The Best Travel Pants for Your Next Trip

Any article of clothing that claims to be “perfect for travel” has an agenda. Like the word “natural” appearing on packaged food, a phrase like “travel-ready” is a vague and enticing smokescreen that can signify any number of qualities at the heart of which lies the question: What makes this thing better for wearing in places other than the place where I live?

Pose the inquiry to any given bag, apparel, tech or footwear brand, and the response might mention a tech-y fabric or maybe a modular feature (or nothing unique whatsoever). The riddle is particularly true of pants. What makes a good pair of travel pants? Is it comfort? Durability? The number of pockets? All those elements matter, yes, provided they add up to a blend of form and function that lets you step off a plane and onto all sorts of adventures. In their own ways, the following options each fit the bill.

Huckberry

Most Popular Travel Pant

Best Overall Travel Pant : Flint and Tinder 365 Pant

• $98.00 at Huckberry

There’s a reason these are some of the most popular pants on the internet: the 365 Pant combines the style of a jean with the comfort of a chino, with a little stretch added into the mix. Made with an 8-ounce blended cotton and spandex fabric, the 365 Pant comes in a massive variety of colorways and three cuts — slim, straight and tapered — so you don’t have to compromise your personal style to attain all-day comfort.

Foehn

Best Upgrade Travel Pant: Foehn Brise Schoeller Pant

• $160.00 at wearfoehn.com

Our former Outdoors & Fitness staff writer was kind of obsessed with the original Brise pants, and their successors are even better. Stretchy, moisture-wicking Schoeller fabric and a DWR finish keep them dry, while a stretch waistband and cuff, knee articulation and a crotch gusset keep them comfortable, whether you’re hanging on a rock face or standing in a security line. The zippered thigh pocket, which Foehn made to provide access to items while wearing a climbing harness, is ideal for stashing a passport. The looks pass muster as an everyday work pant, whether your office is indoors or out.

REI

Most Wallet-Friendly Travel Pant: REI Co-op Activator 3.0

• $100.00 at REI

Some of the simplest and lightest pants on this list also happen to be some of the more quietly technical ones. REI made the Activator pants with a stretchy but tough, nylon/spandex blend fabric that repels water, wicks moisture and dries quickly, so they’re ideal for any trips that include outdoor activities like hiking and climbing. Activity-friendly features include a crotch gusset, articulated knees and a zippered thigh pocket for travel or trail essentials. It all adds up to a heck of a lot of value for less than one hundred bucks.

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Best Rugged Travel Pant: Florence Marine X Expedition Utility Pant

• $53.00 at florencemarinex.com
  $75.00 (30% off)

Tested in the mountains of O’ahu, the F1 Expedition Utility Pant is built to perform in extreme outdoor environments, while remaining comfortable enough for long travel days. Featuring 4-way stretch mini ripstop fabric, an adjustable grosgrain nylon webbing belt and zippered front pockets built to keep valuables in place, this rugged option is ideal for adventurous travelers who don’t want to have to worry if their apparel can keep up with their intrepid spirit.

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Best Workwear Travel Pant

Best Workwear Travel Pant: Western Rise AT Slim Pant

• $128.00 at westernrise.com

We’ve been fans of Colorado-based Western Rise’s versatile everyday pant for some time now. “I own — and constantly wear — two pairs of these suckers,” one of our staffers once wrote. “The fit is excellent, like modern chinos or jeans. The colors are just unique enough to stand out. But what I like most is how tough they are.” Stretch nylon and air-texturized fibers make them feel like regular pants while repelling water, drying quickly… and leaning strongly into a style appropriate for modern workplaces, making them perfect for stepping off a plane and into, say, your company’s Amsterdam office.

Patagonia

Most Comfortable Travel Pant

Most Comfortable Travel Pant: Patagonia Twill Traveler Pant

• $129.00 at Patagonia

These unassuming Patagonia pants are sneakily packed with features that boost both comfort and functionality. The organic cotton/polyester blend fabric is light and moisture-wicking, with a water-resistance finish that rides out the raindrops. A drawstring waistband and jogger-esque ankle cuffs add to a relaxed fit suitable for everything from a plane ride to a journey through the jungle — concrete or otherwise. Meanwhile, four traditional pockets plus a zippered thigh pocket keep the things you need, like wallet, keys and phone, within easy reach.

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Best Pocketing: Roark Layover 2.0 Travel Pant

• $95.00 at roark.com

Roark’s entire brand is travel; each of the company’s seasonal collections emerges from trips to places like Jamaica, the Falkland Islands and Hong Kong. Inspired by Morocco, the Layover 2.0 Travel Pant is made of a blended nylon and cotton fabric that’s stretchy and fastens with a drawstring instead of a button for a slightly adjustable fit. Its front pockets have oversized, zip openings to accommodate larger essentials like travel documents or sunglasses, while the back pockets button shut, leaving you with plenty of reliable, secure storage options when you’re on the go.

Arcteryx

Best Trail-to-Bar Travel Pant: Arc’teryx Levon Pant

• $140.00 at Arc'teryx

If your travel schedule is tight and you need a pant that can transition from one activity to the next with style and capability, consider this option from Arc’teryx. New for 2022, the Levon combines technical functionality with urban styling, making it the ideal pant to throw on for on-the-go fun. Five pockets provide plenty of storage, and the nylon dobby material isn’t just hard-working and soft — it’s also bluesign approved, and is covered with a PFC-free DWR.

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Best Cargo-Style Travel Pant

Best Cargo-Style Travel Pant: 686 Anything Cargo Pant

• $130.00 at 686.com

“Cargo pant” might have you thinking about thigh-mounted square pockets with flapping lids, but for these pants, all it means is that they have room to carry a lot of stuff. There are the two front pockets, a card pocket, pen pocket, zippered leg pockets, phone pocket, belt loop stash pocket and, oh yeah, two back pockets. Even with all that storage though, the Anything Multi Cargo Pants don’t appear bulky. They’re made of a stretchy, water-resistant fabric that’s fine to hike in but doesn’t look overtly technical.

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