Kuhl Radikl Men’s Pants
Mens
Rating
| Rating: | 8.9 / 10 |
| Value for Money | 1.8 / 2 |
| Comfort | 1.8 / 2 |
| Weight | 1.7 / 2 |
| Durability | 1.8 / 2 |
| Fit | 1.8 / 2 |
Kuhl Radikl Men's Pants Review
I’ve been wearing Kuhl Radikl Pants for about 8 years now and no matter how many other options that I try I have yet to find a pair of long pants that I can wear year round that come close and here’s why.
Let’s start with the naming of this garment ‘Kuhl Radikl’ – this name just screams skater boy or surfer; maybe that’s just me showing my age! If you don’t give these pants more than a passing look you would be forgiven for thinking they are not anything special.
Size wise these pants are a Klassik fit (again another unique term from Kuhl) and a trendy way of saying this model is ‘full’ in the seat and thigh area and has a slight taper through the lower leg. Kuhls’ product information promote the ‘sweat pants comfort’ and they’re not kidding. Without a doubt these pants are the most comfortable long pants I have worn hiking with the comfort coming mainly from the combination of two material types. The hard wearing main material forms the bulk of the pants contains no real stretch. However, there are a number of panels located at the top back of the pants, the crotch area gusset, and down the side of each leg all made from a soft comfortable stretch material. In addition, this stretch material allows these pants to breathe and I found them reasonably cool even on days over 25° Celcius unlike other long pants which just make you suffer through the heat.
The stitching and panel configuration on these pants is typical of other Kuhl pants – its well done, robust and the panel construction has been well thought through which contributes to the comfort of these pants.
While Kuhl in the USA has a huge range of colours and sizings, this range has been reduced to a more concise range for Australia. But colour choices such as Khaki, Breen, Carbon and Black will keep just about everyone happy. One big plus with these pants is the 34″ leg length option and while I’m not overly tall at 185cm this length is a perfect fit. I now own three pairs of these pants including a pair with a 32″ length which is fairly easy to get as is the 30″ length. The size 34″ length in a wide range of colour is a bit harder and in my case I went onto the US website and purchased a very camo colour and love them and while Kuhl will ship to Australia the exchange rate at the time I made my purchase along with the freight charge means that I paid about $80 more than I would have by purchasing in Australia
The other little feature I like on these pants is an old fashioned feature – a double fly closure system with an internal button closure as a metal button closure. The one issue with these pants is that there is no stretch in the waist so if you put on to much weight you are up for a bigger pair. There is however stretch in the legs and the crotch area so if you are if you are doing wide legged moves stretch across or up a ledge they work well.
The other feature I love about this pants is the pockets. I was pleasantly surprised with the Radikl as the low angle openings on the waist pockets are deep and very usable. I really like the internal pocket constructed of the stretch knit material. I could quite easily fit my compact camera in these pockets but prefer to use the leg pockets that I store my phone in one and the camera in another. This makes it so easy to get either of them out if I need to take a photo or video or to answer a phone call. There is also a little pocket in one of the right hip (coin pocket) which I tend not to use but you may do. There are two pockets on the rear of the pants which I just find useless but in fairness to Kuhl this is an issue in any pair of long pants. The only thing I ever use these pockets for is protein bar wrappers.
In my original testing of these pants I had two concerns. The first being the durability of the lighter weight stretch material if bush bashing but after using these pants for over eight years this material remains undamaged.
I was also worried about how suitable these pants would be in seriously cold conditions but after wearing these through snow and -5° Celcius I was more than happy with the level of comfort and warmth.
From my perspective as rough as I am on gear, even my oldest pairs (8 years) have lasted well although the colour is fading which you would expect. Price wise these pants aren’t cheap if you pay full price – at just on AUD$190 RRP but you can usually source them cheaper. Having said that the prices of these pants is typical for similar products. I see price and value as related things and the features on these pants definitely provide value for money.
Tim in his latest pair of Kuhl Radikl Pants in 2025
Kuhl Radikl Men’s Pants form 2017 and still going strong
Kuhl Radikl Men’s Pants side view
Kuhl Radikl Men’s Pants rear pockets and stretch panel
Kuhl Radikl Men’s Pants inside leg view showing the stretch gusset and the fine detail on the leg stitching. Its the little things that make a difference
Kuhl Radikl pants showing waist pockets. These comfortably fit a compact camera, phone or snacks depending on your needs
Soft stretch material inside the waist pockets
Open phone pocket on the right leg. At no stage did I ever feel like I was going to lose the phone from this pocket
Alternate phone pocket on the left leg with a top closure for security and protection. This could also be a small snack pocket
Excellent double closure system adds to the comfort on these pants
Size 32″ leg length. I don’t mind slightly shorter pant legs when hiking. There is also a size 34″ leg length available and if buying from the US you cn pick up a size 36″
We Like
- Hard wearing main construction material
- Extremely comfortable fit due to the stretch panels
- Stretch panels allow good air movement so will make for excellent summer pants
- Articulated knee joint for additional comfort
- Good strong stitching and panel construction
- Excellent waist pockets and side phone/snack pockets
- Comes in different leg lengths which solves an issue for you taller folk
We Don't Like
- A personal issue but I can’t always fine my preferred size 34 leg length and find myself buying from the Kuhl USA website.
- Limited colour choice and leg length in Australia
Best Uses
Hikers who like long pants and who want a pair that suits both hotter as well as cooler weather, and hikers who like their comfort. These pants really are comfortable
Buy One
You can purchase the Kuhl Radikl Men’s Pants from Wild Earth
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Investment
AUD $189.99 RRP
Other Versions
Kuhl make a large range of pants so there’s a model and style to suit just about everyone.
Disclaimer
This review was done with product purchased from a retail store by Australian Hiker
Last updated
20 September 2025