Montane Women’s Ineo Pro hiking pant review: all the protection of trousers with the versatile performance of leggings

Montane Women’s Ineo Pro hiking pant: first impressions 

The Montane Women’s Ineo Pro hiking pants have captured all the reasons that you love to hike in leggings – freedom of movement, style and comfort – and combined those with the durability and protection you want from the best women's hiking pants.

These stretchy, figure hugging pants are flattering and functional, giving you all the range of motion you need for steep ascents and sitting down for lunch. The Mala Stretch fabric is wind resistant to keep you warmer on the cold days and water resistant for light showers, plus it’s abrasion resistant and holds up better against more adventurous scrambles than your typical leggings.

Two zipped hand pockets can be used to stash small items or keep your hands warm while an internal waist drawcord adjusts these to your body. These lightweight pants won’t slow you down on the trail and come in at a fair price, too.

Montane Women’s Ineo Pro hiking pant: on the trails 

These are unlike any other pair of hiking pants I’ve owned and I’ve quickly come around to Montane’s unique approach with these. When I pulled them out of the bag, they looked and felt like a streamlined hiking pant, so I was surprised to pull them on and find them skin tight. I’m hesitant to truly describe them as leggings because they’re not exactly what you’re probably thinking of when I use that word, and for hiking, they’re better than leggings but with all the same perks.

First, they look great on and I’ve even worn them around town a few times. They’re ultra lightweight and with almost as much elastane as my other hiking and yoga leggings, they give me decent comfort and total range of motion on my hikes, which I love. However, the fabric is water resistant, and I’ve been able to verify that with lots of rainy hikes lately. They’re not waterproof, but they do keep a light rain off, they don't get heavy when wet and also dry quickly. They’re also wind resistant, and I find that combined with the lack of space between the fabric and my skin which eliminates flappy trousers on breezy days and makes them feel warmer on a sharp, cold day than either a legging or a looser fitting pair of trousers. And finally, they’re abrasion resistant, so where my leggings wouldn’t hold up against a rocky scramble, these are more durable.

They have an internal waist drawstring which I can’t say I need since these fit perfectly, but it’s nice to know they’re adaptable. They don’t have lots of pockets or any big enough to carry a larger item, which I don’t mind because I use my backpack or jacket pockets for that, but they do have two regular sized pockets with zips that fit keys and whatnot. 

Basically, if you prefer to do everything in leggings but need something with a little more vigor, I think you’ll love these hiking pants.

Here’s how they performed:

Sizing

True to size. The XS fit me like a glove. If you’re in between sizes, go up, not down. 

Fit

Body hugging, like leggings. 

Comfort 

These are really stretchy, but the fabric isn’t super soft and they’re perhaps not quite as comfortable as leggings for lounging in. That said, better protection means more comfort on the trail, which is what they’re for. 

Temperature regulation 

They definitely keep a cold wind at bay, though they’re not insulated. They’re thin enough for warmer hikes, too. 

Breathability 

Good for sweating in and fast drying. 

Durability 

Well made and abrasion resistant fabric helps these hold up better than leggings. 

Here’s where we tested the Montane Women’s Ineo Pro hiking pant: 

Beinn Dubh is a Scottish mountain eight kilometres west of Crianlarich in the northern part of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.