Marmot PreCip Evo Pant Review

The PreCip Evo offers a compelling compromise between weight, weather protection, and durability. While it isn't our top pick in any of these categories, it's a well-designed product that balances the constraints introduced by optimizing for weight, while still maintaining broad appeal to users who aren't cutting toothbrush handles down to save grams. It's nice to see a lightweight pair of pants that still packs in usability features and has more pockets than other pants in the test.

Water Resistance

The PreCip Evo uses a 2.5-layer NanoPro fabric construction and conventional non-waterproof zippers with storm flaps. While the fabric provides enough waterproofness for light rain, the PreCip Evo underperforms when the rain intensifies, or when moisture and pressure are combined, such as when kneeling on wet ground.

Additionally, the zippers aren't waterproof and depend on a “storm flap” to keep the moisture out. In heavy PreCip Evo events, or if water is channeled towards the zippers from a shell, water is able to work its way through. The good news is that the handwarmer pocket zippers should, in theory, be mostly covered by a jacket, and the lower zippers only go to about calf-height.

Breathability

The PreCip Evo's 2.5-layer NanoPro fabric is similarly breathable to other pants on the market. However, waterproof shells inherently lack breathability and depend on mechanical venting to truly let heat escape. The PreCip Evo doesn't have any ventilation features, so all moisture is trapped under the fabric. Additionally, in an attempt to keep these pants as light as possible, Marmot omitted backing material from the construction, giving the inside of the pants a plasticky, clammy feeling when moist.

Comfort and Mobility

The PreCip Evo has a comfortable and functional drawstring waist closure, and is cut with ample room for the movement that you're likely to do in rain pants, such as hiking, biking, or running. While they certainly wouldn't be a good choice for a yoga class, they offer enough room to move about in all sorts of rainy terrain in comfort. Our testers noticed a slight constriction in the crotch at maximal depth in hip-hinging movements, such as squats and lunges, but it wasn't enough to appreciably limit range of motion. Additionally, the PreCip Evo's lack of a backing material felt clammy against our skin.

Weight

At 8.9 ounces, the PreCip Evo is one of the lightest pants that we've tested. What's more, they pack down to a reasonable size when stored in the stash pocket, which is equipped with a carabiner loop. They're light enough to throw in your bag if rain is a remote possibility, or even be used as a windlayer. Their low weight doesn't come at the expense of features such as pockets or ankle adjustments.

Unlike many other pants that we tested, the PreCip Evo fits easily in standard 5L running vests. They're light enough that our lead tester added them to his alpine running kit on a dry, early Fall run to a nearby glacier. When the sun went down and the katabatic winds picked up, he was able to enjoy the sunset without getting chilly. While the PreCip Evo fell somewhat short in our water-resistance testing, pants this light and packable have a lot of utility in dry conditions too.

Durability

Marmot made a number of compromises to the PreCip Evo in an effort to keep its weight down. One of these compromises is durability. The PreCip Evo's lightweight 2.5-layer construction is fragile and requires careful handling to avoid damage. In practice, our testers found that it's easily abraded. The PreCip Evo performed worse than other pants in our abrasion tests, which came as no surprise given how impressively light it is. While the PreCip Evo isn't made of tissue paper and can withstand some rough handling, if durability is a top concern, your dollars would best be spent on a different pair of pants.

Should You Buy the Marmot PreCip Evo?

While we think that the PreCip Evo balances weight and water resistance, its lack of standout performance in either of these categories makes it more difficult to recommend over other options. They can be a decent just-in-case pair; their impressively low weight means that they are barely noticeable in a pack, which makes it easy to bring on marginal days where rain is a possibility. However, if you're looking for the utmost in performance or durability, there are better options.

What Other Rain Pants Should You Consider?