Patagonia Triolet Pants | Tested and reviewed

I love the Patagonia Triolet Pants. They are excellent waterproof shell over-trousers, with loads of superb features – and should definitely be classified as a premium product.

The full-length, two-way zippers make getting in and out of them very easy, and offer superb venting options.

The ankle cuffs are adjustable and have integrated internal gaiters; the waistband has a zippered fly, double snap button closure, belt loops and an internal Velcro adjustment system; and you also get two handwarmer pockets, a RECCO reflector and scuff guards.

Or, in other words, everything you’d expect is present.

Made from a 3-layer Gore-Tex ePE performance fabric, the Patagonia Triolet Pants are very protective and waterproof. They feel robust enough for wild weather and durable enough for thrashing around up rocky, rugged mountains. The eco and ethical credentials are excellent too, as you’d expect with Patagonia.

But are they worth £360? Yes, there really is a 0 on the end of that price-tag. The Triolet Pants are astronomically expensive for a pair of waterproof over-trousers and, as much as we respect and love Patagonia, it’s difficult to justify that amount of money.

There are other flaws too: they are heavy with a slightly boxy, baggy fit. If you’re a skier and will use these trousers for both hillwalking and your snowsports adventures, they might seem better value and more versatile. But for the average hiker, they are (sadly) probably overkill – unless you’ve got very deep pockets.

Waterproofing

The Patagonia Triolet Pants are reliably waterproof. They bead well, at least during initial uses, and they feel reliably thick, robust and protective to cope with atrocious downpours. All of this is very positive and premium stuff.

This bombproof approach comes courtesy of two things: firstly, the use of a 3-layer design, which is generally considered the most durable and waterproof construction technique for hard shells; and secondly the use of a Gore-Tex ePE performance membrane with a minimum 28,000mm hydrostatic head rating.

This is a very high, premium rating and comes with Gore-Tex’s “guaranteed to keep you dry” promise.

The specific type of Gore-Tex used in the Triolet Pants is Gore-Tex’s new, eco-friendly ePE membrane. Unlike older ePTFE membranes, which are being phased out by Gore-Tex, this new membrane is PFC-free – yet should still prove as durable and protective as the old stuff, according to Gore-Tex.

The main issue with this new eco tech is that the DWRs just don’t last as long, causing your jacket to stop beading quicker than you’d like. This means you’ll have to wash and re-proof it more often, which is annoying, time-consuming and always a bit worrying, because washing items incorrectly can harm their performance.

So, all in all, it’s good for the environment, but somewhat inconvenient for the end user.

Breathability and ventilation

Personally I do not find the fabric of these trousers very breathable. As thick, protective, fully-fledged winter over-trousers, I find the Patagonia Triolet Pants (when the zippers are fully closed) quite hot and clammy, and easy to over-heat it.

Obviously this varies from day to day, depending on how strenuously I’m exercising, and how cold and wet the weather is. But across most weather conditions in the humid UK, I generally do not find these trousers very breathable.

For me, this isn’t an issue unique to the Triolet Pants – I just find all membrane-based over-trousers clammy and sweaty, mostly because I tend to move quickly in the mountains and have a tendency to run hot.

The saving grace of these trousers are the full-length zippers on both outer sides of the trousers. These are excellent, enabling fined-tuned venting to suit your needs.

You can unzip from the bottom, or the top, leaving the sides open with gaps of varying sizes. It works well, encouraging airflow and helping you to cool down by dumping heat.

But there is an obvious flaw, of course. When the zippers are open, the over-trousers are no longer water-tight. Rain can get in and your normal hiking trousers will be exposed to rain ingress. As such, vents solve one problem, but create another.

In terms of an official breathability stat, Gore-Tex’s PR representatives told me that Gore-Tex is not broadly communicating RET breathability ratings any more and instead is moving away from publicising those results – make of that what you will.

Weight and packability

On our scales, the Patagonia Triolet Pants weigh 546g in a men’s medium size. This is very heavy for a pair of waterproof over-trousers. In some ways, the heftier build is reassuring, implying the trousers are durable, tough and protective; but the extra weight means the Triolet Pants can feel a bit slow and clunky in use, lacking in agility and freedom of movement.

They will also add a significant chunk of weight to your backpack, when you’re carrying them but not wearing them.

For comparison, other waterproof over-trousers that I’ve tested in recent years weigh far less. The Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 over-trousers weigh 315g (men’s medium), the Montane Phase Waterproof Pull-On Pants are 340g (men’s small), the ultralight Berghaus Paclite Pants are just 211g (men’s small) and the Craghoppers Ascent Over Trousers (unisex small) weigh 262g.

While many of these pairs have a lighter, less protective build than the fully-fledged Patagiona Triolet Pants, the weight savings are significant and for the average hillwalker many of these pairs will prove comfier and cheaper.

A more direct competitor to the Patagonia Triolet Pants are the Arc’teryx Beta Pants, which also have a sturdy 3-layer build, Gore-Tex technology and full-length zippers. But the Beta Pants are more favourable in terms of weight and price. They weigh 326g (men’s small, regular leg), which is a big saving, and cost less at £280.

The Patagonia Triolet Pants don’t pack down as small or compactly as some others, but they aren’t particularly bulky either. Their packability is decent and they won’t take up too much space in your backpack.

Size, fit and comfort

Comfort levels are pretty good, if not phenomenal. I find the trousers fit nicely with decent freedom of movement and a nice shape and cut. Although they are slightly on the baggy side and certainly aren’t the most athletic or figure-hugging over-trousers I’ve ever tested.

In my view, they are bit wide and voluminous in the width around the legs, giving them a slightly boxy cut. But they aren’t particularly long in the leg – they seem more average in that regard.

Patagonia describes the Triolet Pants as having a “regular fit” that’s true to size, with an “articulated pattern and gusseted crotch providing mobility and comfort under a harness”. They also say the trousers have been “designed for freedom of movement”.

All in all, I’d say these trousers fit well, with a good shape. There is room for layering underneath, either baselayers or hiking trousers, and they move well enough with your body. The only slight gripe is that they are bit baggy in the width and boxy in the cut – but this may just be personal preference.

As always, it’s best to try before you buy, if you can.

Features: pockets, waistband and ankle cuffs

You get loads of first-rate features with the Patagonia Triolet Pants. The most striking are the full-length zippers down each side – I’ve found these excellent with superb functionality. The zippers run the full length of the trousers, from the top of the waistband to the bottom of the ankle cuff.

The two-way zippers work up and down, and they have a premium waterproof design and an internal stormflap. You can literally unzip the entire side of the trousers, if you want, but still keep them in place using the snap button closure at both the waist and ankle cuff.

That would give an extremely airy structure to the pants. A more common approach would be to unzip a shorter section for added breathability, while still maintaining the structural integrity of the trousers.

The long zippers are also extremely useful when putting on or taking off the trousers when you’re on a hillside, making it far easier to do, even if you’re wearing chunky hiking boots.

In terms of the waistband design, there are several features. There’s a zippered fly (in case you have a call of nature) and at the centre of the waistband are two snap buttons to close the trousers. There are five belt loops, but an integrated belt is not provided – which seems a little stingy of Patagonia considering the price-point.

The need for a belt is lessened, however, by the internal Velcro adjustment tabs, which enable you to tighten or loosen the fit around the waist.

This is a little fiddly to operate – and far from ideal to do half way up a rainy mountainside – but in theory you should just need to do it once at home and then leave the Velcro tabs in place with the fit fine-tuned to your body shape.

You get two handwarmer pockets. These have standard zippers, rather than the premium waterproof ones used down the full-length sides, but they are protected by a chunky external stormflap. Patagonia describes the pockets as “two vertical, welted, waterproof handwarmer pockets”.

At the ankle cuff, there are some nice design touches. You get scuff guards at each instep, with thicker, reinforced fabrics used across a high-wear area. Internally there’s an integrated gaiter, which works similarly to a ski jacket’s powder skirt.

This provides better waterproof integration between boot and trouser – I’m impressed with the design. There are two tie-down loops to further improve this integration, but you’ll need to provide your own instep strap or lacing to make these work. I’d have preferred a standard lace hook for this purpose.

The ankle cuffs can be tightened around the top of your boot using one of two press stud buttons. But this only provides about 5cm of adjustability, which isn’t great. Velcro tabs might have worked better here.

Another ski-centric feature is the RECCO reflector, which is sewn into the fabric just above the right ankle. RECCO reflectors are commonly used for life-threatening emergency situations, such as avalanches or getting lost in the backcountry. They enable rescue teams to pinpoint your exact location.

In some ways I love the full feature set of the Patagonia Triolet Pants, but I do have a few gripes – there are just too many features, and a lot of them are redundant and serve only to add to the hefty weight of the trousers.

For me, the belt loops and Velcro adjustment system are not needed (the trousers fit me fine regardless), and I don’t really use pockets on waterproof trousers. I’d prefer to see them omitted, not least because they can prove a water ingress vulnerability.

The RECCO device is very useful if skiing in the Alps, but rescue teams in the UK don’t commonly use RECCO tech, so for hillwalking it’s not that useful an addition either.

As always with Patagonia, the eco and ethical credentials of the Triolet Pants are market-leading. The trousers are made without the use of PFAS (harmful chemicals), the main fabric is a 100% recycled polyester and the jacket is Fair Trade and bluesign approved.

Verdict

The Patagonia Tiolet Pants are a top-tier, highly protective pair of hard shell over-trousers suitable for hiking, winter mountaineering and skiing – but they are very expensive.

Check out our full rundown on the best waterproof trousers for more over-trouser options.

About the author

James Forrest tested and reviewed the Patagonia Tiolet Pants over several walks in his native stomping ground of the Lake District. James reviews every type of outdoor kit for LFTO and Trail and is a real authority on everything you need for wild camping and packing light for a multi-day walk.

Don't forget to subscribe to the Live For The Outdoors newsletter to get expert advice and outdoor inspiration delivered to you inbox!