The Best Men's Travel Pants For Every Type of Trip

When I travel, a lot of thought goes into the types of items that I bring along. If you’re like me, everything that you have serves multiple purposes. I like to pack light, and too many single-use items quickly start to add up and fill your bag.

I usually travel with a single pair of pants. I want to make sure those pants will last a long time! Picking a good pair of pants is based on a few qualifying factors. A pair of pants should be durable, flexible, good quality, not doofy and should serve a secondary purpose like being suitable for a second occasion.

Here are my top recommendations based on the travel pants I’ve tried over the years.

Western Rise

Western Rise is a travel-inspired company that creates versatile clothing for men. Their focus is on minimalist products that maximize features you need and slash those that you don’t. I find that Western Rise’s apparel is timeless and functional, so there are no fast trends.

What I like about the company is that they are product-focused, and their garments perform great in all different types of temperatures, occasions, altitudes and activities. We dive into the details in our interview with Western Rise’s Co-Founder Kelly Watters.

For anyone who wants to get a feel for the styles, my top tip is to try Western Rise’s ‘try at home’ service that gets you a trial run of up to four products, for seven days, free of charge.

Shop Western Rise and look for the Try at home button on the product pages.

I recommend two of their styles that I have tried:

• Evolution Pant 2.0
• AT Pant

Are Western Rise travel pants worth it?

Here’s what I want to discuss about both the Evolution Pant and the AT Pant: both focus on durability, and comfort, with looks that are great for the workday or the weekend.

In general Western Rise makes quality clothing. After putting together a Western Rise brand review, I’m sold on their items fitting all of my criteria.

The Evolution Pant

The Evolution Pant happens to be ultra-lightweight and moisture-wicking, and it is also stretchy. I like wearing these on the weekend or if I’m taking a short train or bus ride. These pants are perfect for the summer (or hot weather) if you’re looking for something light weight and versatile. When I took them out of the packaging, I was surprised how thin they actually were.

The AT Pant

For the AT Pant, they feel a bit heavier and sturdier than the Evolution Pant, but they’re still not stiff or cumbersome. The water resistance in the materials is no joke: I actually got caught in the rain while I was wearing these on the rainiest Memorial Day weekend ever. I was able to brush the rain drops right off, and I stayed fairly dry on my way to an engagement party.

Photo via Western Rise

Bluffworks

Bluffworks offers everything that you need to be a smart traveler. Pants included. They have travel shorts, travel jeans, travel dress pants and suits!

They also offer free US shipping so that you can try on a few pairs and styles.

I like Bluffworks because they’re specifically designed to be multipurpose. Plus, there are many different products to choose from.

All of the Bluffworks travel pants are wrinkle-resistant, breathable and moisture-wicking. They all do an excellent job of being durable while you wash them, holding your phone (or other items) and secretly having pockets (in other words, they have hidden pockets).

Why is Bluffworks the original travel pants?

Their original travel pants are made from super lightweight material. I tried these on during a hot day, and I could have sworn that they had an air conditioner inside of them. These will be great pants if you’re wearing pants in really hot climates. They’re very wrinkle-resistant, so if they’re rolled up in a ball for a few days, you can shake them out, and they look presentable.

Bluffworks pants have been around for a long time. In fact, they were created in 2012. They have an interesting history that is worth checking out.

Other Bluffworks products I recommend

The same technology that goes into the pants is also in their suits. If you need to travel with a suit, the suits from Bluffworks are sure bets for having a suit that doesn’t wrinkle or smell during a trip.

I recommend the Bluffworks Gramercy suit, which has wrinkle-free suit pants. Check out our tips on how to pack a suit to avoid wrinkles, as well as my Gramercy Travel Suit review.

They also have the Ascender Chino pants, which are your best option for times when you want something nicer or more professional. They pair nicely with Bluffworks’ wrinkle-free travel dress shirts. I’ve been traveling with this combo to weddings and other events, and it’s been a great experience. Here’s my Ascender Chinos review where you can see all the features.

Photo via Bluffworks

DUER (Performance Denim Slim Fit)

Before I was wearing my DUER pants, I was wearing custom pants that I got in Argentina.

The pants from Argentina are some of my favorite pants, ever, but weren’t practical for traveling. They had shallow pockets, and the seams were not reinforced. The insides of the pockets started breaking because they weren’t sewn well, and overall, it was time for a trusty pair of pants for me.

When I walked around South America during my year of working remotely and traveling, I was nervous that my pockets would get pick-pocketed.

I also blew out the seams a few times, and they currently have a patch on them. I can’t say that the material is the most durable, but they are very comfortable!

I still wear these around New York City. My phone often slides around and is exposed in the corners of the pockets. I always have to make sure nothing falls out of the pockets.

My DUER jeans are the answer to the problems that my Argentina pants had. DUER pants are incredibly durable and have nice deep pockets. They have a lot of different styles to choose from, and all styles offer features that are unique.

The pair that I have lasted about three years of daily use. That’s something like 1000 wears! They have since worn out a bit, but that’s to be expected because I don’t think any material really lasts forever.

I talk about them as pants made for travelers in my DUER Performance Slim denim jeans review.

For a trip when you’ll be in cold places, I tried DUER’s fleece-lined jeans and discuss them in my DUER Fireside Winter Jeans review! They’re perfect for frigid climates or a ski trip. They have a thin layer of insulation, which don’t get in the way where other fleece-lined paints might.

What types of DUER Pants do I have?

I settled on the “No Sweat Slim” pair. They didn’t need any alterations or modifications. With that said, they are a slim fit, so they might not work for everyone. In any case, these are my go-to jeans that I could wear essentially any day of the week, and I always feel great in them.

I’ve worn these pants on hikes, with a nice shirt at a fancy event and almost every day during casual days. I only have nice things about DUER pants and actually, I bought them with a friend who also raves about them equally. The DUER pants don’t have zipper pockets, but that isn’t a big deal unless you’re looking for them.

What makes DUER Pants unique?

I wanted to call out that DUER pants have a lot of reinforcement in certain places that usually fall apart on other pants that you wear often. Their pockets are also some of the deepest that I’ve seen in any other type of pants. This means feeling good that things won’t fall out of your pants even if you are doing a cartwheel.

Quince Flowknit Performance Pant

These Quince Performance pants from the Flowknit collection are joggers, and some guys are just “joggers people” on travel days. As you may have seen in my roundup of the best joggers for men, these athleisure pants are slimming, stretchy and moisture-wicking. They come in a range of colors for all tastes. I have them in Heather Grey.

Probably the best travel feature is the zipper pocket at the back. There’s also side pockets in the front. These joggers have a simple and miminalist look: no frills, and no fuss. Plus, the price is pretty unbeatable and you have to see it to believe it.

To complete the tracksuit look (AKA the athleisure set look), try the men’s Performance Half Zip in a color to match.

Aviator Travel Jeans

My pair of Aviator Jeans have been an asset for me. They were the first pair of pants with zipper pockets that I ever owned, which has been a “wow” factor when I show the secret zippers to friends I’ve met during my ravels.

What are the best features of Aviator Jeans?

The zipper pockets are by far the winning feature. I like that my Aviator travel jeans have pockets specifically for a phone, a wallet or a passport. You can zip things in place, and you don’t have to worry about your things falling out or being stolen.

I was once on a train, and I was wearing sweatpants. Would you believe that my wallet fell out? Luckily, I noticed this before the train left the station, and I was able to recover my wallet. Since this experience, I’ve really come to appreciate zipper pockets for travel days.

Wearing Aviator Jeans is a nice experience because they’re comfortable and stretchy. The blend of fabric is soft and durable. They’ve lasted me lots of trips through Europe.

Which features could be improved?

I think there’s too much fabric in and around the pockets. They sometimes feel a little bulky around the sides. Their bulkiness makes sense because some of the pockets are double pockets, and you need the extra fabric for the zippers.

I also had to get these jeans tailored considerably (again, by Becca’s mom — thanks!) to “take in” the legs. With that said, the legs might be baggy on you, even in a slim fit, if you have narrow legs.

Top tip: Take advantage of Aviator’s free hemming and tailoring service. They’ll also reimburse hemming up to $10 if you show a receipt. Keep in mind that sales are FINAL once you make any alterations. The hemming has been one of my (and Becca’s) favorite features about Aviator. In fact, Becca’s Aviator travel dress was hemmed by Aviator’s team and now it fits perfectly!

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DUER (No Sweat Joggers)

Because I like my other pair of DUER jeans, I’ll mention that DUER also has a pair of joggers. I like joggers for travel because they are comfortable and versatile. You can wear them on travel days and for walking around cities and exploring various destinations.

Joggers aren’t the best for hiking, but they do hold up very well for more active activities like working out and riding a bike.

They look great and would totally work for the traveler looking to find a great looking pair of pants that can be worn on multiple occasions. I really like joggers, and to this end, I’ve rounded up the best joggers for men, which is worth checking out.

Photo via DUER

Mott & Bow Staple Jeans

Mott & Bow is a men’s and women’s apparel company that makes flattering jeans in timeless styles. I’ve enjoyed learning about the brand and all its products, and taking the jeans on my recent travels. The jeans are well-made and look effortless, with simple tailored fits from skinny to slim and with a fit for everyone.

See my review on what to know before you buy Mott & Bow to learn a lot more about this company and their other men’s products, from my favorite everyday tee, to cashmere sweaters.

The fit

The Staple jeans fit me nicely, to the point where I feel good in them, and they’re durable and versatile. They’re effortlessly comfortable, more than most pairs of jeans I own.

One thing to note is that they only come in one length, 32. I roll them up because I’m typically a 30, but you can also get them tailored.

For the “Skinny” variety, I went 1 size up. It’s rare that I do this, but skinny jeans seem to fit a little on the smaller side from Mott & Bow. Their jeans (based on the “styles,” which all have names like Staple, Broome, etc.) can mostly be found in Skinny, Slim and Straight.

Features

Let’s start with the stretch. These particular jeans are stretchy, so this makes them practical for long flights or travel days. The fabric is not scratchy or stiff, and it feels like good substantial denim that I’d wear in fall, winter or early spring. I like the elasticity and stretch for bending down.

Everything else you need to know

These jeans are part of the Dynamic Stretch category offered by Mott & Bow. There are a few other varieties in that category that might be worth checking out if you’re into these styles.

Mott & Bow also offers pants called the 4-Way Stretch. You’ll see these listed as Broome Jeans. These are unique because they offer stretching in all directions, and they’re good for different types of mobility.

One more thing I’ll comment on about Mott & Bow is that their product pages for jeans specifically state that you don’t necessarily have to wash these jeans often. This is my kind of brand! I rarely wash my jeans (and found that that this is actually recommended by denim experts!).

prAna Brion

prAna is a socially-responsible company. You can learn more about their sustainability mission on their website.

Their sustainability line offers recycled wool and organic cotton. Their clothes are also fair trade certified! Quality and durability are important to the brand. They mention those two pillars in their mission statement.

Are prAna Brion pants worth it?

Their pants are crowd-pleasers! The Brion line is the most popular pair of pants that prAna makes. The material is cut from their original stretch Zion fabric. They have a lot of useful features that are specific to travel needs, like reinforced rivets, water-repellent materials and sun protection. Somehow, they’ve kept the price competitive and affordable through the years.

prAna Brion: deep dive

A personal consideration about these pants is that the pants are not tapered. If you have the pants tailored, you can get them to fit you exactly how you want. If you don’t typically wear slim fit pants, this shouldn’t be an issue for you.

The pants contain 97% nylon and 3% spandex. If you weren’t sure what their original stretch fabric is, this is it!

You can use these pants for almost every occasion. They’d be good for hikes, climbs, casual Saturdays, office attire and for riding a bike.

Photo via Backcountry

prAna Stretch Zion

The Stretch Zion pants are a great option for hiking and a more comfortable travel experience. They are classified as technical pants, which I believe speaks to their ability to offer features such as an adjustable waist, stretchy material, an inseam gusset and roll-up snaps.

If you’re more adventurous, the Zion pants will help you perform better in your activity of choice. If you like to travel with a pair of pants and feel like you can do anything in them, then the prAna Stretch Zion would be a great option for you.

Photo via Backcountry

Icebreaker Merino Shifter

Icebreaker is known among the serious traveler crowd because of their quality and their use of merino wool.

Merino wool is one of the best materials to use for clothes. You can wear merino wool several times and the smell never really knocks your socks off. Well, unless they are socks, and you take them off.

Sustainability is a big part of their philosophy and core values as a company. They also make other great items for travelers, like their well-known socks, shirts and hats.

How are Icebreaker Merino Shifter pants?

Their pants are solid. Icebreaker has a few options for pants, and I’ll focus on their Merino Shifter Pants.

I think they’re interesting to highlight because this is a case in which this might be your secondary pair of pants. Although I typically like to travel with a single pair of paints, I can see having a second pair.

Traveling with two pairs of pants is good if one is in the wash or is wet from the rain. It would also be good in case you lose a pair of pants (is that possible?).

When would you use Icebreaker Merino Shifter Pants?

If you have the capacity for multiple pairs of pants or if you aren’t traveling full-time, these are still great pants to have.

They’re super cozy and have numerous uses. You can take them on a run during a cold day, be warm while relaxing around your house, pretend these are “adult pants” and wear them to work and more!

You might have a harder time in tailoring these; however, you might not need to because the pants are already tapered. They also have an excellent stretchy material called LYCRA® that helps a lot with the mobility and “stretchability.”

Photo via Icebreaker

Rhone Commuter

The Rhone Commuter are not your generic “travel pants.” They appear to be from the outside, but when you dig a little deeper, they have some nice features.

How can travel pants have features?

The Rhone Commuters come with a few things that can be useful for someone who travels a lot. They have a snap button, back pocket zipper, phone pocket, articulated knee and a gusset. Why are these useful features?

A snap button is useful for times when you only have one hand available. It’s also more comfortable, in my opinion. Back zipper pockets are helpful to keep things from falling out.

I explained more details about this below! I like the phone (or media) pockets for phones and phone-sized-things, like passports. Having an articulated knee in a pair of pants is only useful if you’re doing a lot of movement.

One of the best features about buying Rhone pants is their ability to hem your pants. Not needing to hem these pants yourself saves a trip to a tailor and makes them a bit more custom when they get to you.

Wait, what’s a gusset?

A gusset is a piece of fabric in the undercarriage of the pants that reinforces the area and helps prevent the ripping of your pants.

Photo via Rhone

And if you’re looking for an excellent belt option to go along with these pants, check out Arcade Belts on Amazon or directly on their site.

Mountain Hardwear Men’s AP Pant

Mountain Hardware is a well-known outdoor brand. I first heard about them because of their jackets. Their Hardwear AP™ pants are their flagship hiking and climbing pants. Can pants have a flagship model? I guess so!

They’re mostly cotton and nylon. Most people don’t like cotton for travel clothes, but I don’t mind it. I think that cotton gets better with age and is more comfortable. It doesn’t usually do well in wet weather, though.

What to expect wearing Mountain Hardwear AP™ Pants

You can expect normal pants-wearing-things with these. Aside from covering your legs, you’ll find zip pockets, articulated knees, reflective strips and a cell phone pocket. The reflective strips are useful when you roll up the bottoms of the pants. When you’re on a bike, it’s an extra protective measure for being seen in darker conditions.

Photo via Backcountry

Mugsy Travelers Pants

I got to learn about Mugsy and the travel jeans they’re making, so I tried them out. I think the standout part of these pants are the fabric: they’re lightweight-feeling, and kind of unique. A few things about the Mugsy pants are memorable: there’s the drawstring at the ankles, which makes them into joggers. I have to say, I’ve seen a lot of pants and I haven’t seen this before, so it made me say, “Wow.”

Then, there’s the hidden zipper pocket at the hip. While I have seen this type of travel feature before on men’s pants from other brands, it’s still one of my favorite highlights of a travel product. When Becca and I are on vacation or just out of town, she’ll remind me to put valuables in there so that they don’t fall out of my regular pockets.

Some shortfalls of the Mugsy Travelers Pants to mention: if I had to pick a shortfall it’s that when they’re not draw-corded into joggers for doing athletic activities, they’re a little on the baggy side.

I like my jeans to be more of a slim fit, like my all-time favorite jeans from DUER. Learn more about this and more Mugsy products at my Mugsy brand review, and see what to know before ordering.

Photo via Mugsy

DUER Weightless Poplin AC Pant

If you’re looking for a weightless pair of pants for a trip, these might be the ones. The day I got my Weightless Poplin AC Pants, Becca folded them up into a little rectangle, just to see how compact they could get for when I put them in a packing cube for our next trip to Latin America.

Here is a quick rundown of what I like about these hyper-lightweight men’s pants from DUER:

• Hidden zipper pocket for valuables
• Drawstring closure PLUS button closure (two ways to close these pants)
• Vintage/retro style with a slight crop at the ankle, and neat back pockets
• A slight stretch: not too much, but a bit, and DUER’s signature gusset for avoiding breaking the crotch
• They ran true to size for me with the size M, and note: they come in 2 inseam lengths

Check out my photos of the details on these travel pants for your next warm-ish weather trip.

Foehn Men’s Brise Schoeller Pant

These Brise Schoeller Pants are going to be your pick for active days on a trip. The pants are designed for everything. Because they are so adaptable, these may one of the only pair of pants you need to bring on a trip. I recomemend re-checking your size and desired fit on the product page because Foehn has updated their sizing for men.

My honest opinion on the Brise pants

To be quite honest, the Brise pants are not for me. I can’t get away with the rather “Euro” modern look that they’re meant for. I’m best suited for regular slim jeans like the ones above I talk about from Mott & Bow or DUER. For guys who want the unique stretch fabric of the Brise pants (it lends itself for outdoor activities) and the functional zipper styles, you’ll excel in these.

I also think the materials that Foehn uses are ideal for hot weather because they wick sweat and perspiration.

Photo via Foehn

What features should you look out for when choosing your next pair of travel pants?

Zipper pockets can help keep your valuables safe

No matter how careful you are, it’s always a possibility that you can get pick-pocketed. Zipper pockets are an easy way to protect yourself from someone reaching into your pockets and snatching your phone or wallet.

With everyday use, zipper pockets are also great for making sure you don’t lose valuable items that you keep in your pockets!

Depending on what you’re doing, you need to put a lot of trust into regular pockets for making sure you don’t lose anything. It’s really easy for a phone or wallet to slide out if you’re traveling all day and get up from a chair or bench. Having a little extra security can really go a long way.

What pants with zipper pockets do I recommend?

Check out a quick list of pants with zipper pockets. Even if you are not traveling, pants with zipper pockets truly help in all occasions. They are great for hiking, biking, commuting or walking around.

Hidden pockets are an extra layer of protection

You might want hidden pockets (or inside) pockets if you really want to feel secure about keeping your valuables close to you. Alternatively, you could also look for a money belt.

Secret pockets are a great place to stash things like your travel documents, your keys or phone. Hidden pockets may also have a zipper that can help when you take off your pants and forget something is inside of the pockets.

Articulated knees make pants more comfortable

Having articulated knees built into pants is an interesting feature. They help to avoid having your pants bunched up or cutting off circulation. It makes it easier to go into a full squat as well. Having this feature in pants is a useful for hiking and going to the gym. The stitching pattern gives off a “travel pants” vibe.

I suspect that custom-fitting pants with articulated knees might introduce some challenges for the tailor (or Becca’s mom). For these types of pants, I take the stance that they’re specifically for hiking and that they don’t require any custom fitting.

Cell phone pockets protect your phone

I generally like cell phone pockets because it means more pockets for other things. When you travel, sometimes you have odd items. It’s not uncommon to have a passport with you while you’re out, or to have an oddly-shaped piece of paper. Using such a pocket for those items is often a better idea than using it for your cell phone.

Stretchy material

Any pants that have some type of spandex built into the fabric is a nice touch in making your pants more comfortable. You’ll see a benefit of extra mobility and the pants will be more forgiving for different situations.

Why should you trust me?

Pants are a staple item in my travel gear. I often travel with one pair of pants to help save space in my luggage. When I find a pair of pants that I like, I make that decision based on quality and functionality.

Additionally, I look for pants that provide utility, like to help prevent pickpockets!

I traveled long-term for a year in each of 2016-2017 and 2018-2019. I’ve traveled to 30+ countries and have lived out of only a backpack while working remotely for many months! I take travel pants seriously and I have used that knowledge to make this list.

Looking for more pants recommendations?

Becca wrote the best travel pants for women if you’d like to check out those recommendations! She has also traveled extensively and values travel pants that are versatile, high-quality and “do it all.”