fabric: The material should be strong, lightweight, breathable and quick-drying. Seems like a lot to ask, but our favorite pairs manage to balance it all like professional slackliners/plate spinners. Although it’s not necessary, some pairs will also use spandex or 4-way stretch. Either way, the fabric will make you feel confident going hiking or swimming.
Construction: Ideally, hybrid shorts should have pockets that allow water to drain easily. This usually means they are made of mesh or include eyelets. They should also be made with an elastic waistband to allow better mobility.
Suitable: Since hybrid shorts are designed for sports and physical activity, they should have a comfortable fit to give you a range of motion. Shorts that squeeze your thighs won’t do you any favors when you’re trying to catch a wave or navigate rocky terrain.
Style: Hybrid shorts can rotate in several different directions. With cargo pockets, zips and a bunch of shiny swish materials, they may lean more towards the sporty side. Or they could take advantage of a more quotidian look, disguising themselves as a normal pair of chino shorts, equipped with more features under the hood. With very few exceptions, none of these look good. In our opinion, the best hybrid shorts really split the difference. That’s why we didn’t go for the versions that look like tech-y golf shorts, nor did we like the hybrid shorts that look like they’re from a survivalist runway show.
How we test and review products
Style is subjective, we know – that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audiences prepare. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the most affordable suits, or the most must-have menswear drops of the week, the perspective of GQ recommendations is built on years of practical experience, an insider’s awareness of what’s what and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything at every price point.
Our staff isn’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and we know the hallmarks of quality clothing — from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ recommendations draw on our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. The bottom line: GQ wouldn’t ask you to wear it if we didn’t.
How do we make these choices?
We make every effort to cast as wide a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options in three key categories: quality, SuitableAnd price.
To start this process, we enlisted the GQ recommendations braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the people involved have worked in retail, delivering clothes to people; Others have worked hard for small-batch menswear labels; Everyone spends too much time thinking about what hangs in their closet.
We’re relying on that collective experience to guide our search, which includes a mix of household names, indie favorites, and artisan imprints on the genre’s bleeding edge. We then narrow the assortment to the selections that have received the highest scores in quality, fit, and price.
