La Sportiva Devotion Pant

Trying to decide what size to buy. I am 190 cm and 85 kg - quite long legs. XL or L. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Five Stars but with some caveats and clarifications.

First, I have the classic La Sportiva black-and-yellow color scheme, which is sharp and edgy as always. (If you’re instead contemplating wearing the blue/orange/black version in public, you’re definitely braver than I am!)

Second, the sizing is the usual strange differentiation between Europe versus U.S., but as usual at 5’8” and 145 lb I fit perfectly into a U.S. Small (which is also a Euro Medium).

Third, the material is lighter than some competitors’ pants I have that are otherwise generally comparable. So feels almost as thin as race wear, yet with material that seems more weather-resistant. Really looking forward to wearing these more in the spring when even relatively lightweight tight pants feel too warm. Yet unlike almost all tights, you get a pocket, complete with zipper (albeit not much capacity).

Fourth, the cuffs offer interesting versatility. The zippers are fairly long yet allow only for expansion of the cuffs, not opening up a slit. However, if you want to use them more like race tights, then you can cut in slots for your boot lever, and affix shock cord as stirrups through the metal eyelets.

Fifth, the elastic waistband is nice, but the one definitive downside of the design is that the drawstring has no elasticity, and the provided cord lock has insufficient holding power. I added a second cord lock and now the drawstring stays put. But I might try to insert some shock cord to complement the elasticity of the waistband instead of working against it.

Single data point for other shoppers, I am a size 32/32, 5'12", 180lbs, and purchased size Medium. Length is perfect, but they are a little less than skin tight through the thighs and backside. I can see myself replacing their thing drawstring with something a little stronger to make up for this.

The attention to detail on these pants is high. Very well thought out. The reinforced lower leg sections has spots ready to be cut out to fit over a ski boot. I have Atomic Backlands, and the top buckle as well as the ski/walk throw line up perfectly. Material otherwise is perfect for what I use these pants for.

One other minor note, I ordered the black color which is not completely correctly shown above. The two panels on the thighs with the lettering are actually in classic La Sportiva Canary Yellow. Looks great.

You know, the one thing all these companies making lightweight pants need to do differently is put in a simple Fast-tex buckle closure for a belt. Drawstrings simply don't cut it. I can add them after the fact and I always do but it's an unfortunate step and expense.