The Best Men’s Travel Pants of 2025

Travel should never be about the gear. It should be about the experience. An Amazon darling, at $40 a pair, UNIONBAY’s Rainier Travel Pants are a steal, leaving more cash in the wallet for traveling.

True to size, the nylon-spandex blend offers just enough stretch for a full range of motion. The pants keep around the waist with a button and have traditional belt loops if you want to class them up with a belt.

Three nylon zipper pockets pair with deep hand pockets. With two in the back and one on the upper right leg, they’re big enough to secure a passport, the latest iPhone, a notepad, or all of them together.

The Rainiers are rated to 50 UPF and feel durable in the hand, making them acceptable for activities like hiking. The outermost layer is lightly brushed and tends to collect lint and show stains quicker than other pants we tested, but they wash up easily and the 170 gsm fabric is quick to dry.

While a simple pant when compared to the Bluffworks attention to detail, these chino-style pants hit the core elements we looked for when evaluating the best men’s travel pants. If you’re looking for a budget pair of travel pants that pack up tight and breeze from the tarmac to restaurants (and maybe a light hike in between), these are it.

The Rainiers are available in four colors: charcoal, navy, black, and khaki.

Read Review: Darn-Near Perfect Pants, Made With Recycled Plastic: LIVSN EcoTrek Review

LIVSN’s Ecotrek Trail Pant ($139) brings more stretch, lighter weight, and a more athletic design to their tried and true Flex Canvas Pants. And while these new pants are great for climbing, hiking, or other fast-paced activities in warmer climates, we find they hit all the marks for what we love in travel pants too.

Let’s start with the many pockets, most of which are zippered. Both rear pockets close with a zipper, offering some much-needed peace of mind. Angling off the back of the left thigh is an additional, horizontal zippered pocket, which is great for gadgets or a small wallet.

Both of the mesh hand pockets have coin sleeves to prevent loose currency or keys from shifting around, and the left front hand pocket has a hidden zippered pocket large enough to protect your phone. Rounding out the seven pockets is a reinforced multitool pocket sitting on the right thigh. With so many pocket options, there’s a place for everything that feels designed with purpose instead of over-engineered.

The pocket configuration is dialed, but what sells these pants are the little details. The fabric’s synthetic blend doesn’t feel stiff, and the smartly tailored material walks quietly, fitting our testers with an ergonomic, yet surprisingly athletic fit.

A metal button closes the front and is backed with a leather pledget to prevent busting out. The Ecotrek Trail pants have belt loops, but if you forget your belt, they include a drawstring that hides inside the waistband. The cuffs are reinforced around the heel and so is the utility tool pocket.

While they don’t have a robust DWR, the material breathes very well. When things heat up, the pant legs roll up and keep under a buttoned strap that’s been sewn with reflective tape. These little details add up pretty quickly to make the Ecotrek a stellar pant.

Turn the pants inside out, and you really get an appreciation for the quality and care taken to make these pants. All seams are overlocked, with the flat-felled inseam. This kind of stitching increases durability where you need it and comfort where you want it.

Sustainability is core to LIVSN’s line of clothes, and the Ecotrek Trail pant walks the talk. The material is woven from Oceanflex fabric (70% recycled fishing buoys recovered from the ocean), and the YKK zipper taping is made from recycled ocean plastic. The rest is 25% nylon and 5% spandex for stretch.

If you are looking for lightweight, stretchy, durable pants, the LIVSN Ecotrek Trail Pant stands out as one of the best men’s travel pants on the market and can tackle a wide range of activities.

The first iteration of the Evolution was a GearJunkie staple around the office. Simple, functional, durable — it’s what we recommended to all our friends who ask us, “What’s the best pant for everyday use?” The updated Western Rise Evolution 2.0 ($128) has more stretch, and they are all the better for it.

This new bump in elastane gives the Evolution 2.0 a significant four-way stretch and increased flexibility without sacrificing durability. The jean-like five-pocket design wears more like denim but has the durability of a hiking pant. In fact, one of our editors wore their pair to the top of the Grand Teton.

At the core of the pant is the nylon-elastane blend with a trim jean cut. The nylon fibers are softened by running them through an air-texturized process and then weaving them into a dynamic yarn. The material has a durable weave that mimics denim (and feels less “khaki”).

The DWR coating — or maybe DBR (Durable Beer Resistance) — is outstanding. We wore these pants to Oktoberfest last year, where they took the brunt of the fickle Bavarian weather and a rowdy beer hall.

Reach around back, and you’ll find a double pocket on the right, with a hidden zipper pocket that’s large enough to swallow your passport. Western Rise expanded the front coin pocket and made it big enough to holster the largest phone on the market.

After your trip, roll them up and watch them disappear in your luggage. They tick all the boxes for traveling and were the envy of our photographer while cycling through Colombia.

There aren’t many reasons to ding the Evolutions; the material on the new pant feels stiff out of the box but that softens up over time. To help differentiate its pant models (which all have a similar cut and color), Western Rise screened a patch on the inner left pocket. It can feel a little sweaty against the legs.

Aware of this issue, Western Rise is changing that label to a print going forward. One thing that hasn’t changed is the pocket configuration. Some will find the additional zipper pocket just the right amount of added security. Others will prefer more pockets to keep their EDCs. And that’s where we find the Evolution falls short. An extra security pocket would send this pant to the top of the list again.

If you want that Western Rise styling but with a wrinkle-resistant fabric, the Diversion pant ($168) is also a great pick. The double-knit canvas weighs 286 gsm, making it more durable overall but sacrificing packability.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This fantastic five-pocket jean-style pant has been on our list of the best men’s travel pants for 6 years now. For 2 of those years, they were our top pick. We use the Western Rise Evolution 2.0s as a benchmark for fit and comfort, and we recommend them to friends looking for a do-everything pant that flies fashionably under the radar.

A new player in the travel pant sector, Jack Archer was founded in 2021 with the goal of creating a more comfortable pant that looks sharp day in and day out. Sew in some zippered pockets, give it a progressive taper, and the Jetsetter Tech Pant ($150) is a winning combination for a travel pant. 

Core to the pants is the Japanese-sourced 100% PTT polyester fabric. The aptly named Rebound fabric is a helically spun polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT) polyester that is woven to yield 4-way mechanical stretch, a process that some of our favorite pants incorporate (like Western Rise). It is strong, stain- and wrinkle-resistant, and retains its shape after being packed in our carry-on. 

The polymerized material stretches and moves with the body, naturally bouncing back without any weaving any Lycra or spandex into the fabric. This is good because these stretchy fibers can break down over time, eventually rendering the pants permanently ‘baggy,’ a quality Jack Archer is working hard to avoid. 

No aftermarket washes here, as the PTT weave naturally works as a DWR, repelling water and stains on par with the best. We wore our pants to a work event where we were hands-on with colored modeling clay. The greasy clay washed out of the lightly colored fabric, coming out of the wash looking crisp. Nothing needs to be reapplied — a bonus for those who don’t like additives in their fabrics. We look forward to testing how this performs over the year.

A diamond-shaped gusset in the crotch and a pair of elastic panels on the sides unlock the legs. We are mixed on the elastic waist. On one hand, the pants are incredibly comfortable and flex without being too loose or too snug. On the other hand, the stretchy panels take away from the clean, fashionable look. If this bugs you, the panels easily hide under a belt, allowing the pants to look sharp and comfortable. We found they suited up great with a tie and wingtips.

For the traveler, these pants have plenty of places to store everyday carries. Two deep hand pockets angle off the sides, and the hidden left pocket works very well as a device sleeve. Both back pockets are welted, drop-in styles that zip shut and hide under a thin overlapping flap. This gives the pants a clean, finished look. But we found the opening feels a little snug with the zipper hidden under the flap.

Minor criticisms aside, we really like the pants and recommend the Jetsetter Tech Pant for more casual traveling where you might dress up. The polyester fabric is softer than nylon but inherently less durable. Because the poly is woven with a mechanical stretch in mind, it is more durable than the poly-spandex blends. In the end, these pants are styled for more urban travel, supporting Jack Archer’s fabric choice.

Jack Archer sells pants direct to consumer. True to size, they have great stretch and allow comfortable mobility — thanks to the material choice and the diamond gusset sewn into the crotch. If buying pants online makes you break a sweat, Jack Archer offers a 30-day trial period, during which you can trade them in for a different size or get a full refund. The pants are notably comfortable and look sharp. We feel you will like them, too.

Threading the needle between style, function, and durability, Teren’s Lightweight Traveler ($130) is our pick for folks who want one pant to do it all.

The Lightweight Traveler is a tapered chino-style pant with six pockets. Three pockets secure your goods with a zipper. Two zip shut vertically behind the front pockets, and the third secures the right back pocket. The pants are washed in Permethrin to ward off critters. Plus, they’re antimicrobial, stain resistant, and offer UV protection.

Our editor Chris Carter wore his Lightweight Travelers on the Continental Divide thru-hike, where they withstood miles of intense bushwhacking through thorny, overgrown trails and post-holing through deep snow. Carter lauded the pants’ ability to stay stench-free for weeks on end. After the adventure is done, the stain-release fabric readily releases dirt and grime in the wash. These chinos easily suit up for a night on the town.

The Lightweight Travelers ditch the classic button and use a pair of sewn-in magnets to close around the waist. While wearing the pants around town and doing weekend chores, the magnetic closure often got stuck on metal objects.

They snapped to my grocery cart, to my truck bed, to my knife, to loose screws while repairing my gate. Curious about the strength, I went into my garage and started hanging hardware off the pants. The magnet is strong enough to hold a hammer. But, lean over to tie your shoes (or eat a big meal) and the magnetic fasteners slide apart easily. Stand up, and they pull right back together.

The magnetic closure is different and takes some getting used to. Is it problematic? Maybe. The gauss, or magnetic induction, could demagnetize small metal springs in mechanical watches. Given the most popular watch is a smartwatch — this isn’t an issue for most of us.

But magnets can also demagnetize credit cards and hotel room keys. Magnets are working their way into everyday uses, and unless you have a pacemaker between the legs, you should be fine. Worried about the magnet holding the pants up? Backed with belt loops and an internal drawstring, the pants have plenty of options to keep them around the waist.

Other issues: The offset zippered front pockets drop into the same front hand pocket sleeve. They fight for the same real estate, compromising overall storage. We found these pockets a little challenging to access while seated in tight spaces.

For those looking for rain or spill protection, the Travelers don’t sport a durable water repellant (DWR). That was known a trade-off for the Bug Repellency, (the feature applied second overrides the first). The pants still boast Stain Release & Stain Protection feature that spreads stains out until they washout after a few washes.

If you are looking for nearly the same pant with a DWR, we encourage you to look at their Daily Driver ($120). The Daily Drivers are a lightly insulated pant with a DWR (but no bug repellency), and are a better choice for in city wear.

With so many pros, these are small cons. The spandex weave yields significant mobility while the nylon deflects catches and tears — all while keeping the pants just over 10 ounces. It’s a great combination of durability and flexibility in a quick-drying pant that packs down small. At 11 ounces, the Lightweight Traveler is truly lightweight, competing only with Western Rise’s Evolution 2s.

A new-to-market tech pant, the Nomatic Outset ($130) has a lot going for it. Seven well-placed pockets are seamlessly integrated into the streamlined trousers. The two hand pockets are generous with an angled coin pocket tucked inside the front right pocket. The coin pocket’s slash-style entry makes it easy to grab your phone on the go. We consider it the best in class for the revamped coin pocket.

The two rear jetted pockets are large and sewn into the yoke beneath the waist. While they are welt-style, drop-in pockets, Nomatic partially stitches the hanging insert to the pants fabric. This is a nice touch. It eliminates the contents from swaying or twisting.

Two zipper pockets secure your important goods. A hidden slash pocket is sewn down the left seam. Not quite deep enough for an iPhone, it holds credit cards and minimal wallets fine. The rear right pocket hides a second zipper pocket. This is becoming the norm in most modern travel pockets, and it’s larger than most and can swallow a passport wallet. Since Nomatic tacks the liner down with the main pocket, the contents ride snugly.

The pocket configuration pairs well with the fitted cut. The pants taper down the legs, just kissing the calves without feeling too snug. Spun from knitted polyester (which we tend to see in more modern tech pants), the 100% poly pants yield significant 4-way stretch. We did find that the inseam is a little short. It doesn’t bind the legs, but the lower pivot point feels limiting. Fortunately, they sew in a diamond gusset to help offset the resistance.

Like Jack Archer, Nomatic sews an elastic band in the waist, but it looks more finished than Jack Archer’s Jetsetter. Unlike Jack Archer, the Outset closes around the waist with two buttons. The pair of buttons helps distribute the load across the waist so you don’t have a pressure point digging into the belly.

This is critical because we found that the Outset fits about 1/2 size smaller than most equivalent sizes we’ve tested. Given Nomatic sizes up on the even, we’d be hesitant to jump to the next size and this ultimately is why this pant falls below the fold of our top 5.

Crafted for active pursuits that demand a hardwearing pant, the latest iteration of the Arc’teryx Gamma Jogger ($200) is the ideal pant to take you from the gate to the mountain without compromise.

We own one of the very first models of the Gamma pant, released back in the late ’90s. After two-plus decades of bashing through the backcountry, we still wear them, and we’ve even reviewed the current climbing cut in depth. The only failure is a busted zipper pull on a hand pocket. The fabric is bombproof. A cockroach. You can’t kill it.

This latest athleisure iteration is much more refined. The fabric is softer and lighter, more pliable and stretchy. It still blocks wind and a light drizzle, but it’s more friendly for running, nordic skiing, or simply wearing around town on errands. Yet, it’s still durable enough to wear at the crags.

Three mesh pockets secure shut with a zipper (two hand pockets and one inset pocket on the right thigh). The hand pockets are appropriately deep and hold items without binding in the hip. The thigh pocket, also deep, holds light, flat items best, like a map. Our devices tended to flop around in there. We’d like to see an internal sleeve added inside to lock the phone in one place.

Fit-wise, the pants are nearly perfect. The regular cut provides room for mobility and a gusset in the crotch to unlock the legs when you need more stretch. They gradually taper to the ankles and end in an elastic cuff, allowing you to see your feet when trying to place them on a hold. Though we did find that the elastic was too tight to pull the pant legs up over the calves.

The Gamma combines durability and comfort with just the right details for active travel. Like all Arc’teryx items, the lines are clean and the quality is great. You just need to be prepared to pay more for the bird.

If we had to put our 0.0013 bitcoin on it, the most comfortable pair of tech pants we’ve stepped into the Public Rec’s Dealmaker ($128, formerly the Workday Pant 2.0). How they can make a nylon spandex weave so comfortable simply bends modern science. It’s as if your sweatpants got upgraded to first class.

The 5-pocket pant uses a lightweight polyester that barely tips 10 ounces on our scales, which makes them one of the lightest pants on the list. They punch above their weight, and feel robust and structured.

Public Rec trimmed the fat to keep the weight down. The pants have thinner belt loops, uses smaller rivets, laminates the rear pocket hems and front button hole, and trims fabric overage from all the seams. Everything about the Dealmaker feels executed for ease of movement.

While minimal in many ways, we love the rear security pocket. Hiding under the right rear pocket, the secured pocket’s zipper pull is fat and bent at the tip, making it easy to grab and access your contents on the go.

This is our second round with this pant. The previous iteration tapered uncomfortably close to the leg, from quads to calves. They seemed to resolve this issue with the Dealmaker, which tapers perfectly down the quads and then drops straight to the hem. It’s both fashionable and comfortable.

The Dealmaker is a minimal 5-pocket style pant that does many things well, including folding into your daily rotation of pants for work, making this a good pant for the office and travel.

Merino pants? 100%. Proof is Huckberry’s in-house performance wear, with the 72-Hour line as its go-to travel clothes under the Proof name. New last year, Huckberry released the 72-Hour Travel Pant ($170), and while the price dropped $30, it’s still expensive. But it has a lot of merits. We learned it’s all in the fabric.

Wool has natural antimicrobial, DWR, and UPF protection characteristics that we usually laud about when discussing base layers. Because wool wicks moisture, the pants breathe well and keep you feeling dry even in hot climates and sticky bus rides. It keeps the stench down and the comfort high. All things we look for when traveling. 

This is the first merino wool pant we’ve seriously considered, and it makes a lot of sense. If you are going far with limited space, you need to trim the fat. And while cutting out extra shirts and pants may once have been a questionable decision, it’s a lot easier when one pair of pants delivers so well.

The design team gave some thoughtful reflection to the 72-Hour pant. Complementing the five-pocket design is a hidden zippered pocket inside the right rear pocket. The panels are sewn together with a combination of comfortable overstitched inseams, flat-sewn gussets, and durable flat-felled side seams.

The pants are sewn together with a combination of flat-felled and welted overlocked joints, then finished with a robust DWR. All this tech stays under the radar with black hardware finishes.

As styling goes, we find the Proof 72-Hour Travel Pant to be on par with Western Rise’s Evolution 2’s, which around the office we can agree are one of the best-styled pants available today. The comfort award, however, goes to the Proofs. Need more Proof? We have a full rundown on the brand’s merino lineup from our recent trip testing pants in Japan.

After a full year of use, we have noticed that these pants are beginning to pill in high-wear areas, like the seat.

KÜHL has a strong reputation throughout the outdoor industry for making bomber, thoughtfully designed pieces. And its sub-$100 Suppressor Joggers exemplify those qualities in spades.

The 85% nylon, 15% spandex blend is lightweight, stretchy, breathable, and durable. Plus, a solid DWR treatment rebuffs Mother Nature’s fickle temperament.

Like any good pair of travel pants, the Suppressors sport well-thought-out pockets. The angled hand pockets are deep and easy to access while seated. A single stealth pocket zips behind the right back side, and drop-in pockets grace both thighs.

Drop-in pockets are our favorite design to haul devices. They snug the phone but keep your data within reach. The best of the batch fit on the backside of the leg, maintaining accessibility and minimizing the bounce. KÜHL has two of them.

Riding down the back of the quads, they are perfect for clipping multitools, knives, or pens, and sheath a phone, passport, or tickets. And it’s these drop-in pockets that make the Suppressor our favorite pant to wear on the plane. Everything stays within easy reach.

If there’s any knock against the Suppressor Joggers, it’s that these are simple pull-on pants. No button, no fly — just an elastic waist and drawstring. On the flip side, this keeps things quick when moving through TSA – there’s no pulling off the belt and redressing after pat-downs.

When it comes to fit and function, cyclists have it all figured out. Stretch, durability, DWR, and ergonomic pocket layout make a great commuter pant. Fall short on any of these, cyclists will be quick to call you out.

San Francisco-based Ornot hit all the paces with its Mission Shorts. This year, the brand released its beloved short in a pant. True to the brand, the Mission Pants ($148) pull off an effortlessly classy-looking pant. Minimalist aesthetics, five pockets (two that zip shut), and the rear pockets angle off the midline for easy access. The stealth thigh pocket zips contents securely off the back of the leg. The leeward position pegs the device to the leg while in the saddle.

We found the Mission Pants to be lighter than other commuter pants on the market. The 232gsm fabric breathes well and moves with the body without feeling like a protective shell. They wear easy at the office and feel at home on the street. And if you grab a bike by the horns, both cuffs flip up to reveal reflective hits to keep you seen on the go.

We’ve been following this small brand for years, and it keeps bringing its A-game to market. These garments are all made in the USA and offer a 1-year warranty. The brand’s Mission Pants are great on the bike … or not.

Jetty’s Acadia 2.0 Utility Pant ($100) straddles the shoreline between a board short and the boardroom. But don’t let its slick chino veneer dissuade you. 

The 100% polyester material is warp-knitted, interlocking the poly fibers into a smooth-faced fabric. Jetty sewed in a gusset in the crotch to add extra room for the legs. The combination of cut and materials gives the Acadia an amazing amount of stretch in all directions. 

And it also gives the pants fantastic wrinkle resistance. We’ve pulled our Acadias out of overstuffed bags and walked into meetings with deceivingly fresh-pressed-looking pants.

Two pockets zip shut on the backside to keep your goods protected, and the mesh hand pockets are deep. Riding down the right leg is a drop-in device pocket. There is plenty of room in the drop-in pocket, and plenty of room in the relaxed quads before they taper slightly to the bottom hem. This extra room in the thighs lets the phone bounce more than we’d like.

The Acadia 2.0 Utility Pants close with a tarnished brass button embossed with the Jetty logo. A drawstring is sewn into the waistband so you won’t ever lose it in the wash. And in case you do need to go into the boardroom, Jetty ports the drawstring on both sides of the waistband, so you can tuck the drawstring on the inside of the pants for a polished look.