2XU Comp Tri Shorts–Final Review

A few months ago, we started testing the 2XU Comp Tri Shorts and published our initial review back in March.  Our schedule has been a bit hectic and we’ve just now been able to finish our testing and product this review.

To recap, the Comp Tri Shorts are the least expensive tri shorts from 2XU.  We picked these up for a little less than their $75 retail price but we were also able to find quite a few pairs of shorts for around $50, though we’re confident these are previous year’s models.  2XU uses a material called SBR Skin to manufacture these shorts and claims that the skin excels at moisture control, comfort, and longevity.  Basically, SBR Skin is more chlorine and bacteria resistant and also encourages air flow and the wicking of water from the shorts.

Appearance:

Just to recap from our initial review: The 2XU tri shorts feature large visible seams, very similar to the DeSoto’s we tested last month.  Our shorts are solid black with several fabric panels comprising the shorts.  While not quite as long as jammers, these shorts do have reasonably long legs.  The waistband is narrow but comfortable.

Comfort and Fit:

As mentioned before, these short fit true, so make sure you order your actual size.  As with other middle of the road shorts, you’ll instantly notice that these shorts feature a much stronger and expensive fabric compared to entry level shorts.  The fit is very snug, largely due to 2XU’s Kinetic Compression feature.  Kinetic Compression is designed to support your muscles, remove lactic acid from muscles, and reduce the vibration and fatigue.

We love that 2XU provides a long drawstring, one of our most desirable features, and silicone leg grippers that truly keep the shorts in place.

Overall:

We like these shorts.  They are very comfortable and they fit well.  We believe that they live up to their claims of moisture wicking and bacteria resistance.  We are also impressed with their ability to hold up to chlorine.  We have worn these shorts almost exclusively in the pool and after four months of use, we’ve haven’t noticed any unexpected wear.

We’re a bit skeptical on the compression claims.  Compared to entry level shorts that didn’t claim any compression benefits, we haven’t noticed any increased performance from the compression.

We don’t think this is a reason to avoid the 2XU Comp Tri shorts.  They perform well and live up to our expectations.  We didn’t truly expect these shorts to provide serious compression.  In any case, if you were concerned about compression, you would be better off buying calf sleeves or another compression specific produce.  These shorts hold up well during chlorine usage, fit well, don’t stretch much, and dry quickly.  Most entry to mid level triathletes will be very happy with these shorts.