Product Review: ProChaps Athletic Full Chaps

Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.

The Athletic Chaps fit smoothly over my breeches and paddock boots. The design includes articulation around the knees, which allows for full flexion...without any need for break in. Photo by Lorraine Peachey. The Athletic Chaps fit smoothly over my breeches and paddock boots. The design includes articulation around the knees, which allows for full flexion...without any need for break in. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

When I’m spending time in the saddle, something that I’m very mindful of are my seat and legs. Having a secure seat and a good grip with my legs is paramount, especially when I’m riding my green gelding Roo. Because let’s face it … spooks and unexpected antics happen!

In recent years, I’ve ridden in many different pairs of breeches. And I mean a lot — different brands, fabrics and grip technologies. There are too many options out there for me to even try to count. With so many terrific options, it can be hard to choose a favorite pair.

Decisions don’t just stop with selecting a pair of breeches. I also typically pull on either a pair of tall boots, or a pair of paddock boots with half chaps. Because a grippy pair of breeches works even better for me when properly paired with a good pair of boots or chaps.

While spending time at the American Equestrian Trade Association (AETA) show early this year, I was quite interested to learn about ProChaps. I wasn’t super familiar with the brand or products, so I was happy to educate myself on their chaps and the technology behind them.

Since hearing some super positive feedback from others about the ProChaps Athletic Full Chaps, I was particularly interested to learn more about them. During my time spent in the ProChaps booth, I even got fitted for a pair.

Determining what size Athletic Full Chaps you wear is surprisingly easy. All it takes is three simple measurements. Start by measuring the circumference of your calf. Then, the circumference of your thigh. And finally, the length of your inseam. It’s really that easy!

I'll stop before delving too deep into the technical details working behind the scenes. But I will say that that the Athletic Chaps are made to be lightweight, while helping to aid performance and being durable enough to remain in tip top shape.  Photo by Lorraine Peachey

I’ll stop before delving too deep into the technical details working behind the scenes. But I will say that that the Athletic Chaps are made to be lightweight, while helping to aid performance and being durable enough to remain in tip top shape.
Photo by Lorraine Peachey

And once you have your three measurements, all you have to do is enter your measurements into the handy prompt on the ProChaps website to obtain your correct size. After being sized and fitted with a pair of Athletic Full Chaps at AETA, I simply did not want to take them off.

A preference of mine is to ride in breeches that have compression properties, as I find that it helps to reduce muscle fatigue while I ride. And when I tried the Athletic Full Chaps? I was really excited to feel the compression that they offered.

I was basically so excited to try the Athletic Full Chaps that I wanted to go jump on my pony and start riding. Like right then and there. Alas, I did not, but I’ve had plenty of time since the trade show to spend a lot of time in the saddle and around the barn in a pair of the chaps.

So let’s take a closer look at what I like most about the Athletic Full Chaps, and why they have been working so well for me. I’ve never worn a pair of full chaps before, so riding in the Athletic Chaps was a totally new experience for me.

Pulling on the Athletic Full Chaps is simple. After pulling the waistband on and buckling it, I step into the support straps at the bottom of the legs. Wrapping each leg around, I started the zipper at the top of the leg and zipped it down to the bottom. Totally easy!

The ergonomic design of the Athletic Full Chaps help them fit comfortably. The wide waistband provides padding and support for the back and hips, with a nice stretchy elastic between. The metal snap is sturdy, and includes straps to adjust the fit of the waistband.

The wide waistband of the ProChaps provides padding and support for the back and hips, with a nice stretchy elastic between. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

The wide waistband of the ProChaps provides padding and support for the back and hips, with a nice stretchy elastic between. Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

The Athletic Chaps fit smoothly over my breeches and paddock boots. The design includes articulation around the knees, which allows for full flexion, without any need for break in. The zippers are very heavy duty, and I like that the zipper tab ‘locks’ into position, and does not flop around.

Looking to the fabric … ProChaps are constructed using three materials that bring together technical fabrics. And to help aid performance, the chaps use a combination of lightweight knit fabric, perforated neoprene, and impregnated waterproof leather with Cambrelle lining.

I’ll stop before delving too deep into the technical details working behind the scenes (you can learn about them here). But I will say that that the Athletic Chaps are made to be lightweight, while helping to aid performance and being durable enough to remain in tip top shape.

Wearing the Athletic Full Chaps has been a really terrific experience for me. They make me feel really good once I pull them on. I’ve take to pairing them with a pair of breeches with compression, such as my pair of FITS Jordan Unisex breeches (check out my review here).

The combination of the compression that I get from the breeches with the Athletic Full Chaps helps to give my legs additional support. So while I’m schooling on the flat, and have worked to get my jumping legs back, they have helped reduce muscle fatigue.

So what are some of my favorite features of the Athletic Full Chaps? Of course I’m a big fan of the compression properties, but I also like how lightweight and comfortable the fabric is, because I feel great about wearing the chaps even on very warm days.

Determining what size Athletic Full Chaps you wear is suprisingly easy. All it takes is three simply measurements. Start by measuring the circumference of your calf. Then, the circumference of your thigh. And finally, the length of your inseam. It's really that easy! Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

Determining what size Athletic Full Chaps you wear is suprisingly easy. All it takes is three simply measurements. Start by measuring the circumference of your calf. Then, the circumference of your thigh. And finally, the length of your inseam. It’s really that easy! Photo by Lorraine Peachey.

And the waterproof leather grips wonderfully, which after all is the main function of a pair of chaps! I feel like I have a secure grip with my legs while in the saddle. I even find that I prefer the amount of grip that I get with the Athletic Full Chaps over what I get with tall boots or half chaps.

The Athletic Full Chaps are also comfortable and durable enough to wear around the barn. They fit like a second skin, and feel terrific enough to leave on after a ride. So I can go lunge another of my ponies, go muck stalls, throw hay, or handle whatever else comes my way.

And I feel OK about wearing the Athletic Full Chaps around the barn, because of the technology behind the design. Waterproof leather to stand up to wet conditions? Check. Support straps to withstand deterioration from urine? Check. Neoprene with anti bacterial membrane? Another check!

After all of the wear that my pair of Athletic Full Chaps have gone through, they still look terrific. They were made to be durable, and I have found that they have held up beautifully to barn life. And better still, they have retained their shape all the while.

The Athletic Full Chaps are available from ProChaps in either black or brown. They retail for $274.95 a pair and you can find them here. You can also learn more about how to measure yourself for a pair of Athletic Full Chaps when you visit the link to learn more about them.

Go grippy chaps (that look and feel great!). Go ProChaps. Go Eventing.