We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n As rock climbers, we ask a lot of our climbing pants. We want them to protect our legs from the elements on bad weather days, sharp vegetation on bushwhack approaches, and coarse rock when it\u2019s time to butt scoot off a boulder. But when we\u2019re climbing, we mostly don\u2019t want to notice them at all. We want pants that can handle high steps, drop knees, heel hooks, or any other weird leg contortion a climb might demand without limiting our range of motion. No one wants to fall off their project because of a wardrobe choice. And if all that wasn\u2019t enough, we don\u2019t want our pants to look dumb either. Most climbers use their climbing pants for all kinds of regular life activities, and we want our pants to still look like, well, pants. With such a high bar in place for a single piece of clothing, I set out to find some of the best climbing pants on the market that could meet all of the weird demands rock climbers place on them.<\/p>\n I tested the best climbing pants by climbing in some of my favorite and most frequented places. Rock types ranged from coarse desert granite to soft red sandstone and included the plastic walls of my local rock gym. I tried the pants while climbing in the hot, direct afternoon sun as well as frigid early mornings with snow still on the ground. The main aspects of the pants I focused on were:\u00a0<\/p>\n Climbing pants need to stretch and move with your body. Any decrease in range of motion is limiting your performance on the wall. It is imperative that your pants have some flexibility and aren\u2019t holding you back.<\/p>\n The very nature of climbing puts clothes through the ringer. Climbers are often scraping across rock faces, scrambling around on huge boulder fields, or thrashing through thick underbrush in their pursuit of vertical thrills. And climbing clothing doesn\u2019t usually come cheap so it\u2019s essential to have pants that can hold up.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t just for vanity. The reality is that climbing pants need to double as regular pants most of the time. No climber wants to buy two pairs of pants when one will do just fine. And it\u2019s a pain to pack double the sets of pants in your luggage or van whenever you go on a climbing trip. Additionally, climbers are often squeezing their sessions at the gym or crag in between other chores or duties so you want to be able to fit in decently at a restaurant, grocery store, or your kid\u2019s parent teacher conference without feeling like you\u2019re wearing a sign that says, \u201cAsk me about my project.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n When I first looked at the Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants I didn\u2019t think I\u2019d be impressed. It seemed like these pants were trying to do too much \u2014 I mean why would you need a drawstring waist on pants with a button and zipper? Then I put them on and warmed to them immediately thanks to how well they stretched. These pants will move with you on even the most gymnastic of boulder problems without pulling against you at all. The cinch cord at the pant cuff allows you to roll the pant leg up and keep it out of your way when you need to deploy some precise footwork.<\/p>\n The Ferrosis also work really well with a harness. Turns out that draw string allows you to dial in the fit, so the waist stays snugly under the harness, but the zipper button combo still allows you to wear it less snug and easily answer nature\u2019s call on all day climbing outings. Additionally, the zipper thigh pocket is a must for pants on any multi-pitch outing. The pocket sits out of the way of the harness leg loop to keep your phone secure for taking pictures or checking route beta when you\u2019re going to be up there for a while. My only complaint was that this pocket could be a little smaller as sometimes my phone could rattle around in there while climbing.<\/p>\n The fabric is plenty durable. I scraped these around for multiple days in the desert without any real tears to speak of. The material also makes them look like regular pants. I was able to unroll the pant leg and transition from crag to bar seamlessly at the end of a long day of climbing.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n A lot of hard climbing happens when it\u2019s nice and chilly out. The friction of the rock is better when it\u2019s cold, allowing you to hold and stand on small edges for much longer. These conditions are also when the Arc\u2019teryx Proton Pant shines. The pants are fantastic active insulation, utilizing a grid fleece lining to keep you warm when you\u2019re standing around belaying, but offering breathability when you\u2019re pulling hard and heating up.<\/p>\n The pants feature a simple design with an elastic waistband and only two front pockets to keep the bulk down. They stretch well with most climbing movements and only slightly pulled the waistband down when I tried to place a foot above my head in overhanging terrain. In my experience, insulated pants are usually terrible for range of motion but these pants blew me away with how well they climbed and the warmth they provided.<\/p>\n The fabric held up well against most rock, but some prickly desert plants put small holes in them in a couple of spots. The Protons can also moonlight just fine as going out pants, but they do give off a bit of a pajama vibe so your post-climb venue should be pretty casual.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n The LaSportive Talus pant seems made for boulderers. Since boulderers often use their crash pads as backpacks by sandwiching their items in the middle of the pad, these pants have large open pockets so you can keep track of smaller knick-knacks on your hike to the boulder. They even feature a brush pocket so boulderers can climb up a bit, pull out their brush, and scrub excess chalk from a higher hold before they give the problem a real try.<\/p>\n The Talus fabric stretches very well with dynamic powerful movements required while bouldering. I didn\u2019t feel any kind of pull while climbing a problem with an overhanging traverse that required continuously bumping a heel hook above my head. Along with good stretchiness, the fabric is very durable, holding up well against Pacific NW brush and desert thorns alike.\u00a0<\/p>\n These definitely look like climbing pants or at least some kind of sport pant. Going out in these, you might as well wear your harness and helmet to the bar and introduce yourself to everyone with your name followed by, \u201cand I\u2019m a climber.\u201d Since that\u2019s obviously the look LaSportiva was going for, I would have preferred if they went all in with performance features like elastic cuffs on the legs and just an elastic waistband rather than trying unsuccessfully to make them look like semi normal pants.<\/p>\n Read Next: <\/strong>Best Climbing Chalks, Tested and Reviewed<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Outdoor Research Ferrosi Joggers are a simplified and streamlined version of the Ferrosi pants. The stretch of the joggers works with any climbing move you might try in the gym while the cuffed legs make hiking them up simple and easy. Since most rock gym sessions include some kind of traditional gym work out, I used these pants in the weight room, on the treadmill, and the stair stepper machine at my rock gym and found no issue with performance or the durability of the material.<\/p>\n While the elastic waistband and cuffed legs lend these pants an ease and smoothness to performance, the tradeoff is you end up looking like Peter Pan when you\u2019re not climbing, so plan your after party accordingly.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\tSee It<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Arc\u2019Teryx Konseal Lightweight Pant feels so light and breezy, you might forget you\u2019re wearing pants. The fabric easily moves with you during any climbing sequence and the integrated belt paired with a zipper thigh pocket perform well with a harness on.<\/p>\n But all this lightweight high-quality performance does come with some durability down sides. I ripped a decent sized hole in these pants after just two days of desert climbing on a scrambly descent. Normally, I would never opt for such a lightweight fabric in an area known for shredding clothing, but I figured I\u2019d see if I could find the limit. I did. So choose your venue wisely when donning these pants.<\/p>\n These pants also look super sleek. I tested a black pair and granted, I probably don\u2019t have the best eye for class, but I feel like someone could get away with rocking a suit coat and tie while wearing these things on a hot day and avoid any raised eyebrows.<\/p>\n Every brand claims to have the latest, greatest, athlete-tested, 100 percent proven to make you climb harder pants on the market. And why wouldn\u2019t they? I\u2019ve seen how hard some of these designers work to get the details of they\u2019re products just right. And we wouldn\u2019t want to buy from a brand that couldn\u2019t muster that kind of self-confidence anyway. But all that can make shopping choices a little bit overwhelming so here are some tips for future purchases:<\/p>\n This might sound obvious, but sometimes the allure and ease of online shopping can get the better of all of us. Go to a store in person and try on some pairs of climbing pants, or order your top contenders online and return the rejects. We all have different bodies and require different fits. You\u2019re definitely not going to climb your best in a pair of pants that fit poorly so trying them on can negate some guesswork.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are so many different types of rock climbing these days. Are you a gym climber? Ropes or bouldering? Sport or trad? Do you climb finger cracks or wide cracks? Overhanging or slab? Granite or limestone? I could go on, but it would only amuse me. So make sure to pick the pant that works for your style of climbing and the rock type you\u2019re trying to climb. A boulderer in the gym is going to want something totally different from their pants than someone trying to scale a 1,000-foot alpine face.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve all met the crusty old timer who\u2019s duct taped seven holes in his climbing clothing because, \u201cthese were the best and then they changed them.\u201d It\u2019s OK. Styles change and new models come out. When you need to buy new climbing pants, go try out some new styles instead of committing to one type of pant and then complaining about the changes forever. The people producing these pants are actually trying to improve them, and if there is something not to your liking about a new pair, you can vote with your wallet. You might even find a new favorite pair that you didn\u2019t know existed.<\/p>\nHow I Tested the Best Climbing Pants<\/h2>\n
Performance<\/h3>\n
Durability<\/h3>\n
Style<\/h3>\n
Best Climbing Pants: Reviews & Recommendations\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Best Overall: Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Outdoor](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Outdoor-Research-Ferrosi-Pants.jpg?strip=all&quality=95\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nKey Features<\/h4>\n
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Pros<\/h4>\n
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Cons<\/h4>\n
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Best for Cold Weather: Arc\u2019teryx Proton Pant<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Arc\u2019teryx](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Arcteryx-Proton-Pant.jpg?strip=all&quality=95\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nKey Features<\/h4>\n
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Pros<\/h4>\n
\n
Cons<\/h4>\n
\n
![\"Climber](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/testing-proton-climbing-pants.jpg\")
Best for Bouldering: LaSportiva Talus Pants<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"LaSportiva](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/LaSportiva-Talus-Pants.jpg?strip=all&quality=95\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nKey Features<\/h4>\n
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Pros<\/h4>\n
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Cons<\/h4>\n
\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/talus-brush-pocket.jpg\")
Best for the Gym: Outdoor Research Ferrosi Joggers<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Outdoor](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Outdoor-Research-Ferrosi-Joggers.jpg?strip=all&quality=95\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nKey Features<\/h4>\n
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Pros<\/h4>\n
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Cons<\/h4>\n
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Best Lightweight: Arc\u2019teryx Konseal Lightweight Pant<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"Arc\u2019teryx](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Arcteryx-Konseal-Lightweight-Pant.jpg?strip=all&quality=95\")
<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\nKey Features<\/h4>\n
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Pros<\/h4>\n
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Cons<\/h4>\n
\n
![\"Climber](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/testing-konseal-lightweight.jpg\")
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/arcteryx-rip.jpg\")
Things to Consider Before Buying the Best Climbing Pants<\/h2>\n
![\"Climbers](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/testing-climbing-pants.jpg\")
Try Before You Buy<\/h3>\n
Climbing Style<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t Get Attached\u00a0<\/h3>\n