As anyone who has ever turned up to the office in a pair of soaking wet Levi’s will attest, a good pair of waterproof cycling trousers is something not to be caught without.
Many are those who have bravely donned anoraks on a rainy day and saddled up without giving their legwear a second thought, only to realise too late that – of course – a decent waterproof jacket is only part of the equation. While a coat alone might suffice for a quick walk to the shops, a bike ride is an entirely different matter: the seated riding position leaves your tender thighs exposed to nature’s full fury, and even a light shower can leave you soaked through from the waist down.
Understandably, many of us are fair-weather friends with our bikes – the sight of a grim winter morning is enough to make anyone start fantasising about a nice cosy car ride. But wait! There’s no need to abandon your trusty steed just yet. Investing in a trustworthy pair of waterproof cycling trousers will turn even the wettest day into a walk – er, cycle – in the park.
Waterproof cycling trousers set themselves apart from their walking-oriented brethren in a number of crucial ways. Many are shaped specifically to accommodate the riding position, while ankle-straps ensure trousers and chainrings keep well to themselves. The pairs we looked at feature an ingenious array of extra features that thoughtfully accommodate cyclists including extra pockets, reflective patches, reinforced seats and zippable air vents.
When it comes to waterproofing, look for a DWR (durable water-repellent) coating as a minimum. The best performance pairs are made from multi-layered technical fabric designed to provide an impermeable barrier to water, while allowing air and water vapor to escape.
We’ve rounded up the best waterproof trousers to accommodate any wet-weather cycling needs, whether you’re looking for a lightweight pair of overtrousers to stash in your pannier, or a durable daily rider to keep you warm and dry on your winter commute.
Best waterproof cycling trousers at a glance:
- Best overall – Endura Luminite II, £109.99, Wiggle
- Best for: Value - Proviz Reflect360 Trousers, £54.99, Proviz
- Best for: Waterproofing – Showers Pass Refuge, £195, Amazon
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Endura Luminite II
Best for: Overall
This is a particularly comfortable and lightweight pair of overtrousers made from Endura’s proprietary “2.5 layer” fabric for breathability, durability, and waterproof performance.
A reinforced seat panel means these trousers are designed to withstand years of intensive use, and weapons-grade reflective panelling ensures drivers will spot you a mile off. Un-pop the poppers around the ankle and you’ll find a few extra inches of leg length, which can be unfolded and securely fastened around the bottom of the leg. Perfect for the longer legged among us, we found these extensions helped to create an extra-tight fit right down to the top of the foot. Combined with double hook-and-loop fastening around each ankle and a snug elasticated waistband with belt loops, this pair really let you batten down the hatches against wind, rain and spray.
Importantly, Endura uses a non-toxic PFC-free waterproof coating on these trousers, and the company also offers a garment repair service to cover accidental damage and prevent waste.
At £109.99, these aren’t cheap – but a secure and comfy fit, outstanding reflective panelling and a hard-wearing backside make them the perfect pair of waterproof trousers for daily use on your bike.
Buy now £109.99, Wiggle
Showers Pass Refuge
Best for: Total dominion over nature
Impervious. Impenetrable. Impermeable. All these adjectives and more will spring to mind when you first venture out into a downpour wearing these technical overtrousers from Showers Pass.
The Refuge trousers are constructed from three-layer Elite fabric, which offers impressive durability and breathability as well as unbeatable waterproofing. With fully weatherproofed zips and a high (but very comfortable) waistband, these trousers ensure your lower half will remain dry even if you’re caught in a rainstorm of biblical proportions.
These trousers are engineered specifically for cycling, boasting a selection of handy extras including abundant reflective detailing and a hard-wearing reinforced seat panel. The reflective ankle straps are particularly effective at getting a tight fit around the lower leg, while a long zip on each leg ensures they’re a breeze to get on and off. This pair also feature ventilation zips along each thigh to keep you cool on sweatier rides – and we especially like the thoughtfully-placed weatherproof pocket on the back of the left leg.
At £185, these are the most expensive pair on our shortlist – but if you’re looking for uncompromising performance, they won’t disappoint.
Buy now £185.00, Amazon
Proviz Reflect360 Trousers
Best for: Value
Having developed an impressive array of reflective and technical fabrics, Proviz is something of an authority when it comes to enhanced-visibility activewear.
These trousers make use of Proviz’s Reflect360 technology to offer unparalleled reflectiveness. With masses of high-vis panelling and detailing on the front, side, and backs of the legs; they’re perfect for staying seen on busy, rainy commutes.
While these are a little baggier than some of the more “stylish” pairs we tested, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing – they’re a breeze to pull on and off over your normal trousers, aided by 30cm ankle zips and an elasticated waistband with a drawstring. Adjustable straps ensure an all-important tight fit around the ankles, while taped seams provide reliable protection from heavy downpours. At just £54.99, this pair offers really impressive value for money.
Buy now £54.99, Proviz
Smart Products Rainlegs Reflective
Best for: Thrifty nonconformists
With over a third of their country situated below sea level, the people of the Netherlands are the world’s foremost experts in water management.
So then, it should come as no surprise then that this ingenious water management solution comes from a small Dutch company – the aptly named Smart Products. Okay, maybe we’re stretching the definition of “trousers” a bit here, but we couldn’t miss these out. The Rainlegs are a bit like a pair of minimalist overtrousers: they clip around the waist like a belt then unroll over the upper legs, covering the thighs and extending just beyond the knee. A clip around each upper leg and straps just above the knees keeps them secure. Once you’ve arrived at your destination, they can be easily transformed back into belt-mode for easy storage.
In testing, the Rainlegs proved to be as impressive as they are unique, doing an admirable job of keeping this reviewer’s legs completely dry while cycling in the rain. They’re also dazzlingly reflective, extremely lightweight, and, we have to assume, completely unparalleled for breathability. While perhaps not the best choice for a torrential downpour, we reckon they’re perfect for any commuter – and at just under £35, they’re a great inexpensive upgrade from just a coat.
Buy now £33.57, Amazon
Vulpine Rain Trousers
Best for: Staying dry and looking fly
We’re pretty sure James Bond takes the Aston to MI6 headquarters – but if he were ever inclined to cycle in on a drizzly London morning, he’d undoubtedly wear these.
To the casual observer, these are just a pair of ordinary – if rather handsome – trousers. But, in fact, the Vulpine Rain Trousers are the latest in covert waterproofing. They’re made from Epic Cotton: fabric in which individual fibres are coated with silicone before being woven together, resulting in a breathable, comfortable material with long-lasting water repellence. The only thing that might blow your cover is a bit of swishing when you walk.
These are real, actual trousers – not overtrousers. Yet, despite their tailored look, they make for a supremely comfortable ride thanks to the thoughtful inclusion of articulated knees and just the right amount of stretch. A few extra gadgets take things to the next level: the right pocket holds a miniature carabiner to secure your keys when cycling; while the left conceals a zipped pocket-within-a-pocket for valuables. A neat button fastener on the right-side ankle keeps the hem away from the chain and gears, and, should you opt to turn up the ankles, you’ll be rewarded with flashes of reflective trim, ideal for night rides.
If you’re looking for a pair of comfy and durable waterproof trousers that you can look great in on your bike, in the office, at the pub – wherever, really – look no further.
Buy now £150.00, Vulpine
Berghaus Deluge 2.0
Best for: Changing in a flash
While they may not, technically, be made for cycling; this handy pair of waterproof overtrousers from Berghaus fit the bill perfectly. Articulation through the legs provides the perfect range of movement for cycling, while a relatively narrow ankle means they’re unlikely to fall foul of your chain and cranks. Built from Berghaus’s Hydroshell 2L fabric, they’re guaranteed to keep out anything from a drizzle to a downpour – and the company’s free garment repair service means they should last you a while too.
This pair can be whipped on and off with incredible speed – even over your shoes – thanks to an elasticated waistband with pull-cord and 3/4-length double-zips running down the outside of each leg. The latter function as extremely effective air vents, and the snap closures over the top of the zips mean you can quite happily keep them open while it’s raining.
Buy now £65.00, Berghaus
Madison Zenith 4-Season DWR Trouser
Best for: Durability
These lightweight all-weather trousers are built for mountain biking.
The thing about mountain bikers is they’re tough. They ride down mountains. You think they’re worried about a bit of rain? What really counts is durability and breathability, which these trousers have in spades. However, this comes at the possible expense of some waterproofing. While the trousers are DWR-coated, Madison only whip out the big guns (seam taping and three-layer waterproof panelling) in “critical” areas – namely, the backside and inside legs, where they also provide abrasion resistance.
Nonetheless, these trousers performed extremely well in our testing, keeping this reviewer’s legs completely dry when riding in fairly heavy rain. They also feature concealed vent zips, Velcro straps on the ankles, a very handy elastic adjuster on the waistband, and a trifecta of zipped pockets.
While we’re not sure how they’d fare in a total downpour, this is a primo pair of waterproof trousers available at a very reasonable price, and we reckon they’d provide more than adequate wet-weather performance for most road cyclists.
Buy now £89.99, Freewheel
BTWIN City Cycling Rain Overtrousers
Best for: Great value cycle-friendly features
This offering from Decathlon is another solid pair of waterproof overtrousers, with a few unique features that cater to cyclists.
This pair features a double zip that runs almost the whole way up the outside of each leg: zipping up from the bottom makes the trousers super easy to pull on and off even with your shoes on. On warmer rides, zipping down from the top provides as much airflow as you want to cool down those hard-working legs.
Coated fabric and taped seams keep the rain out, while Neve fabric reinforcements over the pre-shaped knees and seat panel are designed to help these trousers resist the cumulative wear of years of intensive use. This pair is a perfect blend of form and function, with long fitted hems that fit tightly around the lower leg to avoid chain snags, and a high waistband to ensure your back stays protected from the rain at all costs.
Buy now £79.99, Decathlon
RevolutionRace Silence Proshell 2.0
Best for: Versatility
This is a great value pair of multi-purpose technical trousers which more than hold their own on a bike. These stand out from the pack thanks to their PFC-free coated three-layer fabric, which provides an impenetrable barrier against heavy rain and wind. It’s also a bit stretchy, which not makes these trousers extremely comfortable and a joy to cycle in. They’re not genuinely silent, but these waterproof trousers do extremely well on the rustling front and are certainly the quietest pair in our list.
While not marketed as cycling trousers, this pair sports a few features that make them ideally suited to two-wheeled travellers: shaped knees, zipped thigh vents, and tight, tapered ankles with a zip for easy access. The Velcro straps and belt loops around the waist are great for ensuring a tight fit when riding.
If you’re the outdoorsy type and need a comfortable, durable pair of waterproof trousers for cycling, hiking, kayaking, or anything else – you really can’t go wrong with these.
Buy now £115.00, Amazon
Fox Defend Water Pants
Best for: Trail riding and cold wet weather
Another pair of mountain biking trousers, these make an excellent choice both on and off the beaten track.
These tough trousers are constructed from a three-layer waterproof fabric with a DWR coating to provide a completely waterproof yet breathable barrier against the elements. They’re engineered for trail riding, with room for knee pads and strategically placed ultra-tough Cordura panels for enhanced durability.
The three-layered fabric makes these a bit warmer than the other pairs of trousers on our list – a great choice for longer rides in cold weather, and undoubtedly our top pick for mountain biking.
Two zipped pockets provide all the water-tight storage you could need, whie tapered lower legs with elasticated ankle cuffs and a waistband featuring Fox’s unique ratchet fastening ensure a snug yet extremely comfortable fit for cycling. A good amount of stretch in the fabric provides unbeatable range of motion whether you’re ascending a rocky trail or powering to work in a downpour.
Buy now £179.99, Wiggle
