Size Guide: find the perfect RainyDays fit
A pair of climbing trousers should do more than simply fit. They should stay in place when you make a high step. They should not pull when you open your hips. They should feel comfortable during a long bouldering session, while still being durable enough for volumes, rock and everything in between.
Size guide for your RainyDays climbing trousers: find the fit that lets you move freely
At RainyDays, we do not design around standard sizing. We design around real climbing movements. Our fit starts with female climbers: their hips, waist, freedom of movement, comfort and the feeling that their trousers move with them instead of working against them.
Because the right size? You do not only see it in the mirror. You feel it on the wall.
Why size advice matters when choosing climbing trousers
With everyday trousers, you often focus on how they look. With climbing trousers, you also need to consider how they move.
While climbing, you make movements that rarely happen in everyday life: high foot placements, deep squats, twisting movements, lifting your knees, opening your hips, pushing off and landing. A pair of trousers that seems perfect while standing can suddenly feel restrictive as soon as you lift your leg.
That is why good RainyDays size advice focuses on three things:
Fit around your waist
Your trousers should fit securely enough to stay in place, without digging into your stomach when you breathe, bend or warm up.
Room around your hips and seat
Many women carry more shape in this area, which makes it an important fit point. Climbing trousers should not pull across the back or gape at the waist.
Freedom of movement in every direction
You should be able to climb without thinking about your clothing. No fabric holding you back. No waistband rolling down. No seams working against your movement.
How to measure yourself for your RainyDays size
Use a flexible measuring tape and measure over thin clothing or directly against your body. Do not pull the tape too tightly.
1. Waist
Measure around the narrowest part of your waist. This is usually slightly above your belly button. Breathe normally and keep the measuring tape relaxed.
Tip: Is your waist measurement between two sizes? Think about how you prefer your trousers to fit. Choose the smaller size for a more secure fit, or the larger size for a little more comfort around your stomach.
2. Hips
Measure around the widest part of your hips and seat. For female-first climbing trousers, this is often the most important measurement.
RainyDays tip: If your waist and hips fall into different sizes, we usually recommend choosing the size that best matches your hip measurement. Climbing trousers that are too tight around your hips are more likely to restrict your movement.
3. Inside leg
Measure from your crotch to your ankle. Do this without shoes. Length is less critical in climbing trousers than in traditional trousers, but it still determines how the fabric falls around your climbing shoes.
Please note: A slightly shorter or tapered fit can be useful while climbing, as excess fabric is less likely to get in the way.
How RainyDays climbing trousers should fit
The perfect RainyDays fit feels like freedom with structure.
Not too loose. Not too tight. Not fragile. Not stiff.
Your trousers should fit closely where they need to and give you room where you move.
Around your waist
The waistband should feel secure without digging in. When you bend forward, squat or lift your leg, the back should not gape.
Good sign: You forget that you are wearing them.
Not a good sign: You need to adjust them after every boulder problem.
Around your hips and seat
You should not feel strong tension in this area. The fabric should move with you when you take a wide step or rotate your hips.
Good sign: You can move into a deep squat without feeling any pulling.
Not a good sign: Horizontal tension lines, a gaping waistband or fabric pulling at the seams.
Around your legs
You want enough room to move, without so much excess fabric that the trousers flap around or catch on the wall. A clean, tapered silhouette is ideal for climbing: practical on the wall and stylish enough to wear before and after your session.
Good sign: Your legs can move freely without excess fabric.
Not a good sign: Fabric bunching behind your knees or catching on climbing volumes.
Try the climbing fit test at home
Still unsure after trying them on? Use this quick RainyDays fit check.
The high-step test
Place one foot on a chair or bench as if you were making a high foot placement. Do the trousers feel comfortable around your hip, crotch and upper leg? Then you are on the right track.
The deep-squat test
Slowly lower yourself into a deep squat. Your trousers should move with you without pulling around your seat or waist.
The twist test
Rotate your hips from left to right. This recreates hip rotation and sideways movement on the wall.
The sitting test
Sit down, lean forward and take a deep breath. If the waistband feels restrictive, the size may be too small or the fit may not be right for your body.
Between two sizes? Here is how to choose
If you fall between two sizes, the best choice depends on your body and your climbing style.
Choose the smaller size if:
You prefer a closer fit, a secure waist is more important to you than extra room, and you mainly climb indoors.
Choose the larger size if:
You want more room around your hips or thighs, you value comfort during long sessions, or you often make deep movements and wide steps.
When choosing climbing trousers, the general rule is simple: choose the size that allows you to move most freely. Not the size that only looks best while standing still.
Why RainyDays fits differently from ordinary sports trousers
Many sports trousers are designed for running, fitness or general use. Climbing requires something different. You move at unusual angles. You use your hips intensively. Sometimes you stay low, sometimes you reach high, and you regularly brush against walls, volumes or rock.
That is why RainyDays starts with a female-first fit: designed around the bodies, movements and experiences of female climbers.
That means paying closer attention to the waist-to-hip ratio, freedom of movement, a secure waistband and a fit that helps you feel confident. Not because every woman has the same body, but because standard unisex fits often fail to account for the realities of female climbing.
Good climbing trousers should not correct your body. They should follow it.
Common mistakes when choosing climbing trousers
Only looking at your usual jeans size
Your jeans size is a starting point, not a guarantee. Climbing trousers have a different purpose, different fabric and different movement requirements.
Choosing a smaller size because it looks more fitted
Climbing trousers that are too tight can restrict your movement. On the wall, you want to feel your strength, not fabric working against you.
Only trying them on while standing
The most important fit test does not happen in front of the mirror. Squat, twist, step high and move as if you were climbing.
Forgetting that comfort is also performance
Comfort is not a luxury. When your trousers fit well, you move more freely, climb with greater focus and feel more confident.
RainyDays size advice in one sentence
Choose the size that feels secure around your waist, gives your hips enough room and allows you to make a high step, squat and twist without thinking about your trousers.
That is your fit.
Not because a label says so.
But because your body can feel it.
Our apparel is designed by women, for women — and tested on the rock and in bouldering gyms.
Discover the RainyDays collection.
