Aviator Non Stop Travel Shorts Review
A casual short designed to help you trim down your load-out.
Aviator Non Stop Travel Shorts Review Introduction
Aviator USA - the patron saint of travel jeans - has actually never rested on those laurels. One of the first brands we reviewed on the site (Aviator Travel Jeans Review), they’ve spent the years building out a full product line focused on travel friendliness. While some pieces have evolved over the years, they went from the OG jeans to merino (Aviator merino t-shirt review) to hoodies, polos, etc. They are also one of the few brands out there that features full blown men’s AND women’s lines, so something for readers to note there because it’s not as common as you might think. Improving in the overall travel clothing landscape, but not that common, and Aviator has been doing it for years.
One area that made perfect sense for them to branch into were travel shorts. Not a huge leap in your mind, right? You have the pants, need the shorts, too! So with that, they launched the Non Stop Travel shorts and off they went. They are now on version 3.0. A pair of shorts meant to cover you in all sorts of scenarios so you don’t need to bring 3 pairs. Not a new idea in travel, but what we want to look into is the implementation.
This is my review of the Non Stop Travel Shorts from Aviator. I’ve been rocking these around NYC for the past month while we all have been sweltering for the last week or so (Ever been on the NYC subway platforms when it’s 95 out? Yeah - it’s at least 105 on the platforms. Lovely.), and just to get some good testing I also took them to DC (wicked hot) and Texas (wicked hot) for good measure. Both involved airports and flights.
As always for full transparency - I purchased these shorts with my own money. This is not a sponsored article and Aviator had no input into the content nor did I receive any money from them for writing it. I do use affiliate links to support the site, but this comes at no cost to you if you choose to use them. Thank you for stopping by!
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The Non Stop Travel Shorts Overview
Approved to wear while enjoying Negronis.
The Non Stop travel shorts, like many travel shorts, are meant to help you cut down on the number of specific items you need to bring with you while traveling. This in turn helps make your luggage smaller, yourself more agile in your locations, and have less things to wash or care for. It’s a great concept that’s exploded in the last few years with brands and I’m frankly here for it.
The Non Stop shorts are meant to lean on the casual end of the spectrum. The 4 Way stretch provides lots of comfort and flexibility in how you use them. The advertised use cases are for casual wear, the aim here is that they can be your only short for daily wear, swimming, and gym shorts. Ideally, you’re able to sneak them into a scenario for a restaurant or bar, too. More on that later.
The inseam comes stock with an 8.5 inch hem.
Note - these shorts are MADE IN THE USA.
Materials from Their Website:
Made with 92% Polyester and 8% Spandex
Cationic DWR coating for water resistance
Right now these retail for $115.00 USD as of July 2024 and they come in 2 colors: charcoal and black. These do get included when they run site-wide sales, however.
The Non Stop Travel Shorts Features
These shorts have features! Really, any short designated a “travel” short needs features. Often I see brands using this terminology just because the fabric itself is kind of techy. No no no, my friends. I digress - let’s cover off here.
The fabric itself is a feature. It’s very lightweight and also quick dry, which helps when you are washing by hand in your room or getting out of the river on a hike. This fabric is also coated in a DWR which is going to help you stay drier longer in a light rain, or also helps you when you're still groggy and don’t close the top of your coffee enough and it drips all over your shorts when you sip it. Just me? OK moving on, Judge-a-sauras Rex.
It’s also got 4-way stretch. This is, not shockingly, better than 2-way stretch. For the folks that don’t skip leg day this is a feature for you.
Aviator is no stranger to pockets, so they’ve made sure to address those as well. On the front right pocket there is a pick-pocket zippered spot (I like it better for that than a phone). On the back, both pockets are zippered, a rarity as most competitors only put a zipper on the right pocket.
Couple features of note on the inside, too. We’ve got drawstrings meant to help in swimming scenarios, belt free scenarios, or athletic scenarios. These can be worn outside or inside. They’ve also used a type of micro-mesh material on the pockets. It’s slightly rigid so it maintains its strength, but being mesh it allows water to flow through so you don’t leave your shorts in the Pacific when you dive into that gnarly wave or pull yourself out of the resort pool by just your arms like a beer commercial. The shorts will stay put is what I’m saying here.
Not EXACTLY a “feature” but something only available on these shorts - you can get a custom hem from Aviator. When you purchase, just check the box and select the length you want. For instance I ordered a 7 inch.
The Non Stop Travel Shorts Fit
Fabric Close Up
Let’s quickly show you all the fit. Overall, pretty solid. This varies from person to person and you’ll need to try it on yourself, but here’s how they look on me. Remember I had the 7 in inseam and I’m 5’6’ in height. Thanks to the Pembroke at the Dupont Circle Hotel in DC for the assist on the backdrop, lol. I get nothing from them, it’s just a nice hotel that also happens to have a great breakfast!
I was happy with the fit for casual and active-capable shorts. I won’t lie I wish they were a LITTLE more tapered or form fitting, but I found them acceptable and I think on someone with bigger legs than me, this won’t be too much of an issue. You will notice things in your pockets though, depending on your body type.
The Good
Considering these are meant as casual day to day shorts that you can also use for swimming and athletic pursuits like hiking, yoga, the gym, beach volleyball, whatever - they did a good job with the fabric. It’s certainly lightweight and quick dry, and leans more athleisure than khaki shorts replacements so keep that in mind. I’d say these compete with the Boundless from Western Rise rather than the Evolutions.
These will also work for golfing, and will be fine in casual bars and restaurants, especially in beachy towns or low-key cities that just don’t care about a scene.
But the stretch and “weight” of the fabric was very nice for travel and for active movement. This also makes them roll up nice and small in your packing cube or backpack because outside of the waist band, the material is pretty lightweight and thin. I was nice and comfortable in these shorts both on the planes I wore them on, as well as while in these hot cities. In fact, I didn’t really notice the shorts much while wearing them. Which if you’re not picking up what I’m putting down - is a good thing.
The versatility is an obvious good point here. Any of these shorts that succeed in that way, I have to list this as a “good”. Bringing less clothing is always a plus. Being up front I did not take these to the gym (no membership right now, sue me!) or swim in them, but would be quite fine doing so. And since I wash on cold and usually air dry tech fabrics, these dried really quickly vs what cotton would have done and that would just increase if you’re out in the sun. YMMV in super humid environments, but generally speaking these should be mostly dry in under 4 hours - much less if not too humid.
The ‘optionality’ is good here. While I don’t think that was a word that existed before video reviews and maybe still isn’t a real word, I’m going to go with that here. The drawstrings can be worn inside or out based on how you thread them. I REALLY like that both back pockets have a zipper. In fact I’ve seen a not insignificant number of people online that refuse to just put their wallet in the right pocket and want shorts with a zipper on the left. To you folks I say, these shorts are your huckleberry.
Building on that point, Aviator is the only company I’ve seen that offers a free custom hem. Years ago some brands used to try a service for that (I think DUER did), but it seems that got cut after the COVID times. It was a third party. But since Aviator sews most of their stuff in the USA, they can offer that direct from their factories. Not everyone wants an 8.5in short. Or, not everyone is TALL enough for an 8.5in short (sadly nodding my head). So this is great to see. It’s worth noting they do the same on their jeans. I don’t know how much a large hem will change the “pattern” of the leg taper and how that falls around your ankle (you short folks know what I mean), but it’s an option and you could always email them to ask.
Made in USA. I like that. I spend a lot of time in the garment district in NYC because my wife is a designer, and I get to see some of those factories that are still kicking. Sewing is a dying art in this country (at least, at scale) and I like the idea of both those folks getting paid for that skill, but that you’re also buying from a brand that wants to provide some jobs here. It’s certainly a compromise in terms of having higher production costs - but they managed to keep the end cost in-line with the competition. Might not matter for you, but if it does - I want to note that so you can check them out. Tom Bihn always gets a lot of love for this, so should Aviator.
The Bad
Couple of things to note here to contrast a bit with the above. Wouldn’t be doing my job if I wasn’t finding a bit of constructive feedback!
In terms of the “what scenarios can I wear these in” question - these do miss out on the smart-casual restaurants and bars/events. Being up front and fair to Aviator, they DO NOT market these that way though. These are squarely in the casual day wear, swimming, and athleisure fabric ballpark. Make sure you know that going in. For many many many trips and locations, that’s all you need. But the fabric just won’t work for the times you need a dressier short. One man’s opinion. Now, this is kind of a personal viewpoint for anyone - honestly wear them where you want to, but for me I’d keep these to the scenarios I’ve mentioned already.
I like the idea of the front phone pocket, but based on the lightness of the fabric I’m not sure it works. Partly that’s because phones are just bulky these days and truly are just a pain in the butt to deal with. But maybe that pocket needs to fall more on the SIDE of your leg/hip. Similar to the Movement shorts from Western Rise. Those shorts have limitations overall vs. the Non Stop shorts (because they are only pure gym shorts that can swim), but that pocket is well done.
On those drawstrings - two issues I had with those. For one, they are a bit too bulky for me. I’d like to see Aviator reconsider the kind of fabric they use there. Some competitors out there use this stretchy, synthetic fabric and it’s awesome. Lightweight, stretchy, comfy on your skin. It gets much less in the way when you tie it internally.
Also on those strings - be sure to tie them if you get your shorts hemmed. These do not get adjusted and will hang out from the short leg when untied. This won’t be an issue if you’re not a hemmer, but keep that in mind if you are. Something for Aviator to maybe adjust in future runs - making a shorter draw string in overall length.
None of these are deal breakers - I just want you as a reader aware of them going into your decision.
Lastly, I’d love to see more colors! Navy and olive green are always versatile options. Could just be what was in stock when I wrote this, however.
Final Thoughts On My Aviator Non Stop Travel Shorts Review
So are these a solid, versatile pair of shorts? Yes, I think they are. They are a great option to do what we normally support around here - pack and dress in a versatile and flexible way without looking like a long retired hiker tourist. As I always say, if that’s your jam, then no judgment. But it’s not mine and I’d rather look a bit more stylish even though I’m traveling and being active. With the fabrics available these days there’s no reason for that old chestnut anymore. Shorts like the Non Stop shorts allow you to do that while not needing to pack 3 pairs. These are quite comfortable as well, and they dry quickly.
And that’s the key here. They replace daily shorts, swim shorts, and gym shorts. And hikers if you want to throw that in for casual hikes. These aren’t going to be your super durable, abrasion resistant hikers if you’re scrambling and sliding over rocks. But it’s like trucks. For the things 85% of people do, this version is good. You don’t always need a jacked up and loaded F150 for your standard day hikes, let’s be real. But think running on the beach and jumping in after. Riding around the humid roads of Vietnam but being in a pair of shorts that don’t stick to you and stay light. Popping into a tapas joint in Barcelona after a day of walking around Gotico. That kind of stuff.
They weren’t all perfect for me specifically - I’d like some more colors, and I think they could rethink the phone pocket’s placement. These also won’t replace preppy style shorts, either. But as noted, Aviator isn’t marketing them as such and I think they very much succeeded in what they designed these for.
I love the fact you can get a custom hem. Good stuff there. And finally, MADE IN USA for those keeping track.
If you’re looking to trim down your travel wardrobe and were wondering if these were a quality piece of kit - they are overall. Check the Non Stop Travel Shorts and see if they fit your specific needs for your wandering.
As always with most brands, I’d suggest buying directly through their website for best service.
Wander more - and wander smarter everyone.
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