Mountain Equipment Ibex vs Ibex Pro: Which Hiking Trousers Are Worth Buying?

Introduction

Soft shell hiking trousers occupy a useful middle ground. They are not fully waterproof and not purely summer wear, but a good pair handles a wide range of conditions without forcing you to change layers on the move. The Mountain Equipment Ibex Pant and the newer Mountain Equipment Ibex Pro Pants sit exactly in that space, share a lot of DNA, and are separated by a modest price gap.

The standard Ibex Pant is listed at around 85 pounds, while the Ibex Pro Pants come in at roughly 100 pounds, about 15 pounds more. That difference buys a different fabric weight, a different waistband design, and a noticeably different ventilation layout. Which one makes sense depends on how you use your trousers.

How These Two Trousers Compare

Both pairs use a double weave soft shell fabric. It does not do any single job perfectly: it is a little bit water resistant, a little bit breathable, and a little bit windproof. What it does well is cover all three at once, which is why both models are described as suitable for walking, hiking, trekking, mountaineering, scrambling, and climbing.

Weight separates them more clearly. The standard Ibex Pant uses a 210 fabric and weighs around 450 grams, while the Ibex Pro Pants use a slightly thicker and more durable 250 fabric at around 530 grams. Neither is heavy in absolute terms, and the extra grams are easy to forget once the trousers are on and you have miles in your legs.

Sizing is generous across the range. Both trousers come in short, regular, and long leg options alongside a wide spread of waist sizes, so getting a close fit is realistic rather than a compromise. As a reference point, a 30 inch waist with a short leg sits well on a 172 cm frame.

Mountain Equipment Ibex Pant

The standard Ibex Pant opens with a fleecy waist lining, double poppers, and a belt that runs through the top of the trouser. There is a zipped pocket on either side at the hips and a rear pocket, which covers the essentials without adding clutter.

Further down, two thigh pockets double as ventilation. Opening them reveals mesh behind the zip, so you get a bit more breathability on a climb without changing what you are wearing. At the ankle there is a regular shaped cuff with a zip and a gusset, plus a micro fleece lining.

The fit is the standout. The knees are properly shaped rather than cut straight, the waist sits well, and there is enough room through the leg for heavier builds without the trousers feeling baggy. It is a do-it-all pant in the most practical sense: comfortable over long distances, easy to live with, and straightforward to layer a lightweight waterproof shell over when conditions turn.

Mountain Equipment Ibex Pro Pants

The Ibex Pro Pants take a different approach at the waist. The fleecy lining is gone, replaced by a button closure and an adjustable waistline. Hip pockets are unzipped rather than zipped, though they are cut deep enough that contents stay put, and there are two zipped pockets at the rear.

The headline feature is the ventilation. Two large zipped thigh pockets sit on either side, and beyond those there are full length side openings that let you vent the leg substantially when the pace picks up or the day warms. It is the closest thing to wearing shorts while keeping full leg coverage.

The ankle finish is more adjustable too. Poppers let you dial in the cuff, there is a regular fit as standard, and a small lace loop keeps the trouser from riding up over your boot. A micro fleece lining sits inside the cuff. The cut is described as a mountaineering fit, with a little more space for layering underneath, and the overall silhouette stays close to the standard Ibex rather than feeling bulky.

Which One Should You Buy?

The honest answer is that both are excellent, and neither is a compromise. The standard Ibex Pant is the more versatile everyday option: lighter, simpler, and comfortable enough to forget you are wearing it. If you mostly walk and hike in mixed conditions and rarely overheat, it covers almost everything.

The Ibex Pro Pants justify the extra 15 pounds if you run warm, climb, or move between effort and rest often. The full side vents and larger thigh openings make a real difference on hot days, the adjustable waist and ankle give you more control over fit, and the thicker 250 fabric should hold up longer under rougher use. The trade-off is a slightly hotter trouser in still conditions and about 80 grams more weight.

Colour choice is reasonable on both, with black and a light grey among the options. Availability is also worth checking before you commit, since discounts of around 10 to 20 percent appear fairly regularly across retailers even on newer stock.

Conclusion

If you want one pair of hiking trousers that quietly handles walking, trekking, and scrambling without fuss, the Mountain Equipment Ibex Pant is the safer all-rounder. If you want more ventilation, a more adjustable fit, and a tougher fabric, the Ibex Pro Pants are worth the small step up in price. Either way, both are built for the same wide range of mountain use, and the deciding factor is really how much you value airflow over simplicity.