I never thought I'd spend $80 on gym shorts, but these compression shorts kept me dry and secure during my whole workout

• In my opinion, the best workout gear should serve two primary purposes - help you feel more confident and improve your workout.
• But what's most important is that your gym gear should be comfortable, breathable, and have some degree of sweat-wicking.
• I wore Rhone's new Versatility Shorts at the gym and lounging around on a lazy Saturday, and found that I was comfortable in both situations. The shorts have a compression lining that made me feel secure when working out, and they looked great outside of the gym too.

I usually work out in a pair of basketball shorts that are about 10 years old and a ratty T-shirt I got for free at some sporting event. As someone who never excelled athletically growing up, I never really felt worthy of high-performance gear like compression shorts, arm sleeves, and talcum powder.

But now that I'm getting older and can no longer rely on a young man's metabolism to bail me out of a routine that involves late-night pizza and Sunday morning bagels, I've forced myself to get to the gym more consistently. While a grungy T-shirt will soak up sweat just fine, I wanted better gear that would help me feel more confident at the gym and improve my workout.

Rhone makes our top choice for men's workout shirts, so I decided to try out its new Versatility Shorts (starting at $68). The brand is known for performance gear that bridges functionality with style, so I had high hopes. I wore them to work out at the gym and lounge around my apartment on lazy weekend, and they've quickly become my favorite pair of wear-anywhere shorts.

The Rhone Versatility shorts come in two inseams, both in lined and unlined versions

You can get the Rhone Versatility Shorts in a few different variations. There are two different inseams - 7 or 9 inches - as well as lined or unlined. The lined ones come with compression shorts.

The shorts are made with a breathable and quick-drying fabric. There are two main pockets, plus a smaller, zippered pocket that is big enough to keep essentials like a credit card or keys secure while out on a run. It also comes in four different color options - black, navy, asphalt, and terre blue.

They were comfortable and dried quickly after I ran on the treadmill so I wasn't a sweaty mess when doing floor exercises

I have the 7-inch pair in black and with the compression short liner. When I first tried the Rhone shorts at the gym, they immediately felt more comfortable and breathable compared to my decade-old shorts I usually wore.

Typically, I start my workout on the treadmill to get a sweat going, and then move on to some lifting and other floor exercises. I appreciated the quick-drying fabric of the Versatility shorts because by the time I moved onto doing exercises like crunches and squats, I didn't feel bogged down in a pool of my own sweat from running on the treadmill.

During my run, the compression material inside the shorts helped keep everything in place and comfortable. I don't have much experience with compression shorts, so I wasn't sure whether or not I was supposed to wear underwear with them. I tried both ways and didn't notice much of a difference with either. If you're only wearing the shorts at the gym, you can get away with just the compression lining, but in a more leisurely setting and while I was playing basketball, I preferred to wear boxer briefs under the shorts.

The shorts look good outside of the gym too

Beyond the quick-drying and breathable functionality of the shorts, I really love how they look.

While it's obviously more important that they help improve your form and keep you dry, this is ultimately a piece of clothing, so they should look good outside of the gym as well. The Rhone Versatility Shorts look great and I feel confident in them whether I'm going to the gym or lounging around on a lazy Saturday.

Personally, I like the look of the shorter 7-inch shorts. Growing up, I always opted for long and baggy clothing, but as I've gotten older, I've shifted more towards tighter and shorter styles.

They're more expensive than you'd expect for a pair of workout shorts, but the compression lining and versatility make it worth the price

Depending on whether you opt for the compression short lining, the shorts will differ in price. With the lining, the shorts cost $78, and without the lining, they cost $68.

While this is a steep price for a pair of gym shorts, you won't feel cheated after you've tried them out.

The fabric really delivers on the brand's claims of breathability and quick-drying - I never felt as sweaty as I looked after I ran on the treadmill. Plus, if you go for the shorts with the built-in compression lining, it's not much more expensive than the combined price of $30 Dri-FIT shorts and separate $23 compression shorts from Nike.

Ultimately, Rhone's Versatility Shorts are a splurge item that you won't feel bad about once you've worn the shorts. They're stylish enough to wear outside of the gym and not look out of place, but also use high-performance fabric to help boost your workouts and include compression shorts that are comfortable.

Buy the 7-inch Rhone Versatility shorts with compression lining for $78, or for $68 without lining

Buy the 9-inch Rhone Versatility shorts with compression lining for $78, or for $68 without lining