Hylete Verge II Flex-Woven Zip Pocket Short

I’m 5’10”, 185 pounds, and wear a medium. They are true to size and fit much like the Helix II and Vertex II. The cut (length) however, comes in an additional size called “quad cut.” I imagine these fit much like the military “soffe” or “ranger panty” shorts, but I am reviewing the “long” version of the shorts.

Features

Once again, all the great features of the Hylete shorts are here. The inside or outside drawstring and the side hip pocket are both on this product and are just as functional. However, the main difference is the material and “feel” of the product. The 85% Nylon and 15% Spandex makes this feel very much like your typical board shorts, and because of that you get a much more “plastic-like” feel to them. It’s not a bad thing, as the quality, durability, and stitching of the product are just as good as the rest of their products. It’s just a bit of a departure from the softer 90% Polyester and 10% spandex of its Helix and Vertex brethren.

Price

Once again, Hylete “retail vs. website” pricing differ here by a lot, but luckily(?) you’ll be purchasing these online as the price difference is $78 retail and $68 online. Military and trainers can get these for as low as $47 and you can also get an additional $20-30 off one single order using my link.

Comparison

Since I’m clearly biased on Hylete shorts, it would likely be the guess that I would adore these shorts. However, if given the choice I would gladly take the Vertex II or Helix II over these. They are nice shorts, but the “boardshort feel” to them makes them seem “colder” to me as the material doesn’t seem to be as thick as the others they offer. If price is an issue (and even if it isn’t), I would go with the Vertex II as they are the cheapest Hylete offers. If you are military or a personal trainer, that savings drops the price to $41 which is an absolute steal.

Final Thoughts

All-in-all, Hylete makes pretty quality products. The fit of these is consistent with the rest of their shorts, but the feel is where they lose out for me. They do come in a variety of colors which is nice, but unfortunately that isn’t enough to win me over. I bought quite a few of these (four pair, I think), but they are always the last to leave my drawer. I would like to note that these opinions are subjective to my own personal taste. Hylete offers a pretty good return program to try out and swap items. Just be aware that they do have rules for what can be returned and may have restocking fees under certain circumstances.