Keela Lightning Pro waterproof trousers | Tested and reviewed

Scottish brand Keela is usually a good choice for affordable yet effective outdoor gear. The Lightning Pro waterproof trousers feature Keela’s RainLife 2000 waterproofing technology, which provides a 7,000mm hydrostatic head rating. This is ok but far from premium, although for occasional weekend use the overtrousers work well enough. They are comfy, reasonably durable and fit snugly, and have some decent features. For £70 that’s not half bad – we just wish the disappointing hydrostatic head ratings were higher.

Waterproofing

The Keela Lightning Pro overtrousers are made from Keela’s in-house Rainlife 2000 fabric, which the brand describes as a “recycled waterproof and breathable wicking ripstop nylon, which protects from the elements, keeping you dry and comfortable during any multi-sport activity”. The seams of the Lightning Pro trousers are also fully tape sealed, thus ensuring “water cannot enter at the seams”, as Keela promises.

Keela tell us that the hydrostatic head rating of the Lightning Pro trousers is 7,000mm, although this figure is not published on the Keela website. As a waterproofing grade, 7,000mm is ok, but a little disappointing – we’d have hoped for a minimum of 10,000mm. It should keep you dry in light showers and shorter bursts of heavier rain, but we wouldn’t rely on these overtrousers for extreme weather conditions. As such they are better suited to occasional day hikes, rather than long-distance treks in inclement weather.

Keela also tell us the construction method used for these waterproof trousers is 2-layer, which is the common method used in cheaper items of clothing. In general, 2-layer overtrousers are more affordable, but lack the technical performance and long-term waterproofing of more expensive 2.5-layer and 3-layer shell pants.

Breathability & Ventilation

The official breathability grade of the Keela Lightning Pro overtrousers is 6,000g/m²/24hr. Again this is not published on Keela’s website for some reason, and again we’d rate it as an ok but not great result. For comparison, the Craghoppers Ascent Over Trousers are rated 10,000g/m²/24hr and the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0’s have a 20,000g/m²/24hr rating.

As such, we’d suggest you may be more likely to over-heat and feel sweaty and clammy in the Keela Lightning Pros than some other pairs. But, in truth, how noticeable this will be is tricky to say. During our test hikes we found ourselves feeling clammy in almost all overtrousers, regardless of their breathability grade, so it’s perhaps wise take these scientific-sounding breathability ratings with a pinch of salt.

It is fair to say, however, that the Keela Lightning Pros lack venting options. In fact, there are no side zippers and no other venting options whatsoever, so if you need some air flow and to dump heat, your only option is to take them off. For some hillwalkers this may be a deal-breaker, but for others it might not be a big problem.

Weight & Packability

On our scales, the Keela Lightning Pro overtrousers weigh 245g in a unisex 32” waist size with a regular leg length. This is impressively lightweight, meaning they won’t weigh your backpack down or feel heavy on your legs in-use. Compared to more expensive pairs, the Lightning Pros represent a good weight saving – they are 95g lighter than the Montane Phase Waterproof Pull-On Pants and 81g lighter than the Arc’teryx Beta Pant. Rolled up neatly, the Keela Lightning Pros pack away nice and compactly, sized 25x8cm.

Size, Fit & Comfort

Keela classify these trousers as unisex, and thus suitable for both men and women. Rather than small, medium and large etc, they are available in waist sizes from 28” to 44” (in 2” increments), with short, regular and long leg lengths, so there should be a pair to fit every body shape.

Comfort levels are high. The overtrousers are light and agile on your legs, with decent freedom of movement and a touch of room for layering underneath. But the fit is not baggy or boxy, and instead feels more athletic and streamlined than the Craghoppers Ascent Over Trousers, for example.

Features: Pockets, Waistband & Ankle Cuffs

The Keela Lightning Pros have some pretty good features, despite the low price. The waist hem is fully elasticated and super stretchy, with a shockcord toggle for adjusting the fit to suit your body shape. It works excellently. The seat (the part of the trousers covering your backside) is reinforced for extra durability, enabling you to sit down on a rocky perch for lunch without worrying about ripping your overtrousers. You also get reflective trims at the base of each leg, helping to increase your visibility in low light. There are no pockets, but – on balance – that is probably a positive design feature, rather than a negative one.

At each ankle cuff you get a 35cm-long zipper. This has a bellows-style design, meaning that when you unzip it fully it doesn’t leave the trouser cuff open and airy. Instead there is a flap of sewn-in material behind the zipper, almost a little like flares on a pair of 1970s jeans. This extra material serves a few purposes. It acts like a huge stormflap behind the zippers, ensuring water-tight protection, and also enables the fit around the ankle to be fine-tuned via two Velcro tabs. This works ok, but is probably over-engineering – a simple drawcord toggle would work better, as seen in many other pairs. The ankle cuff flap also enables the trousers to be loosened to make it slightly easier to get them off and on. We found this just about do-able while wearing hiking shoes, but impossible when wearing boots. This meant layering and de-layering was an inconvenient faff when wearing boots. To put the Lightning Pros on we had to take off our boots, then pull on the overtrousers, then re-put on our boots.

A cheap pair of waterproof overtrousers with some good features – but the hydrostatic head rating is disappointing.

About the author

James Forrest is a prolific peak bagger and long-distance walker who’s one of the most high-profile outdoor writers in the UK.

He writes regular features and route guides for Trail and has been one of our main gear testers for the last few years. James is based on the edge of the Lake District so when he isn’t off on his latest crazy adventure or challenge, he’s walking in his local fells.

James reviews every type of outdoor kit for Trail and is a real authority on everything you need for wild camping and packing light for a multi-day walk.

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