Best Hiking Leggings For Sweat Free Hiking Adventures

What surprised us most about Everbrand Sweatflow hiking leggings, was the sheer value on offer when you consider some of its features are not found on other options we reviewed. A prime example of this comes from the Wearagain technology of these hiking leggings, which allows you to wear them up to 5 times without having to wash them.

The Wearagain technology accomplishes this by embedding the base layer of fabric with silver particles that act as a natural antimicrobial, fighting bacteria, mold, and mildew. Even better, Everbrand Sweatflow are bluesign approved and will not lose or leech the silver particles through washing or wear.

While this fairly uncommon feature is great on its own, Everbrand goes further with its patented Sweatflow fabric that embeds separate particles on the surface layer of fabric to draw out heat and moisture. This construction makes the Everbrand Sweatflow one of the best moisture wicking products we found and great for hotter climates and summer hiking.

Furthermore, these were the most comfortable fit on our list to wear, with a high, wide waistband and external flatlock seam construction. The fit was so sweet, you barely felt like they were there.

That said, this heat wicking quality does not work so well to insulate, though these hiking leggings are not noted for performing poorly in cool environments– they just might not be the best for the coldest weather.

Fjallraven Abisko hiking tights have some of the best performing features for a wide range of uses and settings, but their best quality is their durability. What makes this design so durable is the material choice, using common materials like elastane and polyester, reinforced with more robust materials like polyamide and aramid.

Fjallraven Abisko also employs various design principles to reinforce the already robust fabric strength, such as integrating a gusseted crotch. Furthermore, the design also incorporates articulated knees, which not only further increases durability, but along with the gusseted crotch, improves mobility.

Beyond structural integrity, Fjallraven Abisko hiking tights also help protect you from the elements with a PFC-free DWR layer that provides better water-resistance than most of its competition. As an added cherry on top, these hiking leggings come with four zippered pockets; two for your hands, one for a large map, and a small compass pocket.

With all these features the Fjallraven Abisko hiking tights do not provide the same kind of value for money that some of the other options we reviewed have done. Also, the durability of the materials combined with the construction design, lead to less mobility and comfort than some of the other options in this list.

Arc’teryx is known for producing high-end outdooring gear for every niche, and the Arc’teryx Oriel easily offers the best all-round value pair of leggings on this list thanks to its numerous features. Firstly, these have the lightest design we came across at only 155 g, especially important if you plan to use these as a base layer and need to keep your gear weight as low as possible.

Additionally, the Arc’teryx Oriel also features a mix of nylon and interwoven elastane that provides better abrasion-resistance than many other products we reviewed. The material strength is further reinforced with sturdy threads and narrow seams.

Even better, Arc’teryx Oriel also offers two harness-friendly cargo pockets on the outside of the thigh, large enough for a smartphone. That said, the pockets are open, which can leave the contents exposed to wet weather and potentially allows otherwise unsecured contents to fall out if climbing.

For the most part, this design is pretty comfortable, with a gusseted crotch and wide Powernet Stretch Mesh waistband that helps reduce moisture. Unfortunately, the waistband sits a little low and can sag, especially once worn for a while, or when it absorbs sweat.

The Columbia Titan Peak comes from a company that focuses on making their outdoor clothing an option to also be worn casually. Compared to many of the other options on our list, the Columbia Titan Peak’s use of Omni-Wick fabric allows for sweat wicking at even reasonably hot temperatures and has a high level of breathability.

Additionally, the Columbia Titan Peak option offers more durability due to the incorporation of abrasion-resistant fiber weaves in a 4-way comfort stretch design with reinforced gusset and knees, which also enhances mobility.

Whilst not boasting the most pockets on this list, the Columbia Titan Peak offers a zippered pocket to keep the contents safe from light rain or falling out. Unfortunately, the pocket zipper can feel a bit uncomfortable as it was not set using the same materials as the rest of the leggings.

On top of that, we found the fit of the Columbia Titan Peak option to be looser as compared to most of the other products reviewed, though that might make it a better option for casual wear instead.

Smartwool, as the company’s name implies, uses wool in most of its products, including in their PhD Wool Tights. The inclusion of Merino wool in the fabric enables Smartwool to insulate you better than most of the other options we reviewed and is part of the reason they top the warm leggings charts.

Another reason they protect you from the cold better than most is due to having windproof front panels integrated onto the thighs of the leg, providing enhanced wind resistance. Aside from increased insulation from the cold Merino wool also makes these Smartwool PhD Wind Tights more comfortable than many other options that use purely synthetic fibers.

Furthermore, they come with several extra features including reflective strips to help keep you safe as well as offering two pockets, one at the left side and one in the back with a semi-auto locking zipper pull.

It is worth noting that due to the insulating ability of Merino wool there is a payoff in its weight, weighing slightly more than synthetic materials, at 247 g.

The Icebreaker Comet Tights offer plenty of benefits whilst the company makes it a point to be one of the more sustainable and ethical manufacturers that we saw. This includes having strict regulations for both environmental and labor practices for both the shepherds that harvest the Merino wool used in their products, as well as for the employees and companies used within their supply chain.

The principles this company complies with may make you feel good about purchasing from them but rest assured you will also be receiving high quality leggings that are warmer than most thanks to the Merino wool. Not only does the Merino wool help insulate you from the cold but combined with flatlock seams, these are some of the more comfortable leggings for hiking we encountered as well.

The inclusion of polyester and spandex woven into the wool, along with gusseted details, provides the Icebreaker Comet Tights with a surprising amount of mobility considering how durable they are. Icebreaker also employs a tighter weave than many of their competitors, which resists abrasions, and combined with the gusseted detail plays a role in their increased durability.

Still, like many other pairs of leggings using natural fibers the Icebreaker Comet Tights are slightly heavier at 255 g, as compared to some of the alternatives.