Review - Decathlon Warm Breeches

 I think it was back in December when I found a new-to-me retailer of equestrian items. Decathlon is a multi-national company that sells sporting goods for something like 65 different sports. They only sell items under their own house-brands - the equestrian stuff is branded Fouganza - so their prices are quite reasonable. They seem to have three different levels of equipment - 100 series is suitable for beginners, 500 for intermediate, and 900 for advanced. The quality (and thus the price) goes up with the level.

I ordered a pair of breeches - the 180 Fullgrip Women's Horse Riding Silicone Seat Warm Jodphurs - Navy (yeah, their descriptions suck). The 180 means that they are part of the beginner line. They were priced at $60 CDN, and at the time shipping was free. I was hoping that they would be warm enough to wear them in the depths of winter, although I expected to still have to wear thermals under them.

I really like them.

Fit - I would say that they fit true-to-size. They aren't super skinny and fit my um, athletic thighs without issue. They are a good length on me, so if you are tall you might find them too short.

The silicone seat is just the right amount of sticky. Not so sticky that I can't get out of the car, sticky enough that I know that I'm wearing fullseats. I don't notice a difference between them and my Pikeur fullseats with the simulation leather seats.

As to them being "warm" breeches - well, they are warmer than my regular breeches, but not nearly as warm as my Kerrits winter breeches. I've been wearing them a lot in the current spring weather we are having where it's a little above freezing so I don't want to wear long johns anymore, but in my regular breeches my thighs would still be really cold.  They aren't warm enough on their own for our prairie winters, but for those in warmer climates who think they get winters they might be just right. 

The fabric has a bit of a brushed finish on the inside. It is not super stretchy. The ankle has a stretch insert but I find that if I am wearing long johns it gets a bit snug in this area. 

It has a single zippered pocket on the front right (good size), and a phone pocket on the right thigh that zippers closed. My Samsung S10+ with a case and Pop Cap just fits inside and the pocket can be zipped up.

They are not fancy breeches, but simple. They kept the cost down by having a simple waistband. It's on the inside, no one sees it once they're on, no concerns from me.

The main reason I keep grabbing these breeches first - they are probably the most comfortable pair of breeches that I own. That includes the couple of pairs of riding tights I have. 

I don't know why - if it's the fabric, or the cut, but I love wearing these breeches. 

I have no idea how long they will last, but at $60 I wouldn't be too disappointed if I only got a couple of years out of them. So far, they have been washed every 7-10 days and have had no issues with showing any wear.

I would definitely buy these again. 

Once I get my recent car repairs and vet bills paid off, I'll probably order a couple more things from Decathlon. They have some breeches that look like they would be good for summer, a leather halter I like, and once you start looking at activewear from other sports, it wouldn't be any problem finding enough to get free shipping.

In Canada, you can find them at decathlon.ca. They have stores in eastern Canada, mostly in Quebec. In the US, shop at decathlon.com.