Fjällräven Keb Agile Winter Trousers | Review

A warm and durable pair of softshell trousers designed for winter hikes and treks

Fjällräven has a vast trouser collection with options to suit all seasons and all types of trip. These, the Keb Agile Winter Trousers are designed to cover hikes and treks in, you guessed it, winter conditions. I’ve tested them throughout the whole season, using them for everything from snowy mountain days out to just stormy dog walks. My top-line verdict? I really like them; they’re very comfortable, very warm and feel built to last.

Materials

While a lot of the trousers that Fjällräven make have a high proportion of G1000 fabric (a waxable blend of cotton and polyester), the Keb Agile Winter is mostly made from polyamide softshell. Inside, this has a brushed lining which makes these trousers very comfortable and also warm.

OM editor Will using the Fjallraven Keb Agile Winter trousers on the Pembrokeshire coast.

There are G1000 panels on the knees, thigh pockets and leg endings to toughen up those areas of high wear. I like this combination; these walking trousers feel dynamic and comfortable but also durable and weather resistant. The G1000 comes pre-waxed but I’d recommend toughening the panels up with your own application. Credit to Fjällräven for its use of organic cotton, recycled plastics and also a PFC-free DWR – good eco efforts.

Details

Unlike many of Fjällräven’s trousers, the leg ends don’t have adjustment poppers to vary the volume of the ankle cuffs. Instead, there are quarter length zippered gussets that allow you to increase the volume of the ankles by almost double. That means you can wear these with any chunky winter boots with high ankles.

There are open handwarmer pockets (sadly these don’t have the brushed lining) and two bellows-style pockets on the thighs with zip closures. Inside the right hand thigh pocket there’s a little stretchy mesh pocket that I’ve found useful for keys, bank cards or just loose change. None of the pockets are big enough to swallow an OS map without having to fold it in half.

There’s also ventilation thanks to the hand-length zips located on each thigh. I found these really handy for quickly dumping heat during climbs and also on warmer days wearing these during spring. The waist has large belt loops, one top button and a zipped fly.

Fit and Feel

I’ve found these trousers to be exceptionally comfortable; I’ve even taken to wearing them just day-to-day instead of jeans and as trousers to just lounge about in. I love the brushed lining and the overall stretchiness to them.

In terms of fit, I’m five foot 10 and I have a 33-inch waist and 32-inch leg. I have these in a 32 waist and 32 leg (the sizing I normally go for) and they fit me perfectly – so well, in fact, that I don’t have to wear a belt with them and don’t have to keep hoisting them up like I have to with some other trousers I wear.

I’d recommend checking out Fjällräven’s sizing chart if you’re wondering what to go for – it’s super helpful.

Fjällräven Keb Agile Winter Performance

I’ve found these to be excellent for cold weather. They completely keep the wind out and they feel warm. They’re also sized so that you can fit a pair of baselayer leggings underneath without it feeling like a squeeze. That warmth, I found, did get a little bit too hot in conditions above 11 degrees. I’m writing this review in April and they are starting to get just a little bit too warm now that spring is starting to set in.

As for wet weather performance, I found that the softshell and G1000 panels have good initial resistance to rain. Things start to wet out in heavy or prolonged rainfall, however. Fortunately, I’ve found that the material doesn’t sag too much when it does become saturated. It does get a little heavy though. All of the waterproof trousers that I’ve tried with these have fitted over the top comfortably and easily.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for summer trekking trousers then you’re in the wrong place – perhaps try the Fjällräven Keb or Abisko Lite trousers instead. If you want something warm and durable for winter, however, you can’t go wrong with the Keb Agile Winter though. They’re warm, super comfortable, practical and highly durable – I can see myself getting a heck of a lot of use out of these over the next few years. At £250, they’re not cheap, but they are at least high quality and built to last.

Available from: fjallraven.com