I'm very excited to mix up my review format this month to cover the La Sportiva Women's Patcha leggings. The Patcha leggings have easily become my favorite leggings to wear out climbing because of how well they hold up against both rock and plastic. I was a bit surprised that they held up well after repeated usage while climbing mostly because of how thin and lightweight they feel.
I've worn the Patcha leggings to the gym (prior to the pandemic) and outside on climbing trips to Joshua Tree and Lake Tahoe and was impressed that the leggings had no rips, tears, or pilling after each trip. The Patcha leggings are also stretchy enough that I'm not worried about tearing a seam open while climbing. I ordered a size medium in the Patcha leggings, which is generally my size in most other pants/leggings. The fit, as you can tell in the review photos, is a slim fit and very flattering. Some reviewers mentioned that the size in the waistband was tight and the legs felt baggy, but that has not been my experience.
One of my favorite things about these leggings is how they really stand out in photographs. I learned from the clinic I recently took with Nikki Smith at the American Alpine Club's virtual Craggin' Classic that it's so important for your subject to stand out against the rock - so wearing darker colors like greys, blacks and browns is a no go. The Patcha Leggings, as of the time of writing this review, comes in four different colors - Black, Clay/Hibiscus, Hibiscus/Flamingo, and Neptune/Pacific Blue. Unfortunately most of the colors you see in my review photos are older colors schemes, namely Beet/Lily Orange and Opal/Aqua. Fear not! The Neptune/Pacific Blue and Hibiscus/Flamingo are just as visually stunning.
I also typically use the Patcha leggings for training days on the hangboard in my garage and for cold weather running days. Even though the Patcha leggings are thin, they're surprisingly good at retaining my body heat. The Polygiene® Anti-Bacterial/Odor Treatment of the leggings means you can wear the Patcha leggings a few times before you need to wash them, which is perfect for when you're out on a multi-day climbing/backpacking trip and want to pack light. This is dependent on how much you sweat obviously, but I could typically get away with wearing the Patcha leggings 3-4 times for gym climbing sessions, 3 times for running sessions and 5 times for just walking around town.
I'm very pleased overall with the La Sportiva Patcha leggings. They've become a staple in my athletic and casual wardrobe.
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