Lyle & Scott Airlight trousers review

Lyle & Scott’s Airlight Golf Trousers have a 4-way stretch and an elasticated waistband for maximum comfort and to promote freedom of movement.

Lyle & Scott Airlight Trousers review: NCG Summary

NCG SUMMARY

The bottom cuffs might raise an eyebrow in those of you of a certain age but get over it. The Airlight Golf trouser could be the most comfortable you’ve ever worn.

PROS

• Ridiculously comfortable and warm.
• Flexible and very lightweight.
• Bottom cuffs keep mud at bay.

CONS

• Small belt loops require a bit of patience.

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Lyle & Scott Airlight Trousers review: First impressions

I have to admit a certain sense of trepidation when I pulled these out of the packaging. What was that? Yes, it was a very high hem – the sort of jogging-style golf trouser that Eric Van Rooyen has worn to much publicity on tour.

Van Rooyen is one of the world’s best golfers. I’m a balding, slightly paunchy, 45-year-old and here I was holding an article of clothing that might as well have had ‘youth’ stitched onto the pockets.

Would I look like the golfing equivalent of an elderly sports car driver – a player that can’t accept that his best days are behind him?

But there were some compelling reasons to put aside such silliness. For a start, they were incredibly light and breathable. When I put them on for the first time, the waistband actually stretched and moved. This was a novelty. Not only that, but it was a sympathetic movement – not the boa-constrictor that threatens to cut off the circulation on other models.

Save for those ambitious bottom cuffs, they looked like golf trousers too. They felt, though, like slipping on silk. I usually wander round the course in a state of semi-distress as I try and cajole an ill-fitting, too slippy or too tight, pair around 18 holes. I was just used to it. These looked like a whole new ball game.

Lyle & Scott Airlight Trousers review: On the course

I play at a traditional club, so I’d sneaked down early on a Sunday morning to put these through their paces and avoid the glare of the membership. Best laid plans and all that, though. There was a county event on in the mid-morning and the car park was packed as I drove in.

I crept out of the driver’s seat, bag on back, and moved through the madding crowd towards the course only to realise I was attracting no attention at all. If you can combine traditional and modern – a trouser that looks the part in the clubhouse but is also a very modern styling – then these have done it perfectly.

And, I need to stress this in capital letters, they are RIDICULOUSLY COMFORTABLE on the course. They don’t hug, but the silicon gripper waistband and the material feels like it’s moving as you do instead of a limb coming up against the resistance of fabric.

I’m going to assume they’re also called Airlight because they are incredibly warm. I keep using superlatives here, but they are required. They seem to keep in all the heat and they are bound to be my go to trouser as the weather gets colder.

While the bottom cuffs might have been the first thing that caught my eye on opening, they prove very useful in keeping the adverse weather conditions of the course away from the clothing. Given I’d spend as much time post-round in the winter cleaning the bottom of my trousers as I would my shoes, this was a very welcome development.

The traditional zip fly and button also appealed and the only criticism I can level is that the belt loops were a little snug and I had to fiddle a little to bet the band in place and removed.

It was a warm October day when I first wore the Airlight Trousers on the course but the moisture-wicking fabric also kept me cool and comfortable.

Lyle & Scott Airlight Trousers review: The 19th hole

What is it they say, never judge a book by its cover? Cliches aside, it’s true of my experience with the Lyle & Scott Airlight Golf trousers. From that initial raised eyebrow, these will be an absolute fixture of my golf wardrobe. At £85, your wallet might need to stretch a little with the fabric but given they’re flexible, really comfortable, warm and well-fitting, I’d urge you to give them a go.

Fit: True to Size/Small/Large
Comfort: 10/10
Value for Money: 8.5/10
Sizes: UK 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40
Colour options: Jet black, or dark navy.

Lyle & Scott Airlight Trousers review: The Details

Available: Now
RRP: £85
More info: Lyle & Scott website. 
Buy now: Here.