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The men’s version of our upgrade pick, the Arc’teryx Beta AR Pant, is now back in stock. dog pad puppy pad
Although you probably don’t need rain pants during lighter showers or warmer weather, a good pair of rain pants can help you stay dry and comfortable when you’re hiking in heavy rain or colder climates.
To find the best pair, we spent 45 hours conducting research, speaking to experts, conducting a killer wash test, and chasing rain through Oregon, Colorado, and Washington.
We chose Marmot’s PreCip Eco Pants, which come in men’s and women’s sizes, as the best rain pants for most people.
Water resistant yet breathable, these rain pants come in multiple inseam lengths, have a tailored cut, and offer features such as ankle zippers and side pockets. They’re also more affordable than many of the other pants we tested.
These lightweight, comfortable pants will keep you dry through rainy hikes. They are available in regular, short, and long versions to accommodate multiple heights.
These lightweight, comfortable pants will keep you dry through rainy hikes. They also come in three inseam lengths.
These pants are just as dry and comfortable in the rain. They come in only one two lengths, but they have vented ankle zippers.
These pants are just as dry and comfortable in the rain. They have vented ankle zippers but come in only two lengths.
Five times the cost of our top pick, these pants are a splurge. But they perform in rain, snow, and mountaineering conditions, plus they’re the most durable option we tested.
The women’s sizes are also a splurge. But they perform in rain, snow, and mountaineering conditions, plus they promise to be the most durable option.
These lightweight, comfortable pants will keep you dry through rainy hikes. They are available in regular, short, and long versions to accommodate multiple heights.
These lightweight, comfortable pants will keep you dry through rainy hikes. They also come in three inseam lengths.
Compared with the other rain pants we tested, Marmot’s 2.5-layer PreCip Eco Pants (available in both men’s and women’s versions) will keep you dry for a lower price. In our tests the water-repellent coating on the PreCip pants held up well during Oregon rainstorms, even after five hours of continuous washing. And the fabric felt breathable during a steamy hike in the Hoh Rain Forest at Washington’s Olympic National Park.
Although the PreCip pants are still roomy enough to move around in and to pull over base layers, they have a narrower cut than any other rain pants we tested and a better range of inseam lengths to fit people of different heights. (They don’t come in plus or petite sizes, however. For those options, check the Other good rain pants section.) With ankle zippers at the cuffs, these pants are easy to get on and off while you’re wearing boots. They’re also a few ounces lighter than most of the other rain pants we considered.
These pants are just as dry and comfortable in the rain. They come in only one two lengths, but they have vented ankle zippers.
These pants are just as dry and comfortable in the rain. They have vented ankle zippers but come in only two lengths.
Patagonia’s Torrentshell 3L Pants (available in men’s and women’s versions) are similar to our top pick, but they are an ounce heavier, and they’re more expensive at this writing. The 3-layer ripstop-nylon fabric of these pants looks and feels identical to the fabric of our top pick, and the Torrentshell pairs were just as water resistant and breathable when we wore them while walking in the rain, too.
They have longer ankle zippers that cool your legs when opened partially, which we loved. However, Patagonia offers only two inseam options for the Torrentshell pants (short and regular, but no long), so they may be too short for some people—and if they don’t fit you well in that regard, you may end up showing some damp, chilly ankle.
Five times the cost of our top pick, these pants are a splurge. But they perform in rain, snow, and mountaineering conditions, plus they’re the most durable option we tested.
The women’s sizes are also a splurge. But they perform in rain, snow, and mountaineering conditions, plus they promise to be the most durable option.
The Arc’teryx Beta AR pants (available in men’s and women’s versions) are the most insulating and durable rain pants we tested. If you’re just looking for a pair of rain pants to help you wait out a rainstorm, these are likely to feel too heavy and robust, but they’ll do especially well for mountaineering adventures and winter storms. The key is that they’re made with Gore-Tex Pro material, which is totally windproof and waterproof, as well as exceptionally lightweight. The result is a 3-layer construction that breathes well but still keeps you dry.
We also liked the reinforced instep patches along the calves; because of the thicker fabric, you’re less likely to rip your pants with crampons or snowshoes. And these pants are likely to stand the test of time longer than our other picks because of the fabric. Arc’teryx clothing tends to run narrow, so you’ll probably want to try them on before you buy. If you have mountain or winter hikes coming up, they may be worth the splurge—and they are quite a splurge.
Jenni Gritters is a freelance journalist who’s been writing and editing product reviews for almost a decade, with bylines in Wirecutter, Slate, and beyond. Previously an editor on the Wirecutter outdoors team (where she edited the first version of this guide), she now covers parenting, baby/kid, outdoor, and travel gear. She lives in Bend, Oregon, with her husband and two children.
Rain pants are a just-in-case item that you’ll rarely need to take out of your bag—until you really, really do. If you’re hiking in a warmer climate, you probably don’t need rain pants. In fact, rain pants could actually make you too hot in milder climates, or they could cause chafing and discomfort while you’re sweating. Most rain pants are meant to keep water out, which also means that they don’t let sweat out, so if you’re hiking only a short distance in warmer weather and you won’t be wet for long periods of time, you should probably leave your rain pants behind.
The rain pants in this guide are instead meant for everyday hikers and backpackers—they’re not designed for full-submersion situations like angler fishing or kayaking. However, we can vouch for using our rain pants in non-hiking situations on occasion, too: We’ll layer them over long johns to go out in the rare Portland, Oregon, snowstorm, pop them on for a shoulder-season snowshoe, don them while biking, or put them on for a messy garden job. For a quick walk through the woods or muddy outdoor chores, any of our picks will work just fine.
All of our rain pant picks have matching jackets available. We’ve tried matching jackets from our picks from Marmot (men’s and women’s sizes) and Patagonia (men’s and women’s sizes) and liked them. We’re currently in the process of trying out the matching jacket to our new upgrade pick from Arc’teryx (men’s and women’s sizes) as well.
The major benefit of matching your pants to your jacket is that they fit together without gaps between them so you stay dry. They also tend to have similar fits, fabrics, and colors available, so you can match if you prefer. However, as long as your jacket is long enough to cover the waist of your pants, you can pair it with any rain jacket you want and still stay dry.
After reading many websites and reviews, we looked at the top-rated and best-selling rain pant models that were widely available. We took that list of top models and narrowed the group based on the following criteria:
“[The term] waterproof [means it’s] a complete barrier to water, and water resistant means that some water will get through,” said the University of Oregon’s Susan Sokolowski. “Usually it’s a cost decision, so if you get pants that are fully waterproof, they’re more expensive. They’re also typically less breathable, so you have to consider your conditions.”
“The fabrics have gotten [stretchy enough] that a gusset isn’t as imperative as in the past,” said Utah State University’s Sean Michael. “With a quality cut and the relative stretch of the fabric, the gusset starts to become secondary unless someone is really doing bouldering or face climbing.”
In 2019 and 2022, we first tried on all the rain pants to observe how easy they were to move around in, how comfortable they were, how loud and swishy the fabric was, how easy they were to get on and off, and how well they fit.
Then we tested for water resistance. We conducted an eyedropper and spray test (per Sokolowski’s advice) to see whether the water soaked through or beaded on pants. Water didn’t soak through any of the pants, so they were all baseline waterproof. Even so, this test illustrated that some pants were more effective at repelling water than others: Water droplets practically jumped off several pairs of pants while clinging to the fabric of other pairs.
We also conducted a wash test to mimic long-term wear and tear on DWR coatings. While researching how outdoor-clothing brands test their rainwear, we came across Patagonia’s Killer Wash tests and reached out to Matt Dwyer, Patagonia’s director of materials and development, to learn more; Dwyer told us that Patagonia’s initial wash tests involve running rain gear through continuous five-, 12-, or 24-hour cycles. After reading the labels on all of the pants and kilts in our test group to make sure we followed the manufacturer’s instructions, we used powder detergent, washed the pants in cold water for five hours, and air-dried them. Then, we repeated the eyedropper and spray test to observe any differences (there weren’t any).
Anna Perling tested rain pants in Portland, Oregon, a city notorious for its rain. When the rain turned out to be sparse in Portland, Anna also took the finalists to the Hoh Rain Forest in Washington’s Olympic National Park, which receives 12 to 14 feet of rain per year. Jenni Gritters tested rain pants in Bend, Oregon, during the late winter and early spring seasons. Kim Mock took rain pants out into the Colorado wilds during the spring months, as well.
We wore all of our picks for at least an hour’s worth of hiking to test for mobility and breathability and to see how easy the pants were to get on and off. We lunged, jumped, rolled around in wet grass, splashed ourselves with river water, knelt in puddles, and rubbed our butts against mossy trees and gravel.
Ultimately, because all of our candidates proved to be waterproof enough, we made our picks based on sizing options, price, fit, and features. We combed through reviews on multiple retail sites to look for reports on long-term wear, too.
These lightweight, comfortable pants will keep you dry through rainy hikes. They are available in regular, short, and long versions to accommodate multiple heights.
These lightweight, comfortable pants will keep you dry through rainy hikes. They also come in three inseam lengths.
Marmot’s PreCip Eco Pants (available in men’s and women’s versions) will keep you dry just as well as the competition for a lower price, and they’re available in a wider array of inseam lengths. These 2.5-layer, ripstop-nylon pants are made with 100% recycled fabric and have ankle zips to help you get them over your boots. They also have zippered side pockets.
Where the PreCip pants stand out is in their cut: They ranked among the best-fitting pants we tried, and they come in short, regular, and long inseam lengths. More of our testers found that this cut, of all the pants we tested, fit them the best.
On our Hoh Rain Forest hike and around town, the PreCip pants felt breathable.
Marmot’s pants kept us dry while we walked for several miles in heavier-than-usual rain and wind in Portland, Oregon. During our eyedropper and spray tests, we saw no signs of wetting through—both before and after putting the pants through five hours of continuous washing. Water didn’t bead up and jump off the PreCip pants quite as well as it did off the Arc’Teryx Beta pants, but neither did the water cling to the Marmot pairs’ fabric.
On our Hoh Rain Forest hike, the PreCip pants felt breathable. (The temperature was around 48 degrees Fahrenheit in the rain forest.) We felt noticeably sweaty and clammy after only an hour of hiking in the Columbia Storm Surge pants in the rain forest—but that wasn’t the case in the PreCip pants.
Tripping over pants isn’t fun, and neither is feeling like you’re wearing a couple of trash bags. We experienced that feeling while wearing many of the rain pants in our test group—but not when we wore the PreCip pairs. Instead, the PreCip pants fit well and were easy to move in; we also found their legs roomy enough to pull on over layers and then walk in. The PreCip pairs still look and feel like rain pants, of course, so they don’t get many style points. Their fabric isn’t as soft and stretchy as that of the sleeker Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic pants. However, these pants feel sturdier than the others we tested because of their gusseted crotch, which, according to our experts, can help reinforce an easy-to-rip area.
The PreCip Eco Pants come in three inseam lengths (short, regular, and long) in both men’s and women’s versions, and they were among the few pants in our pile that proved to be true to size. The men’s pants come in S to XXL (30- to 42-inch waist, 36- to 48-inch hip, 30- to 35-inch inseam), and the women’s pants come in sizes XS to XL (24.5- to 36.5-inch waist, 35- to 47-inch hip, 29- to 33-inch inseam). Both the men’s and women’s models come only in black.
The two zippered mesh side pockets let you stash whatever you need to keep accessible. These pockets have a protective fabric shelf, and Marmot’s most recent update to the PreCip design added fully taped seams, which means you can trust that your phone will stay dry during a true downpour. Ankle zippers at the cuffs made pulling the pants over our boots easy, and if you prefer pants that fully unzip (from the waist to the ankle), both the men’s and women’s versions offer that option. Unlike other rain pants, however, the PreCip pairs have an effective ankle cinch (an elastic drawstring) to help you taper and shorten them after you put them on.
As for the price, the PreCip Eco Pants are at the lower end of the high-end rain pants we tested and at the higher end of the cheaper options. At this writing, they’re $30 less than our runner-up, the almost identical Patagonia Torrentshell pants. For the cost, these pants offer the best value of all the pants we tested.
You need to wash the PreCip pants with liquid detergent, not powder; you can dry them on low. If your pants do wear out, you can file a warranty claim with Marmot. The company offers a limited lifetime warranty.
Because the PreCip Eco Pants are made from ripstop nylon, they still feel somewhat like trash bags. They aren’t the quietest pants, either. However, that complaint extended to most of the pants we tested. And although the zippers on the PreCip pants are plenty long, they’re not as long as the zippers on Patagonia’s Torrentshell pants.
These pants are just as dry and comfortable in the rain. They come in only one two lengths, but they have vented ankle zippers.
These pants are just as dry and comfortable in the rain. They have vented ankle zippers but come in only two lengths.
If Marmot’s PreCip Eco Pants are unavailable, Patagonia’s Torrentshell 3L Pants (available in men’s and women’s versions) are nearly identical to our top pick. They’re basic, waterproof pants with a few standout features: They have long ankle zippers that make them easier to get on and off than the PreCip pairs, as well as articulated knees, and they’re more breathable than many of the other options we tested. But the Torrentshell pants offer any only two inseam lengths (they come in 30-inch and 32.5-inch inseams), so if you’re tall, these pants may not fit you quite as well as our top pick. They are also more expensive than our top pick, depending on the retailer.
The fabric looks and feels identical to that of the PreCip pants. Both are made from ripstop nylon, although Patagonia recently updated its design to be 3-layer, in contrast to Marmot’s 2.5-layer design. Because of that extra layer, these pants are slightly heavier than the PreCip pants.
The Torrentshell pairs did just as good a job as the PreCip pants when it came to keeping us dry in Portland, Oregon, rain and staying breathable on our hike in a rain forest. The ankle zippers on the Torrentshell pants come up higher on the leg than on most of the other rain pants we tested, which makes getting them on and off over boots even easier than with our top pick. The Torrentshell pants have two zippered side pockets covered with a fabric shelf, and the pants fold and zip into one of the mesh pockets once you’ve taken them off, in case you’re looking for an option that you can easily stuff into a backpack. Articulated knees on the pants help with mobility.
The biggest drawback with these pants is their fit: If you’re taller than their inseams accommodate, you may find that they don’t cover you adequately. The men’s versions spans XXS to XXL (26- to 42-inch waist, 32- to 48-inch hip), and the women’s versions span XXS to XXL (24.5- to 41.5-inch waist, 34- to 51-inch hip). Currently, the only color available is black.
Five times the cost of our top pick, these pants are a splurge. But they perform in rain, snow, and mountaineering conditions, plus they’re the most durable option we tested.
The women’s sizes are also a splurge. But they perform in rain, snow, and mountaineering conditions, plus they promise to be the most durable option.
The Arc’teryx Beta AR rain pants (men’s and women’s) are five times as expensive as our top pick, but they’re tough enough to keep you dry during mountaineering adventures or in heavy rain, snow, or sleet. Compared with the other pants we tested, the Beta AR pants don’t just cause water to bead off—they repel water with force. The key lies in their Gore-Tex Pro materials, which breathe well but keep you dry, and in reinforced instep patches along the calves, which prevent you from catching and ripping your pants with crampons or snowshoes.
There are two versions of this pant available: the regular Beta pant (men’s and women’s) and the upgraded Beta AR. At various times, Arc’teryx has stocked both the Beta and the Beta AR in only men’s or only women’s sizes. (As of late August 2024, both the women’s and the men’s Beta AR pants were in stock.) We’ve tested and like both versions of these pants; they are similar in fit and performance. The AR is more expensive, but it has some additional features that are handy in the snow, including higher-denier Gore-Tex, draw cuffs, and a stronger water-repellent treatment. For these reasons, we prefer the AR if you’re going to be using them mainly in the snow. However, if you don’t intend to use these pants in the snow or ice—and still want a similar fit and performance in the rain—then we think you’ll be happy with the less-expensive Beta as well.
During our water and wash tests, the Beta AR pants felt hardier than competitors. And although you’d be wise to layer long johns underneath them in a snowstorm for additional warmth, they should offer more water and wind protection than our other picks. They’re also heavier than our top pick. Like many of the other rain pants we tested, the Arc’teryx Beta pairs have zippers on the sides, but their zippers fully extend from hip to ankle, allowing for the easiest on-and-off we experienced, as well as the best ventilation.
You can find the Beta and Beta AR pants, in men’s and women’s versions, three inseam lengths: short, regular, and tall. For men, the inseams range from 29 to 36 inches, depending on the size of the pants. For women, the inseams range from 28.5 to 35 inches. Men’s sizes run from XS to XXL (waists range from 29 to 44.5 inches, and hips from 34.5 to 50 inches). Women’s run from size 00 to 16 (waists range from 24 to 37 inches, and hips from 33.5 to 46.5 inches). Most Arc’teryx items run narrow, so you should try on both your usual size and one size up to see which one you prefer. To tailor the fit of your pants around your hips, use the belt and cinch strap. You can also adjust the ankle portion, which has a cinch and buttons at the ankles, plus lace hooks for hiking or alpine boots. The women’s Beta AR come in black only; the men’s version comes in black and a muted green.
If you’re looking for extended sizes in rain pants: Consider the Outdoor Research Helium Rain Pants (currently available only in women’s sizes XXS to XXXL). Our plus-size tester reported no chafing and loved the drawstring waist, which allowed her to tailor the fit to her shape. These pants caused water to bead off well enough, and our tester said that she didn’t feel wet even after a long slog in the rain. Most of all, she preferred the style of the Helium pants; many plus-size pants are boxy, but these allowed enough room for layering without looking baggy. They also have zippers at the ankles that allow for breathability, and they weigh just 5.5 ounces.
The standard-size Helium pants were less well-loved among our testers, simply because they did not measure up to the comfort and durability of our top pick and runner-up pick. If you are looking for extended-size options, the Helium pants are the best of those.
If you want extended sizes in short or tall lengths: Consider the Eddie Bauer Cloud Cap Rain Pants (men’s and women’s stretch). The Cloud Cap pants come in sizes XS to 3X for women in regular inseams, plus a smaller range of sizes in petite and tall inseams, and that variety makes them worth considering. However, they don’t have some of the features we like on other pants, such as ankle zippers or elastic cinches. Our plus-size and petite women’s testers both found the waist a bit snug, and our legs got cold during rainy hikes because the fabric was fairly thin. Overall, the women’s version felt more like hiking pants than rain pants, and the men’s option (which comes in regular or tall, S to XXL, non-stretch) was boxy.
If you’re looking for an ultralight option: Consider the Montbell Versalite Pants (men’s and women’s). These pants weigh 3.2 ounces, and though they feel likely to blow away in the wind because they’re seriously as light as a feather, they kept out the rain surprisingly well in our tests. “If these were truly waterproof, they’re all I would pack,” said one tester upon trying the Montbell pants for the first time. And his request was granted: During our eyedropper and spray tests, and our hikes in the rain, these pants repelled water just as well as our other picks did, and they’re available for a similar price. They feel like crepe paper and can’t keep you warm or protected from the wind, but they do the job well during a rainstorm.
If you want a rain kilt for warmer weather: If you’re traveling somewhere warm or going to a place with lighter rain, a rain kilt may work for you, but we don’t think a rain kilt is the best rainproofing option for most people. If you do want to buy a kilt, we like the Zpacks DCF Rain Kilt. Made of ultra-durable and lightweight Dyneema fabric, the kilt has a zipper to seal it and a cinch waist. In contrast, the other kilt we tested, the ULA Rain Kilt, uses three pieces of Velcro as closures, which leave several slits where rain can get through. Though the Zpacks kilt is more rigid than the ULA kilt, you can still move around in it.
Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Pant (men’s and women’s): Light, soft, and stretchy, the fabric on the Stretch Ozonic pants makes them feel and look more like hiking pants than a traditional rain layer. During our spray tests, water practically jumped off this fabric. But when we took these pants out on a windy, rainy night, they started to wet through after just an hour. These pants have thigh-high zippers, which make them easy to get on and off. They also have a more tailored cut than many rain pants we tested; the men’s version has a cinching buckle, and the women’s version has Velcro tabs at the sides. We tested them both in 2019 and 2022, and although we know they’re popular, we don’t think they offer the guaranteed waterproofing that most people need.
Columbia Men’s Rebel Roamer Rain Pants: Though the Rebel Roamer pants have two snaps at the ankles to help taper the legs, they lack ankle zippers, which makes them difficult to get on and off. They come in 30- and 32-inch inseams.
Columbia Women’s Storm Surge Rain Pants: The Storm Surge pants come in plus sizes in the women’s version. But during our testing, they weren’t breathable (likely due to their shell and their mesh lining). These pants also lack ankle zippers and are difficult to get on and off over shoes.
ULA Rain Kilt: You close this rain kilt with three Velcro pieces, a design that creates gaps. This kilt is less structured than the Zpacks kilt we tested, and it’s easier to move around in, but during our tests the fabric swished around our legs—when Anna walked, the kilt kept getting stuck between her legs. Also, it’s loud.
We also tested and dismissed rain pants from The North Face and REI Co-op that have since been discontinued.
Care and maintenance instructions depend on each pair of pants, according to our experts. And we found that to be true during our testing. “Every product will have a sewn-on care label…. The company that’s made them has probably wash-tested them,” said the University of Oregon’s Susan Sokolowski. “Usually, [you should] follow the suggested manufacturer’s care [instructions].” For our wash test, we looked at the care label on each pair of pants. When the DWR membrane starts to visibly flake off, that’s a sign that your rain gear is failing. “A membrane like a Gore-Tex membrane is actually laminated to the outside fabric. If you wash or put these products in the dryer, the membrane will start to fall off,” said Sokolowski.
You can re-treat your pants to maintain them. Utah State University’s Sean Michael recommended looking into company-specific washes or treatments. (He likes Nikwax, which adds DWR to rain gear through a spray or wash, and said that the brand’s Tech Wash and TX.Direct “are coupled together as a one-two punch for cleaning and re-treating.”) Dirt, sweat, and grime on pants all impede the effectiveness of DWR, so washing or rinsing your rain pants between uses can help extend their longevity. Drying your pants on low for a short time can help reactivate the DWR, too. You’ll know whether a DWR coating is intact if water beads on the pants (this is a good sign). If water soaks through the fabric, you’re out of luck, and you need to reapply the coating.
This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.
Susan Sokolowski, then associate professor and director of the sports product design program at the University of Oregon, phone interview, July 12, 2017
Sean Michael, professor and then program director for the outdoor product design and development program at Utah State University, phone interview, July 13, 2017
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