POC Consort MTB Dungaree review

POC’s unisex Consort MTB Dungarees, which retail for £450 / $500 / €490, are designed for wet and muddy riding conditions with the aim of keeping you warm and dry.

According to POC, the dungarees have a three-layer fabric that’s been reinforced with Cordura to improve resistance against abrasion, scuffs and wear, and is able to keep moisture out. The material has in-built stretch to improve mobility.

The knees are shaped to accommodate knee pads and the leg openings are elasticated to provide a seal to stop water splashing upwards.

The shoulder straps are Velcro adjustable, while the waist’s fit can be trimmed using an adjustable strap.

The Consort MTB Dungarees have four zipped pockets – one on each thigh and a third on the chest section. The fourth is a zipped card pocket on the left-hand hip.

The material has a 15,000mm water column waterproofing rating, paired with a 30,000gsm/24hr breathability rating. The material has been treated with a PFC-free DWR coating to improve its waterproofing.

To aid with cooling, the thighs have large zip vents, with the one on the right leg doubling up the dungarees' entry opener.

My pair of size medium dungarees weighed 409g.

POC Consort MTB Dungaree performance

As someone who tends to shy away from riding the slop if I can avoid it, these dungarees sounded like the perfect companion for the depths of winter. How do they perform out on the trail? Read on to find out.

I tested the Consort MTB Dungarees during some of the wettest, warmest, and coldest mid-December rides I can remember.

Conditions ranged from torrential downpours to river-wet trails with enormous puddles, and a host of temperatures spanning bone-freezingly cold through to unseasonably mild.

POC Consort MTB Dungaree fit

For my 178cm-tall, long back, short leg morphology and 74kg weight, the size medium Consort was baggy in the legs but not overly large.

The tightest area was the crotch, where there was little bagginess between the legs. The crotch’s height can be adjusted using the Velcro shoulder straps to some extent, but there wasn’t masses of flexibility.

The legs were long enough, overlapping my Five Ten Trailcross GTX waterproof shoes to provide a waterproof seal. The elasticated hem stopped them from riding up, too.

There was plenty of space in the knees for articulation, even with bulky DH-oriented pads, and it was the same at the hips, where bending my legs in the seated pedalling position didn’t cause the back or waist to go tight. Equally, there was plenty of space in the thighs for movement.

The fabric’s small amount of stretch certainly helped here.

Once they had got covered in mud and saturated in water, I could feel the suspender straps working on my shoulders to maintain the leg and crotch height. This meant that no matter how laden with claggy mud they got, they remained in position and didn’t snag on my saddle or bike on the descents.

The high-rising back panel proved to be invaluable on truly mucky days, especially when they were worn with a jacket over the top, making mud ingress into my inner layers impossible.

This was one of the dungarees' best attributes.

POC Consort MTB Dungaree waterproofing and breathability

Both the Consort dungarees' waterproofing and breathability impressed me.

On long, wet rides, they didn't wet through, and only the areas of the dungarees that were in direct contact with the saddle or totally covered in mud wetted out (where the outer layer of the material saturates in moisture). The rest of the dungarees beaded well, resisting water penetration.

This made riding in wet weather comfortable and warmer, extending rides in adverse conditions.

Even after prolonged, high-intensity efforts, they remained less sweaty than heavier, thicker waterproof trousers such as the Endura Hummvee. Their cooling performance was amplified by the large, easy-to-use vents on each thigh.

The reasonably baggy fit meant that once the material had got damp with sweat, it didn’t cling to my skin, reducing the slimy feel some other hardshell waterproofs create.

Of course, the additional chest and back sections did make them hotter than leg-only trouser designs, but an adjustment of upper-body layering plus liberal time spent with the leg vents open helped to mitigate this.

POC Consort MTB Dungaree practicality and functionality

The dungarees’ suspender straps fasten using clips and are easy to remove. The large right-hand opening zip makes getting them on and off easy, and they have a fly zipper that’s useful for male riders when nature calls.

The main pockets are all sensibly placed and generously sized, each able to accommodate a modern smartphone easily.

POC Consort MTB Dungaree limitations

Like all waterproofs, the Consorts will have a finite lifespan, which might make the £450 price tag less palatable.

Although the care instructions are similar to other garments out there, experience tells us that performance will degrade over time. This is something especially marked on PFC-free DWR treatments. Re-proofing treatments are available and should increase their life span.

The light-coloured fabric appeared to get stained quickly. After the first ride and initial wash, the backside panel and upper-leg backs are permanently stained. A darker-coloured version of the Consort is available and might be a better option if you’re bothered about them retaining their looks for longer.

Given the asking price, I’m hopeful they’ll last for a long time to come, even when subjected to harsh conditions.

How does the POC Consort MTB Dungaree compare to other waterproof mountain bike trousers?

It would be remiss of me to not mention the Dirtlej Dirtsuit riding one-piece waterproof suit.

Arguably, the Consorts achieve most of the impeccable sealing and water resistance the Dirtsuit offers, but while being a little cooler and more adaptable thanks to the open-air top half.

Even the most expensive Dirtsuit, at €340, is significantly cheaper than the Consort Dungarees, and has a built-in jacket.

The Consorts' breathability rating is quite a bit better than the Dirtsuit's, but the waterproof rating is marginally lower. In use, I think the Consorts are less sweaty and cooler than a Dirtsuit – even with all of the onesie's vents open – but that’s hardly surprising.

From a longevity perspective, the Consorts make more sense. Wear through the Dirtsuit’s backside panel or rip the jacket and the whole thing needs replacing. At least the Consort Dungarees can be replaced independently of your jacket, as and when either of them wear out or get damaged beyond repair.

Arguably, though, the Endura Hummvee waterproof trousers are just as waterproof as the Consorts, and only cost £79.99. But they aren’t feature-laden, are missing vents and pockets, and are extremely hot to wear on anything other than cold days, electric bikes or low-effort rides.

Compared to Fox’s Ranger 3L Water Pants, the Consorts are arguably better. Their material is less bulky, and the longer legs help improve the shoe/trouser water seal – although I prefer the tighter cut of the Ranger pants.

POC Consort MTB Dungaree bottom line

The Consort MTB Dungarees are a truly fantastic product, with performance, fit and comfort that goes a long way to justifying the rather ridiculous price tag. And because of that, they’ve become my go-to wet weather riding pants.

If, like me, you think all-day on-bike comfort and dryness are priceless, the Consorts won’t disappoint and are worthy of your cash.