The Marmot PreCip Eco Pants Full Zip are some of the best hiking pants you can buy. They are well-designed, fully featured, and excellent value for money. They are also very environmentally friendly.
Buying options:Â
- Pockets with flaps to shield openings from rain
- Full-length zip
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- No drawcord to secure the waist
- No bag or pocket to pack them into
See the Marmot PreCip Eco Pants Full Zip in more detail:Â
The Marmot PreCip Eco Pants are well-designed with several intelligent features. The full-length zip and three pockets make these a practical pair of walking pants. They are comfortable to wear and will protect you from wind and rain. They also have excellent breathability. These have been designed with sustainability in mind using recycled materials and PFC-free coatings. Although they are a budget price, they are well-made and durable. We have chosen these as the best men’s rain pants for hiking.
Compare similar products:Â
Product | Mountain Hardwear Stretch Ozonic Pants | Marmot Minimalist Pant | Outdoor Research Helium Pant | Arc'teryx Beta AR Pant | Mamot PreCip Eco Pant Full Zip | The North Face Men's Antora Hiking Pants | Rab Downpour Eco Pant | Columbia Rebel Roamer | Showers Pass Transit |
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Buying Options | |||||||||
Our Award | Women's Performance | Women's Best Lightweight | Men's Performance | Women's Best Rain Pant for Hiking | Men's Best Value | Men's Best Cycling | |||
Waterproof Fabric | 2.5L Dry.Q Stretch Ripstop | 2.5L Gore-Tex with PacLite Technology | 2.5L Pertex Shield Diamond Fuse | Gore-Tex Pro | Nono Pro Eco | 2L DryVent Seam Sealed | Pertex Shield Membrane | Omni-Tech Waterproof/Breathable | Nylon |
Face Fabric | 100% Recycled Polyester | 100% Polyester | 30D 100& Nylon Ripstop | N40r-X Gore-Tex Pro | 100% Recycled Nylon Ripstop | 100% Recycled Nylon Ripstop with DWR Finish | Artex 3-Layer | 70D 100% Nylon | Artex 3-Layer |
Cost | $110.36 | $184.95 | $129.95 | Price not available | $59.99 | $97.00 | Price not available | $59.40 | Price not available |
Read our main guide: 9 Best Waterproof Rain Pants for Hiking
Analysis and Test Results
These are great waterproof pants for hiking. The full-length zip makes them easy to put on or remove and means you won’t be hopping on one leg struggling to wriggle them on over boots. You also get three zippered pockets, a feature often missing from hiking pants. They have good waterproofing with taped seams and flaps over the zips to make sure no water can leak in. The zips on the legs can be opened from either the top or the bottom so they can be used as vents if needed. However, the 2.5-layer material these pants are made from has above-average breathability, so you will rarely need extra ventilation.
The material is thin but not flimsy, and the ripstop nylon and microporous coating help increase its durability. They are not the lightest waterproof pants, but they can easily be folded down into a compact package. Overall, they are well-designed, fully-featured pants at a great price.
Performance Comparison
Water Resistance
The waterproof rating of the fabric of these hiking pants is 10,000 mm. A PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent) coating helps the raindrops run off the material. The seams are all taped, and storm flaps protect the zips. The Marmot PreCip Eco Pants will keep you dry in light to medium rain, but they won’t protect you from the elements in heavy weather.
Breathability
The fabric that these waterproof pants are composed of has a breathability rating of 17,000 g/m2/24 hrs. That is above average. Helpfully, the full-length zip can be opened from the top or the bottom to provide ventilation. In addition, the pockets can be unzipped to increase airflow further. All of this combines to provide excellent breathability, making these waterproof pants ideal for anyone planning on partaking in a high-exertion sport.
Comfort and Mobility
While the knees are not articulated, these hiking pants are generously cut and do not restrict movement. The lining of the material is soft against your skin. The full-length zips make these trousers easy to take on and off. You can also unzip them as far as you like if you want even more freedom of movement.
Materials
Marmot created the main material used to make these walking pants. It is a 2.5-layer material. The face fabric is 100% recycled nylon, and it has a soft-touch coating on the inside. The lining is 100% polyester mesh. The microporous coating provides the waterproofing. The DWR is PFC-free and works effectively. The zips are good quality.
Durability
Although the 2.5-layer material feels thin, it is surprisingly durable. Using ripstop nylon helps to make the face fabric more abrasion-resistant. The microporous coating is intended to both increase the fabric’s durability and keep out the rain. Although the knees are not articulated, the cut of the legs is roomy enough that they do pull unless you are going up a very steep hill.
Marmot offers a lifetime warranty, so items that are defective in material or workmanship will be repaired or replaced.
Weight and Packability
The zips and pockets on the Marmot PreCip Eco Pants mean these are not the lightest hiking pants available. However, they are not very heavy, and they squash down easily into a compact bundle. They don’t fold into a pocket, though, nor do they have a bag to stuff them into. They weigh:
Men
11 oz / 320 g
Women
10 oz / 290 g
Features
The Marmot PreCip Eco Pants are one of the few waterproof pats available with pockets. What’s more, it has three! On the front, you will find two zippered pockets with mesh linings. On the right at the back is another small zippered pocket. The mesh lining of the front pockets means you could use them for ventilation, but you are unlikely to need to use them in this way due to the excellent breathability of these pants.
The other main feature of these pants is the full-length zips. The zips have been intelligently designed to be practical to use. While the zips are not waterproof, they are fully protected by storm flaps. The flaps are secured at the bottom with a press stud and at the top with a Velcro strip. The zips can be opened from both the top and the bottom. This helpful feature makes it really easy to both put on these pants and to take them off. The zips can also be opened to provide ventilation when needed, contributing to the breathability of the pants.
The waist is elasticated, but it doesn’t have a drawcord. However, the Velcro strips that secure the zips can be adjusted if needed to make the waist fit. Since it is elasticated, the waistband sits comfortably under a harness or backpack waist strap.
Sustainability
Marmot says they are “using innovation to minimize our impact on the environment and promote the well-being of our employees”. They have branded these pants as ‘Eco’ as they are designed to be environmentally friendly. They use recycled nylon, and their coatings are PFC-free. The materials Marmot uses are Bluesign-approved, and they also have certification from the Higg Index and WRAP.
Conclusion
These are a great pair of rain pants for hiking. Being able to put them on without having to pull them over your boots makes them very practical and easy to use. Having hiking pants with any pockets is rare, but these have three. The waterproofing is good and having flaps over all the zips helps to keep you dry. The breathability is excellent, and with the two-way zips, it is probably the best you can get. When you factor in the budget price and outstanding sustainability credentials, these are some of the best waterproof pants you can get.
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