Rab Incline Light Pants Review

Bottom Line

The Rab Incline Light pants are a super lightweight and packable pair sure to please anyone after a quick drying and breathable option. These pants earned high marks among the hiking pants we have tested for their comfort and breathability due to their ultra-lightweight fabric. We love how lightweight these pants are for hot days and how quickly sweat dries. The Incline Light stuffs down to an easily storable bundle in a backpack. Three zippered pockets keep all items secure no matter which pocket they are in. A double button closure keeps the waist secure but with a design that requires two hands to undo and some force to open. The relaxed fit on these pants and slightly larger sizing will fit thicker legs well.

When testing these pants in the heavy rain of Alaska, we found that the tradeoff for their quick drying and breathability, is they do have a low level of weather resistance. While walking through vegetation on a wet day, they quickly became soaked and uncomfortably clingy. While we won’t be reaching for these pants on wet days, they are the ones for prioritizing lightweight and breathability in warm weather.

Comfort & Mobility

The Rab Incline Lights are extremely comfortable and offer a high degree of mobility. Articulated knees and a longer-length gusset make movement easy and unrestricted. These pants are made with a super light and thin fabric that is comfortable on the skin and stretches to accommodate movement.

The fit of these pants is a bit unusual.  The gusset is designed with a longer fit to increase mobility but this also means that there is a bunch of excess fabric through the crotch and waist. The waist sizing feels large, so we recommend sizing down an inch or two for a more secure fit. The slimmer cut legs on these pants fit slender bodies well while a wider cuff can fit a thicker lower leg.

Breathability

These pants excel when it comes to venting excess heat and moisture. During our testing, we even broke into a run to test their breathability and were impressed with how well they performed. For a hiking pant, they shed moisture and warmth like a jogger. We recommend these pants for warm weather days where there is heavy sweating and the need to manage temperatures quickly.

Weather Resistance

If you’re looking for a pant to bring out in cooler and damp weather, then the Incline Light is not the best choice. We tested these in heavy rain to see how they would hold up and they immediately became wet. Any brush with wet vegetation or kneeling on the ground was met with little resistance from the material. There is no DWR treatment or weather-resistant coating of any kind making these pants best suited for warm and dry days without the potential for precipitation.

Durability

Using these pants left us with questions about their long-term durability. The fabric, while ultralight easily lets light through when held up to a light source. When kneeling in these pants, we easily felt the ground, and the pants retained dirt and mud in the fabric. For hikers on trails where contact with the ground is not a consideration, this will not be a problem. After multiple washing cycles, the pants are still holding up, but the thin material of the knees and seat leaves us concerned about their longevity with heavy use.

Features

With four fully zippered pockets (two front, one rear, and one thigh), we appreciate the Incline Light’s commitment to secure storage. However, these pockets when fully loaded felt saggy and moved around when walking. This steered us toward using the front pockets and only with smaller items.

The closure of these pants is two very secure stamp buttons. While secure, we found this to be a bit overkill as it often required two hands to pull them apart. On the other hand, the packability of these pants is superb. They take almost almost no space in a pack and are easily balled up for transport. We love these pants for easy storage during travel and not taking up much room when not in use.

Should You Buy the Rab Incline Light Pants?

The Rab Incline Light is a great option for those after a lightweight, quick-drying pant that is extremely packable. While this is not the option for hikers after strong weather resistance, they work well in warm temperatures and dry conditions. We do have questions about the pants’ long-term durability due to their super thin fabric and found that they picked up dirt and mud easily. We felt the ground through the knees and seat of their lightweight material. A great advantage of their super thin material is their ability to pack down small and take up hardly any room in a pack. We will be using these pants on days without precipitation when a lightweight pair of pants is necessary.

What Other Hiking Pants Should You Consider?

REI Trailmade Review: A similarly lightweight pant at a slightly lower price than the Incline Lights.

Outdoor Research Ferrosi Review: A similar pant with just a little more weather resistance than the Incline Light and a similar cut.

Mammut Runbold Review: Another very lightweight option but with a much slimmer cut.