Fox Ranger 3L Water Pants review

Fox’s Ranger 3L Water Pants use a three-layer waterproof fabric that has a durable water repellent (DWR) coating to help repel water and mud in grotty conditions.

They’ve been designed for trail riding, with a stretchy and breathable fabric.

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Fox Ranger 3L Water Pants details

The three-layer fabric is designed to be waterproof, windproof and breathable.

The pants have a good waterproof rating of 10,000mm – measured via a Hydrostatic Head test to determine how much water in a 1in x 1in square column it takes to penetrate the fabric – and a good breathability rating of 10,000g – the number of grams of water vapour able to pass through a square metre of the fabric over 24 hours.

Seams are all internally sealed and taped to improve their wet weather credentials, while a DWR coating has been applied to help water bead.

The ankle cuffs are elasticated and the legs have a tapered fit. There's a small amount of stretch from the 86 per cent polyester/14 per cent spandex blend in the lower leg fabric and the waist is fastened and fit adjusted using Fox’s ratchet closure system.

There are two thigh pockets, one on each leg.

My size 30in weighed 330g.

Fox Ranger 3L Water Pants performance

My 73kg, 178cm frame was best-suited to the 30in size Ranger, and offered a snug and comfortable fit with plenty of scope to adjust the waist via the ratchet strap.

The next size up (32in) was fairly baggy in the waist and because the ratchet strap had a finite amount of adjustment it wasn’t possible to tighten them enough to stop them slipping down once covered in mud and grime.

So it’s worth trying these trousers on for size.

The fit of the 30s was perfect on the bike and sculpted to reflect the riding position well, with extra space for knee pads, which didn’t get pulled down by the trousers or pull the trousers down, even when seated pedalling. The tapered lower legs reduced flapping as well as the chances of material getting caught in chainrings.

The elasticated ankle cuffs were tight enough to stop water splashing upwards and the trouser legs from riding up. The legs are quite short, though, so make sure you wear waterproof socks underneath.

Due to the thick three-layer material, the Rangers were quite hot on slower climbs, making them best suited to truly grotty conditions or colder weather. However, once I’d got sweaty, the soft-touch material on the inside was comfortable against my skin and didn't stick or feel damp.

The two thigh pockets were quite small, but large enough for essentials like a small multi-tool and keys. Larger items such as a smartphone did fit but caused the crotch area to bunch up, although this didn’t affect comfort.

The Fox Rangers really started to shine when the trails were really saturated.

During the test period they didn’t soak through, and kept me completely dry on every wet weather ride, even after being subjected to hours of constant splashing in puddles and rivers as well as torrential rain.

They refused to let water penetrate them once the backside was caked in mud and getting ground down by the saddle, too, making them well worth their price tag.

Fox Ranger 3L Water Pant bottom line

Thanks to the pants' ability to keep me dry and comfortable on the wettest trails and the host of MTB-specific touches, the Fox Ranger 3L Water Pants are an essential bit of kit that, if looked after, should be top performers for many winters to come.