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Ultra High Molecular Weight Shorts

Name: Ultra High Molecular Weight Shorts
Brand: Vollebak
SKU: SHO027BLKXSM
Price: 545.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

The strongest, lightest and most elastic shorts ever built.

$545

XS

S

M

L

XL

XXL

Model is 5ft 11 / 180cm with a 32 inch / 81cm waist, and wears size Medium.

Engineered with an extreme strength ripstop for abrasion and rip resistance
Water repellent with four-way stretch
Three zipped pockets and high-speed bungee cord adjuster

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene is one of the toughest materials ever engineered – many times stronger than steel but so light it floats on water.

With molecular chains 10x longer than standard polyethylene, UHMWPE is used where failure isn’t an option – in ballistic armour, space tethers, deep-sea cables and the joints of the human body.

That’s why it’s trusted in war zones, industrial machines, spacecraft and now our Ultra High Molecular Weight Shorts.

Each pair of our shorts is woven with a protective grid built with two types of UHMWPE, a material technology originally designed to protect elite cyclists against high-speed crashes on tarmac. It means the shorts are superlight but highly resistant to rips and abrasion, scoring up to 300% higher on tear resistance tests compared to similar materials.

At the same time as being ultrastrong and ultralight, these shorts are also ultraelastic as they’re built with an enormous 31% elastane, which gives them extreme four-way stretch in every direction simultaneously.

They also repel water using fluorocarbon-free technology, come with three zipped pockets, a high-speed bungee pullcord and blend in anywhere from the trail to a rooftop bar.

Technical details

Engineered with an extreme strength ripstop

Abrasion and rip resistant

Highly elastic with four-way stretch throughout

Water repellent and breathable

6.5cm bartacked side splits at the hem

Two zipped side pockets

One angled back pocket

Moisture-wicking elasticated waistband

Bungee cord adjuster with rubberised stopper and 7mm metal eyelets

2cm twin-needle stitched hem

Material made in Italy: 49% polyamide, 31% elastane, 20% polyethylene

Material weighs 165g/m²

Shorts weigh 200 grams

Machine wash 30°C

Do not tumble dry, iron, dry clean or bleach

Constructed in China

Engineered with an extreme strength ripstop

Abrasion and rip resistant

Highly elastic with four-way stretch throughout

Water repellent and breathable

6.5cm bartacked side splits at the hem

Two zipped side pockets

One angled back pocket

Moisture-wicking elasticated waistband

Bungee cord adjuster with rubberised stopper and 7mm metal eyelets

2cm twin-needle stitched hem

Material made in Italy: 49% polyamide, 31% elastane, 20% polyethylene

Material weighs 165g/m²

Shorts weigh 200 grams

Machine wash 30°C

Do not tumble dry, iron, dry clean or bleach

Constructed in China

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Lightweight, water repellent and woven with a fibre stronger than steel

Not only are the Ultra High Molecular Weight Shorts highly elastic, lightweight, water repellent and breathable, but they’re also reinforced with an extreme strength ripstop. Highly resistant to rips and abrasion, their outer material is woven with a protective grid made from a fibre that weight for weight outperforms steel.

Highly resistant to rips and abrasion, the Ultra High Molecular Weight Shorts are woven with a protective grid made from one of the world’s strongest fibres.

Reinforced with extreme strength fibres used in anti-ballistic armour

The fibre we’ve used is an ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene that combines extreme strength with very low weight. The shorts combine two different types of UHMWPE into a single yarn for a higher density material. These fibres are so strong they’re normally used to make bulletproof vests, anti-ballistic vehicle armour for tanks and the ropes used to tie down giant ships and deep-water oil rigs in violent, icy seas.

An advanced ripstop makes the shorts rip and abrasion resistant

The high strength UHMWPE fibres are woven directly into a base of nylon and elastane to create a grid structure throughout the entire pair of shorts. The grid works like an advanced ripstop, reinforcing the shorts by increasing their abrasion resistance, rip resistance and tensile strength. Tear resistance tests show the material to be 200% to 300% tougher than the same material without the ripstop. And on abrasion resistance tests it easily scores 100,000 revolutions.

Tear resistance tests show that the ripstop makes the material 200% to 300% tougher.

The science behind the strength

With molecular chains 10 times longer than standard polyethylene, UHMWPE is a high-performance thermoplastic designed to take punishment in the world’s harshest environments. The secret lies in its structure. UHMWPE’s ultralong chains create massive internal friction – more chain entanglement means more energy is needed to break it apart. The result is a material with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic and a near-zero coefficient of friction. It’s self-lubricating, incredibly durable and won’t corrode or degrade, even in saltwater or acid.

From lab accident to world-changing supermaterial

Polyethylene was first created by accident in a British lab in 1933. Chemists working with ethylene and benzaldehyde under high pressures inadvertently added trace elements of oxygen to the mix, creating a waxy, lightweight substance that turned out to be revolutionary. During World War II, it was used to insulate radar cables on fighter planes. After the war, its potential exploded with scientists developing ultrastrong versions like UHMWPE – a fibre now used in body armour, spacecraft, deep-sea rigging and medical implants. It’s why we’ve used it to build one of the most durable and high-performance pairs of shorts on Earth.

Material technology designed for high-speed crashes

The material we use in the Ultra High Molecular Weight Shorts starts life at a cutting-edge lab in the countryside south of Lake Como. It’s here that some of the most advanced performance materials on the planet are being developed (and where clients include Tour de France cyclists). Our partner has been working on ultrathin, lightweight materials that can also protect cyclists when they wipe out at high speeds. Now we’ve taken that same technology and used it to build these shorts.

The material we use in the Ultra High Molecular Weight Shorts starts life at a cutting-edge lab in the countryside south of Lake Como.

Built with extreme four-way stretch to feel like a second skin

The downside of many high strength materials is that they’re heavy and don’t stretch. But the Ultra High Molecular Weight Shorts are over 30% elastane, the same amount you’d normally find in high-performance compression gear. It means the shorts have extreme four-way stretch that lets you move in any direction without feeling restricted.

We fully immerse them in a water repellent treatment

The shorts repel water with an innovative water repellent treatment that’s completely free of toxic chemicals and also 4x more durable than coatings in the same category. One of the challenges of PFC-free water repellent treatments is matching the efficacy of those made with harsh chemicals. The material is completely immersed in a water repellent solution so that it soaks deep into the individual fibres, allowing water to roll off its surface while remaining breathable.

They come in stealth black

UHMWPE fibres are famously difficult to dye, which means they tend to only come in white. But we dyed the fibre’s raw materials or ‘feedstock’ so our material, including the ripstop, is a deep black, making the shorts stealthy enough to wear anywhere from the trail to a roof star.

Loose fit with three zipped pockets

These shorts have a loose, easy fit, with 6.5cm bartacked side splits at the hem where the front panel overlaps the back. At either side you’ll find two pockets that fasten with concealed zippers which lock into place. And there’s an angled pocket at the back with the same lock-down zipper.

An elasticated waistband and cord adjuster

The waistband has an elastic inner and a moisture-wicking lining. A bungee cord runs through two 7mm rubberised metal eyelets at the front and tightens with a rubberised stopper that locks for speed and simplicity. Just push the button on the lock and pull the cord to tighten the shorts as much as you need. To loosen them simply push the button and pull the lock away from you to release.