Fox FLEXAIR Pant

What it is

• Fox's top-of-the-line motocross racing pant.

Fox’s latest high-performance gear line is the FLEXAIR. The pant is made from a durable, lightweight, 4-way stretch material called Fox TruMotion fabric. The FLEXAIR is the lightest pant Fox has ever made with the size 34’ weighing in at only 28 ounces. The TruMotion fabric is also claimed to have the highest abrasion resistance of any stretch pant in motocross. For venting Fox uses precision-engineered laser perforations to keep the rider cool. The knees feature a synthetic leather inner patch and there are some plastic/rubberized venting and protection pieces on the outer knees and on the rear belt area. The graphics are all printed into the material or onto very detailed plastic parts. The pant has an elasticized waist band and a zipper and ratcheting clasp closure in the front with a mesh liner inside. Available in sizes 28-38 and currently in seven different colorways that pants retail for $199.95-$209.95.

How it works

• A very light motocross pant.
• Built tough and is anything but flimsy.
• Excellent fit for normal sized humans, just be aware of size issues.

The first thing you notice about the FLEXAIR pant is the weight. It is light. Very light. And with light feeling pants the impression is flimsy as well. Then a close look at some of the high-level detail touches reset that impression. How can something so light be strong? Well we wore the pants a lot to get to the bottom of this question and they stood up to the test. More on that later. Also when wearing the pant it feels like you are not wearing a material that is thick enough at all. It has that thin “lycra” sensation (don’t ask me how I know, it isn’t pretty) in certain areas but Fox has also gone to the length of adding some padding in the frontal portions of the pant where you may be roosted. Then there is the venting and mesh fabric zones where air just flows right through. And you can feel it.

All of this is combined with the classic Fox fit which I will call tighter than most. Or "fitted" if we go the jeans way of describing it. I’m a 33 in street pants and for most gear I wear size 32, with Fox I prefer the 34 for the way the thighs and crotch area fit and also to allow the knees to have enough room for braces. The 34 seems to have a waist range from 34 inches all the way down to a true 32. So most riders I know are a size up when it comes to Fox gear. Understanding that, the fit is some of the most properly contoured and nonrestrictive in the business. The FLEXAIR only continues and elevates this fit due to the stretch character of the fabric in all the right places and not having strange panels or awkward plastic pieces to get in the way. The crotch stays snug but not too tight. The belt area holds the pant tight and allows the butt area to move but not sag or droop. Thigh sections are loose enough to allow movement and room for knee braces but do not bunch up, rather they stretch into position but never bind. The cut of the knee is properly contoured and flexible enough for braces as well. The synthetic leather inner knee patches are a little smaller than usual but are in the right spot for gripping the bike and protecting from knee braces punching through. The way they are sewn in makes them seamless and appears to be very resistant to coming apart. There was even consideration on the inside of the knee patches to allow sharp knee brace pieces to slide rather than bit into and in turn wear a hole into the knee. All of the stitching looks robust and we did not have any issues anywhere. Of note is the fit in the boot being stretchy and vented and not constricting the movement.

In use the pant is awesome. You do not feel like you are wearing a motocross pant, it is just too light. There are other pants out there that vent just as well but they tend to be very open mesh that is anything but protective and allows much sand and dirt in. The FOX pants have the tougher material with well-placed perforations in the frontal areas so there is still some protection but there is airflow too. Inside the mesh is in the right areas and never binds or twists and pulls in a bad way. We didn’t have any noteworthy crashes to test the performance of the material but we did simulate some poking and dragging or grinding on portions of the new fabric and were impressed with the strength for the weight. Fox's abrasion claim is a test of fabric durability and not meant to simulate sliding on the ground but we give the pant as high of marks as possible for such a light fabric--just a layer of material protecting your body from things outside.

The Fox pant is a premium pant at a premium price. It is top of the line in every way and even in our time in them, now going on six months of heavy use and plenty of washing they are showing very little wear with the exception of the leather knee portions fading a little. There are plenty of colorways to fit just about any taste and know your look will be in style at least for this season if not longer.Other than the price there is not much to complain about.

Here is a link to the test of the matching jersey: Fox FLEXAIR Jersey

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