Rab Downpour Plus waterproof trousers | Tested and review

These reasonably-priced overtrousers from always-reliable brand Rab are comfortable, well-designed and lightweight. Made from a 2.5-layer Pertex Shield fabric with a recycled face fabric, you get an impressive 20,000mm hydrostatic head rating and 20,000g/m²/24hr breathability grade – both premium stats. The other standout feature is the full-length YKK Aquaguard side zippers, which make it far easier to get these waterproofs on over your chunky hiking boots. They also offer excellent venting options.

Waterproofing

The Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 does not feature the near-ubiquitous Gore-Tex technology, which is – perhaps – how it is able to come in at the competitive price point of £140 for a fully-featured pair of overtrousers. Instead these shell pants are made from Pertex Shield, a 40-denier polyamide with a recycled face fabric. The Pertex Shield has a PU membrane and a PFC-free DWR (durable water repellent) coating. In official lab tests, this material has been graded as achieving a 20,000mm hydrostatic rating, which is a high-end, premium score and should ensure impressive waterproof protection in prolonged, heavy rain. During our tests during drizzly hikes in the Lake District, the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 pants shed rain well and kept us dry, but more time is needed to truly judge their long-term performance – but we don’t have any reasons to worry. The YKK Aquaguard zippers, which have an internal stormflap, are water-repellent and all of the seams are sealed too.

It’s worth nothing, however, that the Downpour Plus 2.0 overtrousers are made using a 2.5-layer technique, which combines the main two layers of a waterproof (an external face fabric and a waterproof membrane) with a so-called 0.5-layer (an ultra-thin laminate or coating “liner” that is printed, painted or sprayed on to protect the membrane). This technique tends to prioritise lightness and packability, rather than long-term durability and toughness – so hikers who want bombproof protection may prefer to choose overtrousers with a 3-layer design.

Breathability & Ventilation

The official MVTR (moisture vapour transmission rate) grade of the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 overtrousers is 20,000g/m²/24hr, which is considered a premium score. As with any shell pants, they can still feel clammy and sweaty when you’re working hard, but the breathability grade is about as good as it gets. Plus the ventilation options are superb, thanks to the full-length, two-way side zippers on both legs. You can unzip from the top downwards, creating large air vents for better breathability, with the top of the trousers kept in place via a press stud button. You can do the same from the bottom too, unzipping upwards from the ankle cuff.

Weight & Packability

The Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 overtrousers weigh 315g in a men’s medium size, which is reasonably light. This is achieved courtesy of the 2.5-layer construction technique, which is known for creating light and packable products. The trousers pack away very compactly – if rolled up carefully and neatly – to about the size of a Coke bottle.

Size, Fit & Comfort

We’d describe the fit of the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 as a standard fit that’s true to size. While we often wear a men’s small in hiking trousers, we opted for a medium in the overtrousers to allow for a little extra room for fitting them over other layers. This approach worked well. We found the shell pants were reasonably snug and fitting, but without being restrictive or too tight. They moved well with the body and didn’t flap around or feel too loose either. All-round comfort levels were pretty high, thanks to the soft and supple 2.5-layer design, which helps avoid the stiff, clunky, noisy, plastic-y material style you sometimes get with 3-layer overtrousers. Rab also says that the “articulation” design at the knees helps improve the fit and deliver all-day comfort for hikers.

A big positive with the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 is the sheer number of sizing options too. They come in short, regular and long leg lengths, as well as big size ranges for both men and women, so in theory everyone should be able to find a pair that fits their body shape perfectly.

Features: Pockets, Waistband & Ankle Cuffs

The waistband of the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 is half-elasticated and very stretchy, and a small drawcord toggle enables you to cinch-in for a fine-tuned fit to your body shape. It’s quite a simplistic design, but it works fine.

You don’t get any pockets with these shell pants, but generally-speaking that’s a good thing – pockets on overtrousers can be a water ingress risk and surplus to requirements for most hillwalkers.

A small drawcord toggle enables you to cinch in the fit at each ankle cuff, tightening the overtrousers around the top of your boots, if so desired. The toggle is located on the underside of the ankle cuff and it’s quite fiddly to use, but it works ok. Rab’s excellent ‘Material Facts’ initiative - which lists the total recycled content (measured by weight) of every Rab product, in a bid for environmental transparency in an industry somewhat plagued by greenwashing - outlines that 42% of the Rab Downpour Plus 2.0 is recycled. This is broken down as follows: the face fabric is 100% recycled, the membrane is 0% recycled, the zips are 0% recycled and the trims are 5% recycled. All in all, these are very good eco credentials compared to many other brands and products.

A lightweight pair of eco-friendly overtrousers with full-length zippers, made from a 2.5-layer Pertex Shield fabric – but some may prefer Gore-Tex.

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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