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We picked this as the representative Patagonia short. Their lineup has other options in the same tier.
- ✓You buy direct from Patagonia — we just help you decide
- ✓Price honesty checked, not just listed
Baggies Short
About Patagonia’s shorts: The Baggies is Patagonia's defining short — a recycled-nylon water-and-land piece sold in 5-inch and 7-inch inseams (with a Longs version) that's barely changed in decades. The 5-inch runs around $69; the longer cuts sit a few dollars higher.
Is the price honest?
Fair at around $69, and most of it is durability and versatility rather than logo — the recycled nylon, bartacked stress points, and genuine water-to-land range are why people keep them for years. You're paying a Patagonia premium over a generic swim short, but the lifespan and the brand's repair backing make it earn out; the fit just has to suit you.
Our take
The Baggies is the short Patagonia is known for: a fast-drying recycled-nylon short with a mesh-lined elastic waist that works for swimming, hiking, and lounging interchangeably. Owners love that it dries in minutes, packs to nothing, and lasts years — plenty of reviewers report a pair surviving a decade of abuse. The honest caveats are the cut and the liner: the body is genuinely roomy and boxy (the name is not ironic), the 5-inch runs short on the thigh while the 7-inch is the safer everyday pick, and the brief-style mesh liner is divisive — some find it scratchy or cut it out entirely. The nylon also reads sporty rather than refined, so it's a beach-and-trail short, not a dressed-up one.
Own Patagonia shorts?
No owner reviews here yet — and we don't fake them. If you've actually worn these, tell us how they held up: fit after washing, wear over time, where they fell short. Named, honest, with a photo if you've got one.
Write the first honest reviewThe details
- Material
- Quick-drying 100% recycled nylon (made in a Fair Trade Certified factory) with a recycled mesh-brief liner and a DWR finish.
- Fit
- Relaxed, boxy cut on an elastic drawstring waist in 5-inch or 7-inch inseams; size down if you want it trimmer, and most people prefer the 7-inch for everyday wear.
- Quality
- Excellent for the price — bartacked seams and tough nylon that routinely lasts years; the DWR water-repellency does wear off over time and the liner is the weak point.
- Best for
- Beach, river, trail, and travel — anyone who wants one short that swims, hikes, and lounges and holds up for years.
- Care
- Machine wash cold and hang or tumble low; skip fabric softener, and refresh the DWR with a wash-in treatment once water stops beading.
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