CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Price
- Construction Quality and Fabric
- Fit and Sizing
- Comfort
- The in-built socks
- Waterproof Test
- Pros of the Nookie Evolution Pro Bib Pants
- Cons of the Nookie Pro Bib Trousers
- Summary
1. INTRODUCTION
If you paddle through British winters, gnarly whitewater, or long wet days on the water, you quickly learn a simple truth: cold legs ruin good sessions.
Dry trousers can keep your feet and legs dry and therefore warm so can make a huge difference between being able to continue paddling in comfort when the weather gets colder.
Paddling dry trousers can be a game‑changer, and among the many options out there, the Nookie Pro Bib Dry Trousers stand out as a premium, UK‑built choice designed for reliability and comfort in harsh conditions.
2. PRICE
The Nookie Pro Bib Trousers cost me £296.95 from Wetsuit Outlet. These were the double waisted version.
They generally seem to cost between about £260 and £330 for the double waisted version depending here you buy them from.
They also come in a single waist version which are a bit cheaper and usually cost between £250 to £320.
3. CONSTRUCTION QUALITY AND FABRIC
The Nookie Pro Bib Trousers are made from 2 main types of material.
Nookie EvoTX 4 (4ply) fabric
Most of the trousers are made from this material, which has a waterproofness rating of 20,000mm/H2O and a breathability: 5,000g/m2/24hrs. This is made from 4 layers:
1. Durable 160D Nylon face fabric that is flexible and soft to the touch and coated with PFC-Free Durable Water Repellent (DWR)
2. Hydrophobic, microporus coating
3. Hydrophillic grey coating (grey is more durable than standard white)
4. Nylon 20D Tricot Mesh for wicking
EvoTX 500D
This is apparently as tough as Cordura and is used in all the high wear areas; seat, knees, socks and cuffs. The EvolutionTX 500D has a waterproofness rating of 20,000mm/H2O and a breathability rating of 3,000g/m2/24hrs
The Nookie Pro Bib Dry Salopette Trousers include waterproof MasterSeal Ti-Zip relief zip for comfort, wide elastic braces, retro-reflective detailing and waterproof fabric socks.
4. FIT AND SIZE
The Nookie website describes these trousers as having an ‘anatomical dynamic fit for active use’. I find the Nookie dry trousers to be less baggy than the other brands of dry trousers that I have tried, but there was still room to layer underneath them.
Nookie’s website says, ‘The outer waist features neoprene stretch panels for insulation and a snug fit …. The inner bib is fully waterproof taped EvoTX4 fabric with neoprene stretch panels on either side to keep them in place‘. I did find the high waist section of these trousers to be snug, and I am quite slim around the mid drift, having a 30 inch waist.
I am about 5 foot 9 and weight about 60kg (9 stone 6 lbs) and I ordered a size Small which was about right for me.
5. COMFORT
Comfort was one of the most important factors for me when deciding what dry trousers to have.
I try out any kayaking gear I buy in the house wearing my typical jacket, PFD and other clothing that I’d wear when kayaking since this does make a difference to how an item of outerwear feels.
Compared to the waist height trousers that I also tried (Nookie Evolution trousers, NRS Freefall Trousers and Kokatat Tempest pants), the Nookie Pro Bib trousers (like the other bib trousers) felt a bit more cumbersome around my chest and shoulders because they are, by their nature, bib pants with shoulder straps and with a chest and back panel.
The below side by side photo comparing the bib trousers on the right with the waist height Kokatat ones on the right illustrates my point.
Its a case of swings and roundabouts:
- bib pants have the advantage of having a relief zipper and providing waterproof protection up to you chest but at the cost of having shoulder straps and seems which can rub around your ribs, whereas
- waist height trousers do not have relief zippers (which makes it harder for guys to take a wee on the kayak) and only provide waterproof protection up to your waist but they are generally a bit more comfortable since they do not have shoulder straps or any panels about the waistline.
I also tried some NRS Sidewinder bib pants and these had similar ‘Y’ shaped shoulder straps on the back as the Nookie Pro bib have.
I think if you layered up underneath the bib pants, which you almost certainly will, then you would not really notice the shoulder straps anyhow. The fit of the Palm Atom bib pants and the NRS Sidewinder bib pants by comparison was more baggy and adjustable, so you could loosen them up and fit more layers underneath them, but the Nookie pro bib trousers would provide a better seal to keep water out if you ended up having a swim.
I always try sitting on a cushion and paddling while wearing any kayak gear like jackets, PFD’s, dry trousers, etc that I have ordered online to see how they will feel when I’m out on the kayak. It is only by doing this that you can really test how comfortable they are going to be in practice.
While you can adjust the shoulder straps, there seems to be no way to adjust the tightness of the high waist and I found it quite snug. Some may prefer that, and this snugness has its advantages (see below), but I prefer having more freedom around my midriff.
6. THE IN-BUILT SOCKS
The Nookie Pro Bib trousers have asymmetric fully waterproof fabric socks with minimal seams, are made from 500D Nylon and have waterproof tape sealed at the ankle.
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. I tried them out by standing in a bath full of water and the socks I wore underneath them were totally dry afterwards (see more on the waterproof test below).
It is recommended to wear thick socks underneath the socks and to wear some form of a boot over the top of them such as the O’Neill Heat 7mm neoprene boots. 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.
7. WATERPROOF TEST
I tested out that these dry trousers were waterproof in a half full bath.
I ensured that fully submerged them up to the waist, including the relief zipper to make sure that there was no water ingress through there.
I had thermal leggings and also had thick socks on underneath the dry trousers and when I took the trousers off after my dunking in the bath, both my socks and leggings were bone dry.
In conclusion, the Nooke Pro Bib trousers bib certainly will keep your legs and feet dry if you get submerged up to your waist.
As for mating them with a double waist dry jacket, I did briefly test this combination out in my ‘bath submersion test’ when I also had use of an NRS semi dry jacket. This combination did seem to do a good a good job of keeping the water out and would work out for short and infrequent swims while kayaking.
8. PROS OF THE NOOKIE PRO BIB TROUSERS
They appear to be very well made dry trousers.
Nookie offer a 1 year warranty against defects (although fabric socks are not covered under this guarantee due to their vulnerable nature).
Nookie offer a repair service (at a cost) should you damage the socks, the zip, seams, etc.
They are twin waisted so can be mated with a twin waisted jacket to provide a waterproof.
The relief zipper makes it very easy for guys to take a wee without having to land on the bank or the beach (don’t forget to take your portable urinal tube with you and to close the zipper after use!).
They are a great colour and do look good. I think Nookie have the best looking of all the dry trousers I have seen out there.
They are not overly baggy like some other dry trousers.
9. CONS OF THE NOOKIE PRO BIB TROUSERS
The high waist has a very hugging fit which some may find not comfortable and a bit restrictive, although this is very much down to personal preference.
They are not cheap (although to be fair, a similar price to many other bib pants).
Being bib pants, some may find the shoulder straps and back/front panels not as comfortable as waist height trousers which leave your mid-drift free.
10. SUMMARY
The Nooke Pro Bib trousers are good quality bib pants. As I stated earlier, I tried several different bib dry pants and also several waist height dry trousers with a view to deciding what were the best for me.
They are ideal for a paddler who is primarily looking to keep their lower half dry during cold weather when wading in water during landings/launches.
If dear to the type of paddling you do you are going to be in the water very frequently, such as when white water or kayak/SUPsurfing, then you may be better with a full dry suit or semi dry suit.
Check out my coldweather paddling clothing video on my YouTube channel in which I cover all the different options for coldweather paddling.
Their main advantages are that they seem to be very well made, look great and will probably give you the best waterproof protection if you want to mate dry trousers with a dry jacket (or semi dry jacket) which is double waisted.
If you are OK with the quite snug fitting upper waist panels then these would be a great asset for your kayaking wardrobe.
My video review of the Nooke Pro Bib dry trousers is linked below:
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