, but you could easily carry a cell phone or really anything else here. My Hydrapak 500ml soft flasks fit in these perfectly and, due to the fabric choice, slide in and out the easiest of any half tight pockets I own. I have carried a Type2 Gear 750ml soft flask in the pocket, but it gets a little floppy since the top sticks out. This would be my one ask for the half tights, to have an inch or two taller thigh pockets (or a top mesh above the pocket, like the Nike Lava Loops, to hold the top of the flask). Also mentioned in construction, the design holds the flasks tight against the leg, with minimal swaying.

Past the thigh pockets, all other storage is located around the waistband. While I historically have not liked waistband storage, as it has been hard to get things in and out with my belly, FlipBelt seems to have solved my problem through their design and positioning. These storage areas are all created with a fine stretch-mesh material, reinforced at the top with a thicker elastic band, which also serves to hold the top opening tight against the body, to keep anything from slipping out. While it’s a little more complicated in construction, you can view this as one continuous sequence of storage options, about five inches deep, running all the way around the body. As mentioned in the construction section, FlipBelt nailed the materials for this entire storage area — the stretch mesh, and elastic top band, is the perfect amount of stretch to enable easily getting things in and out, while holding everything comfortably tight against the body with no bouncing.

The first waistband pocket is the zippered storage pocket at the front right. This is where you’re going to want to store valuables you want to ensure don’t fall out (though I don’t think there’s risk of that in any pocket). I generally shove my car key in this pocket and could easily fit a credit card, photo ID, or cash alongside it. You are not going to fit a phone in this pocket. The zipper can sometimes be a little less-than-smooth, but it’s not a big deal if you aren’t getting in and out of the pocket repeatedly. I like the security of the zipper for items that will stay put the entire run.

From here on out, all the waistband storage areas will be open top, enabling easy in and out of stowed items. First up is a wider section in front. This is where I usually stick my iPhone 16 Pro, which fits comfortably with room to spare. I mainly put the phone here because I generally don’t need to get it out during the run and, with my belly, this is among the harder sections to get into. Note I said harder, not hard — it’s still easy to get in and out, just slightly impeded. In addition, with my belly blocking the escape path, I never worry about my phone jumping out.

Next up is a smaller section above the left thigh pocket, which is segmented off from the other front section by a zig-zag stitch. This is probably about the same size as the zippered pocket, just open top instead. This is a great place to store gels or other nutrition, because it’s easily accessible while on the move. I have fit three gels or a couple Santa Madre jelly bars in here with no problems — you could probably stretch the mesh and manage more.

The remaining storage section runs the entire width of the rear of the half tights, however FlipBelt has done something really clever here. If it were just one giant section, and a long length of elastic, it’s likely it wouldn’t have the strength to hold things in super well. To combat this, there are little tacks tying only the top elastic to the shorts at about the one quarter and three quarter spots. The outcome is that you can shove smaller items into the top opening on either side or you can shove big items in through the middle opening, then push them over. I tend to take the latter approach for basically all items, as I just find it easier. You can fit a lot of stuff in this pocket, but my favorites include an extra 250ml soft flask (it won’t bounce), additional nutrition, or my electrolyte capsules in a plastic bag. It’s easy enough to get anything in and out back here, even while running.

Given all these storage options, I’ve never actually maxed out capacity on any of my runs, up to a half marathon. I do wish I had a little bit more water capacity (through slightly deeper thigh pockets), but that’s a dream, not a need for most use cases.

Ideal Inseam, Optimal Fit for a Bigger Runner

I ordered the FlipBelt Ouray compression shorts in size XL, in alignment with their size charts. I find at this size, they fit comfortably. I would not, however, describe them as compression shorts — the website even says “elite-level compression” with “race-ready muscle support.” For me, I’m not feeling compression — just a standard half tight fit. That is fine by me, I’m not really looking for compression in my half tights.

The inseam and rise when worn where I prefer them, below my belly, are perfect. The top of the shorts sits basically where I want them, or as close as possible for off the shelf clothing, with the crotch hitting ideally to avoid any chafing. The length of the legs is exactly what I want, with the leg opening hitting a few inches above the knee. I measured the inseam at around nine inches, but it doesn’t feel as long as that sounds. The drawstring is simple, but effective, gripping itself well, allowing for a tight fit without any biting at the hip bones. Fully loaded up, with one liter or more of water across the thigh pockets, a phone, a car key, and multiple nutrition items (gels, jelly bars, electrolyte capsules), everything stays in place well — perhaps a little slipping at the start of a run, but a little sweat in them and everything stays put perfectly. I’ve had zero issues with chafing or movement over the long runs.

Darn Near Perfect

I applaud FlipBelt on these half tights. I have basically nothing to fault. Materials: check. Fit: check. Carrying capacity: check. Construction/quality: check. Comfort: check. Not mentioned yet, but worth calling out, these are currently priced at $68 (and FlipBelt sometimes has sales) — coming in much lower than many upper tier branded half tights. My only ask, across this whole review, is slightly bigger thigh pockets to maybe fit 750ml soft flasks — but no one does that, from what I’ve seen. The fabric is also not the most luxurious, but it’s still a great choice. These half tights are top tier, the price makes them an unbelievable value, and they are the pair I reach for time and again when I need to carry anything more than a phone. If you need to carry real gear, you should definitely buy these.