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$REI Airflyte Distance Shorts - Men\'s$

PADDLE BLUE/BRIGHT COBALT FRONT

REI Airflyte Distance Shorts - Men's

$44.50

(2)

Item # 844434

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REI Airflyte Distance shorts will have you shooting for a personal best during long training runs. Quick-drying and lightweight fabric delivers 4-way stretch and a soft feel against skin.

The waistband of the Airflyte Distance shorts holds 2 gels via loops in the front and 2 gels in back via drop-in pockets (gel packets not included)
Rear zippered pocket stores essentials such as a key or I.D.
Fabric provides UPF 50+ sun protection, shielding skin from harmful ultraviolet rays
Stretchy polyester crepe liner briefs wick moisture away from body to keep you comfortable
Elastic waistband with drawcord fine-tunes the fit
Reflective highlights increase your visibility in dim light
The REI Airflyte Distance running shorts offer an active fit that allows a full range of motion

Imported.

Item 844434

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REI Airflyte Distance Shorts - Men's Customer Reviews

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by PowerReviews

REI Airflyte Distance Shorts - Men's

3.0

(based on 2 reviews)

Reviewed by 2 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-2

May

2013

3.0

Quality shorts, could use improvement

By B2Kel

from Pittsburgh, PA

About Me Avid Athlete

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Comfortable
Dries Quickly
Lightweight

Cons

Ride up

Best Uses

Running
Warm Weather

Comments about REI Airflyte Distance Shorts - Men's:

These are my favorite REI running shorts yet, but still not my favorite running shorts.

I agree with the first commenter that the gel pockets are oddly small. I suppose it's better than having your gels bounce out, but I have to struggle a bit to get them in and out, and I worry about ripping the mesh pockets when I do (though it's held up so far).

My main issues are with fit, which will obviously vary from person to person. First, I find the waistband fabric very comfortable, although it seems slightly tight and tends to ride up until I really get sweaty and it sticks to the skin. Second, and this is a matter of preference of course, but I like some support in my running shorts and these liners are just a bit too loose (true of all my REI-brand running shorts). The loose liner is particularly odd given the tight waistband, so the fit just feels inconsistent, and I don't think I'm an odd size--6'0", 170 lbs., 32" waist. Maybe my gels are just too big and other items are too small?

All in all, a decent product that I hope REI will improve upon and keep in the lineup.

Comment on this review

Mar

2013

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

Great Concept - Mild Execution

By Kevin K.

from Seattle, Wa

About Me Avid Athlete

See all my reviews

Pros

Breathable
Comfy Oversized Waistband
Length

Cons

Drawstrings Too Long
Gel Loops Too High
Side Pockets Too Small

Best Uses

Running

Comments about REI Airflyte Distance Shorts - Men's:

First a few stats:

Runner:
5'8" & 150 lbs
Preferred Running shorts brands: TNF BTNaked, Asics ARD, Brooks Infinity
Half/Full races & trail runs on Rainier up to 27 miles + 8000k el

As an endurance runner, the first rule of thumb for me is comfort (must not chaff). Very close second is function (details, well thought-out features). I'm often willing to sacrifice some comfort to gain function and wear things like Body Glide or band-aids in order to make a piece of clothing work.

That being said, what attracted me to these shorts were the gel loops in the front and the wide waistband (like Salomon has been doing). I was excited about not having to wear an additional piece of gear to hold gels. Also, having 4 additional quick access pockets around the back and sides was appealing.

On my first run with these shorts I quickly discovered that the gel loops are not well placed. They are too high on the waist which caused the packs to rub against my skin, so i tried moving them to the rear pockets. Oddly, these pockets are a strange size and only accommodate a gel pack in the upright position. Also, the pocket isn't very deep so the gel isn't fully covered. I then tried squeezing it in sideways to get coverage and that seemed to work, but i had to fold the gel to make this work (was using a Clif Shot gel pack). Those who wear headphones might also find that the earphone cable gets tangled up with the gel packs in front (although, using the loops to route earphone cable slack worked really well, an unintended design i'm sure).

So those are my gripes. My main reason for buying these shorts (well placed fuel/gel storage) doesn't really work without getting a friction burn on the stomach.

On the positive side, I like the wider/softer waistband.The material doesn't bunch up like traditional elastic waistband shorts and is comfy. The crepe is soft enough as well to not chafe. The length of the shorts are nearly perfect. It provides great movement but not at the expense of sacrificing modesty. The waist rides slightly higher so be sure to pull them up a bit more than normal or the crepe wont do its "job". The waist pull string is very long so trim to a desired length in order to prevent it heading south into the shorts.

So how could REI make these shorts better? 1) Lower the gel loops another inch 2) add two gel loops the the side of the shorts 3) make the side pockets deeper to fully cover gel packs or store a pair of gloves or lightweight beanie 3) consider making the rear zipper pocket or the front waist pocket large enough to accommodate a smartphone.

At this price point and with one of the cool features (gel loops) being unusable I cant recommend this product. I would recommend trying TNF Better than Naked or Brooks Infinity series shorts that offer more usable storage and better materials.