Want to know how good Chubbies really are? Here’s our unbiased review.
Table of Contents
There’s a whole category of internet-famous brands that are reshaping the men’s fashion scene, and Chubbies is right up there with Bombas and Warby Parker. Order online, and you can get better quality clothes, in unique styles, all for a lower price than most name brands.
Chubbies are offering some of the best shorts and swim trunks around, so I got my hands on five pairs to test for this review.
In the following sections, I’ll break down the overall pros and cons, as well as dive deep into my impressions of each individual pair that I tried.
About Chubbies
Founded in 2011 as an irreverent response to the world of high fashion, Chubbies has taken a strong stance on making clothes that don’t take themselves too seriously.
Their founding ideas are still in full effect today, and you can see this most in their variety of options. They make shorts for everyone — big and tall guys to men on the shorter side, guys who want classic colors, guys who want their pants to be an expression of their bold personalities, and everyone in between.
My Build
For reference, I’m 5’6” in shoes and about 125 lbs after dinner. I have a 35” chest and almost always order XS tops.
My off-the-rack suit jacket size would be 34S, and my ideal pant size is usually 28×28.
What I Tried
I had been interested in trying out Chubbies’ shorts for a while, so I went all in — buying five different pairs of their shorts in a range of lengths, colors, and styles. Here’s what I think of each of them, in depth.
Hunters 7 inch
The Hunters are a stretchy, pleated short with an elastic waistband.
Overall, I love the style. They’re more casual than chinos, but not quite tech shorts.
You can get the Hunters in about a dozen colors, and two lengths: Either 7 or 5.5 inches at the inseam.
If Chubbies would make these in a size XS, I’d wear them all the time. But for my build, they fit really loose and baggy, and they’re just too big all around.
Tahoes 6 inch
The Tahoes are Chubbies’ take on a lightweight, stretchy, technical short. They’re made of a polyester and spandex blend that gives four-way stretch, and come with plenty of pockets for everyday carry.
As with many of Chubbies’ shorts, the fit on the Tahoes runs large. The drawstring waistband is a particularly nice touch here, as it allows for some fine tuning of the fit.
I could see these being a great choice for a guy who is built a little bit larger, and wants a comfortable everyday pair of shorts.
Granolas
When I first tried the Granolas on, I couldn’t help but immediately compare them to Patagonia’s famous baggies. They have that same retro fit and style, with a few worthwhile upgrades.
The snap waistband here is really great, and I wish more shorts had a feature like it.
The colors for the Granolas are nice too, and in a more casual/neutral selection than many of Chubbies’ usual options.
Again, these shorts are super comfy, but just too baggy for my build. An XS would fix that problem, too.
Freestyles 5.5 inch
Note: the Freestyles have been discontinued.
My choice of swim trunks from Chubbies, the Freestyles, is also my favorite of their whole lineup. It’s a shame that they’re not in stock anymore, as I think these are some of the best trunks I’ve ever worn.
Unlike many of Chubbies’ other shorts, the Freestyles fit me perfectly in size small. They were offered in a wide range of fun (but not over-the-top) prints, and the pressed vertical line is a really nice touch.
I could probably do without the logo on the back of the Freestyles, but overall they’re a really great swim trunk — and I love that they have a longer liner than most traditional trunks, which makes them a lot more comfortable to wear.
The Reefs 6 inch
The Reefs are Chubbies’ “beach to boardwalk” shorts, a boardshort style that looks good enough to wear throughout a whole beach vacation. They’re made with a four-way stretch fabric for comfort and mobility, and available in six cool prints and waist sizes from 30 to 40.
These are larger than the Freestyles I mentioned above, so they fit a little bit baggy around my waist. I’d recommend sizing down from your usual waist size.
Overall I love the style, color, and comfort here, and can definitely recommend the Reefs as a great boardshort.
Overall Pros
Here’s my summary of the overall pros for Chubbies shorts:
- Cool branding
- Great customer service
- User experience on the website is great
- Fun, irreverent, and amusing branding and marketing language
- Friendly shipping and return policy
- Lots of colors, styles, and lengths to choose from
- Plenty of room around the hips in most of their shorts, which is good for guys who lift
Overall Cons
And here’s my summary of the brand’s overall cons:
- Their shorts run a little large in comparison to other brands
- Slimmer than most mass market brands, but still not slim around the thighs
- They’re a little expensive for what they are
- Some styles are a little bit too out there, too bold for my tastes
Frequently Asked Questions
And before I go, I’d like to take a minute to answer the questions I’ve heard guys asking most often about Chubbies.
Why are they called Chubbies?
The founders of Chubbies have mentioned that they named their brand to be a tongue-in-cheek and memorable name; it doesn’t have any particular meaning, besides sounding cool and memorable.
Who founded Chubbies?
Chubbies was founded by Kyle Hency, Rainer Castillo, Preston Rutherford, and Tom Montgomery.
Where is Chubbies headquarters?
Chubbies is currently headquartered in Austin, Texas.
Conclusion
Overall, I think Chubbies is a fun brand with an excellent user experience. They have a thoughtfully curated collection of shorts styles for different needs, though I do wish they offered more shorts in size XS for guys who are built like me.
In the end, Chubbies is definitely worth trying if you’re not happy with the shorts you currently have in your wardrobe.
Have you tried Chubbies? Let me know in the comments!
