What we all love about convertible hiking pants is that if it warms up on the hike, you can quickly turn your pants into shorts and throw the legs of your pants into your pack. It’s great unless you plan on hiking someplace where you wouldn’t want to wear shorts anyway, someplace with a lot of underbrush, for example.
The most important things to look for when looking for high-quality convertible hiking pants are not just things like a tough, durable, tear-resistant fabric and high-quality zippers, buttons, and/or snaps that can take a beating. But also things like how comfortable they are, whether they look nice, whether they wick moisture well, and whether they are at least water-resistant, if not fully waterproof. So these are the kinds of things we will consider as we put together this list for you.
In this article, I will list what I believe are the five highest-quality women’s convertible hiking pants on the market today. So, let’s get going! See also my related articles: “Top 5 Highest Quality Women’s Hiking Boots 2024!“ and “Top 5 Highest Quality Women’s Hiking Pants 2024!”
1. RVRC GP Pro Women’s Zip-off Hiking Pants
The RVRC GP Pro Women’s Zip-off Hiking Pants are some high-quality women’s hiking pants if I have ever seen some. Even though in this article I am not putting this list in any particular order, these pants are my favorite on this list. The company that makes them, Revolution Race (RVRC), is a company based in Sweden.
At the time of the writing of this article these pants are priced at $139. The pants are made out of two main fabrics. The first is 65% polyester and 35% cotton. The second fabric is 88% Polyamide and 12% Elastane. This makes the pants stretch where they need to stretch and be tough where they need to be tough.
Besides being convertible (detachable at the knee) pants, they are DWR-treated to be wind and water-repellant (not waterproof). These pants do a great job of wicking moisture away from the skin.
They have an ergonomic cut to eliminate chafing when active and are reinforced in the thighs, lower legs, and seat to protect against wear and tear.
Pros
- Wind/Water Resistant: The two fabric blends used in these pants are DWR-treated to be wind/water resistant.
- Moisture-wicking: The materials used in these fabrics are very moisture-wicking.
- Tough, durable fabric: These pants are reinforced in the thighs, lower legs, and seat to be more tear-resistant.
- Comfortable: These pants are very comfortable to wear as either pants or shorts.
- Breathable: These pants are very breathable.
Cons
- Price: Higher-quality pants tend to cost more than lesser-quality ones.
2. Fjallraven Women’s Abisko Convertible Hiking Pants
The Fjallraven Women’s Abisko Convertible Hiking Pants are priced at $128 to $175 (depending on where you look) at the time of the writing of this article. Fjallraven is another very high-quality brand based in Sweden. Apparently, they like their hiking in Sweden!
The two main fabrics used in these pants are first 52% polyester (recycled), 13% polyester (T400), and 35% cotton (organic), and then the second 70% recycled polyester and 30% regular polyester. These pants are also reinforced in the thighs, pockets, and seat to be more tear-resistant.
Both polyester and cotton are very breathable. Polyester also does an excellent job of wicking moisture away from the skin. Cotton and cotton polyester blends are very comfortable to wear.
Pros
- Moisture-wicking: The materials used in these fabrics are very moisture-wicking.
- Tough, durable fabric: These pants are reinforced in the thighs, pockets, and seat to be more tear-resistant.
- Comfortable: These pants are very comfortable to wear as either pants or shorts.
- Breathable: These pants are very breathable.
Cons
- Not Treated For Water Resistance.
3. Outdoor Research Women’s Ferrosi Convertible Hiking Pants
The Outdoor Research Women’s Ferrosi Convertible Hiking Pants are priced at $119 at the time of the writing of this article. Their fabric is 86% ripstop nylon and 14% spandex. The spandex adds some stretchiness to the fabric.
The fabric used in these pants is very lightweight, weighing only 10.3 ounces (292g). With the way the fabric is woven, it is airy and comfortable to wear; these might be the most comfortable pants on the list. Nylon is also breathable and does a great job of wicking moisture away from the skin.
While the nylon used in these pants is durable and great for a hiking pant, these pants have not been reinforced in normal wear areas like some of the other ones on this list.
Pros
- Moisture-wicking: The nylon used in this fabric is very moisture-wicking.
- Lightweight: These pants weigh only 10.3 ounces (292g).
- Comfortable: The fabric is woven in an airy way that makes it comfortable to wear.
- Breathable: These pants are very breathable.
Cons
- Not Reinforced: These pants are not reinforced in wear areas such as the seat and thighs.
- Not Treated For Water Resistance.
4. Adidas Terrex Utilitas Women’s Convertible Hiking Pants
The Adidas Terrex Utilitas Women’s Convertible Hiking Pants are, at the time of the writing of this article, priced at $84, marked down from $120. The pants are made from 89% recycled nylon and 11% elastane plain weave. The elastane adds a stretchy feel to the pants and makes them more comfortable.
The fabric is coated with a PFC-free durable water repellent (DWR) coating that sheds water and makes it dry fast. These pants have the look and feel of jogging pants, although they are specifically classified as made for hiking.
The pants are lightweight, weighing just 11.3 ounces (320g). Nylon is not only a very breathable fabric, but it also does a great job of wicking moisture away from the skin. Nylon is a durable fabric; however, these pants are not reinforced in the seat and thighs like some of the other pants on this list.
Pros
- Wind/Water Resistant: The fabric is coated with a PFC-free durable water repellent (DWR) coating that sheds water and makes it dry fast.
- Moisture-wicking: The nylon used in this fabric is very moisture-wicking.
- Comfortable: These pants are very comfortable to wear as either pants or shorts.
- Breathable: These pants are very breathable.
Cons
- Not Reinforced: These pants are not reinforced in wear areas such as the seat and thighs.
5. Outdoor Voices RecTrek Women’s Convertible Hiking Pants
The Outdoor Voices RecTrek Women’s Convertible Hiking Pants are priced at $118 at the time of the writing of this article. Its main fabric is made from 90% nylon and 10% elastane. The elastane gives the pants a more stretchy feel, which adds to their comfort.
The pants’ waistband features a zip-fly and a snap-closure, a carabiner to hook items to, and a removable nylon webbing belt. They also have large cargo-type pockets on the sides of the thighs that will hold the lower legs when you zip them off. And depending on the temperature and your comfort, you can zip off the legs at two different lengths.
The nylon fabric is not only breathable, but it also does a great job wicking moisture away from the skin. The nylon is a durable fabric. However, these pants are not reinforced on the seat or the thighs like some of the other pants on this list.
Pros
- Wind Resistant: The nylon fabric is thick enough that it is wind resistant.
- Moisture-wicking: The nylon used in this fabric is very moisture-wicking.
- Comfortable: These pants are very comfortable to wear as either pants, capris, or shorts.
- Breathable: These pants are very breathable.
Cons
- Not Reinforced: These pants are not reinforced in wear areas such as the seat and thighs.
- Not Treated For Water Resistance.
Final Thoughts
So remember what I spoke about at the beginning of this article regarding the most important things when looking for high-quality clothes, such as convertible hiking pants. Then, go through the various pants listed in this article and weigh out which have the things that are most important to you. Hopefully, this article will be a benefit and make your search for convertible hiking pants easier!
Thank you for reading this article to the end. If you have learned something or benefited from this article in any way, please remember to share it on your social media. That helps us grow our reach and get the word out! Thank you!