HAGLÖFS Zip Off Pant

RRP £110 Target price £90

These zip-off trousers by Haglöfs are immediately noteworthy for their pure comfort – the fabric is delightfully light and soft to touch, and so supple and stretchy that it rarely impeded my movement, even on testy Snowdonian scrambles. I found them highly breathable even with the full legs on – helped partly by their light, airy nature and partly due to a wicking treatment – but the option to turn them into shorts was still a blessing. On sun-scorched summits during the summer heatwave, the extra wafts of air around my legs were at the time disproportionately joyful. For all their comfort and gossamer lightness, these are durable trousers, and I’d expect them to remain in my walking wardrobe through several years of hill-stomping. They did a decent job of keeping out blustery mountain winds, but there’s no built in water repellency, which is a shame given the hefty price tag, especially as they’re not as fast-drying as some of the others on test (though they won’t stay waterlogged for long either). You’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of these trousers, but at a price. RB