Tried & Tested | Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket and Bib Pant

Skier wearing Rab Khroma Kinetic jacket with ski poles, standing on snowy slope with a rocky peak and cloud inversion in the background.

Rab Khroma Kinetic Jacket and Bib Pant tested by Lee Hardy
Jacket £340, Pant £340

The Kinetic jacket delivers Rab’s excellent design and build quality in a package that’s pretty wallet-friendly for active folks who like to earn their turns.

It doesn’t use Gore-Tex, favouring a Proflex stretch woven nylon three-layer laminate. It has a hydrostatic head (HH) of 20,000mm and a moisture vapour transmission rate (MVTR) of 25,000 gsm per 24 hours.

The HH of the Rab Khroma Converge and Latok jackets, which use Gore-Tex, is 28,000, to put this into perspective, and they cost £550 and £595 respectively. Their breathability is measured using the RET scale*, which is not directly comparable – of those two, the Latok has the better (lowest) RET score.

The Kinetic has a roomy helmet-compatible hood, with a wire-stiffened peak, rear arm venting, and mesh-backed chest pockets. The left chest pocket has internal zippered storage for securing valuables, with an additional mesh dump pocket on the right inside the jacket. All pockets are positioned out of the way of a pack waist belt.

The two-way front zip has a popper at the bottom, so you can keep the hem closed, but increase venting with the bottom slider.

Tested in La Clusaz

If you like freedom of movement then the Khroma Kinetic feels more softshell than hardshell. With fantastic breathability, I could leave this jacket on when touring in the mild sunny conditions we had high up at La Clusaz, and I only needed to open the arm venting to improve the air circulation.

The pant uses the same Proflex material. It has a drop seat, should nature call, the obligatory internal snow gaiter, and reinforced kick patches at the bottom of each leg. There’s venting on the side of each thigh and, for stowage, you get a rear pocket, one on the front of each thigh, and a large front bib pocket.

Like the jacket, it has fantastic flexibility and articulation in the knee and seat. If you need one pant to take care of softshell and hardshell missions in one package, this should tick that box and more.
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Product shot of Rab Khroma Kinetic jacket and bib pant in olive green, displayed side by side on a white background.

*RET is the water vapour resistance of a fabric, and the lower the number, the less resistance, and the greater the breathability. For RET, less than 6 is very good, which is where the Rab Khroma Latok comes in. Although MVTR and RET both measure breathability, they’re not directly comparable.

For reference, for snowsports you ideally want an HH of 20,000 and an MVTR of 20,000, but 10K/10K should be the bare minimum. If you’re touring or doing anything where you build up a head of steam, MVTRs of around 30,000-plus are more comfortable. If you’re opting for fabrics that use the RET scale, you want an RET of less than 15 for general skiing.

FALL LINE VERDICT:
A fantastic choice if you want excellent breathability without having to pay through the nose. The freedom of movement works brilliantly for dynamic, high-output activities.