REI Co-op  Swiftland 5" Running Shorts - Men's

I was looking for a lightweight running short for the 5 - 10 mile distance in the heat and found these. They are perfect, light, and can fit one gel in each side pocket. A phone fits perfect in the zip pocket if you needed to bring that along. I knocked a star off because the liner could be a little bigger and supportive, but overall a great short. I'm 5'10, 165 lbs and the medium fits perfect.

Very light, easy to move in, decently elastic, comfortable waistband, no itchy tags or threads, very soft and non-chafing. I only bought two and until I buy more, what I love most is even if I recycle them through a second or third run, they don't smell as long as you let them air dry. Not that I encourage you to run through dirty shorts, but they're very anti-odor. Only critiques are small back pockets, no side pockets, and the brief liner doesn't secure the "goods" as much as I'd like. Maybe not quite worth 60 bucks so glad I got them on sale for around 40-45. Still, better value and comfort than the Patagonia running shorts in my opinion.

I want to love these, but the liner is kind of ruining it for me. These are great shorts in almost everyway, love the fit, love the waist band, love the pockets, especially the increased size of the rear one (from previous generation). My only problem, and it's a bit of a big one, is the liner. The brief style is not it for me. I'm always mildly aware of it, it always feels like my...stuff...is about to come out, it's just not great. If it had more of a boxer brief style like the 7" I would be majorly in love with these shorts.

Light, Fast, and Ready to Move – The Perfect Running Shorts The REI Co-op Swiftland 5” Running Shorts are exactly what I’ve been looking for—no fuss, no bounce, just performance. The sizing was spot on (medium fit like a glove), and right out of the gate they felt incredibly lightweight and comfortable. Whether I’m hitting the trail or pounding pavement, these shorts stay put and never ride up. The material breathes well, dries quickly, and has just the right amount of give for those uphill scrambles or longer efforts where comfort matters most. The real surprise? The back pocket. It’s discreet but surprisingly spacious—fits my iPhone securely without that annoying flopping around you get in lesser designs. I’ve worn these in the thick Florida heat, and they’ve held up beautifully—no chafing, no soggy mess, just reliable, high-performance comfort. These shorts feel like they were made by runners, for runners. If you’re serious about your gear, these deserve a spot in your drawer—and probably a second pair in your cart.

Bought multiple pairs before they changed the liner to a brief style liner from the original compressions short style liner. Not a fan of the new liner as much. Definitely preferred the compression liner underneath. Overall great shorts with good zip pocket on the back.

No running short has worked better for me. I find the fit to be perfect for me at 6’2” 145 lbs. The liner is the most comfortable I’ve tried. Not too tight nor loose. The phone pocket won’t fit bigger phones easily but it is sure to keep them from bouncing. It’s a tight fit but I love the pocket being integrated into the waistband. It sits at the small of my back and that helps as well limiting bounce. I never feel it. The fabric dries quick but smells, as all plastic clothing does with sweat. I cut the side of the legs to make for a more flowy opening. But it’s the waistband/phone pocket/liner trio that keeps me coming back to these. I wear these for 3 or 30 miles and it’s the piece of gear I never have to think about.

I just received these and went for a 5 mile tempo run. These shorts are so light and airy, it's like wearing nothing. These are my new warm/hot weather shorts and my marathon race shorts. I'll be buying more.

Need to improve the lining on these. The 7" version is designed much better. Everything else is great but had to return because the support was so poor.

Very much like the style and fit around the waist. Super comfortable there. The shell fabric is light and comfortable as well. The only feature I didn't like is the liner. As others have written, it doesn't fit well. It's much too narrow and doesn't ensure complete coverage.

First of all, the fit has changed since the last version, which I feel a lot of these positive reviews must be referencing. They are now awkwardly tight in spots, the crotch and waist specifically, though it’s clear that if I was to size up they’d become too large in other areas. Besides the fit, I immediately noticed how far down the outer short material extends between the legs. I notice it in the photos, but didn’t realize what a poor cut it actually is. The material feels abrasive and very present, as if it’s at the ready to cause unnecessary chafing. Very different than previous versions and a terrible design. Really, there’s no reason to drop that material down so low in shorts without some kind of boxer length liner (the brief liner in the 5” version won’t protect)… especially when the cut on the outside of the thighs extends so high. Silly. For short runs I’m sure they could get you by but these will not be at all ideal for any significant ultramarathon training or racing. Which is too bad, because previous versions were quite solid, at least at the sale price!!