Curious Creatures Sun Dog Pants Review

Curious Creatures is a young brand that makes mountain biking apparel and markets it all with a unique, whimsical flavor. Earlier this year, I had a chance to test out their Ramble Scramble Shorts, and I’m back out there again toting a new expansion to their lineup. For the past few months, I’ve been riding in their Sun Dog Pants, and I’ve been loving them. Where the Ramble Scramble Shorts felt somewhat unrefined in ways, the Sun Dog Pants feel fully considered and well-executed. I like using them, and I’ll tell you a bit about why that is.

Curious Creatures Sun Dog Pants Features:

• Regular fit with mid rise pull on knit waistband and faux fly
• 31” inseam
• 2 secure zippered thigh pockets
• 1 secure back pocket
• Drawcord adjust at inside waist
• Hanger loop at back
• Overlapping cuff secures tightly at ankle with 2 snap adjust
• Fit with room for kneepads
• MSRP: $180

 Curiosity Sated: It’s Good

There are often a variety of aspects which make a particular product good or bad to use. Frequently though, things boil down to a couple key attributes. That’s the case with the Sun Dog Pants. There are many things they have going for them, and there are a couple things that aren’t necessarily going for them. More important than anything else though, is that they’re light, airy, and stretchy. That’s their character and their feel.

When I first put them on and went for a ride on my local trails, my movement was totally free. They have the kind of unrestricted flexibility that all my favorite activity clothes do. A more limber person could do the Can-can with these pants on. That’s beyond my abilities, I’ll admit, but suffice it to say, they provide more than enough mobility for me to be move freely on my mountain bike.

Riding around in the Sun Dog pants, you feel a decent bit of airflow. By comparison, they are significantly more breathable than the PEARL iZUMi Summit 3L pants, and, perhaps more comparably, more breathable than the Velocio Trail Access Pants. That’s neither a good nor bad thing, in my mind. More than anything else, it’s an indicator of what conditions these pants really thrive in.

For me, that is earlier Fall or later Spring, where the temps don’t quite justify shorts, but aren’t cold enough to demand a real layer. In my mind, these pants are just right for riding in the 45-60 degree Fahrenheit range. They can operate outside those bounds, of course, but my internal thermometer wants a little less airflow below 45 and a little more airflow above 60.

Beyond temperature regulation, these pants just fit comfortably. The waist is kind against skin, and the rest of the materials are soft as well. Typically, that comes with durability downsides, but those have been pretty minimal during my months of testing – limited to just a couple snags here and there. All in all, the materials and construction have both been a strong suit of the Sun Dogs.

These pants have 3 pockets: 2 hanging out across the quads, and 1 sitting on the right rear of the pants. Each pocket has a quality little YKK zipper with a comfortable pull. The placement of the front quad pockets was initially concerning to me, because I’m not a big fan of juggling the contents of my pockets as I ride, but I ran into no such issues. The quad pockets compress well enough that it’s no problem, and the pockets’ load stays pretty well seated in place.

There are three gripes I have with the Sun Dog pants, and you can take each with a grain of salt because each is my own subjective assessment. Firstly, they don’t have a fly. You may care about that, or you may not, but I prefer my pants to have a fly. Secondly, the ankle cuff closure design leaves a decently large opening from the mid-shin to the ankle. Even if it does make sliding up a knee pad easier for those so inclined, I don’t think it’s very aesthetic. Lastly, the price. $180 is a lot of dollars as I see it, even if it is for a well-executed pair of riding pants. For some, that’s an easy amount to pay. For me though, I’m not so sure.

Fit: I have a 31” waist and a 32” inseam. I tested the size 31, and found the dimensions to be spot on. The pants fit on the tighter side, but could still theoretically accommodate pads at the knees.

Buy Now: Available at Curious Creatures