layer should be the minimum and those harder wearing all day trousers should be made of 3-layer fabrics for ultimate confidence. They need to keep the weather out, obviously, but we also like them to be lightweight and packable in the hope of good weather, at which point they’ll be living in your pack. For one, there are no zips on the legs, which means it can be challenging to pull these on while wearing footwear.

Waterproof trousers are useless if they don’t do job number 1 on the requirement list – to keep all of the unwanted water away from the under trousers, undergarments and legs. We would recommend every serious hiker to have at least one pair of each, although overtrousers are the best place to start if you’re dipping a toe for the first time. However, the fit let it down - with some readers complaining of their trousers being overly wide around the legs or ‘tight in some places and roomy in others’.The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. Walkers will be pleased to find an elasticated waist with an adjustable, lockable drawcord to keep a snug fit that we look for in a good pair of trousers. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH). The toughness, linked causally with durability, is what we look for when we know our waterproof trousers are going to take a bit of beating.

Here, Rob Slade puts 12 pairs of the best waterproof trousers (all available in men’s and women’s) to the test to see which pair you should invest in. Most purchases from business sellers are protected by the Consumer Contract Regulations 2013 which give you the right to cancel the purchase within 14 days after the day you receive the item.There are Velcro tabs that run up to the knee, allowing you to cinch it in and stop it flapping in the wind or getting caught by anything, and a large storm flap covers the zips to help half water ingress. The Craghoppers Steall II are the second version of the top waterproof trousers from the best-selling brand. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but Paramo manages it: owners gave it the full five out of five stars for breathability. Aside from the usual walking jargon, waterproof trousers may also offer zips (to get them on easily), lined waistbands, thigh vents and the gold tier of water-resistant pockets. I was also impressed with the durability of the trousers, and would not be worried when traipsing through tough terrain.

There are two main types of waterproof trousers that should be in every serious hiker’s chest of drawers, overtrousers and wear-all-day trousers. There are, unfortunately, no zips with these trousers, making them a little difficult to pull over boots in a downpour.I know that even some of the best waterproof trousers are noisy to walk in, but these seemed especially so, and they are rather baggy, meaning they flap away in the wind quite a bit. The former is the kind that, well, go over trousers – particularly useful to pull out of your pack when a shower hits and you’re out in the hills.