Thanks to Gore-Tex’s years of innovation and experience, its waterproofing materials and membranes have never been lighter, more durable, or more waterproof. To help you find the best solution, we’ve rounded up the best Gore-Tex waterproof trousers available. The sleeves on lighter summer-oriented shells can be a bit narrow, but while the cuffs on the Pac Plus XT are not quite as generous as on a typical technical winter mountain shell, they're still sufficiently roomy to fit over insulated gloves (though can be a bit of a struggle with bulkier gauntlets). It's also possible to push the sleeves up over your forearms, an expedient I often seem to resort to in warmer conditions. A simple hook and loop tab gets the fit nice and close to your wrist when you don't want that volume. With more than 90% bluesign® APPROVED fabric, this product meets our MADE KINDER criteria which helps ensure that our gear is more responsibly made. By its very nature, waterproofing material inhibits fabric breathability, and for this reason, condensation can form. As condensation creates discomfort, ventilation is included by some manufacturers to promote airflow. A trouser with long side zips and two or three zip pulls will allow extra ventilation at the calf, knee, or hip. These vents will need to be closed off during heavy rains. Scuff patch

Pulling them on over boots proved to be rather challenging, with the side zips only coming up to the middle of the shin not really helping in this regard. The side zips were not two way, either, and there were no other ventilation zips on the trousers, so you may well find you over heat if you run hot.Despite being lightweight, I found the material to be durable and hardwearing, while there is plenty of space for extra layers underneath. On the flip side, when you aren’t wearing extra layers the fabric can flap in the wind a fair bit, as the fit is quite loose. At the ankles you’ll find drawcord adjustments to cinch them in over your boots, which is a nice feature. They are incredibly thin, and almost translucent as a result, but if you want to travel light and stay dry, regardless of whether you’re off running ultras, they’re a brilliant choice. Be warned though, they will tear more easily than a burly pair of three-layered Gore-Tex Pro trousers.

The Gore-Tex membrane is bonded to the outer shell material, before being covered by an anti-oil substance and carbon. Gore-Tex has engineered this material to be used for everyday activities, golfing, and hiking.Unlike many overtrousers, they have a slim-cut profile so don’t feel baggy. There are thigh-high zips on each leg to allow even the largest walking boots swift passage through. In wet stomps through Epping Forest, the Berghaus Men’s GORE-TEX Paclite Shell overtrousers never failed. One thing to note however, as a buying consideration, the trousers are not designed for high output activities as they’re not especially breathable. They will keep you dry but for higher performance, you’ll need a bigger budget. The Kiwi Pros use a stretch material which allows them to blend around your bum and upper thighs, and this really helps prevent chafing when walking for long distances.

Rohan’s Ventus waterproof overtrousers are an excellent performer for outdoor rainy days with a number of decent design cues from the top to the bottom. In particular, we were impressed with the full length two-way waterproof zips on the side of each leg. These are excellent quality and allow the leg of the trousers to be opened up from the ground up – easy to then slip your walking boots through on a rainy day! Stormflaps around the ends of the overtrousers are a welcome touch and help seal you up completely against the elements. We must also mention the overall style of the Spraysways – they look great and seem to have a better shape/fit than more expensive competition. Great work Sprayway!

Whenever I have used Rab gear in the past it has never let me down, and this has continued to be the case while testing the Ladakh DV Pants. As with the Haglöfs L.I.M Pant, Rab’s submission comes with long two-way zips on the outside of the leg, making it easy to pull them on over boots or open them up to provide venting. Waterproofing is taken care of by eVent, while the part elasticated waistband with drawcord allows you to achieve a perfect and comfortable fit. Legs zips allow the bottom portion of the waterproof trouser to be opened up to allow them to be put on without the need to remove boots. The longer the zips, the better, however, these openings do provide space for rain to leak through. Water-resistant zips can prevent this to a degree, as can external flaps. Ventilation That being said, the Sprayways were easy to put on and we had no problems with snagging the mesh layer because they have thoughtfully included 3/4 length zips – we’re a fan of this as it makes it so much easier to put the overtrousers on. Yes the zips could potentially let in water, but we haven’t experienced this as an issue.

Most waterproof trousers tend to come up a little large to accommodate layering but look for adjustable waists, straps and integrated belts that help you find a comfortable all-day fit. Basic trousers often have drawstrings. Its 2.5 layer construction laminates a tough outer fabric onto the Gore-Tex membrane. Instead of using a third layer under that (as per 3L Gore Pro, for instance) the membrane is given a protective inner coating, which constitutes the nominal half layer. For Paclite Plus, Gore add another abrasion-resistant treatment that's designed to boost the fabric's durability. In practise this means it should be tougher than plain Paclite, though not as burly as Pro. The photo above shows the hem of the trousers around the end of the leg – this has been strengthened by Rohan using scuff tape which means that if the trousers do drag along trails or fields that the ends of the leg don’t get frayed or damaged. A nice touch on a quality pair of trousers. Fairly lightweight at 575g, the Dry Rangers incorporate what’s known as a ‘drop liner’ inside the trousers. This is an inner lining made from Rohan’s classic Barricade membrane, and makes them exceedingly waterproof, breathable and windproof. Sweden – a land renowned for Ikea, Volvo and a veritable smorgasbord of other quality items. Well since 1960 they have also had outdoor company Fjӓllrӓven who have been quietly making exceptional quality equipment for those in the know.In a line: We love the slim profile of the Helly Hansen Loke Pants and, all-in-all, they’re a solid option. 8/10 Didriksons Tuba USX Pants The Craghoppers Kiwi Pro Waterproof Trousers are different to a lot of our other best waterproof trousers for 2019 in that they are not over trousers. Instead, you wear them all day and they’ll keep you protected in the event of a downpour. My favourite bit about this is that they don’t look or sound like waterproofs at all.