Keela Trail trousers review: all-round comfort for trail and travel

Keela Trail trousers: first impressions 

On the rack, these hiking pants are impressively lightweight and soft. With a slim flattering fit, they’re designed for fair weather hiking, comfortable travelling and hanging out around town. 

The material is ultra stretchy and the knees are articulated which allows for unrestricted freedom of movement when you’re clambering up a rocky face. Two zipped hip pockets provide ample storage for gear you want to close to hand, and hidden inner pockets are great for stashing keys and credit cards. 

They also feature belt loops and come in three different leg lengths so it’s nearly impossible to find a pair of these that won’t work for your body.

While they’re not waterproof or insulated, they are some of the best hiking pants for UV protection and are quick drying so they’ll work well on warm or damp days on the trail and for travel, but aren’t intended for extreme cold weather conditions. Treated with ViralOff, the antibacterial protection keeps them fresher longer.

These are so comfortable and flattering that chances are, once you put them on you’ll be wearing them for days.

Keela Trail trousers: on the trails 

While these trousers don’t present as tough, all terrain trekkers, I accidentally put them through the wringer and they really held up. Not only were they worn for a walk in the woods, they survived a night of camping that turned into a spontaneous dance-off and came out unscathed.

These are supremely comfortable trousers made from a very soft material with all the stretch you need for high kick contests, if that’s your thing. They also look really good on, so if you prefer a casual look, you’ll wear them all the time.

The quick-drying capacity is really compelling and works well, as these got damp multiple times sitting on damp grass around the campfire, and never felt heavy or clammy. They’re great for damp hiking conditions like I experienced, and would work well for traveling too with this feature.

They boast odor-reducing technology and while I don’t know that it’s something I necessarily need in my hiking pants, they certainly stayed fresh after many hours of being worn and sweated in, and I’m glad to know that I won’t have to wash them a lot.

Here’s how they performed:

Sizing

These run true to size, and have the option of three different leg lengths plus belt loops to make them extra versatile. 

Fit

Flattering slim fit without being tight anywhere. The absence of thigh pockets makes them more streamlined. 

Comfort

Five stars for comfort. These are soft, stretchy, and not too tight so you can wear them on the trail and relaxing on the couch afterwards. 

Temperature regulation

These definitely keep you cool on warmer days and are comfortable in cooler conditions too, but won’t keep you warm in cold weather. The fit does allow you to wear them with long underwear however. 

Breathability

Five stars for breathability. I had the tiniest damp patches under my arms after a long run and was bone dry by the time I got home. 

Odor control

These trousers have an antimicrobial treatment to help with odor-control and seems able to ward off everything but the smell of campfire, which is fair enough.

Durability

These don’t wear like ultra tough trekking trousers but they stood up to hiking, camping and late night cavorting on the dancefloor, and without needing frequent washing should last a long time. 

Here’s where we tested the Keela Trail Trousers: 

This walk follows an old railroad line transformed to a footpath/cycle track from the beautiful town of Loch Winnoch.