If you don’t want to wear full touring textiles for winter or cooler mid-season months then these Furygan Ladies Softshell Textile Trousers offer a more casual look. They are simple to look at, with no standout features - they’re just plain black softshell trousers.
The outer material is as you would expect from a softshell… soft to touch. There are no reinforcements in high-wearing places like the bottom, inner leg or knees. However they are rated to AA in the CE safety tests, which I think is good - and not what I expected from a pair of softshell trousers.
I found the size range frustrating as Furygan list a 10-12, 14-16, 18-20 and 22-24. I normally wear a size 12, so initially I tried size 10-12. These felt a little too snug around the hips and bum on my pear-shaped figure. With no 12-14 available, I had to step up to 14-16.
This seems an odd decision from Furygan because now I have to wear something a bit too big. The 14-16 fits better around the hips and bum than the 10-12, but I don’t have enough adjustment to get the right fit around the waist.
The trousers fasten with a hook and popper above the zip and two velcro tabs on an elastic strip, which combine to give a small amount of take-in around the waist - but it’s not enough in my case.
This means the trousers slip down, causing a webbed crotch effect, and that is a real shame.
I think ladies with slimmer hips will find it easier to size these correctly and comfortably without going up multiple sizes in one go.
Overall the trousers are very comfortable and are a good mid-season option. I used them mostly on spring mornings where the temperature was around 8-12°C and I was comfortable with the thermal liner in place and a base layer underneath.
The trousers do not have any ventilation, so for warmer rides I took out the thermal liner. I kept a thin base layer underneath because the fixed waterproof membrane made me feel a bit sticky if I got too warm. I don’t find these trousers to be ideal for the height of summer as they become a bit too hot on warm days of 20°C and over.
At the base of the legs, the openings are a good size to allow my taller touring boots to fit under without being tight.
Ankle zips are on the inside of the leg and I wondered if this might lead to the zip scratching my bike, but this hasn’t happened as the material covers it well. The popper flap at the bottom covers the zip puller when it’s fully closed.
Something I love about these trousers is the amount of pockets. Two good-sized pockets sit either side at the hips, and they’re big enough for my iPhone 13 Mini - but I think larger phones would fit too.
There’s an additional large pocket on the right thigh and I used this more than the upper pockets. This is where I tuck my phone and key when I get off the bike. I like thigh pockets because it doesn't get uncomfortable when you ride because the pockets don’t crease when in the riding position.
If three pockets on the front isn’t enough, there is a rear pocket on the left buttock too.
In terms of impact protection here is D3O armour at the hips and knees, which meets the basic Level 1 of the CE standard. The height of the knee inserts can be adjusted to three different heights and I needed to alter the height to suit me. Once I’d done this, both knee and hip armour sat comfortably.
Frustratingly there’s no zip attachment to connect the trousers to a jacket. There are also no belt loops, which would be helpful for me trying to keep them up, and would also be useful for connecting the trousers to a jacket.
I’ve been wearing these with the Furygan Ladies Odessa 3-in-1 jacket, which has belt loop attachments, but I have not been able to connect the two. This feels like an oversight. There is nothing to prevent water ingress at the back, where a jacket covers the waist, because there is no way to stop the jacket riding up.
To get around this issue, I’ve used Oxford Riggers. These heavy-duty braces, which clamp onto the front and back of the trousers, have kept them from slipping down and they have made walking around off the bike much better.
So far I have been lucky enough to only catch a light but lengthy shower while wearing these trousers and so far they have kept me dry. I would like to test them in a short, heavier downpour to really give me the full experience of how good the waterproofing is.
Despite some of the issues I have with these trousers, I still like them and I still want to keep wearing them. They are simple, warm and comfortable. Thanks to the addition of the Oxford Riggers, now I can.
