Fjallraven  Abisko Trekking Tights - Women's

Good hiking tights are hard to come by. Most top-of-the-line tights I've seen out there fall into one of two categories. They're either: A) Durable for the outdoors (but kinda ugly with no pockets and only offered in black) – or – B) Stylish, sometimes with pockets, and more color options (but "durable" only to an indoor athleisurist). I've spent a LONG time trying to find the perfect tights that were the best of both worlds. I didn't expect much. ....But dayum. These tights do it all! POSITIVE POINTS: ‣ FIT: I'm curvy and long-legged, sized around a XL or 14. I've dropped a few pounds lately, so the form-fitting high-rise style works well at keep everying in place while still being comfy. ‣ APPEARANCE: I LOVE how well these tights steamline everything! When you've got curves, next-to-skin tights make it easy to get muffin-top, and often show imperfections around that *ahem*...bass area...These do NOT. Somehow, while wearing them, my figure goes from looking like your typical average-flab gal to a friggin' marathon runner. I feel very confident wearing them in public – I've even worn them to meetings at work! ‣ POCKETS: I wanted tights with a pocket that could fit my iPhone 11 Pro – instead, I got TWO! Plus, secret bonus pocket for small hand-held items. Jackpot. ‣ FABRIC: The fabric of these tights feels nice and durable. The texture reminds me of a good soft-shell techinical fleece. They're designed for the outdoors, so not the softest material ever, but I suspect they'll fair well at wicking moisture and resisting snags – we'll find out for sure this spring. NEUTRAL POINTS: ‣ BREATHABILITY: I bought these with the intention of wearing them in spring and summer. Here in the midwest, the warmer months mean not only heat, but humidity. So far, these feel incredibly breathable, so I have high hopes. Again, spring will be the true test. ‣ WARMTH: Simply put, these are not ideal for winter. Right now as I write this in early February with 3 inches of snow on the ground, these tights are not warm enough to hike in. Even layered with a pair of thick jeans over them, they're just not comfortable in the frigid temps. Recently, when the temps briefly rose above 50°, I wore them on a short hike – it was still a bit chilly without a layer on top, but doable as long as I kept out of the wind and stayed in the sun. NEGATIVE POINTS: ‣ WATER-RESISTANCE: Meh. Not the best. I did a drip-test with some water and it bled right through and took more than 5 minutes to dry. I suppose with a soft-shell-like fabric, that's to be expected though. As usual, the upside is good breathability and comfort. ‣ COLOR ACCURACY: I'm sad to give negative points here, but the color I picked (Glacier Green) was not quite as pictured. I hoped for a color closer to deep turquoise or emerald, but found it to be more of a light teal. They're not neon or anything...just not as deeply saturated as pictured. For once, I really wish the color "green" could be like, y'know...actual GREEN! Not just pondscum brown or turquose teal, but I digress... Overall, these are still a solid pair of hiking tights and by far the best I've owned. While I have greviences with the color accuracy, I appreciate the unique, subtle hues they offer. Trendy and techincal tights are a tough combo to get, and I'm happy to have found ones that do all of the above. I look forward to trekking in them out on the trails this spring.

Big time camel toe alert. I tried small and medium and the result was the same. The design of these hiking tights is a good idea but they need a gusset in the crotch. Because of the patch on the butt....it does not have a back seam that comes in to the crotch so that leaves three seams. Think about it. No way.