There are a ton of fight short brands on the market. As anyone who reads my posts knows, I'm a huge fan of Sprawl, but I'm still always on the search for something a little bit better or cheaper. XFGear has had a pretty good reputation on Sherdog, so I thought I'd give them a shot. NOTE: As of the time of this writing, 8/2/2007, the XFGear site was down and there are rumors that they don't exist anymore.
Design and Construction
Unlike many other fight shorts, XFGear has a couple differentiating elements other than their logo. The main one is that they are a Velcro-less design, which a lot of people find appealing since Velcro can snag everything from drawstrings to unwary passerby. The material is 100% polyester with a very fine, tight knit that feels good (unlike the Truths, which have a looser weave reminiscent of a leisure suit).
The waistband is elastic and has a rounded style drawstring. There are no pockets inside or out.
The legs are closed seam with relatively tight stretch panels -- they do have some stretch, but they're not very stretchy compared to a lot of other fight shorts. They're a bit more snug feeling than my Sprawls or Truths, but I didn't have any problems rolling with them and pulling guard.
The stretch panels have a big XFGear logo on them, and there's a smaller one at the bottom of the legs.
Fit
I got the 34" shorts and I normally also wear a 34" Sprawl. I'm 5'10" 205 pounds and fairly chunky with big thighs, and these fit fine. They're a bit tighter than my Truths and a lot more snug than the Sprawls, but they're still comfortable and give a good range of motion.
The inseam feels a little high, which is why it's bunching up so much in the front. While rolling I didn't feel it, but it can look odd. If it was about a 1/2" deeper I'd feel better, especially when wearing a cup. It could also stand to have a bit more material in front so that things aren't so, ahem, bulgy.
If I had 36" shorts the snugness and inseam issues might go away, not sure though.
Summary
XFGear's shorts are a nice alternative to Sprawls for those that prefer a closed seam, Velcro-less design. The construction is solid, they're comfortable, and they seem pretty durable so far. For $40 they're a good deal, but I still prefer my Sprawls. The snugness may go away if I had 36" shorts.
However this may be moot if they aren't in business any more.
Pros
* Velcroless design (if you prefer Velcro)
* Closed seam (if you prefer open seam)
* Understated appearance
Cons
* Company might be out of business
* Closed seam
* Fairly tight stretch panels
* High inseam
