REI Co-op Flash Stretch Rain Pants - Men's
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Fickle forecast for that bucket-list hike you've been eyeing? The REI Co-op Flash Stretch rain pants pack into their own pocket so you can toss them in your pack and be ready to roll, rain or shine.
Shop similar productsKey Details
- HydroWall™ 2.5-layer stretch polyester shell fabric offers waterproof, windproof and breathable weather protection
- Knees and back upper legs feature 2-way stretch panels for comfortable movement
- Nonfluorinated durable water repellent (DWR) helps moisture bead up on the surface
- Full elastic waistband with drawcord for easy adjustability all day long
- Crotch gusset and articulated knees for increased mobility
- Zip hand pockets securely hold your essentials
- Pants are designed to pack into their own left pocket
- Ankle zips improve ease of on/off and provide additional venting
- Hem drawcords let you snug down the cuffs around the tops of your boots to keep out trail debris
- Inseam length: Short sizes: 29.5 in.; Regular: 32 in.; Tall: 35 in.
- REI Co-op brand is certified to The Climate Label; we actively fund efforts to reduce carbon emissions across our business and support climate projects around the world
- Made in a Fair Trade Certified™ factory
- Contains materials that meet the bluesign® criteria
Imported.
| Best Use | Hiking |
|---|---|
| Fabric | Polyester dobby (bluesign approved); panels: 88% polyester/12% spandex (bluesign approved) |
| Windproof | Yes |
| Waterproof | Yes |
| Type of Waterproofing | 2.5-layer HydroWall waterproof/breathable laminate |
| Packable | Yes |
| Weight | 11.6 ounces |
| Gender | Men's |
| Sustainability | Contains materials that meet the bluesign® criteria Fair Trade Certified™ factory From a Climate Label Certified brand |
| XS | S | M | L | XL | XXL | XXXL | 24 IN Waist | 26 IN Waist | 28 IN Waist | 30 IN Waist | 31 IN Waist | 32 IN Waist | 33 IN Waist | 34 IN Waist | 35 IN Waist | 36 IN Waist | 38 IN Waist | 40 IN Waist | 42 IN Waist | 44 IN Waist | 46 IN Waist | 48 IN Waist | 50 IN Waist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chest | 35 | 36 - 38 | 39 - 41 | 42 - 45 | 46 - 49 | 50 - 53 | 54 - 57 | |||||||||||||||||
| Sleeve Length | 32 | 32.5 | 33 | 33.5 | 34 | 34.75 | 35.5 | |||||||||||||||||
| Waist | 27.5 | 28 - 30 | 32 - 34 | 36 - 38 | 40 - 42 | 44 - 46 | 48 - 50 | 24 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 | 50 |
| Hip | 33.5 | 34.5 - 36.5 | 37.5 - 39.5 | 41 - 43 | 44 - 46.5 | 47.5 - 50.5 | 51.5 - 54.5 | 32 | 33.5 | 34.5 | 36.5 | 37 | 37.5 | 38.5 | 39.5 | 40.25 | 41 | 43 | 44 | 46.5 | 47.5 | 50.5 | 52.5 | 54.5 |
| Inseam | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 |
Sizing Notes
Measurements are stated in inches unless otherwise indicated. Size chart values represent body measurements, not garment measurements.
SHORT: Some pants are available in short sizes, which generally means an inseam that is 2.5 inches shorter than regular sizes.
TALL: Some pants, shirts, jackets and parkas are available in tall sizes, which generally means an inseam that is 3 inches longer and a rise that is 1 inch longer, a shirt or jacket body that is 2 inches longer, a parka body that is 2.5 inches longer and sleeves that are 2.5 inches longer than regular sizes.
Capri or cropped pants have an intentionally shorter inseam—reference the technical specs instead of this chart.
Inseam is measured to the floor.
Better gear is built together
From feedback to field testing, all of our gear is dialed-in by REI Co-op members. Their adventures informed every stitch and detail—making for better, longer-lasting gear.
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Excellent pants. Flexible and dry. TALL is Tall.
I received these products for free from the REI Trailblazers sampling program in exchange for my honest review. Positively impressed with these so far. REI give you a week to test these and they are superior to other REI rain pants (subjective of course). The lining has a soft, slightly rubbery feel to it, which was comfortable running and hiking in. The outside feels like high-end track pants, with a multi-directional stretch. YKK zipper and quality buttons that seem sturdy in the material of the pants. Mesh pockets. Even with rain collecting an the outside and seemingly/visually "soaking" into the material I stayed dry. Pros - Multiple adjustment points (waist, ankles, boot opening) - No gaiter-like hook to attach to boot in the front (these often damage rain pants over time) - Two zipper pockets - Athletic fit with enough room to layer - Reinforced stitching - Keep rain out well - No noticeable sweating after 1 hour at 50° F - Tall really is Tall Cons - No utility or cargo pocket - No fly zipper - Pockets can be hard to access There's wear like hiking oe track pants whoch was really a positive experience. I tested Large (Tall) and found them true to size. They are TALL which is normally what I order but at 6'3" they did seem a bit too long. Id recommend 6'4" + for these. Very comfortable due to the flex material. That was a nice surprise and the rubbery-feeling material feel nice on the skin and while moving. Also tested them in the rain (photos) over heavy canvas pants and was surprised how well that worked, too. You may want to size up depending on your preferences for clothing but i found the layering to work very well. I'd recommend them. The pockets are hard to access, esp with cold, wet hands. To a point where it because frustrating actually. I stopped using them after the first day as a result. The side zipper worked very well with my tall hunting boots as well as high rain boots. I've had rain pants since the late 80s for the outdoors in all price ranges and find utility pockets and a fly zipper most helpful. I understand the cost savings but good rain pants can mimic regular pants and help access needed materials, e.g. dog gear, emergency gear, and tools quickly. This is a personal preferences. These are excellent pants. Well done, REI.
Rain Pants for Hiking and Riding
I am always on the lookout for rain gear. Not only for hikes and general outdoor activities, but I teach motorcycle safety classes and can be in the rain/drizzle/downpours for hours. One thing I have learned is that all rain gear will reach its life expectancy. Which is why I am always looking for good quality gear that will last as long as possible. These rain pants seem to fit exactly what I look for. Light weight with long inseam, I got the "long" for sitting on bikes. Liked the zipper around the ankle, but needed to use my plastic bag trick to get them over boots. The pants repelled the water as I was hoping, which was very well. Unfortunately I did not get to test them in true weather, but pouring a water bottle over one leg, you could see the water ball up and fall off, reminded me of rainex on my cars. The only reason they did not get 5 stars was the zipper on the pockets would catch the small flaps and get stuck quite often. Over all, great pair of rain pants. Now, just hope they can last more than one year with my abuse.
Good basic rainproof over layer; runs large
These pants do their job well — comfortable, breathable, and pretty waterproof. They held up through several very rainy bike commutes, kept my clothes bone dry underneath. The key downside is that they’re pretty bulky (because they’re designed to go over clothing), so they run large/loose, which makes them feel less agile. They’re pretty noisy too, as the extra fabric rubs against itself while you’re walking/cycling. Not a deal breaker, but I could do with them being a little more narrowly cut. I have a 32 inch waist and 34 inch inseam, and the large/tall size fits ok, but I have to pull the waist draw cord pretty tight to keep them on my waist, even when wearing them over jeans and a belt.
NO Leaks, No Errors! My Go To Rain Pants.
My REI Men's Flash Stretch Rain Pants arrived in time to try them out in two heavy rain storms. I've used rain gear for years, but have never had rain pants made with a stretch material, and was curious to see how these would perform. First off, in a hard rain, they kept me completely dry. There is elastic in the waistband and in the waist drawestring. Together, they were strong enough to keep the pants firmly in place around the waist, and had enough give to make bending over and kneeling comfortable. The stretch in the fabric also had enough give in the knees to make kneeling easy. The zippers on the pockets and ankle openings seem to be pretty strong and I expect they will be trouble free. The ankle zips are long enough, I measured mine at 13 inches, to make putting these on while wearing boots fairly easy. For my first pair of stretch rain pants, I'm impressed. The stretch fabric is light weight and tough, yet flexible and comfortable. These are now my go to rain pants.
Stretchy and Quiet
These rain pants arrived just in time for some severe rain storms in my area. Overall, they performed well when I wore them over regular running pants for walks and jogs in the park. The HydroWall feature is advertised as breathable, but at the end of the day, they're rain pants and meant to be a barrier to water, so to me it didn't feel any more breathable than other rain pants. I definitely felt sweat drops accumulating on the inner fabric wall of the pants. I found that to get the most airflow, your best option is to undo the zips at the ankles. The most surprising part about these pants is their stretchiness, which allowed it to move better with running, and their relative quietness compared to other rainproof gear. Usually, DWR outer shell layers sound like you're wearing early 2010's SunChips bags, but these are way quieter than that. The biggest con I felt was that these pants fit very loosely, and the legs flare out as it gets towards the ankle - great if you intend to wear them over other items, but even over my running pants, I could still pull the leg probably like 4 inches out.
Ok pants -- fit didn't work for me.
Pants are well constructed. There is an adjustable drawstring closure that's functional, but not my favorite style. Tested them out in some light rain and they had no issue remaining dry. Based on the material and construction I'd be comfortable wearing them in heavier rain. The pants have two zippered front pockets, it's missing back pockets and any side pockets; so will carry the essentials but lacking some pocket space that I'm used to from other apparel. The biggest negative for me was the size. I ordered a medium and the waste was the correct size, but the legs are far to long (for reference I'm usually about a 30 inseam). The legs have an adjustable drawstring to cinch them, but even with this they are far too long to be usable (pictures attached.)
Good, but choose your shoes wisely...
I had a chance to try these on while working. I'm a sports photographer and I had a race that was a particularly wet one due to the weather. Perfect conditions for me to test the pants since I would be walking around in them and in the elements for almost 3 hours straight. The pants performed very well. They were very comfortable and moved well with me as I walked, and also crouched and got onto one knee to take some photos. At the end of the event I was completely dry underneath the pants. It wasn't a particularly warm day so I can't fully comment on the breathability of the pants, but at no time did I feel hot, or that I was overheating in them. There are two side pockets that can zip closed which are useful for putting things into that you need access to quickly. However, like most slip on rain pants you are better off keeping heavier items in the pockets in whatever shorts or pants you are wearing underneath. The stretch of the waist band makes it easy to pull out the waist and reach into a pocket of your inner layer. The pants have long zippers on the sides to accommodate slipping these over your shoes and have additional hook and loop fasteners to keep the flaps over the zippers once you've zipped everything up. There are additional button snaps at the bottom for additional security against unzipping, which is typical of these pants in my experience. So why only 3 stars then? Well, here is the issue. The very thing that makes them just a bit more comfortable and flexible than other rain pants also creates an issue when putting them on. When I first tried these on, they slipped on no problem. But I was wearing smoother soled running shoes at the time. However, when I put them on again with a pair of trail running shoes with a more aggressive tread, the problem became apparent. The inside of the pants is slightly tacky, probably due to the material they used to give the pants their stretch. Well, the issue is that the pants then catches very easily on any sort of tread that you might find on trail running shoes or hiking boots. Not a big deal if you are putting them on at home or at your vehicle at the trailhead. However, if you want to suddenly put them on out and about, unless you have good balance, you are going to want to find something handy to lean against or hold onto. You can also hear the popping noise as the material catches and releases on the treads of the shoes. I could see this easily being frustrating for someone whether trying to put the pants on while out on the trail, or even sitting down. I did a comparison of an older pair of REI pants that I own and the difference in ease of putting those on is very noticeable. Would I recommend these pants to most people? I'd say it depends on the person's use case. Once you have them on, they are very comfortable and do the job they are supposed to do. The question is how you will typically be putting them on and with what shoes that may steer you away from them.
Comfortable rain pants do exist
These waterproof pants are comfortable, flexible and wear great. I have used as wind pants. No clammy skin against the inside as it is very soft and flexible. Waterproof withstood hiking in lite rain and standing in a sprinkler. No heavy rain experience. Best feeling rain pant I have worn in 40 years of backpacking and hiking.
Tall is very tall
I’m 6’4 so normally the tall sizes work perfect for me, but I bought the XL talls and they are VERY long. So I’d recommend getting the regular version unless youre wearing some stilts. Still a great product overall for keeping dry!
Fabric didn't hold up
I really liked these pants the first few times I wore them, but then the fabric began to pill at the hips, just in front of the pockets. My wife and I each got a pair, and hers are fine so far, but mine had to be returned. Hopefully I just got a bad pair. I'm now waiting to see if hers do the same thing as mine. If they don't, I'll be buying these again, as they are much more comfortable than any other rain pants I've worn in the past.