Columbia Women's Cirque River II Hiking Leggings review: tough tights built for comfort on the move

Meet the reviewer

Julia Clarke

Julia Clarke is a staff writer for Advnture.com and the author of the book Restorative Yoga for Beginners. She loves to explore mountains on foot, bike, skis and belay and then recover on the the yoga mat. Julia graduated with a degree in journalism in 2004 and spent eight years working as a radio presenter in Kansas City, Vermont, Boston and New York City before discovering the joys of the Rocky Mountains. She then detoured west to Colorado and enjoyed 11 years teaching yoga in Vail before returning to her hometown of Glasgow, Scotland in 2020 to focus on family and writing.  

Columbia Women's Cirque River II Hiking Leggings: first impressions 

At first glance, these technical hiking leggings are sleek and straightforward, but they're more technical than perhaps meets the eye. Could you do yoga in them? We have, and they have ample stretch for that, but they're also equipped with details that make them a great choice as a pair of women's hiking pants.

First off, when you're scrambling over rough rock, you need a pair of pants that can hold up and the abrasion-resistant fabric has these looking brand new after multiple hikes. If you end up hiking in a drizzle, they dry quickly and of course, it's much easier to pull rain pants on over leggings than traditional trousers anyway.

These supportive tights have a high waist design and are comfortable for wearing over long days. The Omni-Wick fabric manages to wick sweat well on hot days without being too thin for colder weather, and if you like to keep your phone to hand, there's a handy drop-in pocket on the right thigh.

There's not much to change, though a drawstring waist might make these perfect since the sizing won't work for all bodies. At a stretch, we wouldn't mind another small pocket for a car key, but overall we're impressed with the design, performance and price of these leggings, which are made with recycled materials for eco creds to boot.

Columbia Women's Cirque River II Hiking Leggings: in the field

I recently admitted to becoming a bit of a convert to technical hiking leggings and it's largely thanks to the improvements Columbia has made to its tights over the past few years. 

I first tested out a pair of the Columbia River leggings about three years ago and while I found a few things to like, they lacked support and protection. A year ago, tested the Back Beauty Warm Hybrid leggings and liked them so much they've seen several hiking trips to the Alps, but they are too warm for year-round use.

I recently received these leggings to test out in the Swiss Alps where I was doing longish day hikes, and have since been wearing them on the trails of Scotland.

Here’s how they performed:

Sizing, fit and comfort 

I tested a women's small, which is my usual size, and I'd say they fit nearly perfectly. There's the tiniest amount of wrinkling around my ankles, knees and hips which indicates someone a little larger than me could still wear a small, but that's common for me and leggings as I have quite lean legs. 

The high waist comes up just above my belly button and the length is just about right with no pointless reams of extra fabric around the ankles but enough of an inseam that a taller hiker could wear them (I'm 5' 4").

Comfort and temperature regulation

They are supportive without being restrictive, which is really important to me as I can have issues with tight waistbands, and they have enough stretch that I can move freely (I've even done yoga in them) but they don't slip down when I'm walking. That said, I think a drawcord waistband would be smart to accommodate people with different body proportions. However, the wide waistband has a soft lining and I've been able to wear these for all-day adventures without feeling like I need to tear them off the moment I walk in the door.

These leggings are made with Columbia's proprietary Omni-Wick fabric which is designed to let water vapor from sweat escape so when you get hot, you don't stay wet. I'll be honest that my legs don't ever feel hot or sweaty, but of course, a sweaty crotch is no one's idea of a good time and I've found these quite comfortable for warm weather hiking during the late summer months.

Durability and storage

These are not a thin, flimsy pair of leggings. The Titanium fabric is clearly quite tough and mine still look brand new despite coming out on multiple rugged romps. I'd say the Back Beauty tights feel a little more durable, but for that added protection you also trade the lightweight breathability of these leggings.

For storage, there's a thigh pocket where I can slide my phone in and pull it out whenever I want to check my route on AllTrails or take a photo. I suppose I could argue for a small key pocket, but realistically if I'm going to wear these for hiking I'll always have my backpack for gear anyway.

Columbia Women's Cirque River II Hiking Leggings: the bottom line

If you're looking for a stretchy, versatile alternative to hiking pants, you'll find lots to like in these comfortable but tough leggings. We love that they're made using recycled materials and think they're great for both warm and colder pursuits. If you're seeking something warmer and more rugged, check out the Columbia Back Beauty Warm Hybrid Leggings.

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