FLORENCE F1 ZERO BOARDSHORTS
Florence Marine X is a brand that is building things to motivate us to get outside and is the third brand that a top professional surfer, who directly influences culture, has started – that surfer is, obviously, John John Florence and the brand was started in conjunction with Kandui Holdings.
But we’re here to talk about the product they make, not the business insider story, and while I’m sure there’s plenty of people waiting for my review on the Florence Marine X hooded long sleeve rash shirt, we’re actually going to share a review on their F1 Zero Boardshort instead (the rashie one is coming, I promise, wetsuits too!)
Before we really dig in, take a moment to remember that the team behind Florence Marine X are the same team that brought us the innovative Phantom line from Hurley a decade or so ago, so excitement was high when ordering these and waiting for the boardshorts to turn up.
Here’s my review on the Florence F1 Zero
THE SHORTS
The Florence F1 Zero boardshort (previously known as the Weld) was/is the brands first foray into a top tier performance short. With 4-way stretch, a fused waistband, some environmental and social considerations, and a the backing of Mr Florence and the ex-Hurley team, they’re a solid option for a tech short.
Florence say of the short that:
“The Florence F1 Zero Boardshort is an ultra-minimalist, 4-way stretch trunk made from quick-drying recycled polyester. A thin, welded waistband hugs the short to the body, while a smooth cire interior helps reduce chafing during long periods in the water.”
Fused Waistband
Lightweight due to its bonded construction, with several anchor points around the fly area to help manage stress.
Wedled Seams
On the outseams and waistband and durable, triple-needle construction on the rise
C0 DWR Treatment
C0 DWR repels water without expelling harmful fluorocarbons.
WHAT THEY'RE GOOD FOR
The Florence F1 Zero Boardshort is built for surfing, and it’s a high octane performance short for shredding. They are a lightweight short that you hardly notice when wearing them in your bedroom doing pretend cutbacks in front of the mirror.
These are a great option for those who want a performance short but with environmental considerations. You get recycled materials that are CW0 treated and you get 4-way stretch material and all the other bells and whistles you’d expect from one of the best teams in boardshort development: welded seams, bonded waistband, scalloped hem, etc.
THE IMPORTANT STUFF
DESIGN
If you’ve ever thought about it, the main thing you must nail with boardshort design is a great waistband. If you don’t, you fail boardshorts 101 – which is making sure that the shorts stay on your waist and don’t come off, slide down, etc when surfing.
The waistband on the Florence F1 Zero is thing of minimalist beauty in my mind, but I feel that with a touch more structure/stability they would hold onto my waist with a lot more confidence. I do love how it’s designed with weight in mind. It’s lightweight, due to it’s bonded construction and has several anchor points around the fly area to help manage stress when tying them up.
8 out of 10.
PERFORMANCE
The shorts are lightweight, stretchy, but decently noticeable when surfing in them, I found myself getting some sleeping bag issues (the legs twisted a bit) and material bunched up around my butt.
Without sounding sizest, I can’t get past how great these probably could have been if I was fitter. But at the end of the day, we’re all different body shapes and these weren’t quite right for me. Having said that, when I look at them on John and see how they ‘fit’ him, then I get a clear understanding of how these shorts could really be top tier performance boardshorts.
For now, though, they are good, and they do the job you’d expect – they aren’t restrictive when surfing, aren’t super heavy when wet and don’t cause any wildly over the top issues. I’ll throw them an 8 out of 10 – partly what I think their potential is.
8 out of 10
FIT & COMFORT
The Florence F1 Zero boardshorts pass, they fit and they are comfortable for the most part. I found them to have a looser, lower hanging crotch which resulted in a bit of inner thigh rash. And it felt like there was too much material around the kicker and I got this weird nappy sag. Having said that, I do think that if I was fit, running 32’s, my experience around fit, and comfort would have been much better.
Overall, the fit felt a touch off which I put down to my current body shape not so much the shorts, I guess I’m trying to say you need to try these on before buying them…
7.5 out of 10
VALUE
Figuring out if a product I’ve reviewed is good value isn’t rocket science, but I try to balance my experience with the product across four areas:
*Price – in-line with market pricing? Would I pay more?
*Warranty – is it decent?
*Materials/Workmanship – certifications, environment, work conditions
*Performance of the Product itself – did it work, durability, etc
Value, to me, is getting more than I paid for. If I pay $10 for something that ends up being so awesome to me that I would have gladly paid $20, then that’s great value.
So, with that said, I’d say these sit smack bang in the middle. They are good value for money and I’m relatively happy with my purchase. At $100 (USD) they are bang on the average price for performance boardshorts right now, they come with a warranty that seems ok (it’s a little cloudy but I get the feeling they’ll look after you) along with the Bluesign certification you’re getting, I believe, they are good value.
7.5 out of 10
VERDICT
Would I buy the Florence F1 Zero Boardshorts (again)?
Not right now, I’m still in my cuddly phase. If I get back to my spartan phase then yep, these would be the first pair of boardshorts I’d be buying to celebrate.
A better verdict might be, that won’t get the phone lines crackling, something along the lines of:
Overall, the F1 Zero Boardshorts is a great first run of performance boardshorts from Florence Marine X and as a self-proclaimed product nerd I’m excited for the future iterations of them and believe it could end up as one of the best performance boardshorts in the market. Right now, my initial worry in recommending this boardshort would be around sizing which I’ve talked about more than enough earlier in the review.
If your budget is in the ballpark of around $100 for new boardshorts, you want to try a pair from one of the newest brands in the industry from a team who’ve won multiple awards in boardshort design, then do I have something for you…
My only must thing to do, if you’re really looking to buy these, would be around checking the sizing and trying them on (if you can) before you commit to the purchase. Other than that, I think you’ll enjoy what the Florence team has put out…
Overall Rating
- Built for surfing, and only surfing.
- Waistband is pretty rad
- Enviro considerations
- Sleeping bag issues
- Possible fit challenges
If you enjoyed this review you can visit our Product Reviews page for more, including a run of Winter Wetsuits from last year. More Boardshorts reviews coming soon.
Again, if you’re interested in buying the Florence F1 Zero Boardshorts hit the links below:
Buy from the Florence Online Store
Check the Florence Stockist list
