Best waterproof cycling trousers 2026 — keep your legs dry and warm throughout winter with some quality waterproofs

The Albion Zoa Rain Trousers are a well-thought-out pair of waterproof trousers, with lots of bike-specific touches. They’re suitable for bikepacking, mountain biking, commuting, and even hiking. The waterproofing is very good, as is the breathability, making them useful whether it’s cold and wet or warm and wet, and they won’t make your legs sweaty like some waterproof trousers.

The trousers feature a three-layer waterproof fabric, Pertex Shield, with a C0 DWR coating (a more eco-friendly durable water repellent treatment than the standard C8 or C6 methods), with taped seams on the inside. The idea behind this fabric is it offers good protection without sacrificing weight or breathability. It’s waterproof and windproof, and is also quite soft to the touch.

They are expensive but tester Hollis writes, “If you’re willing to spend the cash, I think you’d be hard pressed to find waterproof cycling trousers as good as this. In terms of waterproofing and breathability they’re very good, they’re comfortable to wear, and have a lot of neat touches”. 

The Altura Grid Softshell Pants are a great pair of cycling trousers making commuting in most conditions pleasant. For most riders and most days, the textured fleece and DWR coating will keep you warm and dry in mild conditions and withstand drizzle and road spray. 

They have been designed to be as practical as possible with their tapered design and fleece-lined inner, the Pants can be worn on and off the bike, much like a pair of sweatpants. There’s also plenty of room to wear a pair of bib shorts underneath if you’re seeking a bit more comfort or want to travel further afield. 

The B’Twin City Cycling Rain Overtrousers from Decathlon (previously known as the B’Twin 900 Waterproof Cycling Overtrousers when we first reviewed them) are worth a look if you’re looking for protection from the weather and don’t want to spend too much. They are designed to be both waterproof and breathable for shorter journeys at low intensity, and easily pack down small, making them easy to transport. 

Tester Iwein writes: “The cut is good too: they’re not just a bag with holes in them. They strike the right balance between being roomy enough to get on and off without swearing, and not being flappy on the bike”. 

These waterproof trousers also feature overshoes which are a nice touch for keeping your shoes clean and dry. 

For cycling short distances and not having to carry a spare change of clothes, the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jeans are ideal, being comfortable on and off the bike and keeping you dry and warm in the wind and rain thanks to a waterproof membrane. They also pack some useful reflective details when you roll the cuff up.

The best thing is they look like regular jeans but normal jeans aren’t much cop for cycling any sort of distance. Whereas the DU/ER Performance Denim Weatherproof Slim Jeans are stretchy and provide no restriction to pedalling nor are there any nasty seams in the saddle area to cause discomfort.

Our reviewer said: “Ride in the rain and, put simply, the jeans don’t get saturated like regular jeans. Arrive at the office and they quickly dry off so you don’t need to get changed. I found the waterproofing adequate for most rain I encountered, from drizzle to heavy downpours.”

Endura’s GV500 Waterproof trousers are lightweight, packable and waterproof, and cut for gravel adventures on your bike.

They boast impressive figures both for breathability and waterproof ratings, and are devoid of zips and pockets for simplification and maximum protection. They have ankle gussets to allow access over your shoes, a pull cord waist, and a durable seat for extra protection making them a solid option as far as the best MTB trousers go. 

If most of your wet rides take place off-road, the GV500 trousers will serve you well. 

The Gorewear Gore-Tex Paclite Pants are an excellent addition to any rider’s winter kit bag thanks to the comprehensive waterproofing, impressive breathability and the well-executed versatility of the Velcro calf straps, which mean you can tighten them up and loosen them on the fly.

The calf panels have been made from hi-vis material and Gorewear includes a great amount of reflective detailing. The visibility is fantastic and they are incredibly light too, but you wouldn’t want to wear them in normal-life scenarios as they are made of pretty noisy material and are clearly technical bike wear.

These are a seriously versatile pair of waterproof and breathable trousers and tester Laurence writes, “Light and medium showers of up to 30 minutes are not a problem at all for these trousers. The precipitation rolls off and doesn’t threaten to break through. They also stood up against heavy showers, and it wasn’t until I gave them an absolute dousing with the hose that I managed to get damp patches to go through – but that was a slightly extreme test!” 

These trousers will do a great job of keeping your warm and dry according to our reviewer, and for not a huge outlay if you manage to nab a discounted pair. 

Featuring wind-resistant, water-repellent and breathable material, these trousers have a good fit and they’re very versatile. The stretchy material means you can put another pair of trousers on underneath, making them suitable for winter commuting or milder conditions when used on their own. 

While they lack ankle adjustability and there aren’t many reflective details, these trousers are well made and will shrug off the worst of the elements. 

The Madison DTE Waterproof Trousers are a robust pair of mountain bike-specific trousers that look pretty cool and are made for riding in the most terrible conditions. They protect you from the elements and do the job exceptionally well. As soon as you hit the trails, smash into the first puddle and realise you aren’t sending cold water up your shorts, you’ll fall in love with the DTE’s, and with a lifetime warranty on offer from Madison, you’ll likely be smiling for a long time.

They are constructed from a 2.5 layer fabric with 3 layers on the rear panel, knees and ankles for more protection, and taped seams which make the DTE’s fully waterproof. They are pretty breathable too and tester Rachael writes: “Outings in these have been in both conditions of ‘raining cats and dogs’ and ‘dry skies but swamp like’. For the former the trousers have kept me dry while the rain batters down and for the latter they have defended us from the wet and crud whilst preventing us from overheating”. 

The Pas Normal Studios Escapism Pants are extremely good – they’re stretchy, fit and hang well, feel nicely made and are very comfortable both on the bike and off. They’re considerably more expensive than some really strong competition, though.

The DWR coating will protect you against rain showers and tester Steve says, “They never got any less comfortable when damp. They dry reasonably quickly too”. 

They are very effective trousers for gravel, town, or just general riding. Additionally, they are well-suited for a range of outdoor activities. If you’re keen on making a statement, you can choose from white or purple, in addition to black, brown or this olive green. We aren’t sure how well the white will stand up against the elements though…  

You might not want to go full hog with a set of waterproof trousers, instead opting for a set of water-resistant trousers like these Vulpine Men’s Rain Trousers. They are premium cycling-oriented smart/casual trousers that are packed full of features, including five pockets. They will repel light rain showers and road spray, and look great off the bike too. 

Tester Bryn writes: “The trousers’ weather resistance is extremely effective. During commutes over wet roads I found that the water beaded and simply rolled off the trousers – and they were warm and windproof too, with no air blowing through them.”

We don’t currently recommend stuff that’s out of stock but we recently reviewed these and think they are worth hanging around for.