The Best Waterproof Pants For Rainy Day Training

Like the engine in your car, your legs have an ideal operating temperature—you don’t need to track a precise number of degrees Fahrenheit, but common sense dictates you shouldn't rev your engine to redline immediately after a cold start. The same logic applies to running through a cold rainstorm: You’re at a higher risk of pulling something if you can't find a way to keep your legs warm and dry.

For the runners who aren’t deterred by a rainy forecast, we recommend wearing a light and breathable pair of waterproof pants when there are dark clouds overhead. We’ve tested and selected the best options available right now, so you’ll be ready for any amount of precipitation you might encounter on the road or trail.

More Gear For Rainy Day Runners: Best Treadmills ● How to Dress for Rainy Runs ● Best Running Rain Jackets

Best Waterproof Pants

• Best Overall: Hoka Waterproof Pant
• Best Value: REI Co-op Swiftland Running Pants
• Best Multisport: Columbia Hazy Trail Rain Pants
• Best With Stretch: Janji Transit Tech Pant
• Best Ultralight: On Running Ultra Pants

The Expert: I’m a runner with 13 years of experience, a former Division I cross-country athlete and a former gear editor here at Runner’s World, so I’ve worn dozens of pairs of pants and tights in rain, snow, sleet and cold. Having warmed my extremities with hand dryers and chaffed worse than I’d like to remember during cold and wet runs, I’ve developed an acute appreciation for well-engineered running apparel that doesn’t add to the discomfort of stormy conditions.

Now that I run simply for fun and exercise, I know how hard it can be to get out the door in the pouring rain—and therefore how important the right gear can be to keeping a routine.

What to Consider When Shopping for Weatherproof Pants

Waterproofing

Not all “waterproof” pants are equally waterproof. Within the “waterproof” category, there are varying degrees of protection, measured by how much water pressure a garment can withstand, measured in millimeters of water column, and how much vapor can pass through the fabric, as measured in grams of water per square meter. The rating is usually offered as a dual score: For example, the most waterproof pants on this list score 20K/20K, which means they can resist a 20,000mm stream of water and release 20,000 grams of water vapor.

Waterproof pants will keep your legs dry in a rainstorm for several hours—although even the most waterproof running gear will saturate if you’re out in the rain all day long—while still wicking sweat away from your skin. They achieve this by using a multi-layer construction that combines waterproof-treated fabrics with breathable membrane layers, with more layers costing more money and offering more protection.

There are also plenty of training pants that are simply water-resistant. They can keep you dry through a gentle shower, but will slowly get soaked by anything more. They typically rely on a durable water repellent (or DWR) coating, which will begin to wear off after 10 or more uses. (That said, you can buy a DIY DWR repellent treatment to refresh your pants’ water resistance.)

Water-resistant pants tend to be light, and designed for wind protection as much as waterproofing. They also usually cost less than truly waterproof pants. While water-resistant pants don’t provide as much protection as multi-layer waterproof pants, they should satisfy many runners’ needs.

Breathability

Weather-resistance and breathability are so often at odds—if your pants or jacket can fully block out rain, they’re often equally ready to hold in all your sweat. Either way, you’re getting soaked after the first mile or two. The best waterproof pants utilize breathable materials and strategic vents in the fabric to help release your sweat vapor, rather than trapping it in. That way you don’t end up escaping the rain only to continue brewing in your own body-heat sauna.

Taped Seams

To achieve complete waterproofing, your pants will need taped seams, which block moisture from crawling into the cracks between connections in the fabric. Clothing makers prevent this by heating and fusing tape over a jacket’s stitches, often along the edge of a hood or zipper pockets. Not all weather-resistant pants have fully taped seams, but those that do will be more effective in a true downpour.

Packability

The best waterproof pants are lightweight and easy to pack. Ideally you want pants that you can store in a backpack so you can bust them out when the sky opens up mid-hike or long run. Some waterproof pants even fold down into their own little pocket for easy carrying.

Pockets

Zippers can reduce the overall effectiveness of waterproofing—but they’re also great for securing key pockets, allowing for more ventilation, and making it much easier to get waterproof pants on and off. Many of our favorite waterproof pants have copious zipper pockets for small storage and full- or half-length zipper seams, so that you can pull the pants on over your shoes or base layers.

How We Selected The Best Waterproof Pants

To pick our favorite waterproof pants, we canvassed the market for options designed for running from trusted brands, factoring out heavier fabrics and baggy fits that most runners tend to avoid. From there, we pulled from our testing experience. We’ve run in some of these pants ourselves. For options we haven’t tested personally, we relied on customer reviews from REI, Amazon, and Backcountry customers, looking for large numbers of consistently effusive recommendations. Using those sources, we evaluated each of our finalists based on performance, features, fit, comfort and quality.