Klim Carlsbad Pants

I measured a selection of these pants and found the waist size of the pants to measure out consistently at 2” larger than the stated size. Most men’s jeans will be sized this way these days…. it’s called vanity sizing. We recommend you measure your waist or the waistband of your favorite jeans to see what size pants you need. The waist sizes for each pant size can be adjusted down by 2 to 3 inches with the side waist adjusters.

Inseam on the regular size pants is about 33” and inseam on the tall size pants is about 35”.

Here is a chart I put together to show you how each pant size measures out so you can select the size based upon what you come up with when you measure yourself.

Need help measuring? Get it here.

Klim’s Carlsbad pants are a very heavy duty adventure riding design made to mate perfectly with the 2020 Carlsbad jacket. These pants offer very good impact protection along with a very sturdy design. The pants are waterproof and vented.

Both the Carlsbad jacket and pants for 2020 are upgraded significantly as compared to the past design. The pants have a similar list of improvements as the jacket. If you are shopping for the pants, you’ll probably also be shopping for the jacket, so if you haven’t done so already, please take the link below to review the details about the changes for 2020.

Like the jacket, the pants are built with heavier materials, which are noticeably more robust than the previous Carlsbad pants and on par with the primo Badlands product. The armor too is upgraded to CE level 2 D3O armor in both the knees and hips as standard. Since those armor pieces come with the pants, there is nothing else to buy.

This is an “over the boot” pant design with wider legs to accommodate more bulky adventure riding boots and/or off-road boots. The legs have panels of leather on the inside of the leg surface to give better wear and to also better “grip” the motorcycle with your legs. And the leather is more resistant to melting than the other synthetic fabrics that make up the pants.

Like the 2020 Carlsbad jacket, these pants are made waterproof with GoreTex which is bonded to the textile material. I’ll repeat the same pitch here about that type of construction as I did with the jacket: The GoreTex waterproofing is bonded to the backside of the shell, and so there is no “separate” layer in-between the shell and inner liner. Bonded construction like this is considered a premium product for a number of reasons, For example, with the waterproofing bonded to the shell, the shell itself becomes waterproof. With non-bonded waterproofing, water soaks through the outer shell and is stopped by the inside liner. Not having a waterlogged outer shell is a big advantage in comfort. Having a waterproof shell means the openings in the jacket such as pockets and vents have to made waterproof with special zippers and stitching, which isn’t easy… another reason why the premium cost.

Venting on a bonded shell pant like this is much more effective too. These pants have zippered vents to allow airflow… two on the front side of the thigh and two on the backside of the thigh. Zippered venting with the bonded waterproofing means that when the zippers are open, air blows directly through to your body… there is no separate waterproof liner to block the flow.

The overall fit of the pants is similar to other adventure style pants in Klim’s lineup. The overall fit is loose to give you plenty of room to move. The waist is adjustable with Velcro straps on each side. Overall, you are getting a LOT of pant with this new 2020 design. :: Paul, 03-03-20

Klim says: The Carlsbad Pant has been redesigned, built to an even higher standard from the chassis of the proven, highly mobile predecessor. Engineered for excellent mobility and comfort when riding, the Carlsbad features improved ventilation and fit, greater abrasion resistance, more refined storage options, and improved impact protection. This is the light and fast, waterproof solution for hard-charging adventure riders.