Product Review: Kuhl Valiant SS Krew and Trekr 11" Short.

So, this is the first product review we've done as part of our blog. Somehow, someone from Kuhl stumbled across this humble blog site and asked us if we'd test and review a product or two of our choice. Why, of course, we can help out! We typically love Kuhl-wear. We each picked one item to test and then review. Kevin chose the Valiant SS Krew t-shirt, and Roxanne chose the Trekr 11" shorts.

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Disclosure: Kuhl donated the Valiant SS Krew and Trekr shorts for this review. We don't believe this has influenced our reviews of the products.

Photos from Kuhl website. We decided these professional models wore the clothing better than we did.

KUHL Valriant SS Krew T-shirt

The KUHL Valriant SS Krew T-shirt is advertised as a silky-smooth, super-soft, ultralight, comfortable merino shirt. They say its soft, dynamic stitching reduces bulk, adds style, and delivers great next-to-skin comfort with the odor-resistant performance of merino wool. Let's find out.

Kevin's review: I spent a fair amount of time with this shirt. I've worn it as a base layer, as a single layer, in the summer heat and cooler fall temperatures. I've worn it for 10 days straight, no washing, no rinsing. It is lightweight. It almost feels too thin. It's comfortable.

Fit: It's advertised as a modern, athletic fit. I'm not exactly sure what that means other than perhaps they want you to think of yourself as an athlete if you're wearing this shirt. Maybe it just means loose-fitting, I don't know. I will say that I measured right at the border between large and extra large. A few reviewers on their website noted that the shirt runs a bit on the small side, so I opted for the X-Large. I feel like it's too big on me, and I should have gone with the large. It did feel loose and somewhat breezy in summer temperatures over 80 and 90, so that's nice, I suppose. It regulated temperatures very well. I never felt too hot, nor too cold, in a variety of temps and activities.

Aesthetics: Yeah. This is subjective, but I think it's a good-looking shirt. So do all the ladies. And by all the ladies, I mean my wife and my daughter.

Inviziwul Advanced Fabric: At 53% Polyester and 47% merino wool, it seems to have lost the itchiness that comes with some wool products but still delivers sun protection and odor resistance. I wore the shirt for 10 days straight. I wore to the gym, out on hikes, to the grocery store, to happy hour, and just generally out and about town. I wore it traveling in Ireland and in the Boundary Waters. The few times I thought it might be getting a little funky, I took it off only to discover that the stink was not in the shirt, but on me. It also dries pretty quickly. I wore it on a recent hike. It was sweat-soaked at the end of the day. I left it hanging from a tree branch overnight in 42F temps with little breeze, and it was dry in the morning.

Washability and Care. It comes with explicit care instructions. I cold-wash mine and hang it to dry. You're supposed to lay it flat to dry, which I will probably do come winter, but the weather this summer has been good for line drying outside.

Durability: So far, so good, but I've only had it for 3 months. The real test will be if it's still holding up in 5 years. I have other wool shirts that I've had for 10-20 years, and they are still going strong. This one feels so lightweight, I'm not sure it can make it that long, but time will tell. UPDATE: Three years in and the shirt is holding up well.

Cost: It's currently listed on KUHL's website at $65.00. That's a lot of spondulicks for a t-shirt, but there are others listed for more. Is it worth it? Yes, IT IS. I don't think I'd buy a raft of them - but then again, if it wears for 10+ days straight and is durable, you might only need one.

Would I Buy the Next One?: Yes, I would, especially if I can find it on sale.

RATING: 5 Stars

KUHL Women's TREKR 11" Short

The KUHL TREKR Short is advertised as a casual style short made from quick-drying fabric, perfect for the trail or back deck with comfortable stretch. Let's find out.

Roxanne's review: In all honesty, it's been YEARS since I purchased a new pair of shorts. My go-to shorts are Nike Women's golf shorts that hit above my knee and a seriously old pair of Eddie Bauer shorts that used to be brown and now are a splotchy russet color. The "brown" shorts are likely 15 or more years old.

Fit: I like longer shorts that hit right above my knee. Hey, I'm in my 50s, and my legs have seen better days. I've never been one to wear short shorts unless it's in the darkness of the early morning during my daily run. I also like the fit of my pants and shorts to be a bit on the loose side, so I appreciate some extra room to move, and stretchy fabric helps too. I ordered a size 8 and found it to be just right, with a little extra room, and the fabric was definitely stretchy. Squatting down was easy without binding or feeling like the waist was drooping in the back.

The TREKR short comes in an 8" or an 11" inseam. In all honesty, I wish there was a 12" inseam with a bit more taper to the bottom. Longer shorts aren't flattering if they don't properly taper and elongate your legs (in my opinion). But I will admit, I am very picky about what pants and shorts I buy and wear, so this is not an issue others might have with these shorts.

REKOIL Advanced Fabric: The REKOIL fabric is exclusive to KUHL and is quick-drying. At 57% Polyester and 43% Nylon, this fabric has plenty of stretch, yet feels to be quite durable.

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Pockets, pockets, pockets! These shorts have snapped pockets in the back (not super deep, so a cell phone fits but sticks out quite far), fairly deep pockets in the front, and side pockets that zip. The side pockets lie very flat (when nothing is in them), which is great.

Design and color: The TREKR shorts have belt loops, a snap, and a zipper similar to jeans -but they are very streamlined and smooth (not bulky). The KUHL logo is tastefully small and located at the back belt loop. This may seem minor, but so many technical clothes feature prominent logos these days, so I applaud Kuhl for being subtle. They come in 4 colors and I ordered the Charcoal color. They are also available in a lighter grey (Stone), a deep blue (Inkwell), and a gray/green (Pine).

Washability and Care. The care instructions are to machine wash cold, delicate cycle and tumble dry low. Of course, I did not read the instructions before throwing the shorts into the washer with a full load of clothes on a regular cycle and then drying them in a medium-heat dryer. But this ended up being no problem, as the shorts did not shrink. However, I will be more careful in the future to avoid any problems that might arise after multiple washings.

Durability: So far, so good, but I've only had it for 3 months. The real test will be if it's still holding up in 5 years - or 15 years like my ol' Eddie Bauer shorts!

Cost: It's currently listed on KUHL's website at $79.00. That's pretty average for a pair of women's shorts from REI, Athleta, Title Nine, etc. so I feel it's a fair price.

Would I Buy the Short Again?: Probably not, because of the way the shorts hit my leg so far above the knee - but I don't hesitate to recommend it to others who might not have this same issue with short length. In fact, I like the design and fabric enough to purchase a pair of KUHL FREEFLEX ROLL-UP Women's Pants, which I love--- super lightweight and great for travel. I definitely give the Roll-Up pants 5 stars.

RATING: 3.5 Stars for the shorts

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