The Best Men’s Climbing Pants of 2024

Unlike many of the pants on this list, the Basin features a straight-leg fit. The extra roominess in the legs allows for totally unrestricted movement. The stretchy blend of nylon and elastane breathes well, too. We never overheated in these, even though the pair we tested was dyed black.

Dual square-cut, drop-in front pockets help prevent your items from easily sliding out while climbing. A zippered back pocket provides a secure place to keep a phone on multipitch routes, though it’s slightly tricky to access while hanging in a harness.

Even after many uses, the elastic waistband held its shape and never dug into our skin. As a backup, a simple drawstring allows the wearer to customize their fit. These pants do not open at the fly, which slightly complicates the process of relieving oneself in certain climbing scenarios.

Though nicely priced, these pants are fairly bare-bones in terms of features. There’s no zippered fly, the knees aren’t articulated and the crotch isn’t gusseted. If you can get a good fit, the stretch factor should allow for decent mobility, but not like the PrAna Stretch Zion or the BD Alpine pants. The Basin Pull-ons are comfortably baggy, but their loose, drapey appearance might not be a great choice for date night. If however, you’re on a budget and looking for capable, comfortable climbing pants, the Basin Pull-ons will do the trick.

First things first, our 155-pound, 5’10” tester feels like BD really nailed the fit. Not too tight, not too baggy, and the combination of 4-way stretch fabric, gusseted crotch, and articulated knees allows for a complete range of motion. If you can’t high step to your shoulder, it’s time to do some stretching, because these pants are not the limiting factor. However, if you’ve got big legs from bagging lots of peaks, they may feel a little tight. 

The BD Alpine Pants have three pockets — two hand pockets and one on the side. All are zippered to keep your Gu’s and chapsticks from falling into the void, and the hand pockets are positioned to stay out of the way of your leg loops. There’s no back pocket, but you don’t need your wallet up there anyway. The feature set rounds out with a low-profile adjustable belt and adjustable hems. The slim built-in belt feels much more comfortable paired with a harness than a regular belt.

These pants are for fair-weather alpinism, like long traverses in the Wind River range or the High Sierra. They dry quickly and have a DWR treatment that will prevent them from soaking through in light rain, but they are thin, and you’ll want some warm baselayers in cold weather. When the forecast calls for snow or a lot of mixed precip, you’ll want something a bit more heavy-duty, like the Arct’teryx Gamma Pants.

We shimmied up chimneys and a handful of offwidths in our backyard of Bishop in California and butt-scootched over sharp limestone boulders in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming. Sometimes, the pants got snagged on thorns or sharp rock, but they never ripped. So far, the BD Alpine Pants have held up well. If you’re boppin’ around the lower 48, these pants will be perfect for whatever type of climbing you’re doing from April to October. BD also makes an Alpine Light pant that we haven’t had the opportunity to test yet, and we’re very curious how a capable pant for alpine climbing could be any lighter than these.

These versatile softshell pants will thrive in any cold-weather climbing scenario. For ice climbing or mountaineering, the Gamma is equipped with many helpful features.

Unlike most pants on this list, the Gamma is a bit of a thicker weave, making them feel lightly insulated. Even with the extra warmth, the pants remain fairly breathable, an ideal combination for constantly changing alpine conditions. We wore these in all sorts of weather and even used them for backcountry skiing on a mild spring day.

While multipitch rock climbing, we appreciated the addition of a zippered thigh pocket that was easy to access with a harness on. An integrated low-profile, adjustable waistband is simple to use and eliminates the need for a belt.

The straight-legged regular fit is roomy enough to allow a full range of motion. Stems, splits, and high steps are all on the menu in the Gamma. The adjustable cuffs help maintain a clear line of sight between you and the rock or snow beneath your feet.

Like most Arc’teryx gear, these pants are not cheap. However, their high-quality materials, thoughtful features, and impressive versatility offer plenty of value for the price. The Prana Stretch Zion and the BD Alpine pants are less expensive and can cover much of the same territory, but just won’t hack it in the worst weather. For those looking for a reliable pair of climbing pants to wear in unpredictable mountain environments, go for the Gamma.

With a redesigned waistband, the drawstring tie rests inside the pants, keeping it tucked out of the way of harnesses — an improvement we give a nod to. The cotton twill material is also dialed up a bit more, though, in our opinion, it feels the same soft fabric we formerly enjoyed in the earlier version.

Though we tested these pants for various climbing disciplines, we liked them most for bouldering. They can accommodate high steps, mantles, and wide stemming with ease — all movements relatively common in the sport. Because bouldering usually takes place in cooler weather, it’s a perfect activity for the thicker material of the Notion. They’re also a comfortable choice for sport climbing. Just remember, comfortable cotton can get pretty swampy on long approaches in the hot sun, and moisture-wicking is not something these pants do. A synthetic pant like the PrAna Stretch Zion will perform better in sweaty scenarios.

Overall, the fit is on the tighter side, though the elastane keeps things stretchy and comfortable. These pants come in sizes XS-XL. We tested a size small, and they fit pretty well on a 30-inch waist, though the legs did have a shorter crop. Thanks to the elastic waist and cuffs, the Notion can stretch to accommodate different body types.

The Notion pants have two hand pockets and a right rear pocket. The jogger style is in right now, and we wouldn’t think twice about heading straight to the bar from the gym while wearing them. For more crag-to-town options, check out the Topo Designs dirt 5-pocket pants, or the Coaltree Decaf Denim. The Notions aren’t packed with features or technical materials. Instead, these are extremely comfortable climbing pants best suited for bouldering in the gym or outside in cooler temps.

The tight cotton weave of the Dirt Pants feels soft and supple against the skin, while the exterior is highly abrasion- and stain-resistant. After over 20 days of use of rock climbing, housework, hikes, and grocery store runs, the pants still look and feel new. No pilling, fraying, or ripping whatsoever.

At 6’3” and roughly 170 pounds, our climbing pants tester Austin Beck-Doss typically goes for the longest pants length available in a 32 waist. In the case of the Dirt, Topo only offers a 32 x 32. With a surplus of skepticism, Austin grabbed a pair and — against the odds — they fit just right. That said, these pants certainly have a longer cut than most others on the market. This bodes well for the tall and lanky, but perhaps less so for the short and stout, depending on your style preferences.

Length aside, the Dirt pants are close-fitting and slim, but not so much that they impede mobility while hiking or climbing. A dash of woven-in spandex adds just the right amount of flex. At 98% cotton, these are not your high-tech synthetic alpine pants. They look and fit more like quality workwear.

Design-wise, this design offers a classic 5-pocket layout: two roomy front pockets, one small front change pocket, and two drop-in butt pockets. Hidden inside the right rear pocket, a zippered closure allows you to secure a wallet, phone, topo, or other valuables while climbing. If your project involves a full-on bat hang, rest assured that the contents of your pocket won’t rain down upon your belayer.

Aside from the zippered pocket and stretchy material, the Dirt Pants don’t have any climbing-specific features. They aren’t strictly made for climbing, they just happen to work quite well — especially for offwidth, bouldering, and other blue-collar styles that put a lot of wear and tear on apparel. None of the Dirt Pants’ pockets are easily accessible with a harness on, and customization of the waist fit requires a traditional belt — which we tend to avoid while climbing. A climbing-specific model like the Black Diamond Alpine pant is tooled to comfortably accommodate a harness, but won’t give off the same blue-collar casual vibes.

The common complaints about climbing in jeans just don’t apply to these pants, and they still manage to preserve the feel and durability of high-quality denim.

Coalatree is known for its low-impact manufacturing processes and utilization of recycled materials. Uniquely, each pair of their Decaf Denim pants are partly made from recycled coffee grounds and plastic water bottles. This innovative fabric blend feels highly breathable compared to other jeans.

We wore these while sport climbing in warm summer weather, and we remained cool and comfortable throughout the day. Upon their first use, these jeans feel soft and lightweight against the skin, and the four-way stretch makes them plenty flexible for dynamic climbing movements.

Though these jeans are not designed specifically for climbing, they have been purpose-built for active use. A hidden zippered rear pocket keeps items secure and would certainly come in handy while multipitch climbing.

Like many jeans, the Decaf Denim is cut extra long to allow the wearer to cuff or roll the legs. Unlike many jeans, these pants manage to look great and also function as high-quality climbing apparel.

Double knee work pants are an obvious choice for a blue-collar, crack climbing climber, but the Dickies Double Knee Pants also have a gusseted crotch, so they allow for a surprising amount of mobility. From wide stemming corners to sit-starts with your knees by your forehead, these pants will not be the limiting factor for your range of motion.

Constructed from a poly-cotton blend, these pants are pretty dang comfy in the summer. They feel a little stiff when they’re brand new, but after a few washes and a few pitches of groveling, they soften up nicely. For any fair-weather climbing, we can wholeheartedly recommend them. For the alpine, you’ll want something cotton-free that dries very quickly, like the Black Diamond Alpine Pant.

The main drawback here is appearances, a pretty subjective gripe if you ask us. They’re not as form-fitting as the prAna Stretch Zion, and they don’t do crag-to-bar quite the same as the Coalatree Decaf Denim Jeans, but if you’re on a budget and want to go climbing, who cares!? With the Dickies double knee work pants, you’ll save some money for your gas tank or that rack of Totems, and you’ll have durable coverage from the waist down for several seasons.

We first tested the Cirque Lites during an early spring pilgrimage to Joshua Tree, where while they might have at first felt undergunned, surprised us with their rough and tumble durability. The Crique Lite pant is obviously a lighter cut of the uber-popular OR Cirque pant, but whereas those pants excel as mountaineering softshells, we found the Lites right at home on rock pitches.

At 12% spandex, there’s stretch for days in these climbing pants, and on pitch after pitch we had no problem making the move. We also greatly appreciated the zippers on all pockets, which kept our phone and essentials where they needed to be.

The expandable ankles also feature loops for a piece of shock cord under the instep, making these pants ideal in our minds for early-season snow approaches to rock routes, where you very well may hike up in high-top approach shoes or boots, then transition to rock shoes.

For the climber who wants a light summer alpine pant that moves with you, the Outdoor Research Cirque Lite Pants are a solid choice.

Like all good climbing pants, the Chockstone comes with an integrated fit adjuster at the waist. This micro webbing and buckle system is ultra-low profile — it never causes an issue underneath a harness. The actual buckle is so tiny that it can be difficult to grab and operate at times, but we found we got used to it after a few wears.

Like the brand’s excellent Basin pants, the only zipper pocket is in the rear. Though the pocket is secure and roomy, we’d prefer a thigh pocket for easy access while wearing a harness.

We’ve been wearing the Chockstone for a few months, and they still look good as new after an attempt on the Grand Teton and a multi-day ascent of El Capitan.

We recommend the Chockstone Trail Pants for climbing in moderate to warm weather. The material is light and breathable – perfect for hot summer days. If you’re looking for similar pants for cold weather or high-elevation climbing, Mountain Hardwear also makes an Alpine version. 

Gramicci is credited with developing many active apparel innovations that have since become industry standards. The NN pants feature Gramicci’s patented gusset crotch and super-durable stretch cotton twill fabric.

This combination of features allows for unrestricted movement when climbing in the gym or at the crag. We climbed many pitches of rough granite cracks in these, and the fabric held strong without any signs of wear.

Though we love the feel and durability of the stretch cotton twill, it’s not quite as breathable as some of the more lightweight options on this list. These pants perform at their best in cooler conditions. Still, the minor lack of breathability is more than made up for in build quality and comfort.

The NN pants include an elastic waist belt that can be adjusted via a low-profile, built-in nylon belt. This adjustment system is simple, sturdy, and easy to access with a harness on. Though these pants do not include a zippered pocket, the rear pockets have a Velcro closure that helps secure a phone or other valuables on a multipitch route.

Overall, these are high-quality pants that are ready-made for use in all parts of your life — climbing, hiking, or just plain hanging out.