The Finest Males’s Journey Pants of 2023

Have your flights booked? We’ve got your backside covered with the best men’s travel pants on the market for 2023.

From the Andean cloud forests to deep desert canyons, to long backcountry road trips and Parisian markets, these pants have been tested to tackle any adventure and do it all in style. Our travel-worn team has beaten paths around the globe in these slacks, and we’ve tested over 150 different pairs for almost a decade now. If it’s got the right stuff, we’ve saddled up in a pair.

Scroll through to see all of our recommended buys. At the end of our list, be sure to check out our comprehensive buyer’s guide. Curious just what makes a pant fit for the rigors of travel? Take a peek at our FAQ section. And if you’re still on the fence (or trying to sneak in under a carry-on weight limit), consult our comparison chart.

Editor’s Note: We updated this guide on October 25, 2023 to include additional information on our testing practices and history, and ensure that our selection is still accurate.

The Best Men’s Travel Pants of 2023

Men’s Travel Pants Comparison Chart

How We Tested Men’s Travel Pants

There are few other products we test at GearJunkie that are considered non-negotiable in society. Outside the house, you gotta wear pants (or shorts). And if you’re choosing shorts, you’re probably not looking at the right pants. Travel pants are part of our everyday uniform allowing us to test them daily. We test pants for the office grind, after school errands, dispatching weekend chores, and yes, of course, travel. We constantly log testing hours in pants to find the best travel pants on the market.

Cozy in coach, capable of tackling adventure, but formal enough to wear to dinner, travel pants span the use case spectrum. We’ve worn them on intercontinental flights to Germany, Italy, France, and Slovenia, as well as transcontinental flights from Jacksonville to Boise. In warmer climates, we’ve pulled them out of our bikepacking bags on cool nights in Nicaragua and high up on the Colombian Coffee Triangle. One tester even wore his pair to the top of the Grand Teton.

When we get our hands on a new pant, we first take a look at the materials. We gauge the fabric weight, breathability, and the material’s ability to resist wrinkling. Synthetics with a DWR will pack down smaller, bounce back from being jammed in luggage on an overnight flight, and resist stains (and spills) better than cotton. A touch of spandex affords some stretch and nylon tends to be more durable.

To be considered for our list, pants need at least one pocket that can be zipped shut to safely secure a passport or wallet. The hand pockets should be deep enough to keep keys and change from accidentally spilling out, or have zippers that prevent mishaps. No joke, one pair of pants we tested (not on this list) spit a wallet out at work without us even knowing it.

We then evaluated each pant’s fit, durability, packability, ability to bounce back from repeated wash and wear, and unpacking. We want to find out if a pair of pants can be washed in the sink in the evening and be ready to wear the following morning. We want to see if the material resists wrinkling. And we want to know if the pants are cut too large, too small, or hike up the legs. The best material and construction alone can’t fake a good fit. We test pants for mobility and proper length. Does the pant bind in the crotch? Are the gussets appropriate? Are the legs cut at a proper length or do they ride up when walking?

Our testing focused primarily on comfort, versatility, and functionality when in transit, so if you’re looking for something more durable for active pursuits, check out our picks for the best hiking pants. We also have a guide for the best women’s travel pants to get your travel companion ready for the long haul.

Testing History

Steve Graepel has been leading the men’s travel pant buyer guide since 2015. Over the span of 8 years, Graepel has seen over 225 pairs of travel pants, rigorously testing 150 pants. Graepel has worked at GearJunkie as a contributing editor since 2009, testing everything from packrafts, to bike bags, sleeping bags, winter boots, and trail runners. His latest beat is travel pants and flannels. Before his time as a fashion blogger, he wrote for Travel Idaho, National Geographic Adventure, Patagonia’s Tin Shed, Trail Runner, and Gear Patrol.

Graepel has researched and tested travel pants extensively — traveling, working, and camping in the high alpine desert of Idaho, Montana, and Utah, and traveling abroad in a variety of environments including Europe, Central and South America. He continues to test travel pants year-round and searches for anyone who will listen to his yarns about the best travel trousers.

In 2020, we tried 27 pairs and listed 15 pants on our men’s buyers guide. In 2021, we tested an additional 35 pairs, highlighting nine new pants on our list. In 2022 we saw an additional 23 pairs, adding six new pants. And this year we looked at 38 pairs, adding seven new pants to the men’s travel pant buyer’s guide.

Each year introduces new styles and materials, and we try to reflect the best on the market of that year. Some trousers remain on the list, year after year. They are either so good, or so good of a deal, that they are tough to topple.

To keep a finger on the pulse of pants, we read reviews from top sites and contact manufacturers directly. Steve Graepel has regular conversations with pant brand owners and representatives in the travel pant space. These relationships allow us to stay up to date on what makes pants better every year, and keep an eye on sleeper pants that just don’t have the marketing budget to get mass attention.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose Travel Pants

Fit

Regardless of whether the pant is straight leg or slim, a good pant is one that follows the human form and doesn’t bag out after repeated washings, or bloat when packed with your phone and keys. The length should fit your inseam or run longer so you can roll them up or get them tailored.

Almost every pant on our list has a great fit. If they didn’t, we’ve shared the cons. Both the Clothing Arts‘ and UNIONBAY’s ran a little long. On the other end, Public Rec offers a variety of inseams for a dialed fit (from 28-36″), Aviator will hem your jeans to your personal fit, and the rest were spot on for length.

Function

We scored each pant for both its ability to adventure, wear in coach, and hit the streets. Some pants, like DUER’s Live Free Adventure have a bias for stout use. The heavy material is coated with a solid DWR and is our choice for adventure trips where you can’t sacrifice durability.

If traveling by plane, we prefer comfortable pants with accessible pockets. While 5-pocket styled jeans or chinos wear well on the street, their pockets are harder to access when sitting on the plane. Instead, we prefer a jogger or cargo pant that has vertical zippered pockets and drop in device pockets on the legs. Both LIVSN and KÜHL had easy to access pockets in the plane.

For comfort in coach, you don’t need to look past Public Rec’s ADED. They wear like sweats but lack the pockets and durability. KÜHL’s Suppressor Jogger dialed in the drop-in pockets, are lightweight and durable, but the material isn’t nearly as soft as Public Rec’s pant. It’s always a trade-off.

Style Matters

While comfort is key, we also need to be able to show ourselves in public (no washed-out gray sweatpants on this list). The most versatile travel clothes should be able to tackle a hike without getting roughed up, a walk into town looking sharp enough to peruse a museum, and even some fine dining afterward.

Unfortunately, the cargo pockets take away style points while out on the town. With its jogger styling, DUER didn’t design around Michelin stars. They prioritized function and durability, mapping to utility. DUER and HOKA both have unique cargo styling that bring a touch of modern to the military-inspired side-pocket pants. In general, we love cargo-style pants and joggers while sitting on the plane. It keeps all your essentials within reach.

On the other hand, Western Rise’s Evolution 2 and Lululemon’s ABC Warpstream are fantastically styled everyday pants, but both have a single security pocket to maintain that sleek look. They are our go-to choice for travels to Europe where we want to kick up the look and feel at home while traveling abroad.

Clean lines, darker colors, and traditional styling help you blend into crowds and stay off the would-be pickpocket’s radar. The best men’s travel pants should look as good as they feel without shouting “tourist.”

The material should be lightweight and, in our preference, darker to minimize showing the dirt collected along the way. That said, we were astounded by how well a fresh DWR can resist stains on even the fairest beige pants.

Fabric Weight

Lightweight performance fabrics can withstand repeated washings in a sink, line dry overnight, and stay wrinkle-free after weeks on the go. Today’s fabrics offer advanced sun protection and moisture-wicking properties and are often water-resistant or water-repellent.

Fabric weight is measured in grams per square meter (gsm). A heavier gsm will take up more room in your bag and take longer to dry. We find a 170-ish gsm fabric weight, like on our top pick from LIVSN, light and breezy, and dries out quickly.

A welterweight fabric will disappear in the bag and dry out insanely fast, but going too light sacrifices durability. All the pants we tested are durable enough to venture off pavement.

If you want the lightest pant you can find, you’ll likely be looking at a jogger, like KÜHL’s Suppressor. Both disappear in the bag and Hoka’s in particular, breathe exceptionally well without sacrificing too much durability. Western Rise uses a lighter fabric, but the pants weigh more overall.

Fabric Type

A cotton blend fabric adds breathability and a cooling effect, which is great for warmer climates, but can also sacrifice durability. And, unless treated with a DWR, cotton can wet out more easily and hold water longer.

The Aviator’s, DUER, and Roark’s Layover weave some cotton into their blend. To beef up the durability, the natural fiber is woven with a synthetic like polyester or nylon and an elastic component for stretch.

If you choose to go with denim or cotton, look for stretchy fabric with a bit of spandex or elastane for comfort and flexibility while on the road. It will resist wear longer, dry faster, and feel much more comfortable. The Aviator The Best Travel Jeans in the World are very comfortable and weave in some stretch, but they weigh nearly twice as much as every other pant on the list. DUER’s Live Free Adventure were docked points for the same reason.

Most of the pants on this list are woven from synthetic fibers. Synthetics tend to stand up to more abuse than their natural counterparts. For example, Ornot’s Mission Pant is incredibly durable and are built for men who abuse pants while in the saddle.

Weaving in spandex or elastic adds mobility, but can also give the pant a polished, slick finish. Public Rec All Day Every Day 5 Pocket Pant has a whopping 12% spandex woven in. Bluffworks, Union Bay, Clothing Arts, and Lululemon feel progressively more formal with their smooth-faced fabric finishes. Material finishes are more of a personal preference and don’t affect their water resistance, which is added with a DWR wash.

Our favorite pants come from LIVSN. The fit is fantastic, but they don’t have a robust DWR. This makes them less desirable if you are traveling to places that rain a lot. However, they excel in so many other ways that they still stand out as our top choice. On the flip side, Western Rise’s DWR not only deflects dirt and grime on the road, but liters of beer simply rolled off them at Oktoberfest. We really took one for the team while testing.

Performance fabrics are standing up to heavy use like never before. Shelling out a few more bucks for quality generally gets you into a more durable pant that should hold up to more extensive use. We’ve put in countless hours testing the pants on this list, so you’re starting in the right place.

FAQ

We like a pant that doesn’t ride up or bind when seated, and moves with you when active. LIVSN and Kühl are very close at the top, for pure comfort, you can’t beat Lululemon’s ABC Warpstreme Pant. Beyond the fantastic material, the pant is available in skinny, slim, classic, and jogger style, so there’s truly a comfortable pant for everyone’s preference.

We’ve tested Western Rise’s Evolution lineup standing outside in Bogota monsoon season, climbing snow and ice on the Grand, and prosting over beers at Oktoberfest. The DWR not only sheds spills, it deflects dirt and grime too. After a week of wearing them across the Alps, including a day sitting in the stairwell of an overbooked train to Munich, we were shocked how clean our light khaki Evolution 2.0’s walked off the return flight.

If you’re bringing one pair of pants, you’ll eventually have to wash them while on the road. A lightweight synthetic pant is your best bet for a comfortable morning. Here again, Western Rise’s Evolutions rose to the top. They are lightweight, durable, and dry out quicker than most. They also remain cool and breezy in hot climates and wear supremely well.

The pair of large cargo pockets on DUER’s Live Free Adventure are easy to access and has plenty of space to hold your kit and do it without looking like Urkel. For an equally impressive pocket game, but a more polished look, we recommend looking at Bluffworks’ Ascender Chino, which stealthily hides 10 pockets in the otherwise casual-looking chino. LIVSNs are close, with seven practical and accessible pockets.

For long flights on the plane, we like breathability and easy pocket access. We give the nod to Roark’s Layover 2.0 Travel Pant. The deep horizontal pockets are easy to access while seated and the vented panel in seat keeps the backside aired out. It’s worth noting that we did find if left unzipped, the entire contents of the pockets are at risk of falling out. Keep the pockets zipped and the contents are safe.