Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Outdoors

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

Inhuman impact shorts review: They saved my butt on the slopes (literally)

This is must-have gear for any snowboarder

Nate Swanner
By
Image used with permission by copyright holder

No matter how good you are at skiing or snowboarding, you’ll catch an edge or do something silly (or stupid) at some point and fall. It’s going to hurt, you’ll regret your decision to do the dumb thing, and you’ll 100 percent do it again at some point, even if you rock the best snowboarding gear imaginable.

Low-profile, impact shorts can mean the difference between limping into work on a Monday and resting comfortably with only a bruised ego. When looking for impact shorts, I came across Inhuman, a small brand that (for now) only makes impact shorts. At $65, Inhuman impact shorts are competitively priced, so I aimed to determine how they performed against the competition.

Recommended Videos

Which means I’d have to fall. Fortunately for our HR team handling worker’s comp claims, I would fall anyway because that’s how snowboarding works.

Related

Inhuman impact shorts are atypical impact shorts that outperform the competition. They’re stretchy spandex shorts with EVA foam and polyethylene shell padding strategically placed throughout. Brands like Burton make similar products for a lot more which have spotty availability, and some ‘boarders who cannot find proper snowboarding or skiing impact shorts often rely on shorts football players wear instead. The issue is that football and winter sports impact shorts are not the same or designed for the same purpose. Football shorts are something, but not the right thing.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Padding on the Inhuman shorts is not bulky but more prominent than other shorts we’ve had our hands on. The pads are placed around the hips and tailbone area only, which is helpful for mobility on the mountain. We especially like that the Inhuman impact shorts tailbone padding “wishbones” out to the left and right. Let’s face it: if you’re going to fall on your ass – and you will – it’s nice to have some padding there.

The hip pads are lower profile than the tailbone and butt pads, which is just an intelligent design. In my extensive testing (read: I fell a lot), I noticed that the times I tumbled on my hips, I either rolled or slid. When I fell on my butt, I ended up dropping harder. The lower-profile hip pads also helped with carving and mobility.

Falls didn’t hurt with Inhuman, and I didn’t hurt as much the day after. Big picture: less pain equals more turns because I can get out there more often. The Manual’s parent company, DTMG, has a generous unlimited PTO policy, which I’ll take full advantage of this winter.

Jokes aside, Inhuman impact shorts are inconceivably good. They’re protective enough that falls don’t worry me and designed so that I forget I have them on until I’m on the lift.

At $65, you should have already ordered a set of Inhuman impact shorts. We love them, and you will too.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Nate Swanner
Nate Swanner
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nate is General Manager for all not-Digital-Trends properties at DTMG, including The Manual, Digital Trends en Espanol…
Romp skis review: The Oso 105 is simply begging for powder
Romp Oso 105 ski review
Romp Skis Oso 105 Hero Image

Romp Skis Oso 105 Nate Swanner / Nate Swanner

You're not alone if you are bored with groomed blue and black runs and are looking for that off-piste skiing experience. Experienced skiers often look for new territory and tougher terrain to conquer. It's just human nature!

Read more
Good investment or an elitist ripoff: Is expensive winter outdoor gear worth the money?
You get what you pay for, right? What about with winter gear, though?
Winter road

Hobbies are expensive. Whether you picked up golf clubs and decided it is your new obsession, or began riding motorcycles across the country, your hobbies cost a ton of money. It shouldn't cost as much money as it does to explore and experience the world. Yet here we are. Winter gear is some of the most expensive apparel on the market, and it leaves many of us wondering if buying outdoor gear for winter is worth the money. It isn't a straightforward answer, so we took a stab at it.

 
Do you get what you pay for with outdoor gear?
This is no easy place to start this piece, but in the interest of getting it out the way straight away, yes, you do. This is a tentative yes, not an outright certainty, and there are two major caveats I also want to address early.

Read more
I tried nearly all the Whistler and Banff hotels: Where you should stay when you go skiing and snowboarding
The best Whistler and Banff hotels for every type of adventure
Whistler.

With its epic mountain landscapes, the Canadian Rockies and western coastal region offer some of the most renowned outdoor opportunities in the world, whether you’re into snow sports like skiing or snowboarding, hitting the trails on a mountain bike, or simply enjoying the magnificent scenery. The Banff and Whistler areas in particular are popular thanks to their combination of natural splendor and charming mountain hamlet vibes. With dozens of hotels to choose from, which one is right for you? Here, we’ll check out the top Whistler and Banff hotels and ski resorts for a variety of trip categories: Budget, family-friendly, and so on.

You can rely on these recommendations, as I have vetted every one of them personally. Last summer I spent three solid months crisscrossing the region, and along the way, I stayed at nearly two dozen lodges. Not all of them are worth planning your ski or snowboard vacation or any outdoor adventure around, but here are several that will provide a superior experience.

Read more