REV’IT! Poseidon GTX Pants Review

The new REV’IT! Poseidon GTX pants match thePoseidon GTX jacket (review).

The pants feature the same Gore-Tex Pro waterproof construction that is “Guaranteed to Keep You Dry”.

The updated REV’IT! VCS Aquadefence vents are also featured on the pants.

That includes the FidLock magnetic snap system, which makes the vents very easy to open or close with one hand.

A full-length insulating liner is attached with a zipper at the waist and smaller zippers in each leg cuff.

The bottom of the legs also have an updated design.

It provides a wider range of adjustments to fit over different boot widths.

The Poseidon GTX pants are all new for the winter of 2013-2014.

The Poseidon GTX outfit is now the top-of-the-line REV’IT! product and it’s an evolution of theREV’IT! Everest GTX (review).

It also blends the best features of the very popular REV’IT! Defender GTX (review) jacket and pants.

The Poseidon GTX pants have the high-end Gore-Tex Pro shell, which is guaranteed waterproof and does not require an additional waterproof liner.

This adds to the cost of the pants, but many motorcyclists demand a completely waterproof shell that avoids the problems associated with using a waterproof liner.

 

REV’IT! Poseidon GTX Pants

It’s more difficult to review a pair of motorcycle pants than a jacket. After all, pants are pants, more or less. Two legs, a waist and a zipper, right?

The two most important differentiators with the Poseidon GTX pants, however, are the use of the Gore-Tex Pro fabric, which is “Guaranteed to Keep You Dry” while remaining breathable in a wide range of weather conditions.

The Poseidon GTX pants are indeed waterproof and, like the Poseidon GTX jacket, the water beads up and runs off, almost like the fabric is treated with some type of “nano” coating or something.

In fact, I made a cavity in the pants and filled it with water, which sat there for hours and evaporated without penetrating the outer shell, with no trace that any water was ever there to begin with. Now that’s what I call waterproof!

Whether or not that little experiment has anything to do with real-world riding remains to be seen. I’ll admit that I haven’t worn the pants or jacket during an 8-hour ride in a torrential downpour, but who does? Very few, I’d guess.

But, a guarantee is a guarantee, so apparently the Gore-Tex Pro shell will keep you dry, even in those condition. Me? You’ll find me back at the hotel…

Ventilation

The other big (literally) new feature of the Poseidon GTX pants is the inclusion of the updated REV’IT! VCS (Variable Climate System) vents, one on each leg at the thigh.

The vent cover is a square with a thick YKK Vislon (nylon type) zipper on the outside that can be one-handed. Pull open the zipper, peel back the vent and it attaches in the upper inside corner with the new FidLock magnetic snap system.

This securely holds the vent cover open, which allows the air to flow through the REV’IT! VCS Aquadefence vent, which has a thick “3D” mesh to allow the air to circulate.

The only strange thing is that the thigh vents open from the bottom.

I’d think that you’d want them to open from the top down, to prevent the possibility of water entering from underneath as your legs are pointed forward.

Not that this has been a problem, and the vent cover does seal tightly with hook-and-loop. There must be a reason why REV’IT! did it this way…

The pants also have an exhaust vent opening towards the rear of each leg on the outside. Each vent is a 180 mm zipper opening and inside is a mesh lining.

I’m not sure how effective the exhaust vents really are, although perhaps in some situations with the insulating liner removed the exhaust vents will prevent billowing of the legs when the VCS Aquadefence vents in front are open.

Pockets

The VCS Aquadefence vents on the thighs mean that the large cargo pockets of the REV’IT! Sand II pants (review) won’t fit, but that’s not a problem — I’d much rather have the big vents than the big pockets.

The Poseidon GTX pants have two standard slit side pockets; each opens with a waterproof zipper and each pocket also has a wide flap that covers the zipper and hides the pocket opening.

The flap ends at the side seam on the pants, which is a nice touch because in addition to hiding the pocket, it streamlines the appearance.

Protection

The Poseidon GTX pants have the better quality SAS-Tec knee protectors, but the hip protectors included with the pants are only the basic foam padding. The SAS-Tec protectors are available as an option at $25.99 for the pair.

I think that considering the price of the Poseidon GTX pants, the SAS-Tec hip protectors should be included.

Zippers and Snaps

The pants have a short and long waist attachment zipper to attach to the Poseidon GTX jacket. I believe that REV’IT! has now standardized on the attachment zipper sizes, so all REV’IT! pants should be able to attach to other REV’IT! jackets.

The waist attachment zippers are YKK Vislon type but the zippers on the vents and pockets are unlabeled.

I think the vent zippers are probably YKK Vislon (the large teeth on the Vislon zipper helps reduce friction), but the waterproof pocket zippers may not be the YKK brand.

The insulating liner attaches with a full-length zipper at the waist and full-length zippers at the leg cuffs, which is a nice feature because it keeps the liner in place when you’re removing the pants.

Those zippers use very small nylon-type teeth but they’re unbranded.

The pants waist has a snap and a metal hook, which secures the flap that covers the fly zipper (which also appears to be a YKK Vislon type but is unbranded).

Insulating Liner

The Poseidon pants have the same type of insulating liner as the jacket. The REV’IT! info says only that it’s an “insulating liner”, so apparently nothing special like the Exkin Air or other types used in REV’IT! clothing in the past, probably in an attempt to save money.

The liners work well however in both the jacket and pants.

The lining is relatively thin but the somewhat stiff nature of the pants shell and the Gore-Tex Pro construction help to block air coming in, so the pants with the liner inserted are comfortable down to around the high 40’s F (~10 C).

The tricot or taffeta type of inner facing on the liner does have a cool feel, so if I put on the pants wearing only undershorts, my legs feel cool until my body heat has a chance to raise the temperature in the liner.

During a couple of rides when the temperature was about 42 F (6 C), I also wore a pair of thin stretch full-length thermal underpants under the pants with liner and I was warm enough.

The liner is thin enough and the pants fit closely enough that with the liner removed, the pants gain only a minimal amount in size. discussed below.

Waist and Fit

The Poseidon GTX pants in size large fit about as expected, for a 35″ to 36″ waist. These are the standard length and the inseam is proportional at about 32″, which also puts the knee protectors in the correct position for me.

Maybe the length could stand to be an inch or so longer, but without adjustable knee protectors, the SAS-Tec inserts would probably hang too low for my proportions.

The waist has side adjusters using the same type of square D-ring system as the Poseidon jacket. But for all practical purposes, the waist adjusts in only — I’d like to see at least another 30 mm or so of width adjustment beyond what it is now.

There are sections of elastic sewn into the waist on either side under the adjustment belt.

The adjusters are reinforced with bar tacked stitches also; you can see these as the red perpendicular stitches in the waist and the other areas of the Poseidon GTX pants and jacket that have the reinforcements.

 

Short and Long Lengths

The Poseidon GTX pants are available in a size and length range that is somewhat similar to the Sand II pants, with short and tall sizes and lengths available in size L, XL and XXL only.

The standard fit Poseidon pants sizes range from M to 3XL (standard length); M to 2XL in short length and M to 2XL in long lengths.

The size large Poseidon GTX pants fit as expected to perhaps just a touch slim in the profile. I don’t think the size large would fit a waist greater than 36″ however.

Leg Cuff

The leg cuffs have a wide flap that can be adjusted in and out.

There are two sections of horizontal hook-and-loop on the pant leg and a vertical section on the adjustable flap for a tight fit. The hook-and-loop used here is a medium weight type and it feels sticky.

Inside under the flap is a zipper on each leg that’s about 10″ (26 cm) long.

The zippers have the big teeth of the YKK Vislon type but the zippers are unbranded. Also, there is a snap adjuster above each zipper, on the outside of the leg just below the knee. There are three snaps for adjustment and I keep mine at the center snap.

Other Features

The pants also have sections of elastic flexible fabric in back of the knees (the black horizontal area that can be seen above the lower leg) that helps prevent bunching when you’re sitting on the bike.

The seat has an extra section of fabric for wear resistance and the black color hides dirt from dusty motorcycle seats.

Kidney-shaped sections of sticky vinyl are double-stitched on the lower part of the seat and these are just large enough to help prevent sliding around on the seat without creating so much friction that you can’t slide around if you really want to.

Conclusion

The REV’IT! Poseidon GTX pants are good looking and waterproof.

The VCS Aquadefence vents with the FidLock system is the best venting system I’ve seen on a pair of motorcycle pants. Typically, the vents found on motorcycle pants are ineffective, due to the way the legs are oriented when riding.

But the REV’IT! system does provide a new and better method of ventilation than anything short of full mesh.

The Poseidon GTX pants feel rugged and reliable, but the biggest issue is probably going to be the list price.

If you compare the pants to other high-end types, like the Rukka Armas pants (review), the REV’IT! Poseidon GTX pants are a bargain.

Make sure though that when you’re comparing prices, you’re comparing “apples to apples”. The use of the Gore-Tex Pro system does raise the price quite a bit, but you are getting the waterproof guarantee.

More: REV’IT! Poseidon GTX Jacket Review

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