Our reviews are 100% organic. We do not accept payment for reviews or bundle with advertising budgets. In most cases, the brand is providing the product to our reviewers free of charge. Product name: roger rabbit running pants
Basic summary: A hybrid warmup and technical performance running pant from Santa Barbara, California-based rabbit (who write everything including the company name in lowercase). The cut is wide enough in the seat and thighs to easily pull over a pair of running shorts, but are contoured enough to wear on their own over a pair of boxer briefs. The pants are made of very soft, comfortable material that insulates well when cold and breathes effectively when warm. The fabric has moisture wicking ability that works well for normal sweating but becomes heavy and saggy with external precipitation.
MSRP: $95
Features:
- Product weight (size large): 290g / 10.2oz
- Fabric construction: 89% poly / 11% spandex
- Medium weight (262g) moisture wicking fabric
- Rear zip side pocket
- Dual front side pockets
- Long ankle zippers with reflective piping
- Internal drawcord
Deep dive:
Let’s begin with a simple premise: some guys don’t like wearing tights. Unfortunately, the vast majority of cold-weather legging options for men range from the classic itchy/uncomfortable tights to the vise-like squeezing sensation of compression garments. There are some pant-style options sprinkled into this mix, but they’re few and far between.
A welcome addition to this category comes from rabbit, a company we profiled briefly in our 2016 summer apparel review. The company was founded by two lifelong runners from Santa Barbara, CA – both of whom have impressive PRs on their resume – who set out to enter the running apparel market in a manageable, responsible way. They operate within a small global radius, as all of their apparel is manufactured in Los Angeles, giving them close oversight of the entire production process while simultaneously sustaining local jobs and limiting their environmental footprint.
Their roger rabbit pants are a new addition for winter 2016, and we’ve worn them as everyday running pants as well as post-run insulators and for weekend lounging. The fit is relaxed through the thighs to allow easy layering over a pair of running shorts, and large ankle zippers make the pants easy to take off and put on. However, roger rabbits don’t feel baggy when worn over a pair of boxer briefs for distance running, and the cut tapers down nicely in the lower leg to prevent the ankle cuffs from slapping against each other on the run. The soft elastic waistband with drawstring makes it easy to wear these pants loosely like sweatpants or secure for full speed running.
Roger rabbits have three zipper pockets: one vertical pocket on each thigh, and a horizontal zipper on the right rear hip. The thigh pockets are most functional for casual use, as a place to store your keys or wallet while walking around after your workout. If you try to run with them loaded, the contents will bounce all over the place, and even when they’re empty, the interior fabric scrunches up against the skin every now and then. The more functional pocket for running is the rear zipper, which can hold a small smartphone or similarly sized items. None of the pockets have a key loop or clasp, which is a feature we always appreciate.
The most noteworthy feature of the roger rabbits is how comfortable the fabric construction is; the polyester/spandex blend is lightweight and super soft against the skin, and moves easily to allow full freedom of movement. It insulates well on cold mornings – we wore them for temps in the 20s without problems – and breathes effectively when temperatures rise later in the morning. The fabric pulls moisture off the skin fairly well, although this is one area where pants can’t compete with tights because of the decreased overall skin contact – but keep in mind this is the same reason some of us prefer pants in the first place. One drawback to the fabric is that if you encounter significant precipitation, these pants retain moisture and start to feel fairly heavy.
Conclusion
Roger rabbit pants are a strong addition to an under-represented product category, and have nice versatility of use. They are super comfortable for lounging and convenient for use in warmups or cooldowns, with performance to get you through long (but preferably dry) training runs.