contents
- Introduction
- Price
- Fit and Sizing
- Fabric and Construction Quality
- Comfort
- The in-built socks
- Waterproof test
- Pros of the Nookie Evolution Dry Trousers
- Cons of the Nookie Evolution Dry Trousers
- Summary
1. INTRODUCTION
Dry trousers can make a massive difference when undertaking paddling in colder weather since they not only keep your legs draw you but also keep your feet dry as long as they have inbuilt waterproof socks.
The Nookie Evolution were the first dry trousers that I purchased for coldweather kayaking and my review is based upon several years use of them.
2. PRICE
Prices do vary of course but these trousers (or ‘pants’ as they are also called) generally seem to cost around £200 in the UK at the time of me updating this blog post in December 2025.
Most waist height dry trousers seem to be cost around the £200 mark so the Nookie Evolution trousers seem to cost about ‘average’ for non-bib dry trousers.
Bib dry trousers (or ‘farmer John’ as they are also called) generally seem to cost in the £250 to £330 range.
3. FIT AND SIZING
Nookie says that they have an ‘anatomical dynamic cut for active fit’. I found these trousers to have the best fit for my build. I am about 5 foot 9 inches tall and weigh about 60KG. I bought the size Small trousers. I have thin legs and usually take a 30 inch waist in the trousers and a 31 inch leg.
The Nookie Evolution trousers definitely have less baggy cut than the other trousers I tried although there is still plenty of room under them for wearing base layer leggings.
I usually wear base layer leggings under them but on very cold days I sometimes wear a pair of fleece lined cargo pants with an elasticated waistline.
4. FABRIC & CONSTRUCTION QUALITY
These dry trousers are made from what Nookie call ‘EvoTX4 4ply Fabric’. Their website says that the fabric that the trousers are made from has the following features:
1. Durable 160D Nylon face fabric that is flexible and soft to the touch.
Coated with PFC-Free Durable Water Repellant (DWR)
2. Hydrophobic, microporus coating
3. Hydrophillic grey coating (grey is more durable than standard white)
4. Nylon 20D Tricot Mesh for wicking
The stated waterproofness rating is 20,000mm/H2O while the breathability rating is 5,000g/m2/24hr.
They feel very well made and are quite thick compared to some of the other brands of trousers that I’ve tried, such as the Kokatat Hydrus dry trousers.
Nookie states that they have dive quality waterproof taping on all seams. They do seem to be very robust and well made. They are apparently made in Cornwall.
The red trim is also a nice touch. I noticed that when I took some photos with the flash on the reflective strip certainly stood out in the camera flash.
5. COMFORT
Maybe the most important factor and one which if often overlooked is how comfortable the garment is.
The trousers are unusual in having a tall neoprene waist tube with wicking sharkskin mesh.
One hint is that if you are trying out dry trousers, dry jackets or dry suits then I would suggest also trying them out while wearing your PFD while sitting on the floor on a few cushions and dry ‘paddling’ for a while whilst wearing the dry trousers / dry jacket/ dry suit to see how it feels when making a paddling motion.
Personally, I would rather have just had a conventional adjustable waist band on these trousers rather than the tall neoprene waist tube. One issue with the neoprene tube is that it is not adjustable per se although it does to a degree stretch to fit your mid drift.
Also, if you need to go to take a wee then the tall neoprene waist band becomes something of an obstacle.
I personally found these trousers to be more comfortable by folding the waist band over on itself once which halved the length of the waist band. The folded over waist band then acted more like a wide neoprene belt and meant that it sat more around my waist just below the bottom of my PFD.
Its really down to personal taste though, and I’m sure a lot of people will find the tall neoprene waist band OK when it’s simply pulled up as high as it will go.
If you need to have a wee when out on the water then it is amuch more difficult to have a wee pulling the waist band down in this manner compared to having a relief zipper like you do with most of the bib dry trousers and dry suits.
The ankle straps are very adjustable. You’ll find yourself tightening them after putting your boots on and then loosening them to take you boots off at the end of a paddle.
6. THE IN BUILT SOCKS
The Nookie Evolution trousers have asymmetric fully waterproof fabric socks with minimal seams, are made from 500D Nylon and have waterproof tape sealed at the ankle.
It is recommended to wear thick socks underneath the socks and to wear some form of a boot over the top of them. This is because the socks are not meant to be used for walking over rough or hard surfaces since this would likely cause damage to the sock fabric.
I wear the dry trousers with the O’Neill Heat 7mm Round Toe Boots that I have.
The socks are very generously sized, clearly with a view to accommodating a range of foot sizes. They definitely do the job of keeping your feet dry.
Having dry and warm feet makea a massive difference when cold weather paddling.
7. WATERPROOF TEST
When I first had the Nookie Evolution trousers I tested them out in a half full bath of water to check that they would keep me dry when wading in the water whilst landing / launching my kayak.
I fully submerged the front and rear of the trousers up to just below the waist in the bath water for a few minutes to test if any water leaked in.
After a few minutes of submerging the front and then backs of the trousers below the waist line, I then took them off to see if my socks of base layer leggings had got wet. I could find no wet patches at all on my socks nor my leggings so I was happy that the dry trousers had indeed done their job and kept them dry.
I have used the Nookie Evolution trousers on many Autumn, Winter and Spring paddles and they have always kept my legs and feet warm and dry when I’ve waded out into water up to me thighs while launching and landing my kayak.
8. PROS OF THE NOOKIE EVOLUTION TROUSERS
- They appear to be very well made
- They are very pleasing to the eye with a nice colour scheme and not too baggy
- The material is thicker and more rugged in high wear areas seat, knees, outer ankle cuffs and sock
- The tall neoprene waist is flexible and can be pulled up to it’s full length when its colder or you wading into deeper water or it can be folded down if you are getting hot or if you would just rather have freedom around your mid drift for paddling
9. CONS OF THE NOOKIE EVOLUTION TROUSERS
- They are single waist not double waist so will give less waterproofing if you combine them with a dry jacket if you are submerged above your waist line
- They are only waterproof up to your waistline whereas bib trousers can give you a bit more protection up to the top of your ribs
- They are not cheap but not that much more than most other waist height dry trousers
- The lack of a relief zipper makes it harder to take a wee while out on the kayak compared to bib pants which have a relief zipper
10. SUMMARY
I have used the Nookie Evolution trousers for a few years and they are comfortable, well made, and fit the bill for what I wanted which was essentially to keep my legs dry when wading out while landing/launching and also to keep them dry from paddle splashes and spray whilst paddling.
I’ve used them for kayaking on the coast, estuaries, canals, rivers and lakes and they’ve been reliable and I’ve not any leakages or other issues.
I have also done reviews of several other dry trousers on the Kayaking Clothing Reviews page of my website and also on the Product Reviews playlist of my Youtube channel.
If you have any comments or questions about these dry trousers then comment below, send me an email or use the contact form on my website.
The link to my video review of these dry trousers on our Youtube Channel is below:
Not cheap are they… report back on wear and tear? Look warm. What do you do for a p*ss tho?
I will update on how durable they are. Main thing is to be careful not to walk around without boots worn over the socks since if anything will go it’s likely to be the socks. You have to pull the waist down to take a leak, harder than using a relief zipper but it’s not so bad.