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Rockay Men’s Shorts Review

Ben Drew

Rockay is an environmentally friendly apparel company that has been founded by a runner. Their mission is to provide high-quality products that are environmentally friendly and sustainable while helping to clean the oceans.

Rockay was founded in 2018 by Daniel Chabert Pfefferkorn, who leads an active lifestyle and is an ultra runner. Daniel ran his first marathon at the age of 16 and since then he has been searching for running gear that would fit his needs. However, there was always something missing. That is, until he created his first pair of socks that were made from 100% recyclable plastic.

From that pair of socks, Rockay now offers a full range of apparel from running shorts, T-shirts, tank tops, compression sleeves to water bottles.

Let’s take a closer look at what makes Rockay men’s shorts so unique.

What Makes Rockay Unique?

Rockay has partnered with ReSea Project and Econyl to make men’s shorts from 100% recycled materials. ReSea Project collects fishing nets, plastic, and other waste items from all over the world. This waste is then sorted and carefully washed before it’s taken to Econyl.

Once it’s arrived at Econyl, they then put the waste through a purification process that allows them to regenerate the nylon as a brand new, high-tech yarn. This yarn is then used to make the shorts.

The shorts undergo a very unique treatment called Polygiene that prevents odor-causing bacteria to grow, even after multiple uses. Polygiene is made from recycled silver salt and is added to the material which keeps the shorts fresher for longer. This reduces the amount of times you’d need to wash the shorts, thereby reducing your own carbon footprint.

Once Polygiene has been applied it’s there permanently. After you have washed the shorts a few times, you’ll find that after the next 10 runs—without washing the shorts— that your shorts still have that “just washed” feeling. Not only will you be reducing your carbon footprint but you’ll be helping to save water.

Each pair of shorts that Rockay makes uses 357 grams of plastic waste that’s been removed from the ocean and landfills from around the world. Everything that Rockay does, including the packaging that they use, is made from recyclable materials and has the lowest CO2 impact that’s currently possible.

The Rockay team is always looking at ways to improve not only their manufacturing processes but their materials; so that they can continue to clean the oceans while producing high-quality environmentally-friendly apparel.

Main Features

Style

This 2-in-1 pair of shorts has an outer short that’s made from 100% recycled polyester and the inner brief is made from 80% recycled polyester and 20% elastane. The shorts have a side-split leg that allows for a full range of motion without any restrictions.

The inner brief is soft, with flat seams and this will let you run for miles without having to worry about skin irritation or chafing. The inner brief draws moisture away from the skin to help keep you dry on your run.

With UPF 50+ protection, you can run confidently knowing that they’re protecting you from harmful UV rays.

Pockets

The outer shorts have two pockets that allow you to keep a protein bar, energy gel or your car keys in while you run. The construction of the shorts means that even though your pockets have something in them, they won’t bounce and distract you from your run.

There is a hidden pocket on the right thigh where you can store your phone, keys or bank cards. The pocket is form-fitting, keeping your phone in place without any bounce while running.
Ventilation

The outer shorts have perforations on the sides, front and back of the shorts that allow for air circulation. This also helps the shorts to dry quickly, keeping you cool and dry even on the hottest day.

Anti-Odor Technology

The shorts feature a unique anti-odor technology called Polygiene®. This technology is added to the material and prevents the growth of bacteria that can cause odors. You can run in these shorts daily for a week without washing them and you’ll find that they stay fresh, soft and odor-free.

This reduces the amount of times that you have to wash the shorts while saving liters of fresh water and reducing the amount of greenhouse gas.

Warranty

Running apparel goes through wear and tear and most companies don’t offer any warranties should you have a loss of functionality in the garment.

But when you purchase these shorts from Rockay, they come with a 2-year warranty. If you experience any loss of functionality, Rockay will send you a replacement.

Sizes and Colors

At the moment these shorts are only available with the outer shorts being Dolphin blue in color and the inner brief in orange.

The sizing ranges from small to extra large and if you’re unsure of what size to get; there’s a sizing guide that’s available on the website to help you get the best fit.

Hands-on Review

We had a chance to try out Rockay’s shorts on some test runs. Here are our thoughts:

Putting them on for the first time, they had a nice fit – not too tight or loose. They felt comfortable, both after putting them on and during a run. There was no scratchy feeling you sometimes get with fabrics made from recycled materials. Color and style were both nice.

We liked the length, right in that sweet spot between not-too-long and not-too-short. This is just a personal preference, but we find the 2-in-1 boxer liner to be the most comfortable style. It helps to prevent chafing and adds extra coverage if you are a bit modest. We found the inner liner to stay in place and not ride up at all.

The multiple pockets were great. Very convenient to have a choice of places to store items on a run. Although it was missing a small key or money pocket, which is convenient if you typically run with those items.

Post-run, we didn’t notice the shorts retaining odor. Sometimes, it takes many months of running before a pair of shorts starts to smell. But for our test, we didn’t notice anything. They also dried very quickly.

Overall, we thought these shorts were great. A bit expensive, but you are getting a quality pair of shorts with some nice features that will last for many, many runs.