Customer Reviews Arc'teryx Psiphon SL Pants

I'm in love with these pants. They look and feel great in the wilds of the Pacific Northwest and with my young family at the San Diego Zoo. They are exceptionally versatile. These pants are great in the sun, rain, and wind. The fit and look are excellent.

I've used this trousers especially for rock climbing in shadowy north faces, but also on glacier tours and for biking in high alpine terrain as well. What I like most is the high permeability, it feels comfortable in warmer terrain or when activity is a bit strenuous. And even sharp rock or rough terrain on the bike couldn't kill the stretch material so far.

I own two of these pants and I just love them. I love the loose fit. I'm 180cm and d M fits perfect.

These are by far my favorite pair of pants. I'm 6'1" and 150-155 lbs and just purchased a second pair of the 32's. They're slightly tight around the butt while slightly baggy in the lower leg... Not so much so to be a bad thing... just a slightly odd fit (it might be my weird body). Anyway... I grab these pants for everything. Backpacking in the fall in Iceland, summer hiking in Switzerland, going into the office, trail work here in Vermont, just around town. I also wore these pants on a July trip to Mt Rainier and summited wearing these with a light pair of long johns underneath. Bottom line... Just a really swell pair of pants that are easily worth the money considering how often they get worn.

These are by far my favorite pair of pants. I'm 6'1" and 150-155 lbs and just purchased a second pair of the 32's. They're slightly tight around the butt while slightly baggy in the lower leg... Not so much so to be a bad thing... just a slightly odd fit (it might be my weird body). Anyway... I grab these pants for everything. Backpacking in the fall in Iceland, summer hiking in Switzerland, going into the office, trail work here in Vermont, just around town. I also wore these pants on a July trip to Mt Rainier and summited wearing these with a light pair of long johns underneath. Bottom line... Just a really swell pair of pants that are easily worth the money considering how often they get worn.

I was trepid purchasing these; I'm 6'3" and often a 'one size fits all' length falls inches short. Knowing Arcteryx has a tighter waist, I was super worried these would be too short. They are absolutely perfect. Fall right to my heel without being too long. Took them to the climbing gym to test them out and they were magic; kept me the right temperature, had the right amount of stretch/give, never once got in my way of a good climb. Highly recommend giving them a try!

These are the best all around pants I've ever owned. They are articulated to where you barely feel them but also give your legs room. I have used them from rock climbing to hiking to renovating a bathroom. They are 9 times out of 10 what I grab to throw on regardless of what I am doing. Some say they are expensive but no more so than a "designer" pair of jeans from X,Y, or Z. You get what you pay for but this go above and beyond. After likely 100 or so washes they still look and feel new. Only sign of wear is the arc'teryx symbol is slowly starting to fade and fall off.

After wearing a pair of La Sportiva solution pants that fell apart on me I decided to give these a try. Long story short I now find myself with two pairs of the Psiphon SL pants! For the types of climbing I do I find these to be absolutely perfect. I typically boulder, but will also climb single pitch sport sometimes. These are very abrasion resistant and the fabric can cut the wind quite well. They are deeply gusseted which allows them to move incredibly freely for even the most "acrobatic" of climbing moves. I have one pair that's more than a year old and a second pair that are just a couple months old. I hope Arc'teryx doesn't modify these in any way because they are perfect climbing pants for moderate conditions! I can wear these in the summer and synch the pant legs up below my knee, or wear them in the winter with an icebreaker base layer. I'm 5'10" and 155 pounds. The size 30 fits perfectly. P.S. I've also worn these on the occasional windy bike commute and with the draw cord at the ankle they worked quite well for this too!

After wearing a pair of La Sportiva solution pants that fell apart on me I decided to give these a try. Long story short I now find myself with two pairs of the Psiphon SL pants! For the types of climbing I do I find these to be absolutely perfect. I typically boulder, but will also climb single pitch sport sometimes. These are very abrasion resistant and the fabric can cut the wind quite well. They are deeply gusseted which allows them to move incredibly freely for even the most "acrobatic" of climbing moves. I have one pair that's more than a year old and a second pair that are just a couple months old. I hope Arc'teryx doesn't modify these in any way because they are perfect climbing pants for moderate conditions! I can wear these in the summer and synch the pant legs up below my knee, or wear them in the winter with an icebreaker base layer. I'm 5'10" and 155 pounds. The size 30 fits perfectly. P.S. I've also worn these on the occasional windy bike commute and with the draw cord at the ankle they worked quite well for this too!

these are great pants that are very versatile for all mountain and gym climbing. I use these frequently for hiking and they are very durable in standing up to rock scraps, brush, etc. They are not completely waterproof so dont expect them to last you long in extended periods of rain. the added notch buckle system is great, i prefer it much over the strap/pull system. They pants are trim fitting and as some has suggested are tight around the butt if you got a big one. I did not find this problem and the 30 waist fit true to size for me. the pockets are a added bonus, one more could have been better but that is not a deal breaker. Great pants for the price, just size them right and you wont have any issue of them riding while climbing. I use them for pretty much everything and they have many features for the money, including adjusters for the pant openings.

So there I was in a mountain gear changing room with several pairs of trousers from different brands. Some were lightweight, but cotton blend (not good for me!)' some were technical fabrics, but were very crisp to the touch and strangely noisy...then there were the Arcteryx Psiphon SL. it was one of those "oh yes, they will do nicely" moments. As usual the Arcteryx attention to detail was evident, from the lightweight, but flexible fabric, to the cut that made them fit just so, to smaller details like the unusual, but innovative belt and the drawcord on the hem; and the choice of colour (blue in this case). After a couple of days of constant wear a second pair were ordered in the magnet colour. They have been my go to trousers during a rather pleasant British summer and a couple of weeks in hotter climes, where they were more than comfortable when the temperature climbed and breathable enough to help keep me cool In my mind there is nothing to complain about at all. I was initially concerned that the fabric would not be sturdy, but then I had that thought about the lefroy shorts. In short, the durability of the thin fabric surpassed those initial concerns and I have found the SLs to be able to stand up to general daily use and to trips to the hills and all the bumps, knocks and scrapes such trips generate. I have also used them to cycle in. Admittedly, I wouldn't wear them regularly for cycling, but for the odd ride here or there they stood up well to the constant motion pedalling brings. The styling of these trousers is such that they are not out of place in the pub, on the hill or even in the office. "The Boss" had one concern with the length of the leg. On the 34" the standard leg is 32". Being stumpy in the leg department means that the hems tend to drag near the floor and suffer in the long term. The addition of the drawstring has helped immensely and despite what "The Boss" says, they don't look like harem pants at all. In summary then, a comfortable, durable fabric, excellent fit, good pockets, innovative belt and hem drawstrings have been combined to make a great pair of trousers that will serve you well in varied climates doing various activities. For me they are everything I want in a pair of trousers.

This is a true do-all pant. On any given day you could hike, climb, do yoga, or wear as a casual pant. Throw on these pants and you are good to go. During a recent backpacking/canyoneering trip I had to do a few water crossings through narrow canyons, and these pants were both durable and quick to dry.

This is a true do-all pant. On any given day you could hike, climb, do yoga, or wear as a casual pant. Throw on these pants and you are good to go. During a recent backpacking/canyoneering trip I had to do a few water crossings through narrow canyons, and these pants were both durable and quick to dry.

Great fit, light, tough, perfect pockets save the fact the front pockets could be deeper. I'll dock the pants a hundredth of a point for each pocket and call it a 4.98 on a very hard grading scale- leaving a little room to improve. They are my favorite pants ever. I'm a gearhead who loves Patagonia, but who thinks ArcTeryx makes pants as well as or better than anyone. I can't quite buy the funky colors they offer this year, so i'll buy something else in the meanwhile, but if they ever do these in black i'll buy 2. I did cut a 1" slit in the knee with a lettuce knife, but the tenacious tape i used is still holding up months later and i think will last the life of the pant.

I would recommend these as a soft shell anyone mountaineering/ski touring should get. Awesome pants.

Used the pants on a tour. Living out of a suitcase & packing light. Pants were great. Hand washed and they were dry in a few hours. Liked them so much that I bought a second pair.

These are the best pants I have found for summer and fall alpin scrambling and climbing I have found since I startet going into the mountains some 30 plus years ago. The material strikes the perfect balance of breathability, wind and rain protection. While they will not keep you dry in a down poor, they fend of drizzle for hours. The material is very abrasion resistant. At the same time, these pants, due to their stretchy material, leave room for every move at the crag. On top of that they're breathable enough to even use them on a hot, humid, rainy summer day in the climbing gym without getting soaked in onces sweat. I used them this August in the climbing hall in Bolzano, Italy, at a rained out day with outside temperatures hovering around 36 Celsius without feeling to hot in them.

I've done a couple of trips with these pants this summer - one in Glacier NP and one in the BWCA. On the hikes we did in Glacier the pants were comfortable, lightweight and had the right combination of open and closed (zippered) pockets. I had Beta AR pants in my backpack, since the DWR on the Psiphon doesn't make me comfortable with a full day of cold rain. In the BWCA, we were canoeing and portaging all day and the requirements for the pants were different - the stretch was nice getting in and out of the canoe and they legs dried quickly after wading out of the lake for the portages. So, the pants did their job well and I'm very happy with them, but don't expect them to do the job of something like the Beta AR when the weather is really nasty. Jeff

I've climbed exclusively indoors so the environment is almost always climate-controlled. These pants have performed admirably as the temps in northern VA have risen slowly this spring and my local gym has opened the doors in favor of running AC. I have noticed that the synthetic material does allow for sweat buildup behind my bent knees when I'm seated where my cotton climbing pants would absorb the sweat. It's a trade-off I'm willing to accept for the improved overall coolness of the pants vs the cotton ones. Other than that minor nit, the pants are my absolute favorite pants to wear climbing or otherwise. I'm 5'10", 160lbs and wear all Arc'teryx bottoms in size S and tops in size M and the size 30 are *just* right. I can't really cinch the built-in belt any though, otherwise they would be too tight. Inseam, waist, overall roominess are on point and never an encumbrance when climbing. I baby these pants when laundering them but I know I'm overdoing it. They've rubbed up against the bouldering walls pretty good and are no worse for the wear. I have two pairs in the available colors but I'm pretty positive I'd have more pairs if additional colors were offered.

I usually don't write reviews because honestly there is usually nothing to add above what others have already stated. The pants are amazing in quality and appearance. These even come in a few colors past their typical black and gray. I was stoked to get a pair finally. But... I am 5'11" and 195. Large legs and chest (for the ladies reading). I always fit between a M and L in all Arc clothing. For pants I usually buy 36 waste and use the internal belts. I have all Gamma pants in 36R, the Lefroy and Palisade pants in 36x32. I got these in 36" thinking the inseam would typically match what Arcteryx has for pants and that is 32/33 inch inseam. These things have a 35 inch inseam! I didn't know this until I bought them. I was told by someone at a large Arc dealer that even the 34 waste has a 34 inseam. So just a heads up. These run VERY long despite what you might read.

These are tight enough around the hips and butt that they're not comfortable enough to hang out in, let alone go climbing. They don't pass the squat test for this review = good luck with high stepping. All of my pre-2012 Arc'teryx gear fits in a size small or 30 waist, so I'm not really sure what is happening here (maybe I got fat...wait, no, that wouldn't change the size of the old gear). With all these negatives, if they're half as breatheable as Arc'teryx claims, I'm betting the size up will fit and be wonderful. They feel quite warm just hanging out in 72 degree weather though. So if you bicycle, hump packs, or just have a sizeable butt, you might wanna upsize.

These were unexpectedly baggy. I race bikes, so it's not like I have chicken legs, but a size 32 was super baggy on me from the thigh all the way down to the calf. Bottom line, if you're a slim/athletic person and want slim-fitting pants that won't get in the way of your footwork while climbing or snag a crampon on, look elsewhere.

Impressed with the build quality as usual, but I'm not sure about some of the design decisions given that these are meant for climbing. I'm coming from the Gamma LTs, with which I am hugely satisfied. The Gammas have good freedom of movement, are quite stretchy, have a silky-quiet fabric that feels pretty good, and make it easy to see what your climbing shoe is up to. The Psiphon SL reverses a few of these pros. They are fit like fashionable straight-leg jeans: snug in the seat and crotch and wide-ish in the lower leg. So, you may look pretty cool, but when you squat or high-step: ouch! The fabric digs in to my hip and crotch, and hinders movement. Even sitting down for a few minutes was very uncomfortable. The fabric is less stretchy than the Gammas, doesn't feel as good on the skin (scratchy), and is quite noisy as well. There's a lot of high frequency noise generated when heading down the trail. The lower leg is also wider than the Gammas, adding fabric where you really don't need it while climbing. Bottom line for me vs. the Gammas: the Psiphons are less frumpy maybe, but also less useful for climbing. Seems like they are built more for looks, and if you want that, try the Pembertons. Those are great! Your mileage may vary since most of my gripes are based on fit. Maybe I just have too much ski booty on right now. I returned them for another pair of Gamma LTs and also going to try the Gamma Rock.