The 10 Best Travel Pants For Any Trip (2024)

Here’s a review of the best travel pants for any adventure or trip. I firmly believe in minimalist travel and that you can handle any trip or change in plans with the right clothes. After years of travel, I’ve had enough pants rip, buttons pop off, and uncomfortable travel days to last me a lifetime. When you travel, what you wear is a big deal.

For a long time, I considered the best pair of travel pants to be the most durable, made for true adventurers. While there was some truth to a durable pair of travel pants, we’re not climbing a mountain on every trip. Sometimes a great pair of pants need to look and feel good. The best travel pants should be simple, reliable, comfortable, and good-looking. So, pretty much everything you could ask for regarding clothing.

The majority of people’s choice for travel pants is to go with outdoor apparel. The problem with that? Most hiking pants are not great for exploring a city, let alone business travel! I can not think of an easier way to pick a tourist out of the crowd than seeing a pair of “travel pants” (fanny packs excluded) with hiking shoes in Paris. We’ve selected these travel pants to break that old tradition.

Best Travel Pants For Men

Western Rise Evolution Pant 2.0

Price – $149 | Material – Nylon / Elastane

Western Rise designs clothes that are perfect for travel and everyday life. The Evolution Pants use a lightweight nylon canvas perfect for warm-weather destinations. The nylon weave looks similar to a cotton knit fabric, but it still has synthetic materials’ stretch and wrinkle resistance. Those properties keep the pants fresh for many wears past the last washing.

Fit is slim but has enough space in the thigh not to be restrictive. From the thighs, the pants taper down into the calves, and a stiff cuff around the ankles. The stiff cuff is excellent, allowing the pants to be rolled up and stay in place. They also contain a hidden back pocket to keep your wallet secure when traveling.

The Evolution is more casual in its style than the Ascender below. They have a more relaxed fit and traditional back pockets. It blends beautifully into everyday life and feels right on a bike or a casual business meeting at home. The one negative is that the material feels almost too thin, which is great in warm-weather destinations.

Bluffworks Ascender Chino Pants

Price – $125 | Material – Polyester

Bluffworks makes travel-specific dress clothes that are wrinkle and stain-resistant. For years, they’ve had an excellent line of men’s clothing. Their Chinos have circled the globe in my suitcase and kept me well dressed. The style and fit of these pants are great, and they look like a decent pair of regular chinos. Travelers will appreciate reliable wrinkles and stain resistance.

An exceptional pocket layout has great antitheft features for travel pants. It includes zippered back pockets and a hidden interior front pocket with a zipper. The hidden front pocket is great for stashing extra cash or small valuables when visiting cramped markets or taking public transport abroad.

Most impressive is what the pants lack: the dreaded “swish” sound effect common in most travel pants. We’ve never experienced the sound in our testing, but our tester is slim and has no issue with larger thighs. The pants are great, and we’ve tested out the Presido Suit from Bluffworks, which works well for a travel suit. However, the fabric looks synthetic, preventing it from replacing the traditional suit in more formal settings or business meetings.

DU/ER Performance Slim Fit Jeans

Price – $129 | Material – Cotton / Polyester / Spandex

Ditch the idea of unsightly technical hiking pants as travel pants and opt for a pair of DUER jeans. The organic cotton jeans look sharp, but the blend of polyester and spandex allows the jeans to stretch. The material in the jeans is the real stand-out here as they do not look like polyester. They have the appearance of quality stone-washed denim without the stiff feeling.

Fit is exceptional, with a slim fit throughout the leg. A gusseted crotch allows for a slim fit that does not impede movement and feels comfortable for extended periods. You can comfortably wear the jeans on long-haul flights without any discomfort. Thanks to the synthetic blend, they’re great for lengthy trips as there is no need to wash the jeans. It’s just an exceptional pair of jeans; if you’re lucky, you can find them on sale.

The longevity of the pants may be questionable as they utilize synthetic materials in the construction. Traditional denim can last for decades, but it may become saggy after a year or two of regular use.

Vuori Sunday Performance Joggers

Price – $89 | Material – Polyester/Elastane

Athleisure has come to dominate fashion, a trend we can get behind. Joggers are a fantastic way to remain comfortable and still look stylish. Vuori Clothing makes some fantastic joggers that look sharp, offer excellent performance, and feel great for travel days. They make exceptional travel clothes for men, one of my favorite items.

Wear a stylish pair of sweats to be even more comfortable. The Vuori Ponto Performance Pants are the best-looking sweats for travel. They’re great for running, long flights, or relaxing at home. It’s a more casual look, but that’s not always bad, and they can work in many travel destinations. As a minimalist, they can double as lounge and gym wear, saving space in my bag.

prAna Brion Pants

Price – $85 | Material – Nylon / Elastane

If there is one pair of pants I throw in my bag for any trip, it’s the prAna Brion pants. The pant blends nylon and spandex with significant moisture and temperature management. They also look pretty good as everyday pants that can go anywhere. They’re functional pants designed as climbing pants with superb flexibility.

Although they’re flexible, do not mistake them for being loose and sloppy looking. The paneling in the crotch allows the pants to have a slim cut with a full range of mobility. Check the similar Stretch Zion Pant if you want more outdoor-focused pants with cargo.

Brion Pants are slim-cut pants with a flattering cut along the thighs but just a tad baggy in the calves. If you’re particular about your pants, you may want to have them tailored a little, but for almost everyone else, they’re perfect. While they won’t win any best dress awards, they are the one pants that can go from the mountains to the city and everywhere in between.

Best Travel Pants For Women

Title Nine Big B Pants

Price – $89 | Material – Cotton / Nylon / Spandex

Made by women’s apparel company Title Nine, these mid-rise pants are perfect for any outdoor or travel adventure. Made out of their “Brash” material, with six pockets for styling, these pants hold up well to the elements. The Brash material is durable with great stretch thanks to the cotton, nylon, and spandex blend.

Despite the durable material, they breathe well, so they’re great in the summer. They have five pockets with a zippered front pocket, a great way to secure items. Another great feature is the internal drawstring in the waistband if you don’t want to wear a belt.

The fit is excellent as it hugs the butt and thighs and then transitions to a straight leg around the calves. A thick cuff feels tough and stays in place when rolled up. The pants have an excellent casual style that feels appropriate in various environments.

Coalatree Trailhead Pants

Price – $89 | Material – Nylon/Spandex

Coalatree creates eco-focused outdoor apparel that we’re learning to love. As far as comfort, these are among the best on this list, and the only drawback is the price. The pants material is a lightweight blend of Bluesign Nylon and spandex.

They’re super comfortable, and the combination of nylon and spandex allows them to stretch in any way you can move. The drawstring makes for an easy adjustment, and the spandex does an excellent job of hugging your hips.

prAna Summit Pants

Price – $89 | Material – Nylon/Spandex

These free-flowing pants are excellent for any beach trip and some of the best travel clothes for women. TheWomen’s Summit pants are lightweight and weigh nothing in a carry-on bag. It’s an excellent pant that feels comfortable on everything from the yoga studio to happy hour.

They are some of the best-selling pants from prAna, thanks to the blend of recycled nylon and spandex for stretch. A thick and soft waistband from Chakara® fabric compresses the waist and keeps the pants in place.

Outdoor style is excellent with these pants, and they handle the elements outstanding with reliable moisture management. Pockets are decent on these pants but aren’t great for securely holding items. We do love the adjustable leg cinches inside each leg. Fit is excellent as they sit comfortably around the hips and remain loose around the legs.

Bluffworks Palma Chinos

Price – $125 | Material – Polyester

Bluffworks makes travel-specific dress clothes that are wrinkle and stain-resistant. They’ve had an excellent line of men’s clothing for years, but now they’ve extended to women. Their new Palma Chino takes the same great men’s line and brings it to women. The style and fit of these pants are great, and they look like a decent pair of regular chinos. Travelers will appreciate reliable wrinkles and stain resistance.`

An exceptional pocket layout has great antitheft features for travel pants. It includes zippered back pockets and a hidden interior front pocket with a zipper. The hidden front pocket is great for stashing extra cash or small valuables when visiting cramped markets or taking public transport abroad.

Most impressive is what the pants lack: the dreaded “swish” sound effect common in most travel pants. In our testing, we’ve never experienced the sound.

prAna Halle Pant

Price – $85 | Material – Nylon / Elastane

The Halle is the women’s version of the Brion Pant above. The pant blends nylon and spandex with significant moisture and temperature management. They also look pretty good as everyday pants that can go anywhere. They’re functional pants designed as climbing pants with superb flexibility.

Although they’re flexible, do not mistake them for being loose and sloppy. The paneling in the crotch allows the pants to have a slim cut with a full range of mobility. Check the similar Stretch Zion Pant if you want more outdoor-focused pants with cargo.

Halle Pants are slim-cut pants with a flattering cut along the thighs but a tad baggy in the calves. However, they have hidden snap tabs that convert the pants to capris. It’s a great feature for outdoor activities or hot weather.

What makes the besttravel pants?

There are several vital elements that any pair of travel pants should check off. We need travel pants that can check off just about every box, which is why most of the pants on this list are technical pants designed for the outdoors but are stylish enough to handle more formal/casual affairs.

Comfort

Say whatever you want about pants, but if they’re not comfortable, they are not great for travel. A pair of travel pants is something you’ll wear for multiple days in a row. They could be the most durable pants in the world, but if they feel like an art canvas, I’m probably not going to want to sit in transitfor eight hours in them.

Packability

Packability is super important to minimalists and anyone who intends to get on a plane with a suitcase. Airlines have gotten pretty stingy with baggage allowance, and large clothes need a large bag that adds up to more weight.

Antimicrobial

It is what keeps pants fresh for multiple wears in warm weather. Cotton is terrible at holding up long-term for numerous days without a wash. Since you aren’t guaranteed to wash your clothes every day, nor should you, we look for pants with good antimicrobial properties.

Durability

These pants are for everyday travel, so they should act accordingly. They will have seen everything and a multitude of climates. Our latest adventure involved driving across Africa. My pants had to stand up against movement, dirt, sand, and mud, keeping me cool.

Material

The material should be durable, wrinkle-resistant, and breathable. Jeans are great, but they tend to overheat when active and don’t move well. Most companies seem to opt for nylon or weird fabric blends. I like to opt for organic cotton that combines stretch material.

Style

Style should go without saying, but if you can’t wear the pants out in public, it hardly constitutes being the best travel pants. The style is essential, especially when you visit nice destinations, most trips aren’t some rugged trek through the jungle. We find ourselves far more likely to enjoying spritz in Italy than the jungles of Borneo.