The Morfo bib shorts are quirky and expensive, but actually very comfortable and truly one-size-fits-all. What’s more, in a strange hypothetical situation whereby my 6ft 4in mate needed to borrow some shorts and it was down to me at 5ft 9in to lend him some – now I can!
That’s right, Ekoi claim the Morfo shorts are a ‘world first’ because they are the only one-size-fits-all bib shorts you can buy. This might be another case of solving problems that don’t really exist, and I was dubious that they really would fit riders just as well from both ends of the size range. But they were a great fit on me – I’m 5ft 9in – and similarly good for friends who are both shorter and over six foot. Each one of us found them thoroughly comfortable and well-fitting, with the leg bands sitting just above the knee and a nice, compressive fit against the thighs.
Buy Ekoi Morfo One Size bib shorts
Rather than sewing the chamois inside the shorts, Ekoi have integrated it straight into the body of the Morfos which gives an unusual appearance; it looks if they’re inside out. This is actually nothing new, having appeared on X-Bionic’s Trick and Effektor bib shorts for some time now. It isn’t an essential feature but I certainly found it comfortable and far superior to a stitched-in chamois pad on cheap bib shorts. Plus, it differentiates them from other more conventional shorts to justify the price tag.
Ekoi have used a special polypropylene/elastane mix to make the shorts one-size-fits-all. The fabric is similar to the usual Nylon/Lycra blend but far stretchier and lighter. As a result, the shorts feel more like a woven, knitted garment but far more breathable.
They don’t have the smooth feel of Nylon/Lycra shorts and at first I was wandering if things would get itchy, but any doubts subsided midway through a long ride. The seamless design means there aren’t really any places to irritate the skin, which is another benefit of that integrated chamois pad. I did find that the bib straps were quite dense and felt cumbersome when I first put them on, but you only really notice them pulling when you’re off the bike and standing up. Conversely they’re very robust like the rest of the garment, and for no weight penalty compared to other medium-sized bib shorts. That’s impressive considering these will fit anyone.
Read more: The best cycling bib shorts
Though the label says ‘handwash only’ I can report that the shorts survived a 30° cool wash with no adverse effects. Being as they’re not tumble dryer-friendly this was also an opportunity to test out the claim of quick-drying properties. Ekoi says they dry ‘remarkably quickly’ but I have to say that’s quite an exaggeration. Compared to conventional shorts they do take longer to dry and I found they held some water on my test rides as well. This isn’t an absolute deal breaker for me and I’ll accept it for the more comfortable feel.
The Morfos certainly aren’t cheap, but the similarly tech-heavy Trick shorts from X-Bionic retail at close to £200, and high-end options from Rapha and Assos are more expensive. Comparatively they offer reasonable value for money considering the one-size-fits-all construction is unprecedented.
Overall I’m very impressed with the Morfo shorts. They’re packed with tech and among Ekoi’s sometimes wacky ideas (a jersey designed to prevent tan lines, for example) this is definitely their best one to date.
Verdict
Very comfortable and innovative bib shorts that are genuinely one-size-fits-all.
All the deals displayed on our review pages are pulled from a constantly updating database feed of the best affiliate deals available. The criteria for deciding on what are the best deals is who is offering the lowest, delivered price. In most cases we will be showing the very best deal available online, but sometimes you may be able to find an item cheaper. If you can please feel free to post a link in the comments box below. To find out more about affiliate links on road.cc click here.
road.cc test report
Make and model: Ekoi Morfo One Size Bibshort
Size tested: One Size
Tell us what the product is for, and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Ekoi say the Morfo bib shorts are a ‘world first’, because they are currently the only one-size-fits-all bib shorts. The padding is integrated so appears on both sides, which looks odd but works a treat.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Polypropylene/elastane mixed fabric
Integrated polyurethane chamois
One-size-fits-all
Anti-bacterial
Moisture-wicking fabric
They’re really robust and are built to last judging from my test period.
They’re great for long rides, no chafing and no irritation to report.
After several uses they’re good as new, and that’s even after putting them through the washing machine by mistake.
Everyone I’ve given them to try, from 5″6 to 6″4, reported a perfect fit – no arguments here.
Neither – they’re one-size-fits-all!
No heavier than a normal set of medium bib shorts at 170g, impressive considering they will fit an XXL.
You know the straps are there and they’re a bit thick, but supremely comfortable elsewhere.
Not cheap, but then they are a ‘world first’.
How easy is the product to care for? How did it respond to being washed?
Considering it says ‘handwash only’ it survived a 30° cool wash – but obviously this isn’t recommended. They dry quickly, so as long as you’re prepared to handwash it shouldn’t be a problem.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Fine, but performance in the wet wasn’t as good as I’d have liked.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The fit that can be achieved and the padding – I could ride in these all day no problem.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
I found the material holds water quite easily and gets a bit heavy, so I wouldn’t use them intentionally when it’s wet.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Perhaps
Use this box to explain your score
If they could afford them and don’t mind being told they’ve got their shorts on inside out, then I could recommend them.
About the tester
Age: 27 Height: 179cm Weight: 75kg
I usually ride: Road bike (currently Specialized Tarmac) My best bike is: Ridley Chronus TT bike
I’ve been riding for: Under 5 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, Triathlon races
15 thoughts on “Ekoi Morfo One Size bib shorts”
Shame they don’t pass on the
Shame they don’t pass on the cost savings from making just one size to the customer. At £150 I’ll stick to my £40 Btwins.
Quote:
No they aren’t. ASSOS only makes high end stuff. This short here is cheaper than the ones in the test:
http://road.cc/content/review/222756-assos-tmilleshortss7
Quote:
And yet you remarked on it, so technically not an exaggeration…
What a front view… a Mamil
What a front view… a Mamil in a Lycra codpiece. Truly awful.
nortonpdj wrote:
Yeah, if you’re rocking that look, you go all in
But why!
But why!
I can’t think of any reason what advantage they offer!
timmyotool wrote:
As we all know one person’s perfect shorts to another are a pain in the arse and I often read that discomfort is attributed to the wrong size for the wearer. How true that is I have no idea but if these eliminate ill fitting shorts, presumably virtually guaranteed if you’re in the middle of the range, then that can only be a good thing?
What about people who get in to cycling to lose weight, or for whatever reason get bigger, I guess doesn’t mean new shorts? Or what about in parts of the world where it isn’t so easy to exchange online orders? I dunno I’m thinking on my feet here
At first I suspected this was
At first I suspected this was a mistimed April Fool’s joke.
I don’t want to look like I’m a wearing my shorts inside out.
I hate to take the mickey out
I hate to take the mickey out of a genuine attempt at innovation, but maybe they should make the pad pink and call them baboon shorts?
The review mentions a chamois
The review mentions a chamois, is it really a chamois or not?
Frankly these look horrendous
Frankly these look horrendous. Who needs to give people even more of an excuse to laugh at your crotch?
I think they look marvelous.
I think they look marvelous.
Perfect for frightening lorry drivers and cabbies when you’re waiting at the lights.
There’s something about that
There’s something about that front view photo that to me says “Doctor Who monster”.
there’s something about the
there’s something about the inside view – slide #10 – that to me says “Jeremy Clarkson”
“they offer reasonable value
“they offer reasonable value for money considering the one-size-fits-all construction is unprecedented.”
So, let’s not consider that, let’s consider that most people don’t share their shorts around, so the right size is available. At which point they are not reasonable value for money at all.
On the other hand, I have these XXXXS – XXXXXL magic beans if anyone is interested?
Comments are closed.