The newest in my collection of Hylete reviews is ironically also the newest in their line of shorts: the Fuse. As always, I like to begin these by letting you know I’m 5’9” and weigh about 185 pounds. In most shorts, including Hylete, I wear a medium because I have a 32-inch waist. With those measurements out of the way, let’s dive into the Hylete Fuse.

The Hylete Fuse isn’t much of a departure in quality or style for Hylete. I have been pretty pleased with their shorts, with the exception of the Hylete Verge II. I recently gave away all four that I owned, they’re fine, just not a fan of the material. These shorts are much of the same Hylete quality with only one set back, but it’s not a deal breaker.

Fit

These fit true to size for someone who wears a medium in the waist, but I have noticed that they are a bit tighter in the quad area. Despite them being tighter they fit very well and it doesn’t impede workouts at all. Typical of Hylete they come in three different lengths: quad cut, above knee, and plain medium. I bought two pair of the plain mediums, but I am planning on buying to buy a pair in the quad cut to see what all the fuss is about. The plain medium drops down to just above the knee and during squats can ride up unobtrusively to about mid quad.

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Features

This is where these shorts truly deviate from the tried and true formula of the Verge, Vertex, and the Helix. Whereas the other shorts all had built-in, zip-up pockets that ran down the hip on both sides, these do not (this is the setback I mentioned earlier). Instead they opted for two normal, always open pockets, and a single zip-up pocket on the right-hand side. The pocket is fantastic and fits my enormous phone, so I’m sure it’ll fit yours. However, if you’re a lefty, you may want to get used to the fact that you don’t have a zippered option on your dominant side. I do miss the pocket but considering the only time I use the zip-up pocket is during running, it’s no big deal.

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The next difference is the material. I mentioned earlier that I wasn’t a fan of the Verge II because of the material. That’s because of it’s 85% nylon and 15% spandex blend. The nylon made them feel like board shorts and there was a “stickiness” to them when I’d sweat during workouts that I didn’t enjoy. The Helix and the Vertex are my favorite because they have a 90% polyester and 10% spandex blend that breathe and stretch very well. So, on paper, when I saw that the Fuse had a 50% polyester, 43% nylon, and 7% spandex blend, I was a bit worried. Needless to say they breathe and stretch just like the Helix and Vertex and the nylon isn’t an issue at all.

Price

These shorts aren’t terribly expensive for what you’re getting. They’re $80 retail but you’ll likely pick these up online for $72. If you apply for military or trainer “team” pricing, it drops these shorts down to $48, which I think is an absolute steal. Add on my Hylete promo code and you can take an extra $20 off a one-time $40 purchase. That would make a single pair $28 and well worth it considering Hylete is excellent with returns. I strongly doubt you’ll return these though.

Final Thoughts

These shorts are great and I’m happy that I found a replacement for my Verge II’s. The Verge II does have the superior variety of colors, while the Fuse only has three: black, delta (blue), and trellis (green). However, despite that lack of variety, they are superior in every way (if you don’t count the missing zippered pocket), and I think anyone would be happy to add these to their rotation for the gym. They are very close in fit to the Vertex and Helix, so if you like those, you’re sure to be pleased with these as well.