Succinct Gear Reviews Review - Rab Torque Pants
Posted by Succinct Gear Reviews on Apr 10, 2017
The Torque Pant is known to many as somewhat of a Rab cult classic. It has been around for a number of years now and is sold as a light-weight technical climbing pant made from a softshell fabric (Matrix) which comes in both a highly flexible form used in movement zones and a reinforced fabric used on knees. The combination of materials used in the Torque Pant results in a highly flexible yet durable clothing item which makes it very versatile. The 'Pants' are available in either a subtle grey, loud blue or even louder orange.
The trousers are an excellent choice for anyone wanting a do-it-all mountain touser. We've used them for walking, climbing, mountaineering, winter climbing and even skiing. For winter we pair them up with a good pair of thermals and they do an excellent job on saving having to invest in a second pair of trousers. The only limitation we found of the trousers versatility is a lack of a boot cut if used for skiing, however, this would impact on their cut for climbing so is a bit of a non-issue.
The fit of the trousers is generally good with enough room in the thighs for people of an athletic build. However, as is endemic with most mountain trousers, the limitation of only being able to select a waist size makes the fit difficult if your either short and stout or tall and skinny. This reviewer took a 34'' waist and at 6ft, being of a slightly blockier build than manufacturers tend to account for, the sizing was pretty spot on.
These trousers really excel when it comes to performance. There is excellent mobility in the legs, thanks to the flexible materials used in the inside leg. The softshell material does a good job of keeping the wind off all whilst staying breathable. It is also capable of keeping brief showers from penetrating the fabric, although it's ability to do so degrades with time as the fabric and DWS treatment wears out. Durability is generally good for a lightweight trouser thanks to the reinforced patches, one of our reviewers has got a good two years out a pair he has abused heavily on a weekly basis.
Coming in a £95, the Torque pants are, we believe, good value. If you can expect to get at least two years out of a pair of trousers you can use for absolutely everything, we feel this is pretty good value. Especially when considering that our favourite Decathlon equivalent which comes in at half the price and is known for good value can only be expected to last half as long.
If you spend any time out in the hills, you will see a host of these trousers around. Ranging from the older, outlandish green version to the newer bright blue or orange models, all of which will get you noticed if that's what you're looking for. If you feel slightly more British than continental there is a subtle grey version made just for you. We feel the trousers look pretty good as far as mountaineering trousers go, with a good range of colours and a nice athletic looking cut.
Things we like: Light, stretchy, good fit, outrageous colours, versatile.
Things we don't like: Some find the colours 'hideous'.
Succinct Gear Reviews are a collaborative team of reviewers based in Glasgow, Scotland. They have varied interests including; hill walking, climbing, mountaineering, camping, backpacking, kayaking, skiing, mountain biking and running which make them suited to reviewing a host of different outdoor products.