Martha from our buying team lets you know her thoughts on the latest walking leggings from Rab
Rab have been creating honest and hard-working pieces for over 40 years, with a commitment to with-holding their high standards for protection, comfort, and freedom whilst in the outdoors. The Women’s Horizon Tights are a good example of Rab’s focus on creating durable and comfortable that is designed for the mountains, these feature the freedom of leggings without compromising on protection making them ideal for hiking and scrambling.
I have been lucky enough to have the opportunity to test these over the last few months on local hikes as well as when walking the Affric Kintail Way in Scotland in September, giving me the ideal chance to see how these hold up in varying conditions.
Enjoying the comfort for the Horizon tights on the Final day of the Affric Kintail walk
The Horizon Tights are made from high stretch and fast drying Flexile™ 200 reinforced with Matrix™ stretch double weave nylon in the higher wear areas of the knees and seat, making them ideal for scrambling over rocks without the worry of scuffing.
The tights feature a thick, deep stretch waistband with a draw cord for body specific adjustments as well as flatlock low bulk seams meaning that they are comfortable against the skin with minimised rubbing. The Slim fit and deep stretch material provide a soft and supportive feel and provide excellent mobility making them ideal for mountain activities.
For convenience, the Horizon Tights feature both a concealed YKK zipped thigh pocket as well as an integrated thigh pocket with an overlap top, helping to keep your essentials organised and easily accessible.
While in Scotland hiking the Affric Kintail Way, the Horizon Tights were a great alternative to walking trousers, especially on the varied terrain where the stretchy material and twisted seams allowed for excellent mobility and I experienced none of the rubbing on seams that is sometimes experienced.
These leggings feel very lightweight on, and the fast-wicking material was perfect when in Scotland walking up steep inclines, helping to keep me comfortable and dry when working up a sweat. When it rained, these were incredibly comfortable to wear under waterproof trousers, in particular the flatlock low bulk seams ensured that there was no chafing. Although I find the two pockets that these leggings feature helpful for storing and organising my essentials, the inner lining of both these pockets is made from mesh, which is ideal for breathability but does feel a little flimsy and cause some discomfort when storing certain items in them.
Since returning from Scotland, I have used these on multiple occasions throughout the winter out on local walks on the Quantocks and have been continually impressed with their durability, these have held up perfectly and the reinforced areas give confidence when clambering and exploring different terrains.
I know I will continue to get much use out of the Horizon Tights on future walks, and think these would be ideal for anyone looking for a durable but lightweight and comfortable pair of leggings for mountain activities. The stretchy material and drawstring ensure that these are suitable for a range of body types, and the comfortable fit means they can be worn under or over other layers for year-round use, making them a great option which I would definitely recommend.
