Montane VIA Trail Series 3/4 length running tight review: breathable leggings with good support

Stretchy and extremely comfortable, the Montane VIA Trail Series 3/4 length running tights work brilliantly in various conditions

By Ceri Rees
published
Montane VIA Trail Series 3/4 length running tight
(Image: © Ceri Rees)

Our Verdict

Intelligently designed, three-quarter-length leggings that let runners breath, the Montane Via Trail Series 3/4 length running tights provide support, protection and lots of storage.

For

  • Three pockets
  • Fast drying
  • Durable
  • Good odor control
  • No chafing
  • Reflective details
  • Good value

Against

  • Clingy silicon grippers
  • Synthetic materials throughout
  • No color options

First impressions

Montane Via Trail Series 3/4 length running tights don’t come up short on quality. With Montane, a brand born to make mountain-fit kit, and which also specialises in endurance equipment, you generally know you are getting a top notch product. These quick-drying three-quarter-length leggings are no exception.

Boasting features including rear-knee vents, permanent odor control and pockets for gels and other vitals, they have all the technical capability required by runners taking on every sort of distance, up to ultra level.

Specifications

• RRP: $58 (US) / £49.50 (UK)
• Weight: 129g / 4.6oz
• Materials: X-Skin (nylon and spandex blend) with Apex-Dry Mesh on the rear knee
• Colors: Black
• Compatibility: Trail running, mountain running, running, mountain hiking in warm temperatures, climbing

On the trails

We wore these Montane Via Trail Series 3/4 length running tights on the moors rather than the mountains, which is the terrain they were designed for, but even at three-quarter length I can report that they work well in different temperatures. This may be due to their unique Quartz skin fabric, which offers cooling in hot conditions (as well as odor control). They didn’t feel too tight or restrictive as some tights can, because of their X-Skin hyper stretch material.

Another plus is the Apex Dry Mesh panels behind the knees, which means less chafing and significantly enhanced ventilation, so reduced sweatiness. Having been accustomed to dealing with both of these afflictions, I appreciate a garment that takes them into account, and it means these leggings are ideal for running in a range of different temperatures.

Although they only come in the standard black, there are reflective details (a logo, albeit pretty small), and the storage is excellent, with two side pockets and one zipped back pocket.

One downside of the Montane Via Trail Series 3/4 length running tight is that the lower leg exposure leaves you vulnerable to stinging nettles.

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.