The list of waterproof and breathable pants for men presented here includes 5 truly great models with very different prices in the range $50 – $170. So, hopefully, everybody will find something suitable regarding the price and the purpose. See more in the text below.

My list includes the following pants for men, given in alphabetical order:

Columbia Rebel Roamer pant for men.

Marmot Minimalist pant for men.

Marmot PreCip pants for men.

Outdoor Research Foray pants for men.

Patagonia Torrentshell pants.

You do not need a terribly expensive tool for occasional use only. But for more active people it is worth investing and have a reliable tool that will serve you for many years. I have such pants, they are in my backpack all the time.

All pants presented here are perfect for 3-season outdoor activities, but their style is such that they allow for layering, so I would say you will be doing fine with them in all seasons. I have seen some complaints about one of these pants that they are not warm enough. Well, they are not supposed to be, these are rain shell pants, you do not have insulation here.

Here are all models at a glance:

Membrane Pockets Zips Columbia Rebel Roamer Omni-Tech no no Marmot Minimalist GTX Paclite 2 ankle Marmot PreCip NanoPro 3 ankle Outdoor Research Foray GTX Paclite 1 3/4 Patagonia Torrentshell H2NO 2 1/2

As you see, quite different models from every point of view. See a bit more about each of them below.

Columbia Rebel Roamer pant for men

These are waterproof and breathable pants with fully sealed seams, based on Columbia’s proprietary nylon laminate waterproof technology. The pants are good for occasional use, but not really a heavy-duty tool. The waist section is with an easy-wearing elastic band and an adjustable drawcord. Velcro tabs are on cuffs.

Regarding users’ experience, fit as expected statistics by Amazon customers is 75%, and the average rating is very respectable 4.3/5.

Good : Machine washable. Great price. These are the least expensive pants in the list here, with $50 price tag at the moment of writing this text. Allow for layering under them. Nylon taffeta lining.

: Less good : No pockets. No ankle zippers, you have to take boots off in order to put them on. Not for very dynamic activities.

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Specifications

Omni-Tech waterproof/breathable fully seam-sealed.

Adjustable leg opening.

Fabric: 100% nylon 70D MP LTX.

Fit: modern classic/regular.

Hook-and-loop cuffs with Velcro tabs to adjust the pants over boots.

See this video with a few details about Columbia’s waterproof and breathable materials:

Marmot Minimalist pant for men

Minimalist pants are very durable and very lightweight, completely waterproof and breathable. The material you have here is GORE-TEX Paclite with the breathability rate in the range R=6–8, so this is a material for moderately dynamic activities. The Paclite is known to be exceptionally packable, and the weight is only around 10 ounces (283 g).

All seams are 100% taped. The name suggests a minimalist design, but this is a tool that will give you a total protection, and in spite of the name, you still have a lot of features here. Two zippered pockets are available, and ankle zippers as well. In addition to this, you have drawstrings and snap closure on the cuffs.

The waistband is with an elastic and with a snap closure and fly. The fit is standard and the pants are with articulated knees.

On Amazon, fit as expected statistics is 81%, and the average rate is very high, 4.5/5.

There exists a rain shell jacket of the same type described in the site, Marmot Minimalist rain jacket for men, so please have a look.

Good : Two pockets. Several nice features. Very packable, easy to store in any pocket in your backpack. Very lightweight.

: Less good : The price at the moment of writing the text is around $165.

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See more in this short video:

Specifications

Purpose: hiking, backpacking, and any outdoor activity.

Lifetime warranty.

Waterproof and breathable.

GORE-TEX Paclite.

Ankle zippers. So you can put them on and off without removing boots.

Standard fit, so they allow for layering, light hiking pants under them fit nicely.

Articulated knees.

Marmot PreCip Pants For Men

These pants are described in detail in my separate text, so please follow the link to see more. Here, to stress that you have NanoPro technology, which is in the range of moderately waterproof and highly breathable.

For a complete body protection, these pants can nicely be combined with the rain shell PreCip jacket from the same series described in the site, so please have a look.

Good: Very lightweight. Very breathable. 3 pockets . Machine washable. Durable material. Great price.

Less good : NA

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Outdoor Research Foray pants for men

The Foray pants are also described in detail in my separate pots, so please have a look here. Similar to the Minimalist model described above, here too you have GORE-TEX Paclite fabric, lightweight, waterproof and very breathable.

The most visible difference is in the double-separating 3/4-length side zippers. There are many practical advantages of having such a design, this allows for maximum ventilation and you can put them on and take them off over boots. Please read more in my separate text.

Good: Very lightweight. Very breathable. 3/4 lenght zippers . Great ventilation. Stows in its own pocket.

Less good : Only one pocket. Price.

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Some of features

GORE-TEX 2L 50D Paclite Technology (100% polyester).

3/4-length side zippers.

1 pocket.

Standard fit.

Patagonia Torrentshell Pants

Torrentshell pants are a 2.5 layer hardshell construction with bluesign-approved Patagonia H2No recycled nylon ripstop fabric. So this is a completely waterproof and breathable material, durably water repellent (DWR), nicely packable and with the weight of 10 ounces only (283 g), built 100% from recycled materials.

On the waist you have an elasticized band with an internal drawcord. The pants are with two zippered hand pockets and one of them serves as a stuff sack for the pants. Side zippers are waterproof, half-length and with a two-way system, so you can open them from both ends. This is great to have for ventilation purposes.

The regular fit allows for layering, and articulated knees allow for optimal mobility.

Note that there is a shell jacket of the same brand described in the site, Patagonia Torrentshell jacket for men. This makes it a nice combination for a full body protection.

Good: Very lightweight. Very breathable. Great ventilation. 2 pockets . Stows in its own pocket.

Less good : Price.

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Specifications

Purpose: hiking, backpacking, any outdoor activity.

Shell: H2NO 2.5-Layer, 2.9 oz 50D 100% Nylon Ripstop with DWR.

Warranty: limited lifetime.

Pockets: 2

Fit: regular.

Bluesign approved.

Packs into its pocket.

See more in this short video:

Summary

To conclude this text about waterproof and breathable pants for men, as you see, you have 5 great models, so how to choose? The prices are very different, so choose wisely. For occasional use, and for short walks in the rain, do not waste money and go for the Columbia pants.

The most technical are the OR Foray and Patagonia Torrentshell pants. They have long side zippers which allow for the best possible ventilation. But these two are the most expensive ones.

The most breathable model is the Marmot PreCip. The price is very reasonable, around $80 at the moment of writing this text. So any of these three will be great for more dynamic activities. The Minimalist pants are somewhere in between. I am one of the users of such pants, and I know well how essential they are when I am in the mountains. The fact is that you have to have all waterproof, pants, jacket, gloves, and boots, otherwise you can get in trouble. For my tours in the Alps this is absolutely necessary. You can read more what to wear in such an environment if you have a look in my other text. If you need waterproof pants for women, see my another text with 6 great models.

Thank you for reading. I hope the text has been useful to you and if this is so, please share it with others. Use the comment box below in the case of questions and comments. I wish you a pleasant day.