Bandit put out a V-neck crop in the summer drop and it’s the best top they’ve ever made. I know I say a lot of things are the best. This one is the best.
Vanisher V-Neck Race Crop, mine is the Growing Grid Poppy print, the red one in the photo at the top of this site. Here’s why.
It holds real gels
Look at the back. Those are the gel pockets, and they take a full 40 gram gel. An Amacx Turbo, a Maurten 160, the big ones. Not the little 25 gram ones, the real ones. Nothing pokes out the top, nothing bounces. Four of them across the back, which on my long runs means I leave the house with everything I need and no belt.
Every other Bandit crop makes you choose between a gel and a phone in the same pocket, or shove gels into underarm pockets that were designed for a phone. This one has a place for each thing.
The phone pocket is perfect
Big, center back, waterproof lined. My phone goes in and comes out one-handed mid-run, which sounds like nothing until you’ve worn a crop where it doesn’t. The mesh Bandit crops have a phone pocket so small you can’t get the phone back in once it’s out. This one is the opposite. It’s big enough that on long runs I put the 250ml Feed flask in there next to the phone.
Two side pockets for keys
Small, one on each side, and they’re where my apartment key card lives. Keys don’t belong with gels and they don’t belong with a phone, and it’s nice that someone at Bandit agrees.
Fit
XS. Not tight. It’s a fitted crop but it doesn’t compress, which is what I want on a 90 mile week when I’m wearing it twice a day. It is so comfortable and so flattering. The rounded V-neck is why, it reads like a top and not like a sports bra, and there’s a powermesh panel across the back that keeps it breathing. Removable cups, which I leave in. 15 inches long in a small, so a little shorter on me.
[FILL: support at hard efforts, and whether it’s stretched at all after a summer of washing.]
Vanisher
Vanisher is Bandit’s sweat-hiding fabric. Poppy is a red, and this red does not show sweat marks in August, which I would not have believed. It also dries fast enough that a soaked crop from the morning is dry for the evening double.
Versus the zip crop
The zip crop was my favorite until this came out and it’s still second. Same pocket count on paper, four gel and three phone. The V-neck wins on the neckline, on how the gel pockets sit, and on the phone pocket being easier to reach. The zip crop wins if you want to unzip it on a hot day. Full ranking of every Bandit crop here.
Buy it
If you carry gels on your back, or want to start, this is the top. $88, XS to XL, and the colorways change by drop, so if you see the one you want, get it. Other current ones are Anthracite, Growing Grid Orchid and Lagoon Multi.
What I wore
| Brand | Piece | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandit Running | Vanisher V-Neck Race Crop, Growing Grid Poppy | XS | summer 2026 drop. Crop is XS, shorts are S. |
| LSKD | Accelerate 3" Mid-Rise Running Short, Scarlet | S |
All my measurements and every size I wear are on the sizing page.
Questions I get
How many pockets does the Bandit V-Neck Race Crop have?
Four gel pockets across the back, three waterproof phone pockets, and two side pockets. I keep gels in the back, my phone in the center back pocket, and keys in the sides.
Does the Bandit V-Neck crop fit a 40g gel?
Yes. A full-size 40g Amacx or Maurten 160 goes in without the top poking out. That's the difference between this and every other Bandit crop.
Is the Bandit V-Neck crop waterproof?
The phone pockets are lined, so the phone stays dry through a soaked August run. The rest of the top is Vanisher fabric, which is their sweat-hiding one.
