Our Editors independently research, test, and rate the best products. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and we never accept free products from manufacturers. Learn more
The Arc'teryx Sabria is a reliable pair of pants. A simple design executed with durable and stretchy material means that these pants move well. They let you scramble, climb, and trek in comfort. Lightweight fabric and a trim cut allow for adequate air ventilation in warm temperatures. You'll need to pair them with a base layer in cold and gusty conditions to stay warm. The low-rise waist and internal adjuster make them perfect for rock climbing, and they sit comfortably under a harness. Whether it's pushing limits on rocks, exploring the backcountry, or cruising the streets, these pants are stylish and functional.
Arc'teryx discontinued the Sabria in 2022.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Sabria pants come in size 0-14 in the Regular inseam (31"), as well as 0-8 in short and 4-14 in Tall inseams. Arc'teryx doesn't specify what length the short and tall inseams are.
Fit notes
We bought these pants in our usual size 6. They're snug, but not enough to exchange them. The waistband was tightest when initially trying the pants on but quickly stretched with wear. Online reviews complain that the pants start two sizes too small and stretching two sizes too big. We did notice stretching, but it wasn't that bad. The pants have since kept their form, and are still on the snug side due to the trim cut and tapered leg. If you want a looser fit to layer underneath, you may want to go up a size. Also, note that this pant has a discreet drawstring loop in the waistband.
Performance Comparison
The Sabrias allow a good amount of stretch.
Credit: Melanie Maher
Comfort and Mobility
The material blend of these pants is 87% nylon and 13% elastane. The Sabria provides the right amount of stretch and comfort for semi-technical pants. They are comfortable enough to sleep in, sturdy but discreet enough to climb in, and low-key enough to wear on the streets. These pants are built tough and create some noise with movement, making them less desirable for the yoga mat or a plane ride.
They're cut trimly, with tapered legs, but still allow you to scramble, climb, and high step with ease. Their articulated knees, gusseted crotch, and four-way stretch provide max mobility.
The pockets are mesh-lined so you can unzip them for further heat ventilation.
Credit: Melanie Maher
Venting and Breathability
Lightweight, four-way stretch material and an air-permeable design keep everything inside these pants cool. Due to the tapered leg cut of these pants, rolling them up from the ankle more then a couple of inches is virtually impossible. If you hike in these pants in hot temperatures, the light material, and trim cut will help keep you vent perspiration. The pockets are also mesh-lined, so you can unzip them for further heat ventilation.
These pants have a DWR finish, that does a great job repelling water.
Credit: Melanie Maher
Weather Resistance
Arc'teryx calls this material water-resistant They feature a DWR finish, that does the trick repelling water, and it takes a lot to soak them through. Once wet, they only took 20 minutes to dry in the sun. The DWR finish and water-resistance of the Sabria is impressive, though the pants are slightly lacking when it comes to wind resistance.
Our testers have no qualms with the comfort of the Sabria pants, although they are noisier than some models we tested.
Credit: Melanie Maher
Features
The feature set on the Sabria is minimal. Theses pants have identical, zipper-secured pockets on the thighs. The pockets are small and a tight fit for a large iPhone. The internal waist adjuster is discreet to the point of invisible.
The pockets are small, a tight fit for an I-phone (not a terrible thing if you aretrying to unplug)
Thick. Soft. Waistband
The internal waist adjuster is discreet. Hard to say how effective this cinching mechanism is. The thick waistband and tapered leg keep the pants up so there wasn't a direct need for the feature during testing. However, there is no way to secure the cinch which causes us to wonder how effective this would be in holding up pants if they were baggier.
Versatility
The Sabria pants are versatile in the sense that they can be worn comfortably, for all kinds of adventuring. Discreet function and durability make them great for technical hiking, climbing, and streetwear. We tested these pants in the Sierra Nevada fall, where sunrise temperatures are freezing, but mid-day temps blaze hot. During cold mornings they offer ample warmth while moving, but at a standstill or in a gust of wind, we can feel the chill.
Luckily these pants are easy to layer, and with the right base, you can easily create an unstoppable combination. Strong water resistance makes them good pants for wet weather or even a light flurry. Thanks to the tapered leg and lightweight material, these pants do a great job of keeping things cool in hotter temperatures.
The Sabrias are some of the most durable pants we tested and we have faith in them to last for years of adventuring.
Credit: Melanie Maher
Value
The Sabria is one of the priciest pairs in this review. They don't come with all the bells and whistles of some other models, but they' tough. The four-way stretch material is abrasion-resistant, and the seams are all double stitched. We have no issues to report from our durability testing.
The Sabria pants accompanied us on many day hikes in the Sierras, and did just fine.
Conclusion
The Arc'teryx Sabria are versatile hiking pants. Their trim cut and smooth, stretchy material make for a flattering fit and functional choice for a wide variety of activities. These pants are best on their own in the heat or paired with a base layer in moderate weather.
With hundreds of hiking pants available today and dozens...
Ad-free. Influence-free. Powered by Testing.
GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products. And, to assure complete independence, we buy all the products we test ourselves. No cherry-picked units sent by manufacturers. No sponsored content. No ads. Just real, honest, side-by-side testing and comparison.
