The 10 Best Workout Shorts That Double as Swim Trunks

Packing separate gym shorts and swim trunks is redundant if the right pair handles both. Quick-dry fabric, built-in liner, and a design that doesn't scream either gym or beach exclusively—that's the hybrid short that reduces your packing list and works harder per garment.

Judge the fabric before the badge. Anything that dries in minutes is polyester or nylon, usually 85 to 90 percent of the blend, with the rest elastane for stretch. Hold the short up to a window: an open weave you can see light through dries fast and also goes slightly sheer when wet, so check what colour the liner is underneath. Cotton in the blend disqualifies it at any percentage. It holds water, stays cold against your legs, and takes hours.

Vuori Kore Short at $68 is the benchmark hybrid. DreamKnit fabric dries in minutes, the moisture-wicking liner provides support without compression, and the 7.5-inch inseam hits the modern sweet spot. They look like normal shorts at dinner—not gym wear or boardshorts.

Patagonia Baggies at $55 are the original hybrid and still viable. The 100% recycled nylon shell dries fast, the DWR finish repels splashes, and the mesh liner breathes during activity. The 5-inch inseam runs shorter than current trends, but the relaxed fit compensates.

Rhone Pursuit Short at $78 features four-way stretch fabric with their GoldFusion anti-odor technology. The internal brief liner provides support, the zippered back pocket secures keys during ocean swims, and the 7-inch unlined version exists for those who prefer separate compression.

Chlorine is what kills these, not saltwater. It degrades elastane, which is why a pair worn twice a week in a pool loses its waistband snap inside a season while the same short used only in the sea lasts years. Competitive swimwear gets round this with PBT instead of elastane — the reason Speedo Endurance and Arena MaxLife feel drier and stiffer in the hand — but no hybrid short uses it. Your defence is a cold freshwater rinse within the hour, no wringing, and drying flat in shade. The tumble dryer does more damage than the pool.

Lululemon Pace Breaker 7-inch Lined at $68 uses their Swift Ultra fabric that transitions from a HIIT class to a beach without feeling out of place in either. The drawcord waistband secures during diving and the side slits allow full range of motion during squats.

Ten Thousand Interval Short at $68 uses their Twilight fabric that dries almost instantly. The liner is their most comfortable—flat-seam construction eliminates chafing during long sessions—and the overall aesthetic is restrained enough for pool-to-lunch transitions without self-consciousness.

The details that matter for dual-use: drainage grommets in pockets (prevents water pooling), internal drawcord rather than external (no dangling string), and dark colorways (chlorine fading is less visible). Check all three boxes and a single pair covers both activities indefinitely.

Where hybrids fall down is real swimming. A 7.5-inch inseam with a mesh liner creates genuine drag, and the liner holds water, so you walk back to the towel carrying an extra pound of it. Swim lengths and you want jammers or an unlined 5-inch trunk instead. Surfing is the same story: a flat internal drawcord will not survive a wave the way a proper boardshort's Velcro fly and double-tie waistband does.