You may not have heard of KÜHL (“cool” in German) but they’re a team that possesses the desire and passion to produce the best outdoor products on the market. Once in the hands of customers, they hope that it will ignite their passion for the Great Outdoors.
Let’s start out with the KÜHL Karib Stripe Men’s Short Sleeve Shirt – comfort and performance in the summer sun. Lightweight, breathable, and fitted with “coconut” buttons, the Karib brings the tropics to you. The hidden security pocket is ideal for vacation travel.
Key Karib Features
- Lightweight two-tone stripe fabric
- Breathable performance
- Inside security pocket
- Modern, reduced collar
- Hidden button-down collar
- 60% Cotton, 40% Polyester
Next up is the KÜHL Renegade Men’s Short – superior comfort and performance with KÜHL’s exclusive DURALUX™ fabric. This easy-care material is soft to the touch, breathable, and equipped with maximum sun protection. Durable anti-abrasion and quick dry performance ensure your ready for any trail. Natural stretch and a gusseted crotch allow for freedom of movement while eight pockets provide plenty of storage.
Key Renegade Features
- 95% Nylon, 5% Spandex
- Durable two-way stretch fabric with a water-resistant finish
- Eight pockets: two front mesh chino style, two back with Velcro closure, two side mesh with zipper closure, one 3D cell phone and one stealth cell phone
- Gusseted crotch for freedom of moment
- Bottom leg opening 21.5”
Observations
The best part of testing performance apparel in Northern California Bay Area is the big temperature swings from May to August. We hit a high of 95 degrees a few days ago and a low of 55 degrees last night. On the average, we’re seeing temperature ranges of 70 to 80 degrees.
On hot days, we’re looking for lightweight and breathability in our apparel. The Karib Stripe shirt performed remarkably well with the added bonus of sun protection – UPF 20 for Karib shirt, UPF 50+ for Renegade short. My only nit is that the hidden pocket (behind front left side pocket) lack a zipper… I am also an “untuck” shirt guy so I pay special attention to the length and cut – perfect 🙂
The Renegade short is perfect for warm days and especially for vacation travel as it has more pockets (total of 8) than I need – the front 4 pockets are all I used (phone, wallet, keys). I don’t use the rear back pockets for safety reasons… But for occasions where security is not an issue, the two rear cellphone pockets are really practical. My wish list is that the cellphone pocket is located inside the front right pocket – sort of like the Renegade Cargo shorts left pocket.
When checking out tourist spots or local delicacy when travelling, the stretchy fabric and water-resistant finish comes in handy when eating food on-the-go!
We have wear tested quality construction with superior materials from various international brands of performance wear over the past decade and KÜHL certainly belongs to this short list: Icebreaker, Smartwool, Ashmei, Craghoppers. Even after a decade of usage, they are still holding up albeit some shrinkage for those I’ve overused…
Both KÜHL Karib Stripe shirt and KÜHL Renegade shorts are now available for purchase online at KÜHL website in various colorways, styles (Renegade), sizes, inseam lengths (Renegade).
