Gear Review:

Fjällräven Abisko Women’s Trekking Tights

Pros:

Ridiculously comfortable, with an excellent and durable phone pocket, plus two zip pockets

Cons:

Fabric may pill when you walk into a fallen tree’s protruding branch

(See below for a longevity update)

Summary: These trekking tights are the best article of clothing I own, without question. I have a couple pairs now, and I’m always wearing one of them.

I’m most impressed by the phone pocket on the right thigh, which has not stretched out at all even with my Otter Box-protected Samsung A8 in there so much of the time, over the course of more than a year now. This pocket is closed with a flap that keeps my phone safely inside, but provides easy access.

There are two other pockets that zip, one on the left thigh, and another small one on the belly, just before the left hip. There’s also a small loop to hang things on the left hip. This has come in handy with COVID, as I can hang my travel-sized hand sanitizer from it when I’m in the city.

As mentioned in the cons above, I was sad to discover the streak of pilling that was inflicted on my wonderful tights after a run-in with a tree branch. This was completely my own fault though. I haven’t noticed any pilling anywhere else. They are remarkably durable. I sit cross-legged regularly and usually wear out tights quickly, but not these! The reinforced butt and knees make a big difference. The only minor complaint I have about the fabric used to reinforce these areas is that when I rest my bare elbows on my knees, it’s a bit scratchy, but that’s not a big deal in the least.

These tights are perfect, on and off the trail. I wear them sitting at a desk all day, five days a week, and I wear them hiking and backpacking. Strong recommend. Definitely worth the price.

Sizing: I wear a size Large. I am 5’7” and have worn them while weighing a range from roughly 150 lbs – 170 lbs. Try using the Fit Finder on the Fjällräven site to find the right size for you.

Price: Usually priced at $200 CAD before tax, but I got one pair at $160 CAD and another at $150 CAD on sale.

Longevity Update (Written January 2023): I have had my first pair of Abisko Trekking Tights since April 2020, and they are finally starting to become threadbare, but I haven’t had to retire them quite yet. Fjällräven boasts “Lifetime Repairs” so I reached out to them to see if my tights could be fixed up, and was disappointed to learn that standard wear and tear is not covered by their policy. (Pilling on the inside of the tights is pictured to the right.)

My second pair of tights, purchased in September 2020, have recently torn on the inside mesh of the pocket on the right thigh, which they call a map pocket, but I use it for my phone. Fortunately the hole is invisible from the outside, and my phone is too large to pass through it, but I will need to patch it myself before it spreads. (Notably, my new phone is a huge Otterbox-protected Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra, and it still doesn’t bounce around uncomfortably in the pocket.)

My third pair, purchased in May 2022, are still in perfect condition.

These three pairs are in constant rotation, so I stand by my original statement that they are the best article of clothing I own. They are basically a second skin, but with the convenience of pockets!