14 best men’s waterproof trousers for hiking, cycling and mountaineering

These are a great pair of over trousers that have an elasticated waist and wide leg openings, making them easy to get on over anything you’re wearing quickly if you’re caught out or you just don’t want the faff of a costume change before heading out the door.

Waterproofing and breathability was excellent for short to medium walks, and there’s a further ventilation point at the thigh, if you are getting a little hot under the waistband.

We really liked the functionality of these trousers too, with two zipped pockets, one of which doubles as a storage pouch that you can pack the trousers up in. It will take up minimal space in a bag and will also keep the trousers from getting anything else in your bag or rucksack wet.

These pocketed trousers had very respectable waterproof and breathability ratings and plenty of adjustability, especially at the leg openings, which feature customisable tabs so you can lengthen or shorten the trousers according to height, or the kind of footwear you have on – a really good feature that adds to the overall value of the trousers. The pockets can be zipped and we found that the toliland could be used as either an over trouser or an all-dayer, depending on the conditions.

As you’d expect when paying over £200 for a pair of trousers, with this pair from the respected outdoor brand you are investing in a guarantee of dryness. They were truly tested when we wore them on one of the most abysmal weather days of the testing cycle. Sure enough, after several hours in the elements we can report that we were never in danger of suffering from soggy boxer syndrome.

There’s good adjustability and the recycled polyester material was soft, stretchy and super comfortable, moving well with us as we worked hard uphill as well as when things got more technical on the way back down.

There’s a two-way zipper at the side so you can almost entirely open up the trouser to release any excess heat, while a Velcro fastener stops them flapping around as you walk.

These gore-tex paclite strides are great over trousers but are also comfortable enough to wear all day too, when they were a very effective barrier against rain, drizzle and splashback. There’s plenty of adjustability, with a built-in belt and end of leg adjustments, making the trousers easy to get on over whatever footwear you’re wearing, from work shoes to hikers. Breathability wasn’t an issue as we walked, and there are three-quarter length, two-way zippers on both legs so you could leave the bottom half zipped up and the top half unzipped to get more airflow around the legs.

As always, the Cornish brand has prioritised the environmental impact of its manufacturing process, while products are transported by sea where possible and will also turn up at your door in packaging that can either be recycled or will break down harmlessly in the environment. So, if sustainability is a priority, these trousers should definitely be on your radar. Plus, they’re perfectly suited for weekend walking and keeping dry on the way to work.

The rainbirds are made from the same recycled fabric as the rainbird jacket (which we also really like) and it certainly performed under some testing conditions in Wales, which is what we would expect given its high waterproof and breathability ratings.

They offer a good mix of durability and stretchy comfort and there’s a zipped back pocket, which the trousers pack easily into. Like the rainbird jacket, there’s very little noise to accompany movement, and the fabric is very soft to the touch and a pleasure to wear.

The only slight note is that if you’re tall you may find that they may run slightly short if you’re wearing low cut shoes.

Combining rugged durability with three-layer GORE-TEX waterproofing, nothing’s getting through these strides. And we should know, as we were wearing them when the heavens opened and decided not to close until a couple of hours later – passing the boxer short test with flying colours.

Clearly, these trousers are made with serious outdoor adventures in mind, so that as conditions worsen and you get higher you can concentrate on the technicalities of your walk or climb and forget about your kit.

It’s the first time that we’ve tested anything with the very tactile Gore C-knit Backer technology which adds next-to-the-skin comfort without impacting the excellent breathability of the trousers.

Nicely articulated so that they really move with you, there’s all the excellent detailing that you would expect from this established brand, with reinforced instep patches, a zipper fly and full side zips so you can get them on and off with ease.

The waterproofing and breathability of these over trousers even surpassed some other products that were almost twice the price. The manufacturer has used a texapor ecosphere pro light ripstop fabric which feels lightweight, moved with us well and created an impenetrable barrier that was really tested on a day that veered between drizzle and downpour. They’re also easy to get on and off thanks to an elastic waistband and generous openings that won’t get snagged on even the chunkiest pair of walking boots when you need to put them on in a hurry. The trousers come with a drawstring stuff sack and pack down to the size of a tennis ball, too.

Obviously, if you’re thinking about spending £400-plus on a pair of waterproof trousers, you’ve probably got something more challenging in mind than taking the dog out on a wet Wednesday afternoon.

The three-layer aigis trousers are made to take on absolutely anything, with waterproofing and breathability ratings that are at expedition level and the same quality of construction that we have come to rely on from this British brand.

The trousers are constructed to be able to withstand plenty of punishment and are reinforced with Dyneema at high-wear and easy snag points.

Added to this, there’s bags of functionality with zippered front pockets, double press stud fasteners, full length leg zippers and water repellent zips.

These two-layer trousers are made with XPLORE fabric, which we didn’t know a lot about compared to the other high profile two and three layer fabrics, but it really performed well in the field in both our waterproof and breathability testing. There’s a real quality to the construction of the trousers too, including fully taped seams, and it certainly stood up to the bashing that we gave it over the Welsh mountainsides. There are two big pockets, an elasticated waistband and Velcro ankle closures which adds to the trousers usability for all kinds of walking and hiking.

We were really impressed with the deluge 2.0 waterproof jacket again this year, so we thought we should also try out the matching two-layer trousers, which are made from the same fabric.

As with the jacket, the trousers strike a good balance between waterproofing and letting moisture generated from walking wick away – even when we were working really hard up slope we were never in danger of overheating. And if you do feel the need for some air conditioning, the trousers have three quarter-length zips on each leg, which can be closed over with snap fasteners.

An elasticated and draw cord waist adds to the adjustability and the wide leg openings means they can work well as over trousers, if needed.

These trousers are available in eight sizes and three different lengths (short, regular and long) so you’ll have no trouble finding a pair that fits.

It’s the first time that we’ve worn trousers featuring the rainlife 5000 fabric, which has an outer with a waterproof coating, and they worked well over a prolonged period of bad weather and were adequately breathable while walking. The fact that the fabric is texturised also made them comfortable to wear as an all-day trouser, while the elasticated waist and zip that runs from the bottom of the trouser to just under the knee (and also has a storm flap for added protection) meant that they are equally effective as an over trouser. In addition, taped seams add to the waterproof barrier, and there are two button-down side pockets, which add functionality.

Made, in part, from recycled materials, the aquadry fabric worked well inmoderate rain and was still able to withstand heavy downpours for a short time. The breathability was excellent and, combined with the fact the trousers are so light, it means these are a good option as the weather gets warmer but some April showers are still a very real possibility.

You can get the trousers in and out of their stuff sack easily, and there’s a

good length bottom zip which means you can get them on easily over a variety of footwear. There’s also a Velcro fastening around the heel ensuring that your trousers won’t get wet from the bottom up, while there are two side zipped pockets which are welted to cover the zip and minimise any water getting in.

This brand has packed plenty of functionality into these over trousers with pockets with water repellent zips, an easily adjustable shockcord waist and three quarter length leg zips making it easy to get the trousers on and off.

The ARED 20/30 fabric has the brand’s highest rating of waterproofing and breathability. It also has a very nice tactile, stretchy feel, and we can report that the trousers really did perform well in the wet.

One of the things that we really liked was the overall wearability of the trousers, which were articulated really well for walking, climbing and stepping over obstacles, with the snap adjusters at the leg hem keeping the trousers in place and stopping any water getting into socks and shoes from standing water.