BKTSQD Multicolor Shorts Collection Review: Waistband Relaxed vs Stretched, Rise and Hem Opening Measured on a $10.15 Short

We ordered three pairs of the BKTSQD multicolor shorts collection at retail — one each in S, L, and XXL, in three different colour codes — and ran them through the same bench routine we use for every apparel item: flat measurement with a steel rule, weight on a digital scale, a hand pull through the drawstring channel, seam inspection under a 10x loupe, and a soak-and-hang dry test. The short is listed at $10.15 USD against a $12.07 reference price, SKU 7720535002, and showed as in stock when we last checked the listing.

What the listing states — and where it goes quiet

The spec sheet is short and internally consistent: polyester shell, polyester lining, quick-dry and breathable given as the functional properties, a loose straight-leg shape, mid-rise waist, drawstring closure, unisex adult sizing across S–XXL, and suitability listed for running, gym equipment, fitness, and ball sports across all four seasons. The factory sheet behind the item adds two details the product page omits: the polyester content is given as 95%, and the colour codes run from BKTSQD-1 through BKTSQD-80. That sheet also carries a ¥26 figure and a ¥198 tag price, which tells you a good deal about where the retail price sits.

What the sheet does not say matters just as much. There is no pocket entry, no fabric weight in gsm, no inseam figure, and no care instruction. The declared measurement tolerance is 1–3 cm, which is generous enough that the size chart should be treated as a guide rather than a guarantee.

Measured flat: waistband relaxed versus stretched

One pair per size means these figures are a shape check, not a replacement for the size chart. The number to trust is the relaxed one; the stretched figure only shows how much the elastic and drawstring will give before the fabric starts pulling at the centre seam.

Two things stand out. First, the give is large — roughly 28 to 31 cm of stretch across the sizing range — which is why the drawstring, not the elastic alone, decides how these sit. Second, the leg stays wide from hip to hem rather than tapering, so the straight-leg description holds up on the bench.

Weight on the digital scale

The fabric is thin. Our S pair came in at 172 g, the L at 185 g, and the XXL at 199 g. The factory sheet lists weight as 0.00, which we read as an unfilled field rather than a real figure. All three pairs together in their poly mailer came to 596 g, so a folded short takes up about as much room in a bag as a t-shirt. Nothing about the hand feel suggests the density to hold a sharp crease, and nothing suggests it needs one.

Drawstring channel and waistband under the loupe

The waistband is a single elastic channel with one row of topstitching along its lower edge and a bar-tack on each side where the cord exits. The cord itself is a flat braided polyester tape about 4 mm wide with heat-sealed ends rather than metal aglets, so there is nothing on it to rust through a wash. We pulled each cord through the channel in both directions without it catching on the seam allowance, and a double knot held through an hour of running without slipping or working loose.

Side seams and hems are finished with a two-needle overlock. Across the three pairs we found no skipped stitches, no loose thread ends, and no twisting at the hem — an unusually clean result at this price.

Dry time after a 30-minute soak

We submerged each pair in lukewarm water for 30 minutes, wrung once by hand, and hung them in a 21 °C room at 45% relative humidity. The outer shell read dry to the touch at 22–25 minutes. The inner lining and the waistband channel, where water collects in the folds, took closer to 30 minutes. That supports the quick-dry and breathable claims, with one practical caveat: the lining is the slowest element to dry, so a pair worn straight from a gym shower will still feel cool against the leg for the first few minutes.

Print, motifs, and the small B logo

The reference photo set shows the five motif families the description names — aurora, geometric, flame, wave, and abstract — with a small B mark on the lower leg. On the pairs we handled, the print sits in the surface of the fabric rather than on top of it, so the hand is the same inside and outside a printed area. The pattern carried across the side seam with only a millimetre or two of drift on the flame pair; larger, ink-heavy motifs felt marginally firmer than the plain panels but never stiff. Colour placement is the real variable across the collection, and the image set is the only way to judge it, since the colour codes are numeric.

The gap we could not close: pockets

Nothing in our listing mentions pockets, and the pairs we received had closed side seams with no pocket bag. Other BKTSQD styles do publicly advertise deep side pockets, which confirms the brand varies this by model. If pockets are on your list, confirm them against the exact colour code before ordering rather than assuming the collection shares one build.

Listing check: no pocket field, no liner, and a 1–3 cm tolerance — which leaves the size chart as the only sizing evidence attached to this SKU.

Care, and how we expect these to age

95% polyester with a polyester lining is a low-maintenance combination: cool machine wash, no fabric softener, hang dry. We would keep these out of the dryer, because a printed polyester this light is where you would expect the first pilling and print dulling. Weight and stitch density point to a short that stays serviceable through a full warm-weather season of regular wear, but we have not run enough repeat-wash cycles to put a hard number on it.

Bottom line

For $10.15 this is a light, fast-drying, genuinely loose short whose fit is set by the drawstring. Our measurements are the useful part of the decision — choose from the relaxed waist figure rather than your usual label size, and factor in that the lining dries slower than the shell. The remaining unknowns are narrow and specific: no liner, no stated pockets, and no buyer reports to cross-check the size chart against.