Haglöfs LIM ZT Flex Hiking, Climbing and Mountaineering Pants: a review
First impressions
Swedish brand Haglöfs are well-known among seasoned outdoor types for producing superb adventure-ready apparel for tackling trails and mountains, and I have been looking forward to checking out these alpine-orientated climbing and hiking pants, newly released as part of the latest LIM ZT range.
List price: $250 (US) / £185 (UK) / €250 (EU)
Style: Ultralight hiking and mountaineering pants
Models available: Men’s and women’s
Sizes: Men’s 46–58; Women’s: 34–46
Leg length options: Regular only
Weight: Women’s: 14oz / 400g; Men’s: 15.5oz / 440g
Materials: Recycled polyamide (83%), elastane (17%)
Colors: Magnetite
Compatibility: Mountaineering, scrambling, rock climbing, three-season walking, hiking, trekking, backpacking
L.I.M. is an acronym for Less is More, and for the last two decades this series has featured Haglöfs’ top-end ultra lightweight apparel, designed for people who want to move fast and travel light in the hills and peaks, whether they’re mountaineering, scrambling, ski touring or simply exploring.
Each piece of gear comes with a price tag that’s every bit as steep as the landscape it’s designed for, but in my previous experience (while testing the Haglöfs LIM ZT Trek GTX Pro Jacket and LIM ZT Shell GTX Pro Pants in Scotland, for example) it usually performs exceptionally well in extremely challenging conditions.
Design and materials
Impressively, the Flex pants are made with mostly recycled fabrics. As the name suggests, these trousers are intended to be stretchy, to allow for all kind of contortions while you are climbing and scrambling, so there is a very generous amount of elastane (17%) in the material mix.
The elastane isn’t recycled, but the primary fabric is pre-loved polyamide. This synthetic mix is tough and hardwearing all by itself, but there are reinforced, waterproof panels on the lower calf area to provide extra protection for your legs and to ensure the pants last longer. The legs and seat on the Flex pants are pre-shaped, and the waist can be tightened with Velcro adjusters.
At the bottom of each leg is a zip, which opens up a gusseted section, enabling you to expand the leg and slide the material over the top of hiking boots, including chunky winter boots, designed for four-season alpine adventures and scaling icy peaks. Behind this zip is a second layer of material, which covers the lower leg and acts like a mini snow skirt, preventing snow, sleet, water and trail debris from getting in and working its way into your footwear.
On the cuff of the outer layer is a hook, so you can attach the pants to your boots to complete the system and keep everything in place. The collective effect of this design means the outer layer of the lower pants, complete with its reinforced panel, acts a bit like an integrated gaiter (which is how Haglöfs describe it).
In the place of standard hand pockets there are capacious pouches on each thigh, which are easy to access even when you’re wearing a climbing harness, extra layers and mountaineering gear. The right-leg pocket has an internal pouch within it, for housing your phone, and a transceiver loop, which can also be used for securing other items of special importance.
The Flex pants only come in one color for men and women (a craggy hue called Magnetite), but they do boast reflective trims and logos.
On the trails, crags and mountainsides
While perfect for lightweight backpacking and hiking escapades in any conditions and at any altitude, these pants are really designed for playing in proper alpine peaks, and I look forward to using them in precisely that kind of scenario soon.
In the meantime, I have been putting them through their paces in places that might be a bit lower, but where the terrain remains rough, tough and technical enough to test the trousers’ key attributes. Over the last month I have been scrambling, rambling, climbing and caving in the craggy Mendip Hills and on the tors of Dartmoor.
The first thing to say about the Flex pants is that they very much live up to their name: there is an impressive amount of multi-directional stretch in these trousers, so no matter whether you’re clambering over an obstacle on the trail or stretching your leg to reach a foothold while scrambling or climbing, the material does not impede your range of movement at all. And it’s worth noting that, unlike other trousers with a high amount of elastane content – such as Montane’s Tenacity Pants – the Flex don’t tend to give you an uncomfortable wedgie (probably because of the shaped seat).
Although made to be robust, the Flex pants feel soft and comfortable next to your skin, and the articulated knees and shaped seat – plus the off-set, flat seams – all adds to excellent all-round comfort levels.
- Explore the best backpacks, from daypacks to alpine haulers
- See the trails and peaks better with the best hiking sunglasses
There is no integrated belt on these pants, but this is something I regard as a very mixed blessing anyway, because of variable quality of such features, and the weight they add to the garment; it’s far better, especially on pants intended for use in the mountains, to get a proper fit (although the sizing system used by Haglöfs does take a bit of getting your head around).
The waist on the Flex is elasticated, and the fit can be fine-tuned with Velcro strips one either side. You secure them with a fly zip and a single popper, which I did find surprisingly fiddly.
These pants are reasonably windproof, but they’re not waterproof (except for the reinforced panel on each lower leg). However, the synthetic material mix is hydrophobic and they take on very little water or weight if you do get caught in a downpour, and dry out extremely quickly afterwards. As such, they effectively cut out the need for seperate waterproof overpants in most scenarios.
That said, since I haven’t yet tested them above the snowline, I’m not sure how much thermal protection they really offer in more extreme conditions. The synthetic material offers good warmth-for-weight value, but as you get higher the featherweight construction might meet its limits.
The fact that the Flex are pants intended for use in the peaks is perhaps most apparent in the design of the pockets. Instead of the usual hand pockets you find on trousers designed for sea-level shenanigans (i.e. the vast majority) there are two thigh pouches, which remain accessible when you’re wearing a climbing harness and/or a hardshell waterproof jacket.
It feels odd not to have hand pockets to plunge your mitts into when you’re just walking, but these are technical trousers, and if you’re using them as the designers intended your hands will be otherwise occupied, grasping trekking poles or ice axes, holding on to ropes and looking for holds in the rockface, or encased in gloves as you make your way up a mountain. If you’re planning on standing around with your hands in your pockets, these are not the pants for you.
I did find that these pouches are so expansive it’s quite easy to lose things in their depths (I was on the verge of cancelling a bank card at one point, convinced it was lost, before locating it during the third time of looking).
One of the best design elements on the Flex Pants is the integrated gaiter on each leg. If you’re hiking or climbing in rough and tough terrain, or kicking your way through snow and ice, this is a really useful feature. Instead of having to attach a pair of gaiters externally to your lower leg, the Flex have a protective double-layer design, with a tight-fitting inner that sits behind the expansion zip and hugs your ankles, preventing snow and grit from going up your leg and getting into your boots.
The external layer is re-enforced, and there are hooks so you can clip the leg ends to your boots, to secure the system in place and stop water dripping into the lace and tongue area (a weak spot on some boots). This set-up isn’t quite as robust and rugged as some external gaiters, but it will provide a decent degree of protection in most scenarios, and it keeps your overall outfit impressively light.
Overall, I have been extremely impressed with the Haglöfs LIM ZT Flex pants. I haven’t tested them anywhere close to their limit yet, but whether you’re hitting the Himalayas to trek around Everest, hiking hut to hut through the French Alps, ticking off a few Fourteeners, or exploring the alpine extremes of any continent, I’m confident they will do the job. I am interested to see how much thermal protection they offer in icy alpine conditions, however, and I will update accordingly across the season.
Also consider
If you're looking for a pair of versatile hiking and scrambling pants, with plenty of stretch for use on the trails and the crags, but you don't have the budget for the high-end Haglöfs Flex, check out these excellent and very reasonably priced strides from Montane. Designed more for hiking than extreme alpine adventures, with standard non-harness friendly pockets, they're still decent for backpacking and peak bagging.
For
- Lightweight
- Quick drying
- Plenty of stretch
- Integrated belt
- Lower leg zips
Against
- No large map pocket
- No reinforced areas
- Mesh-backed pockets not very robust
- No recycled material content
- No women’s version
For those who insist on umlauts in their gear brand names, and love their outdoor trousers to be both Scandinavian and tough, the Kebs from Fjӓllrӓven are one of the best pairs of pants we have ever tested. With various reinforced panels, loads of deep pockets and other funky features, they're perfect for all kinds of hiking escapades, but aren't as stretchy or light as the Haglöfs Flex or the Montane Tenacity pants.
For
- Tough and durable
- Stretch panels for good movement and comfort
- Water and wind resistant
- Generous ventilation zips and openings for knee pads
- Eco friendly
Against
- Not insulated
- Not waterproof
- Expensive
Pants |
List price |
Weight |
Style |
|---|---|---|---|
Haglöfs LIM ZT Flex |
$250 / £185 |
15.5oz / 440g |
Ultralight hiking and mountaineering pants |
Montane Tenacity |
$129 / £100 |
15oz / 425g |
Softshell hiking trousers |
Fjӓllrӓven Keb |
$225 / £200 |
19oz / 540g |
Robust cargo-style hiking pants |
