KÜHL Kush 7″ Short Review

KÜHL Kush 7″ Short Review by Erin Trail The KÜHL Kush 7″ Short is a lightweight, silky soft short option that’s perfect for summer time. Details Drop-in thigh pockets Wide, high-rise waistband Rear waistband pocket UPF 50+ DuraSkülpt™ snag-resistant fabric Infinity drawstring for waistband size adjustments 7″ inseam Fit and Function Similar to the KÜHL…

Erin Trail

July 20, 2026

4–6 minutes

active wear, kuhl, running shorts, shorts, womens shorts

KÜHL Kush 7″ Short

Review by Erin Trail

The KÜHL Kush 7″ Short is a lightweight, silky soft short option that’s perfect for summer time.

Details

Drop-in thigh pockets
Wide, high-rise waistband
Rear waistband pocket
UPF 50+
DuraSkülpt™ snag-resistant fabric
Infinity drawstring for waistband size adjustments
7″ inseam

Fit and Function

Similar to the KÜHL Kush Tights, the Kush 7″ Shorts has a similar fit and several of the same features.

The main feature is how soft and lightweight the DuraSkülpt™ is. I really liked this fabric in tight form and it’s equally great as shorts.

I am a size medium on the KÜHL size guide. The KÜHL Kush 7″ Short is true to size, but due to the stretchiness, I could probably size down to get a more compressive fit. The infinity drawstring inside the waistband is a nice extra, but I found that I didn’t need to adjust it during my testing.

I’ve been wearing the KÜHL Kush 7″ Short on summer runs, sometimes with temperatures in the low 90s. These are the lightest shorts (that are bike short style) in my expansive short collection.

What makes the KÜHL Kush 7″ Short different from other, similar shorts in my running collection is that the bottom leg hem doesn’t use silicone grips. And somehow, the bottom hem isn’t so tight that it causes dreaded sausage thighs, even with my muscular legs. And most importantly, these shorts DO NOT MOVE as you run.

I have friends who like to wear tight-fitting run shorts but don’t like shorts with silicone grips. The KÜHL Kush 7″ Short tick those boxes nicely.

The DuraSkülpt™ is very lightweight, which lends itself nicely for hot temperature runs. I haven’t felt like the shorts are retaining heat (or absorbing solar heat) as I run. They breathe nicely as well. They will show sweat (for me on the back waist because I wear a pack when I run), so if you don’t want to sweat showing during your run, get the black version of the shorts.

The other features of the KÜHL Kush 7″ Short are well done. The side drop in pockets are large enough to fit a phone or snacks securely. The shorts don’t weigh down or end up lopsided if you only load up one pocket.

The KÜHL Kush 7″ Short are also very flexible and feel like second skin. I have full range of movement, without restriction. Also of note, the shorts are completely opaque.

Closing Thoughts

The KÜHL Kush 7″ Short have become my favorite hot weather running short. They’re hassle free and lightweight, enabling me to focus on my runs and not my shorts.

The KÜHL Kush 7″ Short is available for women in five colorways (Night Sky, Slate Green, Violet Haze, Grenadine, and black) in sizes ranging from XS to XL.

Erin Trail

Trail Boss of Stoke

Erin Trail’s hobby is collecting hobbies. She’s a 5th Generation Coloradan and grew up exploring the outdoors on family camping trips and hikes. Her first backpacking trip was at eight years old to Grizzly Reservoir – she proudly carried all of her own gear those 3 miles from the main parking lot to the Reservoir.

Erin is an adult-onset athlete who started as a Masters Swimmer and then developed into a triathlete. She has completed 5 Ironman races and nearly 20 x 70.3 distance Ironman races, including the World Championship in Lahti, Finland, in 2023. In 2025, she raced for Team USA in Pontevedra, Spain for the World Triathlon Cross Tri World Championship. She placed 9th in her age group and was the 1st American woman in her age group.

Erin Trail on her mountain bike at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Erin Trail on her running at the World Tri Cross Triathlon World Championship race

Somewhere along her triathlon journey, she picked up deep love of cycling. Cycling encouraged her to see landscapes in a new way, learn new skills and to develop self reliance; now she often goes and does Type 2 rides just to see if she can do it. She’s got all the bikes: gravel, mountain, fat bike, time trial and road.

She is even known to combine her love of camping and cycling and go off on solo 24 hour overnight bikepacking trips in the mountains of Colorado. In addition to bikes, she teaches yoga, lifts weights, skis, SUPs and has recently purchased a campervan.

Erin is a former Montana park ranger with a degree in environmental engineering. She loves getting into technical details while putting her gear (and herself) through the paces. She shares her home in Colorado with her husband, Will, and her 3 cats (Zipper, Brewtus, and Simcoe).

Fall and winter 2025 will bring Erin to the “Adventure Side”, with many camping, vanlife, bikepacking, and mountain bike rides. Once the snow flies, she can be find resort skiing, fat biking, and triathlon training (inside and outside).

In 2026 Erin took the National Championship in her Age Group for the USA Triathlon Cross Tri. She’s also racing the a National Championship Road Sprint and Olympic Distance race in Milwaukee and a few other off road triathlons and bike races. In 2027, she will represent Team USA at the World Championship Cross Triathlon in Edmonton, Canada. She’ll also save lots of room for adventure time with her friends and husband.

When not adventuring, she can be found on a sunny patio somewhere, drinking beers with her husband.

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