The Best Men’s Travel Pants of 2023

One of our all-time favorite pants for any activity are the LIVSN Flex Canvas Pants. The trousers are durable, slightly stretchy, and have pockets in all the right places.

LIVSN nailed the design of an everyday, outdoor-capable pant with its Flex Canvas line, but the material was a bit heavy (270 gsm). This made them bulky to pack, and in need of extra dry time when washed or exposed to wet conditions.

So when LIVSN shared that it was releasing a new, lighter-weight style pant, we couldn’t wait to get our hands on it. We are happy to report that LIVSN’s Ecotrek Trail Pant ($129) is the travel pant we’ve all been waiting for.

The Ecotrek brings more stretch, lighter weight, and a more athletic design to a tried-and-true model. 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.

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 Ecotrek Trail pants are available in olive, caramel, and charcoal colors, and they come in a range of sizes up to a 40-inch waist and a 34-inch inseam.

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

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 Ecotrek’s 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.

After four years of road-tripping, hiking, foraging for morels, and even skiing in them, our Bluffworks’ Ascender Chino ($125) continues to prove its worth as one of the most versatile travel pants available. They’re light, wrinkle-proof, classy, and comfortable, and the abundance of pockets kind of blew our minds.

You won’t find the Ascenders through big retailers, though. You’ll have to buy these direct from Bluffworks. But you can take comfort in knowing that you’re buying an incredibly thoughtful design. Extensive experience and attention to detail have gone into making the Ascender Chino a top choice for savvy travelers.

Our pants arrived in nice packaging and with speedy delivery. Out of the box, the attention to detail is spectacular, particularly with regard to pockets — all 10 of them.

Multiple hidden pockets cache your EDC, including a hidden money pocket that’s accessed through the concealed left front zipper pocket. That’s right, they have pockets inside pockets. This inside pocket also has a second sleeve that you can access from inside the pant.

On the back, a zip pocket sits on the left. Behind the right pocket rides a third sleeve to sheath a device.

The Ascenders are available in straight-leg or a tailored slim fit. The material is stretchy, but there are no elastic fibers woven in, so the stretch comes from the weave of the material. In our opinion, this makes the pants more durable over the long haul. There’s no elastic to break down.

The panels are stitched together to create incredibly comfortable pants. They’re light enough to wash and hang dry overnight, and ready to rinse and repeat for another day of exploring.

In Idaho’s backcountry, we tested these pants hiking through scrub, backpacking, and even gave them a chance to pinch-hit as a ski pant. After 4 years of hard use, the Ascenders still look new, including all the zippers — they’ve all hung in there well.

The pocket number simply amazed us (and is questionably over-engineered). We initially struggled to find them all. Once we did, we stood in awe, scratching our heads, asking ourselves, “What would we put in all of these pockets?”

But at the end of the day, their function is to ward off sticky fingers, and it does this well without compromising the look or feel of the traditionally styled chino. The Ascenders have a classy, timeless chino style that continues to look pressed after repeated wash and wear.

The ability to secure your essentials makes these some of the best men’s travel pants available. The only real downside of the Ascender pants is that they’re highly sought after, and popular colors in slim sizes can be hard to get. But they’re worth the wait!

Still worried about buying online? Bluffworks offers free shipping and returns.

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 a good-looking pant for everyday use?” This year, Western Rise updated the Evolution 2.0 ($128) with more stretch, and they are only all the better for it.

This new bump in elastane gives the Evolution 2.0 significant 4-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 last summer.

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.

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 5 years now. For two of those years, they were our top pick. We use the Western Rise Evolution 2.0s as a benchmark for fit we recommend them to friends looking for a do-everything pant that flies fashionably under the radar.

Dedicated to the art of protecting your ass-ets, Clothing Arts is lauded for its bank-vault secure pocket protection. Its most popular and locked-down pant, the Adventure Pant ($135), is donned with 11 pockets. Five hide securely protected inside their patented ‘triple secure’ protection.

This triple security is more pant protection than most of us will ever need, which brings us to the lighter weight and less expedition-looking Explorer Travel Chino ($135), which features Clothing Arts’ ‘double secure’ pocket system.

Both front hand pockets have hidden zippered pockets large enough to hold a wallet, passport, or phone. The rear pockets smack of traditional chino-style pockets, but both zip shut under a snap closure, locking down the zipper garage. It’s a simple mechanism that keeps sticky fingers from tugging at zipper pulls.

While these pants aren’t ‘triple secure,’ the material is triple crown. Lightweight, stretchy, and durable, the proprietary nylon is made specifically for Clothing Arts. They wear easy around town and on hikes, and ours dressed up nice enough to visit the French Royal Residence (well, to tour Versailles).

In our experience, the pants run a little long and drop straight in a bootcut. You may need to get them tailored.

We’ve traveled the world and had a few instances in crowded markets where shady characters tried to pull at a zippered pocket. We haven’t had anything lifted (yet), but do appreciate the need for security. For most of our travels, a good head and a single closure have our backsides covered. The double-secure Explorer Travel Chinos offer added insurance and peace of mind.

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.

Yeah, 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. We didn’t try to demagnetize a credit card, but it’s something to consider when zipping items in the front pockets.

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 Terens don’t sport a durable water repellant (DWR). But they do dry out quickly.

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 2’s.

It’s a bold statement to name your pant “The Best Travel Jeans” ($145), but Aviator walks the talk and the name speaks for itself.

Offered in a variety of fades and colorways, in both slim and straight cut, Aviators were born out of the soul for denim and a passion for travel. The pant has a whopping eight pockets, but you wouldn’t immediately know it.

Three zippered pockets hide inside the traditional pockets — two concealed in the back and one inside the left thigh pocket — each large enough to hold a passport. All pocket zippers use a nylon YKK zipper. And the coin pocket on the right is large enough to hold even the largest iPhone.

The pant is primarily made from a summer-weight cotton blend that is soft to the touch but with a little give, thanks to the spandex. They are finished with a DWR, but they won’t dry as fast as fully synthetic pants, but are touted to dry 25% faster than traditional denim.

We don’t usually recommend denim for travel. It’s heavy, can take longer to dry, and often doesn’t have a DWR. But we still love our indigo and each year we see a lot of denim touted as travel-worthy dungarees. After five years of testing travel pants, the Aviators still fly at the top of our radar. They are supremely comfortable stuck in coach and strut into your port of entry with style.

Mountain Hardwear’s stalwart AP pant got a little more pliable, stretchy, and lighter feeling with its new AP Active ($89).

Like any travel pant, the AP Active has pockets aplenty: The backside pockets zip shut, a drop-in style pocket sits on the right thigh, and while many people mistake the drop-in pocket as the knife pocket, the true knife pocket hides in the seam along the right pocket. And we like it. The knife clips within easy reach–right where you usually clip it — but it doesn’t grind your knuckles when reaching for your keys or wallet. Do we need to say it? Leave the knife at home if traveling by plane.

The AP Active pants earn points for length and tightness. We found the length spot-on and more generous than the OG AP. And the material loosens up after repeated wear. Our only ding is the hand pockets. They are small — about half the depth found in the AP. But we found the drop-in style phone pocket one of the most secure in the travel pant market.

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 Suppressor’s 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.

Deep pockets, slim fit, all tied up with a boardshort styling — Roark’s Layover 2.0 Travel Pant ($95) is unlike any other pant on the list.

Woven into the durable cotton is hearty nylon (for durability), and elastane (for stretch), yielding some side-to-side compliance. The slim fit tapers to the legs, giving off a progressive, durable, jogger vibe.

Two front hand pockets dive deep (12 inches) down the front and swallow all of your valuables. They each close with an 8-inch zipper.

The position and depth allow access to all your necessities, even if you’re pinned down in the smallest center seat in economy. Around back, the two seat pockets close with an offset button, which makes it easier to pull the contents out while seated.

A hidden device sleeve hides behind the right rear pocket, keeping your phone accessible. Roark also sewed in a perforated panel to spill heat while stuck in the seat.

Instead of the typical button or snap closure, Roark chose a non-traditional boardshort lace belt. Borrowing from the surf world, the drawstring threads through the waist and zigzags in front to tie the pants over the zipper fly. Lost some weight? Overindulged in the local food scene? It doesn’t matter.

The Layovers are applauded by buyers, and are nearly the perfect travel pant, but a few misses keep them from rising to the top of our list. We love the drawstring, but the pants don’t have belt loops for backup. And while the front pockets can swallow your documents, they are so deep that the contents start to weigh the pants down over the quads.

And those long front pocket zippers? If you don’t keep them zipped shut, they risk spilling the contents while seated. We also find the cotton-blend fabric tends to collect lint.

A lot of these issues were solved in Roark’s Layover shorts ($75), which have a belt loop in addition to the lace closure. The pockets are traditional jean styling and phone pocket rides on the right side, with a knife sleeve on the left. This is a fantastic short and we hope the brand carries these user-friendly details into its pants.

We have to give the crew at Roark credit, though. The Layovers are a creative reinterpretation of the travel pant and are one of the few pants available for under $100.

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.

Borrowing the classic five-pocket style, our reviewers described Lululemon’s ABC Warpstreme Pant ($128) as “absolutely spectacular. VERY comfortable, and a great knicker profile for cycling and climbing.”

Quick-drying and wrinkle-resistant, the material feels similar to prAna’s ReZion fabric, but is more durable (and stylish). For travel, these pants have a zippered security pocket in back, and the cuffs flip up to show a reflective strip to make you easily visible at night.

Our only pause in recommending comes from some tester feedback we received relaying that the durability wasn’t quite what we wanted – not uncommon for pants with a soft hand that utilize a higher percentage of elastane in the weave. We also found the pockets on the small side. Western Rise pulls off a similar style pant with better volume.

Offered in skinny, slim, classic, and jogger cuts, and in 13 color schemes, there is a pant for everyone. Because these are so comfortable and stylish, you might find yourself stacking up on ABC Pants for work and travel.

“Designed for doers,” the Live Free Adventure Pant ($149) blurs the line between jogger and pant without sacrificing performance.

These cargo-up-top, jogger-down-low pants sport two voluminous thigh pockets. The angled zippered pockets drop down the side of the leg and give you easy access to your documents or device while seated. The pant legs taper down to the cuff where two snaps allow you to snug the fit around the ankle.

The burly fabric weft feels like a broken-in pair of Carhartts. Priding itself in using 85% plant-based fibers, DUER weaves some natural magic in its pants, giving them proper stretch, durability, and performance. The material is treated with a robust DWR that sheds stains and rain surprisingly well.

At nearly 30 ounces, we feel the Live Free Adventure Pants are on the heavy side for travel enthusiasts. They take up more space in the bag and need more time to air dry. But if you are looking for a cargo-style pant that can keep up with your active lifestyle, these comfortable pants are worth a look.

Athleisure has stretched its gym-toting, sneaker-sporting style into our everyday wear for years now. Online brand Public Rec has leaned into the theme and carved out a niche in ‘work-leisure’.

Public Rec’s All Day Every Day 5 Pocket pants ($128) present like slacks but wear like pajamas. The high spandex count keeps these pants super stretchy and wrinkle-free – even after catching our redeye flight out of JFK to Paris.

Available only online, the ADED pants are a truly personalized pant. Available in 10 color schemes, sizes 28-44, with five different inseams (28-36), there’s a pant for your body type. And if you really want to get sporty, Public Rec has a jogger constructed from the same material that became a work-from-home staple during COVID. For more versatility on the road, we prefer the five-pocket design.

The All Day Every Day doesn’t have a DWR finish and only sports a single zipper pocket. A vertical stealth pocket slides down the right-hand pocket and can secure a phone or passport. But if you want a pant that can carry itself from coach potato to formal dining, these are tough to beat.

If you’re looking for a progressive take on the traditional chino, the Everywhere 2 ($120) is a cleanly styled pant with ample storage and lots of freedom to move.

Another GearJunkie favorite, we wear these at work, play, and while traveling. This year, 686 rebooted the Everyday, adding a zippered rear pocket, addressing a flaw/issue in the previous version, which occasionally spit out a heavy wallet. They’ve also updated the material with recycled nylon. It feels a little thicker in the hand and is a little less stretchy.

The Everywhere 2 pants have plenty of room up top without feeling baggy. Off the shelf, they taper somewhat aggressively around the calves, still managing to leave room around the ankle.

Tied up with the drawcord (which we loved), the Everywhere 2 pants fall closer to a jogger than a chino. The material forms to your body after a few days of wear, relaxing into a comfortable fit.

The pants list 10 pockets, which is true, but we feel that’s a little ambitious. Five of them are small sleeves inside pockets to keep cards, coins, or cash. The front right coin pocket is an RFID-blocking security pocket, and it’s where you’ll want to put your credit card.

A large thigh pocket rides on the left and can swallow the pants when turned inside out. It easily holds a phone and passport. 686 offers the Everywhere 2 in five color schemes.