KUHL RADIKL Pants Review

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KUHL is a brand you’ve likely heard of unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of decades. Having penetrated such national retailers as Sun & Ski Sports, REI, Scheels, Backcountry.com, and so many more it’s too much to list, KUHL is likely already on your radar. The KUHL RADIKL Pants are just one of the many offerings Kuhl has for both men and women.

KUHL makes a complete line of outdoor clothing for both men and women. From pants and shirts to jackets, accessories, bags, and even gear. On test, we have the KUHL RADIKL Pants which slot into the hybrid technical pant category. “Hybrid Technical,” you ask? Well, most of us are likely aware of what the ‘technical’ part means, (think durable, lots of utility/pockets, breathable, etc.) More on that below.

But what does “Hybrid” mean? KUHL utilizes two different types of fabric in the RADIKL to ensure the kind of performance, comfort, and fit that they’re shooting for. Again, more on this below as well.

KUHL RADIKL Pants Durability

(9 out of 10)

The Kuhl Radikl Pants in action

KUHL designed the RADIKL to be ultra-durable and I feel like they’ve nailed it. KUHL uses their lightweight and durable Enduro Performance Blend Fabric for the majority of the construction of the RADIKL and it does a great job living up to its name. Being a blend of cotton, nylon, and spandex, the Enduro fabric breathes well while providing ample doses of abrasion resistance. I can attest to this as I spent a decent amount of time sliding booty first down some steep shale slopes near Whale Peak in Colorado. The pants laughed at the sharp edges of the rock even if my backside was less than enthused.

The Enduro fabric is lightweight, so it never feels like you’re wearing chainmail armor even if it performs as such. And cotton being the first component of the RADIKL’s fabric makeup, they breath so well that even on an 80+ degree day I wasn’t left with swamp…well, you know.

All this adds up to a pant that punches well above its weight in the durability and toughness category. And it also shows off just how versatile the RADIKL can be.

Comfort & Fit of the KUHL RADIKL Pants

(10 out of 10)

Fit is such a tough category to discuss when talking about clothing reviews as bodies are like snowflakes. However, there are some standards that I firmly believe are tantamount to making a solid pair of outdoor-focused pants elevate themselves compared to the rest.

I touched on how lightweight and breathable the pants are above, but I can’t stress this enough. If you’ve spent any serious time in the backcountry, you probably already know that some of the uber-durable clothing out there might not always lean into comfort and lightweight as a core attribute. KUHL went out of their way to ensure all-day comfort with the RADIKL while also being tough as nails and a go-to for outdoor activities.

Back pocket with rear waistband yoke

KUHL strategically placed nylon/spandex stretch panels in various spots across the body of the RADIKL to ensure extra stretch and breathability (the stretch panels are the second fabric in the ‘hybrid’ makeup of the RADIKL and breathe even better than the main fabric along with providing elastic-like levels of stretch.) These panels can be found below the knee (helps with kneeling), waist area (for when you overdo the Oreos), back yoke (really helps to conform to your booty), and crotch gusset to ensure tons of freedom of movement and room for your unmentionables. The combo of these fabrics really does make the RADIKL one of the most comfortable everyday types of outdoor pants on the market.

KUHL produces two versions of the RADIKL fit…Klassik (as I have on test), and a tapered version for a slightly more streamlined, modern fit. The Klassik is a pretty ‘standard’ fit in my opinion…you’re not swimming in a pair of dad jeans, but you’re also not looking like you might burst at the seams.

Rear waistband yoke with stretch panel

The Free Ryde waist follows the natural rise of your hips, which is to say that it’s slightly higher in the back than the front. This keeps the pants for riding down in the back and giving you that plumber’s crack look. I can say from wearing them that the Free Ryde waist does its job in spades. Sooooo nice not to have to constantly yank your pants up as you’re setting up camp or similar.

KUHL RADIKL Pants Features

(10 out of 10)

Being labeled a technical pant, one would expect a decent list of features beyond a zipper, a button, and leg openings. The KUHL RADIKL Pants deliver.

I mentioned the Free Ryde waist above, but it’s worth a second sentence or two as I’m not sure why other brands don’t design their pants this way as well. Makes a HUGE difference when you need the pants to perform without the dreaded saggy butt syndrome.

Extra breathable and lightweight. I’ve covered this, but wanted to mention it here as well since it’s a big factor in warmer climates.

KUHL claims the RADIKL is a quick-drying pant. I’m not sure I’d consider it that, however. The RADIKL does a lot of things well, but as for being quick-drying the cotton content of the main fabric limits that a bit. So for those of you looking for a pant to do some serious backcountry missions, you might want to find something with a bigger synthetic content as getting and staying wet can be, on the low end, annoying. And on the high end, downright dangerous.

Front pocket with coin pocket

3D gusseted pocket

Hidden cell phone pocket

SEVEN POCKETS! Two front standard jean pockets, one coin pocket, two back pockets, one stealth cell phone pocket, and one 3D gusseted pocket. So yeah, you can carry all the things!

The stretch knit fabric located in strategic spots adds to the functionality of the pants across the board. The main fabric has a dose of spandex, but the stretch knit takes that level of expansion to new levels making these pants work with you rather than against you.

And lastly, the knees are articulated to give you just a bit more oomph when you’re kneeling, reaching, crouching, bending, etc. Definitely nice to have so you never feel constricted.

Use Cases

The KUHL RADIKL Pants are a versatile pair of outdoor technical pants, with just a few shortcomings holding them back from being full-on backcountry mission pants.

The RADIKL’s do so many things well, but for my tastes, they lean ever-so-slightly more toward the everyday type of outdoor technical pants rather than at the sharp end of the ‘technical’ stick.

I think the sweet spot for the KUHL RADIKL Pants are things like car camping, boondocking, overlanding, light hiking, work pants, utility pants, wood chopping, yard chores, etc.

The Kuhl Radikl makes a great all-around work/chore pant

And beyond all that utility, the RADIKL makes a great pair of around-town, everyday pants. Although they do have that technical look with all the pockets and stretch panels, but they don’t scream “I MIGHT ERUPT INTO A HIKING EXCURSION AT ANY MOMENT!” as a lot of technical pants do. Consider your coffeehouse and shopping errands safe in the RADIKL.

Summary: (9.5 out of 10)

A lightweight, breathable, hyper-durable, hybrid technical pant that can take you from trail to town without a fuss. All while delivering buckets of comfort in a killer fit profile.

The KUHL RADIKL Pants are capable, lightweight, breathable, durable outdoor adventure pants that can pull double duty around town as well. Fold in the copious amounts of pockets, stretch panels, absolute killer fit and comfort and you’ve got yourself a pair of pretty much do-anything pants.

Specs/MSRP:

Available in 10 colorways, 2 different fit profiles, and 11 different waist sizes ranging from 28” – 42”. The KUHL RADIKL Pants retail for $109. See them at: sunandski.com