Kuhl Renegade Men’s Shorts Review
JUMP TO: SPECS / PROS & CONS / WHERE WE TESTED / HOW THEY PERFORMED / FEATURES / SUMMARY
Author: Sam Brilleman | Updated: Feb 27, 2023
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The Kuhl Renegade Shorts are a versatile pair of hiking shorts that are functional enough for the trails, but also casual enough to wear during your day-to-day activities around town.
The nylon material strikes an ideal balance between weight and durability, and is surprisingly quick drying. They are available in multiple inseam lengths and come with no less than 8 pockets — adding a decent amount of functionality. Plus, I was particularly impressed by the casual look and relaxed, comfortable fit.
That being said, there isn’t any adjustability on the waistband so you need to make sure you get your sizing right — or you’ll be stuck having to wear a belt.
SPECS
MATERIAL: 170gsm Duralux (95% nylon, 5% spandex)
INSEAM LENGTHS: 8”, 10”, or 12”
LEG OPENING: 21.5”
SUN PROTECTION: UPF 50
WATER RESISTANCE: DWR Finish
ALTERNATIVE STYLES: Krux, Cargo
PROS
Relaxed and roomy fit gives you plenty of space to move
Eight pockets in total, including some zippered ones
Lightweight – despite all the pockets, they don’t feel heavy or bulky.
Longer inseam, wider leg opening, and non-bunching fabric gives them a less dorky look than most
CONS
Lack of adjustable waistband – you need to buy the right size, or will have to wear a belt
The snap fastening on the waistband can occasionally pop open
WHERE WE TESTED
Over the last 12 months I’ve worn these shorts on a number of day hikes around the east coast of Australia — a relatively dry, but sunbeaten and bushy climate. Having said that, I’ve found them so comfortable that I’ve started using them as my go-to shorts for day-to-day activities around town too — so they’re definitely solid all-rounders.
HOW THEY PERFORMED
STYLE: I was surprised at how roomy and casual these shorts are – I was worried from the manufacturer photos that they’d be a bit tight, short, and possibly dorky, but they actually have quite a relaxed fit and decent length. Kuhl makes these shorts in multiple inseam lengths - and my preference was going with the longer inseam length (12 inch), but of course your preferences may differ.
Another thing worth highlighting is that they have a 21.5 inch opening on the leg, which as a metric was quite meaningless to me initially. But having also tried the Kuhl Silencr Kargo Shorts – which have a smaller 20 inch leg opening – I can definitely notice the difference. The wider opening gives the leg a straighter cut and makes it feel a bit more “relaxed”.
I’ve been using the Kuhl Renegade Shorts on day hikes, but I also find them casual and comfortable enough for day-to-day use.
FIT & COMFORT: The waist on the Kuhl Renegade Shorts isn’t elasticated or adjustable – so try and make sure you order the ideal size. If you don’t, you may end up needing a belt. Luckily I got the sizing spot on and so can wear them without a belt, which makes them much lighter and more comfortable.
EASE OF USE: There is a well-made and durable snap button on the waistline. The snap button is super easy to use, and for the most part is pretty secure (even after having been wearing them regularly for 6-12 months).
The snap does tend to pop occasionally, usually when crouching. I usually just do it back up, and prefer that occasional inconvenience compared with wearing a belt. But if you want zero risk of the button popping on you, then you’ll probably need to wear a belt. If you want to wear a belt, then there are appropriately sized belt loops, so that is definitely an option.
The waist is non-adjustable, but there are belt loops in case you want to wear one.
FUNCTIONALITY: The number of pockets, and their positioning, makes these pants pretty versatile. I can grab my phone, wallet, or keys at a moment's notice and there are zippered pockets to keep my valuables secure. This makes them great shorts for day-to-day, out on the trails, or other specific activities where being organised is useful.
VERSATILITY: As I’ve previously mentioned, I’ve been not only wearing them hiking – but they’ve become my go-to shorts for wearing during a normal day. The casual fit means that I can wear them in town and not feel like someone who just blew in off the trail.
The pockets are relatively discrete and slim, so even though you have all that storage – for if and when you need it – you don’t look like you are wearing an oversized pair of commando-esque cargo shorts.
The stealth pockets on either side of the shorts are much more discrete than cargo pockets.
DURABILITY: The Duralux material is relatively hardwearing, but still pretty lightweight. It is 170 gsm nylon (with a little spandex), so they’re never going to be as durable as a heavy-duty pair of pants built for endless days of bushwacking or rock scrambling. But they do strike an ideal balance between weight and durability, especially for most summer and three season hiking.
I’ve also been wearing and washing them for months now, and the fabric doesn’t appear to be pilling.
NOTABLE FEATURES
WEATHERPROOFING: The Duralux material offers UPF 50 sun protection, for those exposed summer days, but of course your lower legs won’t be covered since they are shorts after all.
There is a DWR finish applied to the fabric that does help prevent them wetting out in light rain showers. It’s not anything close to waterproofing, but it does help the material shed a bit of water. It’s worth noting that the material is relatively quick drying in any case.
POCKETS: The Renegade Shorts have a great selection of pockets, including some zippered ones. In total there are eight pockets. Two front pockets, two back pockets with Velcro closure, one zippered pocket on the side of each leg, and one tall slim pocket on the rear side of each leg. All the pockets are mesh on the interior side, to help with breathability and weight reduction, I guess.
The pockets are all mesh on the inner side, which helps improve breathability and reduces weight.
I’ve not used the zippered pockets on the side much, but it is handy to have them there – since the front pockets aren’t zippered (which would have actually been a nice addition). The side zippered pockets are low profile and don’t add bulk when not in use, and the zipper seems to work well.
The slim pockets on the rear side of each leg seem a bit overkill for me. They aren’t Velcro or zipper secured, and are low on the leg, so I tend not to use them. But I think some people might like that stealth design for storing a phone rather than in their front pocket – I guess that’s just down to personal preference.
I’ve tried everything in these shorts – including tennis – and I wouldn’t recommend it. I almost sprained my finger catching it in those f**king rear pockets at speed. These shorts might be versatile, but I wouldn’t trade in your tennis shorts just yet...
There is a zippered pocket on the front of each thigh, which helps add versatility for storing small items or valuables
NON-ADJUSTABLE WAISTBAND: As mentioned earlier, the waistband isn’t adjustable. So be sure to try dial in your correct sizing, or risk having to wear a belt. Some say these run a little large, but I found them relatively true-to-size; I’m a 32 in most pants, and perfectly fit a 32 in these shorts.
RELAXED FIT: Many hiking shorts have a tight, short fit which I just don’t find comfortable. The fact that these shorts come in a variety of inseam lengths and have a larger leg opening is really cool.
BELT LOOPS: There are five belt loops on the waistline, if that is your thing. They measure about 50mm, in case you want to check whether they’ll fit your favourite belt.
SUMMARY
All in all, I really liked the Kuhl Renegade Shorts. They are comfortable, functional, and quick drying – and although the material is lightweight it seems to be aging well.
The only small annoyances are the fact that the snap fastener can very occasionally pop open when you crouch down, and I find two of the eight pockets a bit excessive. But these are almost negligible complaints to the things I like about these shorts.
Elasticated or side slides to make the waist adjustable might have been a great addition – but these aren’t without their own downsides (e.g. creating friction points when wearing a backpack with a hip belt) so I imagine there are reasons Kuhl decided against it. But, given that the waist isn’t adjustable, be sure to measure up your correct size, or order from somewhere that will let you exchange if the sizing is a bit off.
DISCLOSURE
Kuhl provided me with a free sample for this review – but the views expressed here are all my own. The review also contains affiliate links, which help us keep churning out more content!
MORE INFORMATION
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Happy hiking and take care out there in the wild!