I would have never thought finding the best travel pants for men would be a chore. Since when is it hard for guys to buy pants? What are we, women?! JK… mostly. But I digress.
I spent ages searching for the perfect pair of travel pants to bring on our year-long honeymoon. What I quickly found was every pair of men’s travel pants falls into two categories:
- The first is the guy you meet in any hostel. He’s got nappy, possibly dreadlocked hair that somehow looks good, and he’s wearing flowy, baggy pants that have, like, elephants on them or something. His pants say he’s all about chill vibes and strumming reggae and Sublime on his guitar.
- The second style of travel pants falls into the “Super Dad” category. This guy wears a safari hat, a Hawaiian shirt, and cargo pants with roughly 86 pockets – one for each of his Swiss army knives, cords of rope, compasses, flashlights, prescription sunglasses, et al. This dude looks like he’s been nominated for the Dad Awards every year for the past decade. If you watch any family vacation movie from the 80’s, this is the guy that shows up with his picture-perfect family at exactly the moment when the more relatable/flawed family is experiencing some kind of horrible melt-down and desperately needs a guy with 86 cargo pockets full of useful travel items. That guy’s travel pants mean Serious Business.
Unfortunately, I am not all about reggae and chill, or tactical Dad-ness. And last I checked, REI doesn’t have a “mildly effeminate millennial with high functioning anxiety who cares about safety features and doesn’t want to be covered in neon” category, so what am I to do?!
Try out a LOT of pants, apparently.
Table of Contents
Hey, looking for more suggestions about what to pack for your next trip? Here are few posts that might be helpful.
- The 4 Best Travel Shoes for Men
- 25 Essentials for Cold Weather Travel
- 42 Backpacking & Travel Essentials for Hot Climates
Note: The original version of this post was published in 2018. It has since been significantly updated & republished.
How I Evaluated My Travel Pants
I field-tested my travel pants by hiking, biking, white-water rafting, horseback riding, and canyoning. Also, waterfall rappelling, snowboarding, rock climbing, and at one point, crawling up a mountain on my hands on knees in Ecuador. There’s nothing like a year-long honeymoon to allow for plenty of scientific pant-related experiments.
Wow, that list makes me sound SO much more rugged and athletic than I actually am.
The big question I needed to answer was, could I find pants that both functioned the way that I needed them to for long-term travel, AND looked good enough that my new wife would still find me attractive after spending a year sleeping in sweaty hostel dorms?
Well, I’m happy to report that YES: I’ve found the perfect men’s travel pants that are up to the many, many trials I’ve put them through. And also, my wife still thinks I’m a catch, even though I wear the same 3 pants nearly every day. She does too, though, so we’re even.
Each of these 5 best men’s travel pants have been put through the ringer and came out passing with flying colors. Not literal colors, though, because really colorful pants are difficult to match a backpack full of clothes with. But like, flying colors in the gray/olive/black/navy range.
If you’re seeking the best travel pants for men, you’ve come to the right place. I’m about to open the door to a whole new world of cargo-pocket-less travel pants that don’t require an Ohm tattoo or a repertoire of acoustic Oasis songs. Just like, normal looking travel pants that do really useful things for regular dudes who also travel.
The Best Men’s Travel Jeans
Here, I’m gonna summarize this really quick: Aviator USA makes the best travel jeans in the world, and actually possibly the best jeans in general.
I only recently became acquainted with Aviator travel jeans, and my one great regret in life is that it took 30 years for this to happen.
These jeans are incredible. I have actually worn them every day since I first got them. Which isn’t as gross as it sounds, because I have 2 pairs. It’s just that one of them was supposed to be for wife, but they were a little too small for her, so now they’re mine. Yes, I stole my wife’s travel jeans. Look, don’t judge me. These pants are seriously amazing.
I rarely take these jeans off when I travel. And I rarely take them off when I’m not traveling, too. Honestly, I’ve barely taken my Aviator travel jeans off since I first got them.
They look great, feel amazing, and will change the way you look at jeans forever. I actually once wore them for so long that when I put on my non-travel jeans again, I was like, ew, what’s wrong with these jeans?
So, why are Aviator travel jeans so incredible? Let me break it down.
✔ There are SEVEN pockets (and they aren’t cargo pockets).
Each front pocket has a small pocket inside, as does one of the back pockets. I say “small,” but I was able to zip my iPhone into both of them.
✔ There are TWO hidden pockets for theft deterrence.
I hate wearing a money belt. I just hate money belts. They fit awkwardly, they’re not easy to reach, and when you DO finally manage to get your money out the cashier always looks at you like “Thanks for the sweaty ball money, guy.”
Luckily, Aviator has TWO hidden, zipped safe pockets that are spacious and easy to reach. I was able to keep cash, a credit card, and my passport in my front pocket by using the hidden compartment. And they’re truly hidden: you can’t even see the zipper when you’re sitting down or bending over.
✔ They’re SO COMFORTABLE.
I am legitimately tempted to sleep in my Aviators. I haven’t yet…I swear… They have the perfect amount of stretch and strength, and the fabric is super soft. That makes them perfect for long travel days, plane rides, train rides, overnight busses, etc.
✔ They look great.
In an attempt to make jeans “tactical,” most travel jeans have reinforced stitching, extra durable fabric, random pieces of neon, and a bunch of other stuff that makes them look…well, ridiculous.
My Aviators look and fit better than my other jeans, and blows all of my other pairs of travel jeans out of the water. They’re fitted but not too tight, don’t give me dad-butt, and give me plenty of breathing room, if you know what I mean. And they just look like … really nice, slim-fit jeans.
✔ They’re nice and long.
Aviator travel jeans were designed with tall dudes in mind, which is perfect for my 6’2” lanky AF frame. But they’re also made to be easily tailored.
The jeans only come in 1 length (32) because they’re still a small company. So if you need a couple of inches off the bottom, just head over to anywhere they tailor jeans (like, Men’s Wearhouse – yes, they’ll tailor your jeans, and for hella cheap, too) and take your hem up to the right length. It won’t take long and it won’t cost much, either.
✔ They’re packable.
Most jeans are bulky and get smelly when they’re reworn and packed for a year straight (I speak from experience here).
But when I roll up my Aviator travel jeans, they don’t take up much space, they aren’t heavy, and their breathability keeps them smelling fresh after dozens of wears.
The Aviator travel jeans are available Dark Indigo, Medium Indigo, Black, Khaki, and Silver Gray. I have both a black pair and a medium Indigo pair (that’s the pair that was actually supposed to be my wife’s, but then I stole them because they were too small for her and they make my legs look amazing.)
Don’t judge me for my jean obsession. Just get a pair! These pants will change your travel game.
The Best Hiking Pants for Men
Wanna know what the worst day of my life was? It wasn’t when we totally failed the difficult hike to Machu Picchu.
It was the day before we left for our Inca Trail trek, when I found out my prAna Stretch Zion Pants had gotten lost in the laundry at our hostel in Cusco.
It felt like someone had sucker-punched me. I was supposed to HIKE in regular PANTS!? LIKE PEOPLE!? For the record, I hiked in leggings and rain pants, and it was terrible. In hindsight, this was clearly an omen that we should NOT have attempted to hike the Inca Trail.
As soon as we returned from our year-long honeymoon I got a new pair, because I simply can’t travel without them. Here’s why I’m so obsessed with my prAna Stretch Zion pants:
✔ They’re made with prAna’s amazing Zion fabric.
This fabric is seriously travel-proof. It’s extremely durable, water-resistant, and quick-drying, and what’s more, it doesn’t feel like you’re wearing cardboard boxes on your legs, like most tactical travel pants.
I wear these both hiking and snowboarding (layered over a pair of these) and they’ve never failed to do everything I need them to, and more.
✔ Stretch is in the name, so you know these things are comfortable.
If I was physically capable of doing a split, I could do splits in these things. As it is, they’re comfortable enough for hiking, biking, rock climbing, and bouncing uncomfortably on a chicken truck while riding across the border of Ecuador on a 2-day long bus journey.
✔ The fit actually looks fantastic.
Why is it so hard to find slim fit hiking pants?! My legs don’t need 18 extra inches of room. They just need enough fabric to cover my hard-earned muscle and let me move around comfortably. I don’t get why so many hiking pants are cut to these massive, baggy 90s fits.
Thankfully, the prAna Zion hiking pants look awesome and feel amazing.
✔ They have a convenient ventilation system.
I’m not going to get into the science of ball sweat, so I’ll just say this: They have air holes near your business that are small and let your stuff breathe, and it’s very, very nice.
✔ They low-key convert into shorter pants.
You know what’s never fashionable? Zippers across your knees. Nothing says “I spend most of my weekends watching Little League Baseball games and going to Costco” like zip off pants. Yet, travel pants still come standard with this weird ultra 90s feature.
Not the prAna Zions! They roll and snap up if you want to make them shorter, and you’d never guess they were convertible by looking at them.
Sure, you won’t be wearing actual shorts (unless you buy the shorts version of these pants, which yes, I also own and love) but you’ll have plenty of breathing room on a hot day.
✔ Pocket space!
I know I’ve been talking shit about cargo pants. That’s because cargo pockets are usually the size of potato sacks.
The prAna Zions have one un-intrusive cargo pocket that sits flush with your leg, so it’s handy when you need it, and not in the way screaming I’M A CARGO POCKET LOOK AT ME when you don’t.
The prAna Stretch Zion pant comes in a bunch of colors. I’m low key boring, so mine are Charcoal Gray. They also come in a zillion sizes – kudos for being size inclusive, prAna! You can pick yours up on Amazon or directly from prAna.
The Best Men’s Travel Pants for Work
There’s no doubt about it: Bluffworks makes the best work-appropriate travel wear. Long gone are the days of zipping your suit into a bag and asking the flight attendants to hang it for you like some kind of square.
The Bluffworks Gramercy Pants – and matching blazer – go from suitcase to meeting in 2 seconds flat. No ironing. No steaming. No creasing. Nada. It’s enough to make me look for an excuse to dress up on non-work trips… like, who even am I?!
Other than being the flyest pants in the sky, here are a few more reasons why I love my Bluffworks slacks.
✔ Just the right amount of stretch.
Yep, the Gramercy pants have built-in stretch, which keeps them comfortable AND wrinkle-free. There’s just enough stretch that the pants fit nice and slim, but aren’t too uncomfortable to sit or drunkenly dance in, which – let’s face it – is the problem with every other pair of slacks I own.
The ultimate test? They’re comfortable enough to bike to work, wear all day, and then bike home again – and look fresh the whole time.
✔ Hidden Motha Flippin’ Pockets.
The Gramercy pants have all the pocket space you’d expect, plus a hidden zippered pocket tucked away in front for maximum theft-deterrence.
Pair them with the pocket-flush Gramercy suit jacket and you’ll have so many pockets you’ll start losing stuff into pockets you forgot existed (I speak from experience).
✔ That fit, though.
The leg is nice and slim and perfectly tailored – without ever having to stand staring at yourself in a 3-way mirror while someone pokes sharp objects uncomfortably close to your crotch and mutters things under their breath about your thigh circumference.
✔ They tick all the technical boxes.
Moisture-wicking? Check. Quick-dry? Check. Breathable? Check. Machine washable? Check. Comfortable and resilient? Check and check.
✔ They’re the perfect balance of formal pants & travel pants.
This kind of hard to explain, but these slacks feel like they were designed to be suit pants first and travel pants second. So they’ve got all the travel pant features you want, but they look, like, really good.
When you need to look professional the minute you step out of the plane, the Gramercy pants and matching blazer are the perfect work-friendly travel pair! Pick up a pair on the Bluffworks website – and don’t forget to grab a matching blazer, too.
The Best Men’s Travel Pants for Long Flights (& Working Out… & Lounging)
I have done it: I have found the most comfortable men’s pants for flying.
The instant I pulled these amazing pants on for the first time, I had the following conversation in my head:
“Oh, damn.”
“Right?”
“I’m going to wear these to work tomorrow.”
“No Jeremy. You’re a teacher. You have to wear real pants.”
“They’ll understand.”
“You’ll be fired.”
“Worth it.”
I wear my Outdoor Voices CloudKnit Sweatpants not only on every long haul flight we take, but they double as my favorite pants to lounge around in hammocks and hostel lounges in, AND my PJ’s; AND my work-out/activewear pants. If I jogged, I’d wear them jogging, too.
Any pair of pants that has 3-5 separate uses has earned a permanent space in my suitcase.
My wife and I both have a pair of these (in the exact same color, so yes, we constantly wear each other’s on accident) and we’re both obsessed. I’ll never wear anything else on long plane rides again.
Other than being insanely useful and super comfy, here’s what else I love about these pants.
✔ Who knew lounge pants could look so good?
My usual lounge pants generally fall somewhere between shapeless cotton plaid pillowcases and bulky, giant sweatpants that you could store a small army inside. But my CloudKnit pants fit like a slim tapered pant, to give you that comfortable, trendy athletic look.
I mean, I’m not the kind of extremely attractive and cool dude who can pull off this kind of pant at the grocery store or the gym or whatever, but if you are, well … I’m jealous. And also you’re going to love these pants.
From the knee down, these pants are nice and tight in a way that highlights my most only muscular feature: my calves. But from the thigh up, they fit like sweatpants: comfy, slouchy, and with a thick tie waistband to hold everything where it’s supposed to be.
What that means is that you never have to worry about them falling down while you’re running across the airport to catch a flight, or giving you that unappealing saggy dad butt look. They look sharp!
✔ They’re lightweight and insanely soft.
Don’t let the word “sweatpants” fool you – these aren’t your typical bulky sweatpants. They’re incredibly soft and lightweight, perfect for rolling up and stuffing into a suitcase or backpack.
✔ There’s a hidden pocket.
There are two deep, roomy, giant-cell-phone friendly pockets in the front and one deep, roomy hidden pocket tucked inside one of the front pockets.
They’re not zippered – that would be my one wish for an upgrade on these – but thanks to the super stretchy fabric, I’ve yet to have anything fall out of my pocket while wearing these.
✔ They’re ethically made.
Outdoor Voices is an eco-conscious company that uses recycled polyester in many of its products and thoroughly vets its factories to ensure that workers are paid a fair living wage and receive ethical treatment. Heck yea!
✔ They’re comfortable whether it’s hot or cold.
I never thought I’d want to wear a pair of sweatpants to sleep in hot weather with no A/C, but on our back-to-back trips this summer to both Panama and Cartagena, I found myself reaching for these every night even though I was sweating my you-know-whats off.
The CloudKnits have rad wicking technology that makes them more comfortable in hot weather than going bare-legged. But somehow they’re also insulating enough to keep your legs from freezing on a flight with the A/C cranked up to a zillion for no reason (why do airplanes do that?! Why??)
Witchcraft? Possibly. Whatever. I’m into it.
✔ They’re the perfect athletic pant.
After my wife unintentionally wore her CloudKnits on a jungle hike in Nepal, I tested mine out at the gym (yes, her test was way more badass).
They passed the squat test, the stretching test, the biking home test, and the “do I REALLY have to take these off and wash them or can I just wear them all night like a caveman?” test.
I credit their surprising resilience to the fact that Outdoor Voices is an athletic company, so no surprise that their “sweatpants” are actually low-key athletic pants in disguise.
If you’re still wearing jeans on flights (and I don’t mean like the cozy AF Aviator Jeans), these pants just might change your life forever. Whether you’re looking for the best men’s pants for flying or just trying to replace a few of the pants in your bag, these are a must-have.
If you’ve struggled finding the best travel pants for men, vent your frustrations in the comments. What questions can I answer for you about the best men’s travel pants?
Hey, looking for more suggestions about what to pack for your next trip? Here are few posts that might be helpful.
- The 4 Best Travel Shoes for Men
- 25 Essentials for Cold Weather Travel
- 42 Backpacking & Travel Essentials for Hot Climates
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Disclosure: The original version of this post was partially sponsored by Aviator USA. A few of the pants in this post (and quite a few others that didn’t make the cut) were provided free of charge for testing & consideration. However, all opinions, reviews, and bad jokes are completely my own. I legit bring every single pair of pants on this list along with me on every trip and you should too!
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My husband is obsessed too with Prana pants! They are the only one fitting his small size and looking real good!
They’re such great pants!
Great article and one of the few reviews I’ve laughed through.
I’ve just been travelling for almost 2 years and had a pair each of Old Navy Jeans, Chinos and Kuhl convertible trousers (which I never once converted into shorts but were very comfortable)
I thought I could do better as the Kuhl trousers got most of the use and the jeans mostly stayed in my backpack (I’d bought them in one of my skinny periods so they were a little tight although they were stretchy). Also reuse was mostly 2 days, which was okay as I usually aimed for a 7 day wash period or the day before a move.
Loved your advice on the jeans and they sounded fantastic so I went straight to the Aviator USA site to grab a few pairs. Unfortunately their stock of 36 Straight is zero.
So great advice but I guess I’ll have to wait till they stock some more.
Boo, bummed that they were out of your size. We’ll make sure to pass along your feedback to them and hopefully they’ll be back in stock soon!
Having safety pocket is a must have to any pants. Nice tips, thanks for sharing.
You know, I’ve gone full dad with the convertible cargo pants at Costco and I’ve never been happier. They’re comfortable, carry all my sundry items, meet the dress code for visiting the Vatican, and are about $20 a pair. If you see me in anything else, report the impostor to the authorities.
LMAO! I’m sure Jeremy will probably join you in about 10 years … I could totally see him breaking out the socks and sandals and cargo pants JUST to horrify our currently non-existent future children š
No respectable straight man wears Prana pants. Maybe you should clarify that youāll be making recommendations for the hipster, effeminate, or beta-male. Now for some real man pant recommendations…
Travel: Tru-Spec light weight/mid weight pants
Jeans: Levi Stretch or for those who are willing to put in the time to break in the best denim made they can grab some Japanese Denim (Gold Strike, Blue Japan, Samurai, etc…). The best jeans you will ever own and built 3x as strong as most popular brands.
Working: Carhartt, Ben Davis, Filson
Hiking: Again Tru-Spec
Relaxing: Men Relax in their underwear
Hey David, I’m gonna go ahead and skip right over the weird sexism in this comment and just point out that we actually did state in the first paragraph that our post is targeted at men who don’t want to look like 40-something Dads wearing cargo pants, and in fact we even used the term “effeminate millennial” just to help clarify our goals here. I’m sorry that we offended your fragile masculinity by suggesting that it’s possible to both look like you give a sh*t about your appearance and also be comfortable at the same time. But by all means if you want to hike in denim and risk hypothermia, or just be incredibly uncomfortable in starchy stiff denim on a plane all in the name of manliness, be our guest!
Just found your blog, as I’m looking for the same thingāgreat travel pants.
Good to see that you’re a fan of the Prana Stretch Zion. I just purchased my second pair, this time they are the convertible version. I’m curious to try aviator jeans as well. Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for this review, it’s always nice to hear other people’s experiences and opinions-of which there are many!
As much as I’d like to be able to wear any old pair of 5 pocket jeans or other 4 pocket pants, it just doesn’t work for me while traveling. Storing my passport, boarding pass and phone in front or rear pockets is only possible while standing. As soon as you sit down, you need to remove them to prevent creasing the paper or possibly bending the phone. I also don’t like the look of pants with only a single cargo pocket. They’re just not symmetrical looking. I’ve also had the (unfortunate?) opportunity to hike through some nasty bushes on my last 2 trips. Think rose bushes, though not quite as thorny. I have some Kuhl polyesterish stretch pants which are destroyed and generally look like crap with their pilling in wear areas. They just don’t hold up to blackberry bushes which I now believe should be a part of all travel pant reviews
I too have settled on cargo pants which inevitably lean to the tactical side. I did search high and far for a style that doesn’t look like I’m a mall cop, and at least somewhat modern fit since I don’t have thighs the size of my torso like I guess mall cops and swat teams protecting schools with active shooters all around. I settled on the Vertx Phantom LT 2.0 (not the original version/1.0, those are baggy!). While they have more pockets than I’ll ever use, the cargo pockets are sewn into the legs instead of onto the legs. An important feature as they do not look like an afterthought. And the flaps are just tight overlapping material, no velcro or snaps except for the main zipper snap. They also have 2 hidden zipper pockets but with so many others, who knows if I’ll ever use them. Hopefully I’ll never be in a situation where I have to hide something that well. I’m a pretty skinny guy, so they have a bit more space throughout than I would normally choose, but they probably fit most guys well. They are summer lightweight, ripstop 65/35 poly/cotton and should make it through the blackberry bushes without being destroyed. Some nice pleats/darts to make for an articulated look. And lastly, they have a hidden elastic waistband which I find immensely useful throughout the day. My wife begrudgingly has OK’d them.
Thanks for the tips, Brian – the Vertx Phantom sound legit, I’ll have to check them out (although my wife is also staunchly anti-cargo pockets). And will definitely consider adding the blackberry bush test to my next round of pant hopefuls! RIP, my next several pairs of pants …
what gets me is how very few trousers have the pockets how id like them š
which is a zipped pocket each side where you have your classic pockets anyways, plus 1 normal open pocket (preferably 1 each side)
and why do i want that? phone in 1 side, wallet in other, and the zip provides you with loss prevention of those valued items.
i never use back pockets on the bum, i very rarely use cargo pockets because whatever u put in there will bang annoying against your leg.
craghoppers kiwi’s do have that setup, but the more expensive nicer craghoppers just give u 1 zipped pocket š
so annoying
I completely agree. The more zipped & hidden pockets, the better!
Have you tried Bluffworks pants? I purchased two pairs of their pants for my trip to Scotland. Also, because of your blog I am trying our minimalist shoes. I tried the Scott 2.0, but decided to go with Lem Boulder Boots Leather instead.
Yes, we have tried Bluffworks pants! Verdict: love the Gramercy pants, not a huge fan of the jeans. We actually just updated this post to include the Gramcery pants – take a look!
The Lems Boulder Boots are a solid choice. I recently picked those up and a pair of Lems sneakers as well. Been wearing them around all summer & they’re keepers. Glad you made the minamlist switch!
Fantastic list and i have got so many little tips from looking at them to use on my own siteā¦Thank you so much for this!
I have been searching online for weeks to replace my thrashed convertible hiking pants. I already have a pair of Pranas, but they are useless for hiking if they donāt have zippered ankles to slide over hiking boots. Any quality convertible hiking pants with zippered ankles, quick drying strong material, elastic in waist, multi-pocketed that you can recommend? Also, must come with a 28ā inseam & medium waist. Iām at a loss to find this unicorn. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks. Jeff from San Diego.
That is quite the unicorn! Typically we aren’t looking for zippered ankles (we both prefer to layer socks/hiking boots over our pants rather than the other way around) and we aren’t huge fans of elastic waist. Also, Jeremy is quite tall š sorry we can’t help too much with that specific request!
Lululemon abc slim fit 32′ pants will do everything you need on this list. Check them out.
For some reason I had no idea that Lululemon had men’s pants! We’ll check them out, thanks for the tip!
So much blather but no mention of the one metric I’m looking for – weight.
I believe what you’re looking for are technical specs, which can be found on the websites where you purchase the pants. All we have here on this blog is blather š