Customer Reviews Outdoor Research Helium Pants

Quality is definitely there, but they were so snug around the hips that I feared ripping out the crotch just walking up some stairs in my house. I returned them for a refund and purchased the next size up from a different vendor, since OR was out of the size I needed.

No stretch in the inseam at all, I wish they would do this to make them more comfy when walking around. Perfect to catch them on sale though to have at least some protection.

I work on a golf course and we work in all conditions,including heavy rain ,so ipurchased these rain pants,overall satisfied,however cuffs on bottom of pants are chinsy and cheap elastic,no pockets also,provide good protection from rain,but condensation can be an issue in warm weather!just wish they were little Bit more lined

I have bought this product twice and used this product twice. Once in the Tetons, and once in the Canyonlands. Each time, the performance is the same. Each time, the failure is the same. Pros: Lightweight, pack-able, easily deployed, keeps the water out, acts as an outer shell. Cons: Sizing may be true to body type, but most people should get a size larger. And, the pants are only usable for casual use e.g. walking. This item is not made to stretch while in the backcountry. For casual use (hikers) this is a great piece of gear and I do recommend the rain pants. For backpackers: Be prepared to deal with busted seams. Fortunately, where the seams bust is only an issue if you sit down.

Seem to be high quality pants and have kept me dry so far, but definitely run small in the waist and I wish there were more inseam lengths available. Also would be nice to have zippers to access pockets underneath.

fit too small, take one point more

I used these pants for three long-distance treks (about 1,500 km in total) in northern Spain (Camino de Santiago), where weather conditions can often include rain. The size large pants barely fit over my size medium hips (I'm a size 32 waist). But the real problem was the narrow bottom leg zipper openings. I could not put the rain pants on and off without removing my hiking boots, which on days of intermittent rain was a huge nuisance. Once on, they preformed very well, even on full days of steady rain.

My only negative for these guys is the length of the zipper on the side, they make for difficult removal and put on, I live in Montana and work in Yellowstone, and storms come and go, maybe 20 minutes in duration but brutal at times, these pants do everything I want and weigh little, but if I may be removing them and putting them back on a lot in a day, these frustrate me. Sounds foolish that this is the issue, but I have struggled with this. You wind up getting the inside all lined out with mud and such, i will keep these as a nice back up but think I am going a notch up to the foray for my true backpack pant.

The crotch ripped out of these in less than 4 days of simply sitting in a raft.

This is a great lightweight pant, but I would not recommend them to anyone traveling in the backcountry. They snag and tear on just about anything. Each trip I have taken into the Sierra Nevada Backcountry has resulted in 1-3 small tears from brush on the trail. After a few trips the pants are no longer useful as waterproof. Would only recommend for casual use.

I use this for both Canoeing and Hiking. Upon first wearing it I realized that it was not fitting well as in on the small side. I took it out on it's first expedition and ripped them the first week of a 4 week expedition. On the other side they were water proof still after several bad stitch jobs.

I never got to use these in the rain, so I can't speak to their wet weather performance. The narrow waist band with its combination of grippy elastic on the back and cord adjustable front was poorly executed. I ordered the medium size, and being 6'1" and 155 lbs with a 31" waist thought these would be perfect. However they were not. The waist is very difficult to put on and not comfortable. So much so that I will bee pants.

Hip area is far too narrow

Bought these pants for a big hiking trip, trusting the quality would be good since it was Outdoor Research. Never got to use them on the Thru hike, I wore them around the house and for a few walks at the beach and then noticed a huge tear along the seam line. The fabric is poor quality and the seams were not reinforced well enough to even handle a walk at the beach. I contacted the company to ask for a refund/ replacement and was told to fix them myself, which is unfortunately not possible due to the size and area of the tear and a patch would never guarantee full waterproofing. FYI to anyone buying from Outdoor Research they told me they do not have a warranty on any of their products when it comes to tearing etc.