Basically the only tops I wear are Bandit crops, because I carry everything on my back and they’re the only tops that let me. But they are not all the same top. Bandit runs several lines at once, changes the zip crop every drop, and the pocket count swings from 7 to 1 depending on which one you grab. Huge props to them for innovating every single time. It also means you have to read the pocket count before you buy. So here’s the whole lineup, by pockets, best to worst.
Why crops and not bras
Same support for me, and the crops hold more. That’s it. Once you decide you’re carrying 5 gels, a phone and water on your back, the crop wins and the bra loses. The knock-on effect is shorts: with a crop on, I want a low rise short, because otherwise there is just too much material around my stomach.
The lineup, by pocket count
| Crop | Gel pockets | Phone pockets | Fabric | Price | |—|—|—|—|—|—| | Stamina 7 Pocket Nova Crop | 5 | 2 | Stamina, double layer | $82 | | Vanisher V-Neck Race Crop | 4 | 3, waterproof | Vanisher compression, powermesh back | $88 | | Striped Cadence Zip Front Race Crop | 4 | 3, waterproof | ribbed Cadence, 72/28 nylon spandex | $82 | | Stamina Race Crop and Scoop Neck Race Crop | 0 | 3, two underarm, one center back | Stamina, double layer | $78 | | Stamina-V and Vanisher GeoMesh V-Neck Run Bra | 2, underarm | 1, center back | mesh front panel | $75 to $78 | | Adapto 2-Way Zip Race Crop | 0 | 1, internal center back | Adapto, ultra light | $85 |
Every one of these is a fitted cut, XS to XL, and Bandit’s model notes put a 5 foot 9 or 5 foot 10 model in a small across the line. [FILL: your size, and whether it’s the same size in every line.]
1. The V-neck, my favorite top they’ve ever made
It has its own review. The short version:
Vanisher V-Neck Race Crop. It’s the red patterned one in the photo at the top of this site, the colorway is called Growing Grid Poppy. It’s not tight, it has a rounded V-neck, a big phone pocket, and lots of gel pockets. Specifically: 4 gel pockets and 3 waterproof phone pockets, removable cups, a powermesh panel across the back, 15 inches long in a small. The chest pocket takes a full 40 gram gel without the top poking out.
Vanisher is their sweat-hiding fabric, which on a 90 mile week in August is not a gimmick. Other colorways right now are Anthracite, Growing Grid Orchid and Lagoon Multi. [FILL: how many gels you’ve actually fit and whether anything bounces.]
2. The zip crop, and which version to buy
Striped Cadence Zip Front Race Crop. Zip up the front, halter fit, angular racer back, built-in bra for medium support, removable cups. 4 gel pockets and 3 waterproof phone pockets, same count as the V-neck. On a long run mine holds 5 or 6 gels across the back, my phone and a 250ml Feed flask in the phone pocket, and my key card in a side pocket. The flask is a little hard to get in and out next to the phone. Everything else just works.
The catch is that every drop is a different top.
Spring 2026, the bright pink, the white and the purple one. The best version they’ve done. The phone pocket moved to the inside, which I don’t love in theory because an inside pocket can scratch your back, especially if you have a cracked tailbone like me, but this pocket was big enough that it didn’t. Buy this version if you can find it. The current colorways are Poppy and Azalea, Espresso and Azalea, and Plaster and Slate.
Fall 2026, the light blue. Cute. Fewer pockets. No side pockets and no gel pockets, so it’s an easy-day top, not a long-run top. Bandit’s current 2-way zip is the Adapto Race Crop, and it lists exactly one pocket, an internal phone pocket at center back, which lines up with what I found. [FILL: confirm the light blue one is the Adapto.] Check the pocket count before you buy any zip crop, because it changes.
3. The classic Stamina race crops
Stamina Race Crop and the scoop neck version. Three phone-sized pockets, two under the arms and one at center back with a waterproof liner, no dedicated gel pockets. Double layer matte Stamina fabric, reflective hits. This is the one everyone starts with and it’s fine. Gels go in the underarm pockets, which works, it just isn’t as clean as having real gel slots. Black and NY Navy. [FILL: whether you still reach for it.]
4. The 7 pocket one I haven’t tried yet
Stamina 7 Pocket Nova Crop. High square neck, corset-inspired lines, ribbed Cadence accents, 5 gel pockets and 2 phone pockets, ride-up grip. On paper it’s the most storage on this list. It’s black only right now and I haven’t run in it. [FILL: are you buying it. It seems like you’re buying it.]
5. The mesh ones, the worst ones
Stamina-V GeoMesh V-Neck Run Bra and the Vanisher GeoMesh version. Sheer mesh panel at the center front, T-shaped racer back, removable cups. Bandit lists two gel pockets under the arms and one waterproof phone pocket at center back.
Do not buy these if you carry anything. The phone pocket is too small, which means if you take your phone out during a run or a race you will not be getting it back in without stopping. The underarm pockets are not what I’d call gel pockets in practice. And the mesh is not that flattering. If you already own one, wear it on a run where the phone stays put and there’s nothing to carry.
The Adapto, for the record
One internal phone pocket, that’s it. Ultra light four-way stretch, 2-way zip so you can open it from the bottom, reflective front and back. It’s a hot-day race top for people who carry nothing. That is not me.
The Lululemon one, for comparison
There’s one Lululemon crop with a phone pocket. It’s a zipper pocket, so it’s hard to get the phone in and out, and it sits low enough that the zipper scratches my back. It shares a name with a pair of their shorts I also own, the orange ones with the reflective detail on the hem. [FILL: the name.] It’s fine. It is not the Bandit V-neck.
What I’d buy
The V-neck if you carry gels and want it to feel like a normal top. The zip crop if you want the zip, in the version with the most pockets you can find. Skip the mesh and skip the Adapto unless you run with nothing. If you’re choosing between a Bandit crop with pockets and anything else, get the pockets. Your hips will thank you.
What I wore
| Brand | Piece | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bandit Running | Vanisher V-Neck Race Crop, Growing Grid Poppy | the one in the photo at the top of the site | |
| Bandit Running | Striped Cadence Zip Front Race Crop | the zip one | |
| Bandit Running | Stamina Race Crop | the classic 3 pocket | |
| Bandit Running | GeoMesh V-Neck Run Bra | the mesh one, skip |
All my measurements and every size I wear are on the sizing page.
Questions I get
Which Bandit crop has the most pockets?
The Stamina 7 Pocket Nova Crop on paper, 5 gel and 2 phone. The two I actually run in are the Vanisher V-Neck Race Crop and the Striped Cadence Zip Front Race Crop, both 4 gel pockets and 3 waterproof phone pockets.
Are Bandit mesh crops good for running?
Not if you carry anything. The GeoMesh run bras have one small back phone pocket and two gel pockets under the arms, and in practice the phone does not go back in mid-run. Skip them for long runs.
Crop or sports bra for carrying gels?
Crop. Same support for me, way more storage. It also means I want a low rise short so there isn't too much fabric around my stomach.
