The Best Waterproof Women’s Hiking Pants

If you want to go hiking, backpacking or cycling in bad weather, you’ll need a pair of waterproof pants. After all, what’s the point of wearing a waterproof jacket if your legs are just going to be drenched?

Unfortunately, finding waterproof hiking pants for women can be tricky.  Many brands only make mens pants or “unisex” pants.  I’m short and petite and those unisex pants never fit right.  And some of the cheap waterproof pants don’t have side zips (important for getting on/off easily as well as ventilation!), make a loud crinkling sound when you walk, or aren’t breathable so you end up wet from sweat. 

I’ve scoured the internet for the best waterproof hiking pants women. All of the pants below are actually waterproof and have cool features which make them awesome for hiking or even everyday use. 

 

Quick Picks:

• Best Overall: Mountain Hardware Ozonic Stretch Pants
• Runner Upp: REI Rainier Pants
• Best budget option: iCreek Waterproof Pants

*Tip: Chec out REI Outlet for rain pants. You can often find really good gear at massive discounts. 

 

Best Waterproof Women’s Hiking Pants Reviewed

1. Mountain Hardware Ozonic Stretch Waterproof Women’s Hiking Pants

Best for: Hiking, climbing and everyday use 

If you want a pair of women’s rain pants which look like normal pants, these ones by Mountain Hardware are fantastic.  The rain pants also have a lot of nice features which make them easy to use. There are zippered sides so you can get them on/off easily and also Velcro around the legs to keep the pants secure around your boots.  Because the zipper is two-way, you can adjust it for ventilation. 

These rain pants also offer more range of movement than you’d normal find in rain pants because the material is slightly stretchy.  As for the waterproofness, they are rated to 20,000 and have a breathability rating of 15,000.  This is a fantastic waterproof to breathability ratio.   If they were a bit cheaper, these would get my top pick for women’s waterproof pants. 

Get Them Here 

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2. REI Rainier Rain Pants

Best for: All-around great rain pants with a full zip side

The standout feature of the REI Rainier pants is that they have a full zip going down the sides.  This means you can easily get them on/off, even over muddy boots.  The zip is covered to prevent leakage and there’s a snap to ensure the pants don’t unzip as you hike.

For the price, the Rainier rain pants are actually pretty breathable. The two-way zipper also allows you to adjust the ventilation of the pants so you don’t end up all sweaty.  As for the fit, the knees are articulated.  There is Velcro around the waist for closing the pants but also allows you to adjust the size a bit. 

Get Them Here

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3. Berghaus Deluge Rain Pants

Best for: Great ventilation and breathability

The main standout feature of these waterproof pants is that they are very breathable. The pants material is Hydroshell, which is 15000mm waterproof rating and a breathability of 10,000.

Another great feature is the 3/4 zippers.  Not only does this make it very easy to get the pants on/off while hiking, but it allows for ventilation.  There are even little snaps so you can leave the pants unzipped but still snapped closed.   Unlike the REI rain pants, the waterproof and breathability ratings are listed.

The material is durable but will make a crinkly sound when you walk.  If you want a quieter pair, Berghaus also makes the PacLite women’s rain pants from Gore-Tex.  They are pricier though. 

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Best for: Affordable rain pants which don’t look dorky

The Little Donkey rain pants for women are fairly cheap but still do their job well.  They have a waterproof rating of 3000mm and the seams don’t leak.  The pants are also made to fit well .  Their standout feature though is that the rain pants don’t look super nerdy like most.  These are pants that I could wear around the city without my kids getting embarrassed by me. 🙂 

The newer version of these pants has a 3/4 length zipper, so getting them on/off is easier (especially with muddy boots).  As you’d expect from cheap rain pants though, the breathability isn’t great.   The quality isn’t the best either. Don’t expect them to withstand a lot of abuse.

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5. iCreek Waterproof Pants

Best for: Cheap rain pants which have side zips and okay breathability

As expected from cheap rain pants, these are quite crinkly and the fit isn’t the best – they are quite baggy.  But, unlike with other cheap rain pants for women, these ones actually list their waterproof rating (8,000mm) and breathability (5,000g).  If you only need to wear these occassionally, and aren’t doing strenuous hiking, they will get the job done.

Pros:

• Cheap
• Zippered leg opened
• Velcro cuffs
• Pockets
• Mesh lining

Cons:

• Baggy fit
• Crinkly sound
• Pockets don’t have zippers
• Not the most durable

Get Them Here

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6. Acme Projects Rain Pants

Best for: Cheap rain pants with high waterproof rating 

These rain pants aren’t the best, but the price is very affordable. They aren’t as cheap as the Pakka rain pants but they have a much higher waterproof rating of 10,000mm.  The material is fairly durable so will withstand some abrasion.  The breathability rating of 3,000 also isn’t bad considering the low price. The pants do come in women’s sizes but they are unisex, so expect them to fit baggy.  The knees aren’t articulated so the range of motion isn’t great either.  Still, for the price, they do their job.

Get Them Here

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Women’s Waterproof Hiking Pants Buying Guide

Not sure which rain pants to get?  Here’s a quick buying guide which covers the main things you need to consider, including materials, waterproof ratings, breathability and other important things to consider.

 

Rain Pant Materials 

There are three main types of waterproofing technology used on rain pants: laminates, coatings and DWR.

Laminates:

Laminates have very thin membranes which prevent water from passing through but still allow vapor to pass through.  Because they are so thin, they can get damaged easily and are often sandwiched between two other layers.

• Pros: Thinner, breathable
• Cons: More expensive
• Examples: Gore-Tex, eVent

Coatings:

With coatings, a waterproof layer has basically been painted onto the interior side of the fabric. To make the material more breathable, tiny holes are put into the coating as it is applied. Depending on how thick the coating is, the material can be lightweight or heavier.

• Pros: Cheaper
• Cons: Much thicker, not as breathable, often heavier than laminates, material wears down faster

DWR:

Water-resistant treatments (usually DWR or “Durable Water Repellent”) are applied to the outside of a material to help it shed water.

DWR is NOT the same as waterproof: DWR onlyl repels water. It doesn’t prevent water from going through the material. When you see water beading on your gear, this is the DWR at work.

For hiking in warm weather where you might get an occassional shower, DWR clothing is adequate. The DWR coating prevents lots of water from absorbing into your pants or jacket. If they are made from nylon, they will dry quickly once the rain stops. You’ll have to reapply the DWR coating eventually, but DWR sprays are fairly cheap.

Some good waterproof hiking pants have a DWR exterior plus a laminate or coating on the inside.  These layers allow for better breathability, abrasion-protection, and more water resistance.

• Pros: Good breathability
• Cons: Not waterproof by itself, needs to be reapplied

If you want to learn more about waterproofing technology, REI has a great detailed article here.

 

Rain Pant Breathability vs. Waterproofness

A material which is completely waterproof but also breathable does not exist.  The more waterproof a material is, the less breathable it will be.  However, waterproofing technology is getting better and you can achieve a high amount of breathability and waterproofness.

Breathability Ratings:

Breathability is rated in grams per square meter. It says how much vapor can pass through a square meter or material in 24 hours.  A 15,000m2 rating means 15,000 grams of vapor can escape.  The higher the rating, the more breathable the material.

• 1,500 to 5,000 grams/m²: 1,500 is the minimum rating for something to be conidered waterproof. It’s okay for warm-weather showers but you’ll want better protection in spring/fall temperatures to ensure you don’t get wet and thus cold.
• 5,000 to 10,000 grams/m²: This is a very low amount of breathability. It is only suitable for situations like skiing or hanging around camp.  You’d start sweating quickly if you were hiking in it.
• 10,000 to 15,000 grams/m2: This is a good amount of breathability. If you are doing intensive hiking or are in humid areas, you would want more breathability.
• 15,000 to 20,000 grams/m2: This level of breathability is great for high-humidity areas and situations where you will be sweating a lot.

Waterproof Ratings:

• 5,000mm: This is a good base level of waterproofing. It is fine for most rains but not suitable for heavier or long downpours.
• 10,000mm to 15,000mm: This is a good level of waterproofing to shoot for. It will withstand most rains and some snow. However, it will not withstand high amounts of pressure – so areas like where your backpack straps are will likely get wet.
• 15,000mm to 20,000mm: Going out into the tropics? This is the level of waterproofing to aim for. Worn with insulating layers, it can even be suitable for winter months.

To give you an idea of how breathability and waterproofness are inversely related, check out the ratings of these common waterproof materials.

Material	Breathability	Waterproofness
Gore-Tex 3L	17,000	28,000
eVent 3L	25,000	30,000
Gore-Tex Pro 3L	15,000	28,000
Helly Tech Performance 2.5L	10,000	10,000

(Source)

 

Leg Zippers 

For me, zippers going up the legs of the rain pants is a must-have feature.  The zippers allow me to put the rain pants on over my boots. This is incredibly convenient, especially when you need to pull the pants on mid-hike while your boots are covered in mud. Some pants only have small zippers whereas others have zips which go completely up the legs. 

A benefit of the full-length zippers is that you can undo them for ventilation.  This is especially true if there are two-way zippers (which allows you to unzip them in the middle, for example). 

The picture below is me in my Bergans of Norway rain pants.  I LOVE these pants and they are even breathable enough to wear when it isn’t raining. But the pants cost more than $250, so I can’t with good conscious recommend them (I scored them secondhand for $10 :))

Integrated Belts

I love integrated belts because they make the rain pants look more like everyday pants, so you could wear them around town without feeling too geeky.  The downside is that the belt can interfere with your backpack hip straps.

Range of Motion

If you do any climbing on your hikes, you’ll need rain pants which have articulated knees.  Otherwise the knee area will get worn out too quickly.  You’ll also need stretchier materials which, unfortunately, usually means paying more for a good brand of pants like those from REI. 

The “Dorky Factor”

In theory, the appearance of your rain pants shouldn’t matter.  It’s more important to stay dry than look cool.  But I also wear my rain pants around town.  And sometimes I’ll go for a beer after a hike.  It can be a bit embarassing to enter the bar wearing rain pants which look like parachute pants from the 90s!  My daughter gets really embarrassed when her mom shows up decked out in rain gear. 

If you want to wear your rain pants in situations besides hiking, no one will blame you for buying a cool-looking pair.  Choose ones with zippered waists and articulated knees as they won’t look so much like parachute pants. 🙂 

 

Want to learn more about hiking in the rain? Read:

• How to stay dry hiking in the rain
• How to keep your feet dry hiking in the rain
• Essential hiking packing list