Patagonia vs Lululemon: which short to buy, and when
Both land in the mid tier: the Patagonia Baggies Short at $69, the Lululemon Pace Breaker Short at $78, $9 apart. Here is how they stack up, head to head.
| Patagonia | Lululemon | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $69 | $78 |
| Material | Quick-drying 100% recycled nylon (made in a Fair Trade Certified factory) with a recycled mesh-brief liner and a DWR finish. | Lightweight four-way-stretch Swift fabric (recycled polyester with elastane), sweat-wicking, with a brushed mesh liner. |
| 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. | Athletic, slightly relaxed through the leg with an elastic drawcord waist; offered in 5", 7", and 9" inseams, true to size — the 7" is the default. |
| 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. | Strong shell that wears for years, but the liner is the failure point — it pills, balls, and can chafe; the Swift fabric snags and pills where it rubs. |
| Best for | Beach, river, trail, and travel — anyone who wants one short that swims, hikes, and lounges and holds up for years. | Gym, lifting, and athleisure wear where you want stretch and a soft hand; long-distance runners often prefer the linerless version to dodge the liner chafe. |
| 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. | Cold wash inside-out, avoid fabric softener (it kills the wicking), and hang or tumble low; softener and heat are what degrade the liner and finish fastest. |
Nine dollars separates a versatile water-to-land short with bartacked nylon construction from a stretch-focused gym short with a liner that pills and chafes — a gap small enough that it would need to be justified by meaningfully better construction or utility, and it isn't. The Patagonia earns its price through material durability and genuine cross-use range; the Lululemon charges a logo premium over comparable lined athletic shorts that run $40–55 elsewhere.
- The case for Patagonia
- The Baggies wins on durability and versatility — recycled nylon with bartacked stress points survives years of water, trail, and travel use in a way the Swift fabric's pilling and snag tendencies do not match.
- The case for Lululemon
- The Pace Breaker wins on stretch and soft hand feel — the four-way-stretch Swift fabric moves better in a gym or lifting context than the stiffer nylon shell of the Baggies.
VerdictThe pick
Buy the Patagonia if the short needs to do more than one thing — swim, hike, travel, lounge — or if liner longevity matters, since the Baggies liner, while not perfect, outperforms the Lululemon's pill-prone brushed mesh. Step up to the Lululemon only if the use case is strictly gym and athleisure and stretch is the overriding priority — and even then, the linerless cut at $68 is the more rational buy given that the liner is the first thing to fail. The $9 premium on the lined Pace Breaker buys neither better construction nor longer liner life; it buys a logo.
This link may pay us when you click or buy, at no extra cost to you.