Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Pant - Women's Review

The Patagonia Torrentshell pants are new and improved. The three-layer design is much more inspiring for long-term durability as well as broader versatility (like higher trips in the mountains). The internal face fabric is now softer to the touch.

Performance Comparison

Water Resistance

We began our review process by assessing how well each pair of pants performs its primary function – keeping you dry. Luckily, our team heading up this review resides in the Cascade Mountain Range of the Pacific Northwest, where there is no shortage of rain. We hiked, biked, ran, and climbed in the rain with each pair of pants in order to give them some real-world wear and tear. We even went skiing in them.

The Torrentshell pants are made of burly three-layer shell material, making them a reliable wet-weather companion and a reasonable choice if you anticipate the occasional snowstorm in your future adventures.

The H2NO material has been a mainstay of Patagonia's waterproof line for a long time and has held up well in our tests. The side zippers and hand pockets have storm flaps instead of waterproof zippers. We have found that this design improves long-term durability with little consequence to waterproofness in most situations. That said, expensive smartphones that are lacking water-resistance should not be trusted in a so-called waterproof pocket.

Breathability

Next, we examined the zippers and vents on each pair of pants and considered their functionality and versatility. The Patagonia Torrentshell are reasonably breathable and feature double zippers, which can be unzipped from the top to function as side vents. This is a brilliant feature and one which makes them highly versatile as a three-layer shell pant, which is inherently less breathable than lighter fabrics.

These pants are now a bit thicker than the previous 2.5-layer iteration, but we think it was a wise change. With the venting option, the slightly thicker material does not hinder the versatility of these pants. We would take these on the occasional summer mountaineering trip but also find them to be a useful go-to for lower-elevation adventures in wet climates.

Comfort and Mobility

For this metric, we walked and hiked in the rain while wearing each model. If the pants offered enough range and articulation, we also ran and biked in them. We also noted any features that we thought either helped or hindered the overall functionality of each pair.

The internal face fabric of the Torrentshell has a soft-to-the-touch feel and reduces clamminess. The burlier fabric is also a little stiffer, which keeps the pants from clinging to your leg or pants underneath when it is humid. The long side zippers rise to just above your knee, making them easy to put on and take off over most footwear. This won't help you get them on over mountaineering boots, but most other wet-weather footwear should be negotiable, making them fast to put on in inclement weather.

Features

We like side zips and vents on rain pants. The dual purposed side zippers worked well on these pants, unzipping to the knee to put them on, or unzipping from the knee to ventilate.

We could put these pants on over most footwear except bigger boots. The pants have two zippered hand pockets and can stuff into the left-hand pocket, revealing a clippable loop. We do not commonly use the stow pocket on our rain pants, but it can be good for protecting them in a duffel full of gear.

The cuffs are only minimally adjustable with a button closure system that can be snapped closed in two places. There is no shoelace catch or loops to tie a cord to hook under your shoes, so the cuffs stay low around your shoes. These features would improve their versatility.

Weight

At 10.5 ounces for a size small, Patagonia Torrentshell 3Ls are certainly lightweight enough for most backcountry uses. Given the added versatility of the three-layer fabric and clever side zip and vent design, as well as overall ease of donning and comfort, we think these are likely worth it for year-round versatility.

Packability

These are not the most compact pants in this review, but the simple feature set ensures they are stuffable enough for most backcountry enthusiasts. They stuff into the left-hand pocket and have a clippable loop in case you want to clip them from something. We did not find this feature to be helpful, but perhaps it can help protect the material of the pants from dirt and sharp objects while traveling.

Durability

In addition to researching each pair's fabric type, we also noted the stitching quality, whether or not the seams are taped, and how burly the snaps, velcro, and zippers are. We then wore each pair while working on chores around a mountain property, including splitting, moving, and stacking firewood. The Torrenshell's 50-denier 100% recycled nylon ripstop proved plenty durable during our testing period. This fabric is on the burlier end of lightweight shell materials.

The simple design of these pants also contributes to their durability, as well as the straight-leg, athletic fit, which keeps the material closer to your body when moving. The stiffer materials also help prevent the pants from catching on shrubs and small trees, which we appreciate. While these aren't the most durable pair of rainpants that we've tested, they are certainly tough enough for most activities for which you will be using them.

Should You Buy the Patagonia Torrentshell 3L Pants?

The Patagonia Torrentshell 3L pants are an impressive update from the old 2.5-layer version. This was an intelligent move by Patagonia, and it makes them more comfortable and versatile. We like the softer feel of the internal face fabric, as well as the more durable material.

For a product you can feel good about purchasing, these pants are a good deal. They are made of recycled nylon, and we were surprised, ultimately, to see such an affordable price tag from one of our favorite ethical outdoor apparel companies.

What Other Rain Pants Should You Consider?

If these burlier rain pants aren't quite what you're looking for, check out the Rab Downpour Eco rain pants for a similarly simple design in a lighter weight and less bulky model that also happen to be budget-friendly. If you're looking for a pair of rain pants for your bike commute, the Showers Pass Transit was specifically designed for cycling.