Jacket Price: £340
Pants Price: £285
Jacket Weight: 538 grams
Pants Weight: 579 grams
Waterproof / Breathability: 20,000mm/25,000
Sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL
Buy Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket: £272 at AlpineTrek.co.uk
Buy Rab Khroma Kinetic Pants: £299 at.ellis-brigham.com
TL;DR Review
A very well featured and lightweight package for active skiers which offers much more versatility – and therefore value for money – than the marketing might suggest.
Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket and Pants 2023-2024 Review: Intro
Rab is one of the UK’s best-known mountain brands, with a heritage that has translated well beyond British borders, but it has historically been linked with mountaineering, climbing and hiking. In recent years a foray into the ski market – which could be a very risky move given the traditionally quite different target audiences – has seen the Khroma range going from strength to strength. A focus on the wilder side of the mountain – freeride and ski mountaineering – has no doubt helped given the two audiences have begun to converge with the rise in popularity of touring.
Who Are The Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket and Pants Aimed at?
“Khroma is for those who love the up as much as the down” says Rab, and it’s not surprising that is where such a brand would position itself within the ski market; high output, active pursuits in the mountains. Within the Khroma shell range are various Gore-Tex jackets and pants/bibs, some with insulation and some without. But the Kinetic marque denotes the use of Rab’s proprietary ProFlex membrane which is intended to be highly breathable and stretchy – almost a fully waterproof softshell fabric. With these credentials we can assume the Rab Kinetic jacket and pants are aimed at the more active end of the backcountry market, with the GoreTex models offering more out-and-out weather proofing, and the Kinetic models offering high-output usability.
Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket and Pants 2023-2024 Review: Style, Fit and Features
The Rab Khroma Kinetic jacket and pants are styled very much in the technical freerider vein – relaxed fit with alpinist-inspired details such as chest pockets and a clean silhouette. But the fit is a point of contention: both jacket and pants feel oversized, even allowing for layering underneath and for the freeride bent. Arguably the relaxed freeride fit ought to sit with different models within the range and allow these more uphill-focused pieces to offer something a little more agile and athletic looking. The oversizing is most exaggerated in the flaring leg ends of the pants; of course, ski boots need plenty of clearance at the ankle, but you might feel like a sailor in a 40s musical.
The features of the Kinetic jacket and pants are spot on; everything you need and nothing you don’t. The jacket has a lift pass pocket on the sleeve plus two chest pockets incorporating a mobile phone pocket, and inside an elasticated stash pocket – perhaps a little on the small side considering it’s where you’d put gloves or a beanie. We’d also prefer the addition of hand pockets to the jacket, but that is entirely a personal preference and there’s good reason to exclude these on technical jackets. The velcro cuffs are easily adjusted, as is the hood which includes a wired peak and there are small vents on the back of the sleeves.
The Kinetic pants incorporate a comfortably wide waistband with unobtrusive interior adjustment, plus belt loops on the outside. Hand warmer pockets are well positioned and secured with burly waterproof zips, there’s a back pocket and a thigh pocket on the right leg which is useful for quick access to snacks etc. A really key feature in shell pants for ski touring is the length of the side venting zippers. Happily, Rab has made these pretty substantial, running from hip to knee.
Considering our nit-picking around fit, and the excess fabric this implies, as well as the extensive feature list, what is really remarkable is how lightweight the jacket and pants are. No corners have been cut, and no essentials are missing – including the feeling of being protected from the elements – so the combined weight of just over 1100 grams is impressive, and it feels even less than that in real-world use.
Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket and Pants 2023-2024 Review: Verdict
The side venting zippers on the pants are so welcome because the fabric isn’t as breathable as Rab may like to think. Even with the zips wide open, and stripped to a base layer on top, our legs felt sweaty. This is obviously down to myriad factors, not least personal fitness, but it just begs the question why brands sometimes over promise. On a long spring skin track, a light softshell with a pair of over-trousers in your pack, might be a better option.
Let’s be honest – no shell jacket is ever going to be anywhere other than in your pack while skinning. Having said that, when reaching an exposed, blowy summit the Kinetic pants and jacket come into their own in terms of weather protection.
The clever balance between waterproofing, breathability and stretch makes the Kinetic jacket and pants very versatile indeed – you'd be happy riding a resort all week with the right layering, and you’d be carrying much less weight than most other skiers.
Buy Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket: £272 at AlpineTrek.co.uk
Buy Rab Khroma Kinetic Pants: £299 at.ellis-brigham.com
