Columbia-Montrail Bajada II men’s running tights review: comfortable leggings that perform well on the trails

The ankle-length Columbia-Montrail Bajada II running tights perform well on the trail

By Ceri Rees
published
Columbia-Montrail Bajada II
(Image: © Ceri Rees)

Advnture Verdict

A solid performer on the trails, the Columbia-Montrail Bajada II look and feel good, and their next-to-skin comfort levels are excellent.

Pros

  • +

    Good wicking

  • +

    Comfortable next to skin

  • +

    Stretchy

  • +

    Rear zipped back pocket

  • +

    Good value

Cons

  • -

    Sizes are large

  • -

    Relatively heavy

  • -

    Limited colors

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First impressions

First off, the Columbia-Montrail Bajada II ankle-length leggings instantly look and feel good, and they are very comfortable next to the skin as soon as you pull them on. Their USP is Columbia’s Omni-Heat trademark properties, which pulls moisture away from the skin to allow sweat to evaporate.

Other features include a zip pocket at the rear, which is useful for essentials (gel, credit card, keys). The sizes seem to come in large compared to most European models, so check the size guide carefully.

Specifications

• RRP: $65 (US) / £55 (UK)
• Weight: 222g / 7.8oz
• Materials: Polyester (79%), Elastane (21%)
• Colors: Black
• Compatibility: Trail running, road running, hiking

On the trails

Being an ankle-length legging, the Columbia-Montrail Bajada II is perfect for bashing through thicker foliage and ploughing through gloopy mud, such as we encounter in abundance around our testing ground on the southern fringes of Dartmoor and along the South West Coast Path.

Billed as being ‘built for speed and comfort’, they gave us no problems on a variety of trail running terrains and different temperatures, midst the latter half of a predictably unpredictable English winter. The elasticized waistband gives them a stylish look and feel (something like a matador’s waistband, with a drawcord, which sometimes seems superfluous on leggings).

The material is thicker than most, and therefore feels pretty toasty. These were the nearest I could find to actual tracksters, while still being leggings. They survived several downpours and dried quickly enough, which is always reassuring.

Ceri Rees

Founder of Wild Running and Wild Running Events, and a regular podium-placer at trail running events around the South West, Ceri has a background in journalism. He started and edited an outdoors supplement for a daily newspaper, has written for several national outdoors magazines and newspapers, and produces his own podcast. He can trace his interest in adventure back to when, as a slightly precocious six-year-old, he convinced his cousins and older sister to walk through the night into the centre of Newcastle in their pyjamas for a dare – an escapade that ended in a lift home in a police car. More recently, he became the de facto UK Snowshoe Running Champion when he was the first Brit to cross the finish line at the 2019 World Snowshoe Championships in Fondo, Trentino.