In this article I’m going to give you the best options if you’re looking for camo mountain bike shorts. Both for men and women.
As long as mountain bikers have been sporting baggy shorts, camo versions have been a popular design option. And besides your standard green and intricate pattern, camo mountain bike shorts have seen the gamut of what traditionally is worn in the military. Including gray, white, black and sand-colored versions.
Luckily for those who would like to don a couple of camo mountain bike shorts themselves, well-established brands like Fox and Troy Lee Designs offer their top-tier products in camo version as well.
So without further ado, here are my top picks for the best camo mountain bike shorts.
Fox Ranger Camo Shorts w. Liner
The Fox Ranger Camo Shorts with liner are an all-round solid choice for basically any type of mountain bike riding, ranging from XC to downhill.
Besides the flexibility in use, the liner itself is remarkably comfortable, providing you with excellent value for money if you don’t already have a liner, or want to have a spare on the side. The EVA padding is slim enough to sit correctly in place where you’re going to need it, and provides enough support to take the sting out of reasonably long rides.
The shorts’ allround nature does mean they score well in the durability apartment. On the other hand, the stretch Ripstop fabric might prove to be warmer than some other shorts with lighter fabric and better ventilation.
The 2 hand pockets and single zip pocket are well-placed in the water-resistant fabric, and the velcro straps at the waistline ensure you’ll always have the correct fit.
Furthermore the shorts fit nicely but still provide ample room for knee pads, making these MTB shorts a great starting point if you don’t own any. Or a good second or third pair.
- Great allrounder, great fit, very comfortable
- None
Fox W Ranger Short Purple Camo
The Fox W Ranger Short is the female counterpart to the men’s Ranger short. That means it has the same qualities as those MTB shorts as well.
If you’re looking for an authentic-looking camo short, you’ll be disappointed. Fox decided that women would prefer purplish camo above your standard green.
For the rest it offers the same durable Ripstop fabric, which has the benefit of being water resistant. The same 2 hand pockets, and single zip pocket on the left hand side.
In terms of size, pick your normal size or one size smaller, so you don’t have excess material from your waist adjusters accidentally getting loose.
The stretchy material of the shorts with a 12 inch inseam prevents chafing and sit loose and high, giving room for possible knee pads.
And the liner with chamois provides comfort and a good value-for-money should you not have one.
- Great allrounder, great fit, very comfortable
- None
Troy Lee Designs Ruckus Shorts Shell
The new Troy Lee Designs Ruckus Shorts Shell improves upon its predecessor by adding another zipped pocket to the one already there. That means you have one non-zipped hand pocket on your left-hand side, and two on your right.
The shorts look stylish enough, sitting at a 13.5 inch inseam length. So if you like your MTB shorts, well, short, this is not the product you should be picking.
The rear features a stretch fabric band across the back. Together with the waist adjusters, they ensure a snug fit. The shorts are airy and ventilated as well, and don’t come with padded liners as the name implies. That means they aren’t cheap, especially not when compared to the Fox Ranger, which does include a padded liner.
The front of the shorts feature a two-button short enclosure, which prevents bunching in that area when you’re in a riding position.
- Short inseam
- Pricey
Troy Lee Designs Ruckus Shorts Camo w. Liner
The Troy Lee Designs Ruckus Shorts Camo w. Liner has a padded liner with the company states it should provide up to 6-hours of comfort.
It has the same overall features as the shell version. It has zippered thigh vents, laser perforated waist band, and side-mesh vents.
A great airy short, made from a durable combination of polyester and a bit of spandex for stretch and comfort.
- Liner included, great for summer riding
- None
Troy Lee Designs Skyline Shorts Camo Green
The non-padded Troy Lee Designs Skyline Shorts in camo green have a long 13.5 inch inseam to cover the top of your knee pads, should you ride with those.
The big 2-stretch rear-waist panel in combination with the waist adjusters make these very comfortable MTB shorts. Storage is reasonable enough with 2 essential zip pockets, but zero hand pockets. And the zip pockets sit in the traditional place and not on the quad should you prefer that. For people with exceptionally large phones this could be an issue.
The material of the MTB shorts is beyond excellent. The Coolmax polyester fabric has a super fast drying characteristic and an extremely comfortable non-chafing 4-way stretch to support long rides in the saddle.
And the more intricate green camo patterns is one of the best I’ve seen for a short. In short, a great hot-weather camo MTB shorts option.
- Short inseam, very comfortable
- Pricey
Troy Lee Designs Skyline Shorts Camo Grey
A different grayish pattern for these Troy Lee Designs Skyline Shorts.
- Short inseam
- Pricey
Troy Lee Designs Flowline Shorts Camo w. Liner
The Troy Lee Designs Flowline Shorts Camo w. Liner are supposed to be more affordable MTB shorts than the Skyline. This means they favor 2 hand pockets over zip pockets.
Interestingly enough, these shorts do come with a padded liner, which dramatically increases the value of the shorts if you don’t already have one, or you’re in need of one extra pair.
It’s made from the same excellent and comfortable Coolmax Polyester. Features the same high-waist 2-stretch panel and has the same overall fit as the more expensive Skyline.
So if you don’t mind putting your keys and phones somewhere else than your shorts (which I always do anyway) this is actually a far more affordable option, which includes a liner.
- Includes liner
- No zip pockets
Troy Lee Designs Sprint Ultra Shorts Camo Black
The Troy Lee Designs Sprint Ultra Shorts Camo Black is a lightweight racing short designed to stay out of the way while you pedal down the mountain.
They are meant for going fast and offer superior flexibility and stretch in an extremely durable package. Obviously these premium features mean you pay more for MTB shorts, which are also non-padded, with the brand reasoning you bring your own set of preferred chamois.
Low in the front and high in the back, with adjustable straps the shorts will sit where they need to be. Highly ventilated, with laser-cut holes across large areas of the shorts, they are perfect for hot weather. At speed you can actually feel the air moving through the shorts.
I never put my phone and keys in my shorts. But for those of you who expect to be able to do so, be prepared to be disappointed. True to their race-nature, these shorts have just a single zip pocket located on your right quad.
- Extremely flexible, very durable
- Pricey, no liner, single pocket
Zoic Ether 9 Camo Shorts
The Zoic Ether 9 Camo Shorts are for people who have shorter legs, don’t want really long shorts, or prefer to ride without knee pads. Or a combination of the three.
As the name implies they have a 9 inch inseam length, which is roughly 2 to 4 inch shorter than the average MTB shorts.
Zoic makes nice and affordable MTB shorts. And contrary to a lot of other manufacturers don’t shy away from adding a lot of zipped and non-zipped pockets. With 2 hand pockets, and 3 zipped pockets, you can stash your energy bars besides your keys and phone. Personally I don’t like to have anything in my pockets, but I do reckon there are people that do.
The design is also very nice, with a great camo pattern and nice orange or green zippers, depending on the color of the shorts.
The rear features a stretchy part that wraps almost all the way round, beneath an elastic waistband. Together with the waist adjuster this makes for a solid fit, albeit not as snug as some of its more premium competitors.
A gusset with increased stretch provides more flexibility in an area where it’s needed.
All in all, I consider the Zoic Ether a solid entry-level MTB short for the more casual rider.
- Affordable, many pockets
- Short inseam
Zoic Ether Camo Shorts
The Zoic Ether Camo Shorts is the 12 inch version of the Ether 9.
- Affordable, many pockets
- None
Zoic Navaeh Camo Short
The Zoic Navaeh Camo Short is a lightweight MTB short for women without a padded liner.
It’s made from water resistant recycled polyester and, as with other Zoic shorts, features a lot of pockets. 4 zipped ones in total.
The 11 inch inseam falls just below the knee of a female of average height.
- Affordable, many pockets
- No liner
Zoic Navaeh Camo Short w. Liner
The Zoic Navaeh Camo Short with liner contains Zoic’s Women’s Essential Liner.
The 5 inch inseam of the liner means it sits well beneath the shorts, without any risk of peeking out. It has flat seams and a very wide yoga-style waistband for comfort and to prevent any marks. They are relatively low-waisted to prevent them from bunching up while riding.
The liner is meant to provide comfort for rides up to 3 hours, so they should be more than adequate for your average trail ride.
- Affordable, many pockets
- None
Specifications camo mountain bike shorts
Name | Sex | Inseam | Liner | Material | Pockets | Water resistance | adjustable_waist | Buy at Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fox Ranger Camo Shorts w. Liner | men | 12 inch | Removable liner with dual-density chamois | stretch Ribstop | 2 hand pockets, 1 zip pocket | water resistant | yes | |
Fox W Ranger Short Purple Camo | women | 12 inch | dual-density chamois | TruMotion® stretch ripstop fabric | 2 zip pocket | DWR water resistant | side cinch | |
Troy Lee Designs Ruckus Shorts Shell | men | 13.5 inch | no | polyester | 1 hand pocket, 2 zip pockets | yes | ||
Troy Lee Designs Ruckus Shorts Camo w. Liner | men | 13.5 inch | yes | polyester | 1 hand pocket, 2 zip pockets | yes | ||
Troy Lee Designs Skyline Shorts Camo Green | men | 12.5 inch | no | Coolmax polyester | 2 zip pockets | yes | ||
Troy Lee Designs Skyline Shorts Camo Grey | men | 12.5 inch | no | Coolmax polyester | 2 zip pockets | yes | ||
Troy Lee Designs Flowline Shorts Camo w. Liner | men | COMP padded liner | Coolmax polyester | 2 hand pockets | yes | |||
Troy Lee Designs Sprint Ultra Shorts Camo Black | men | no | 1 zip pocket | water resistant | yes | |||
Zoic Ether 9 Camo Shorts | men | 9 inch | no | polyester | 2 hand pockets, 3 zip pockets | yes | ||
Zoic Ether Camo Shorts | men | 12 inch | no | polyester | 2 hand pockets, 3 zip pockets | yes | ||
Zoic Navaeh Camo Short | women | 11 inch | no | VersaLight stretch fabric | 4 zip pockets | water resistant | yes | |
Zoic Navaeh Camo Short w. Liner | women | 11 inch | Essential liner | VersaLight stretch fabric | 4 zip pockets | water resistant | yes |
Johan van Seijen
FoundeR Restoration.bike
Johan van Seijen is the founder of restoration.bike. His passion for cycling in general, and restoring older bikes turned into a website to share his knowledge with a broader audience. Starting out on his father’s road bike and riding classics as the Amstel Gold Race and Liege Bastogne Liege he has shifted his attention to trail, XC, and gravel riding since. No matter how much he loves writing about everything related to cycling, nothing beats actually using his ever-expanding bicycle collection.
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