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The The North Face Paramount Active is a versatile pair of comfortable pants with a couple of unique features. They have a slimmer fit but include a stretchy elastic waistband and a drawstring on the interior of the waist. Their casual look makes them suitable for other social activities around town as well as outdoors. They don't perform as well in the rain, absorbing water and taking longer to dry, but they are reasonably breathable. We think they could be right for the outdoor enthusiast who needs to transition between trails and work without time to change.
REASONS TO BUY
Stylish
Accommodating elastic waistband
Drawstring
REASONS TO AVOID
Poor water resistance
Asymmetrical hand pockets
The Paramount line from The North Face is no new kid on the block. It has undergone many changes in design, style, and intended function. We've also reviewed the Paramount Trail Convertible pants. While they partially share the same name, the Trail Convertible is baggier, warmer, and offers less stretch. Our testers feel like they have quite a separate appeal and functionality in comparison to its sibling reviewed here.
Our Analysis and Test Results
These pants are stretchy but form-fitting, making them feel a little tight, even for skinnier folks. They are comfortable but might feel a little limiting if you do a lot of rugged hiking, scrambling, or climbing that brings your knees up around waist height. We found that they take on water faster than most other models, so they aren't ideal for wet weather.
Performance Comparison
We think these slim fit pants look and feel pretty good.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Comfort & Mobility
These pants fall at the intersection of comfort and mobility. They have a 90% polyester, 10% spandex blend that makes them super stretchy. However, they also have a slim fit that starts to affect performance when you have to do a lot of high stepping. We like the elastic band on the back half of the waist which adds to their lounge comfort in a somewhat discrete way. Even more discrete is the drawstring on the inside of the waist. This feature is especially valuable if you are going on an extended adventure for many weeks and you are anticipating losing weight along the way.
The black elastic on the back half of the waist means these pants can accommodate some some stretch.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
The crotch is gusseted for increased comfort, but in our estimation, it is one of the more modest cuts of the models that we tested. All in all, the Paramount Active score just about average in this metric because they are comfortable against the skin, don't chafe, but are also somewhat restrictive.
Venting & Breathability
These pants focus equally on venting and breathability, both of which they do moderately well. All of the pockets are mesh-lined. The fabric is light and stretchy, which allowed us to cool down faster.
Rolling up the legs in an effective way to stay cool. There's nothing to actually hold them up, so we found it is best to roll them tightly.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Though there is no built-in fastener, the pants are slim enough that they stay up when tightly rolled. This fact means that if you start cold and get warmer on a spring day, you can keep the Paramount Active pants on throughout and stay comfortable for the whole hike.
Versatility and Style
The Paramount Active pants have solid versatility. They suit both hiking and backpacking. There are no belt loops but there is elastic in the waist that stretches and a drawstring to secure the waist tighter. It's not the most elegant system, but it gets the job done if your waist size changes mid-trip.
The built in drawstring on the interior is the 'tightening' complement to the elastic waistband's stretchiness.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
Their slim fit also makes them a stylish choice for casual social events or relaxed office attire. In a world full of unflattering hiking pants, the Paramount Active fights the trend.
Weather Resistance
These pants tend to take on water faster than our top scorers. Water goes from beading to absorption after a couple of minutes in moderate rain. We also found that the tighter weave holds on to water longer and they take a bit more time to dry than airier models. Overall, we wouldn't choose this pair if we knew there was a chance of real rain.
Features
We have mixed feelings about the features of these pants. They come equipped with two hand pockets. They are asymmetrical; the right one is shallower than the left to accommodate the vertical zip right thigh pocket. We don't love the verticle zipper on the leg — items tend to fall out. The angle of the zipper makes it a little awkward as well. There is also one rear pocket on the right side (no zipper). There is no roll-up securing feature, but the legs are slim and stretchy enough that you can roll them up and they will stay put.
The side zip pocket is adequate to stash a quick snack.
Credit: Ben Applebaum-Bauch
The half-elastic waist and drawstring allow for a little adjustability (both larger and smaller than the named waist size) and the pants secure with a traditional metal button.
Value
These pants are priced just about where we would expect them to be. We think that they offer a moderate value, but we would prefer to spend a little more for even more comfort from award-winners in this review.
Conclusion
The The North Face Paramount Active pants are a slim fit, stretchy model. They are lightweight and perform better in drier climates. With a drawstring to tighten the waist and stretchy elastic in the back, they have solid sizing flexibility. They are a little restrictive, but their style makes them a versatile pair worth considering.
