The Finest Males’s Climbing Pants of 2024

Whether you’re training in the gym or planning your next multipitch project, we’ve identified the best climbing pants for every budget and adventure.

The best climbing pants are designed with careful consideration of everything climbers need. Solving boulder problems, tackling grueling alpine routes, and redpointing single-pitch sport routes all require capable and durable clothing.

Apparel-related discomfort can limit performance. Climbing pants should offer freedom of movement, protection from the elements, comfort, and thoughtful features.

To help you identify the best climbing pants for your specific needs as a climber, we’ve also included a comprehensive buyer’s guide at the end of our list of recommendations, as well as a detailed specification chart, and an FAQ section to mop up any final queries.

Scroll through to see all of our recommended buys or jump to the category you’re looking for:

Editor’s Note: We updated our Men’s Climbing Pants guide March 20, 2024 to add the Topo Designs Dirt Pants, a burly pair of trousers that won’t flinch at being stuffed into offwidths, as well as crown the return of the prAna Stretch Zion Pants — now available in their original material.

The Best Climbing Pants of 2024

Men’s Climbing Pants Comparison Chart

How We Tested Climbing Pants

The recommended pants on this list are the result of multiple years of extensive testing. We’ve tested pants in climbing areas across the US, including the Wasatch mountains of Utah, Yosemite National Park, and numerous air-conditioned climbing gyms. We sport climbed, bouldered, and wrestled our way up off-widths on our search for the best climbing pants of 2024.

With every pair that we tried, we assessed durability, versatility, freedom of movement, and fit. While we appreciate stylish pants and nifty features, we focused on one question above all else: are these pants effective while climbing?

There are many disciplines of climbing, so not all climbing pants should have the same materials and technical specs. Bouldering pants need to be stretchy and durable, while alpine climbing pants need to be light and breathable.

On this list, we’ve divided our recommendations into specific categories. These categories are the product of our ongoing testing process. With each new pair of pants we try, we carefully assess their strengths and weaknesses and place them in categories accordingly.

As new climbing pants hit the market, we’ll be sure to test them and compare them against our existing favorites. At any given time, our list will include the best of the best.

Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose Climbing Pants

Though you don’t strictly need climbing-specific pants to climb, they do have many clear advantages. Climbing pants offer helpful and specific features other activewear pants do not — including harness-compatible pockets and crampon-ready durability.

In this handy how-to-choose guide, we’ll cover all of the major considerations for selecting the perfect pair of climbing pants. This article focuses specifically on the best climbing pants for men. If you’re looking for women’s-specific options, check out our article on the Best Climbing Pants for Women.

Climbing Pants and Various Climbing Disciplines

Climbing is an umbrella term that covers many different sub-sports and disciplines. For example, alpine scrambling and indoor bouldering are very different activities. Ideally, your apparel and overall kit should always be tailored to match the demands of the specific activity at hand.

A pair of pants that’s great for one discipline of climbing may not be right for another. On this list, we’ve selected our favorite pair of climbing pants in many categories, including Best for Bouldering, Best for Alpine Climbing, and Most Durable.

Durability vs. Breathability

Climbing pants are guaranteed to make regular contact with rough and abrasive surfaces. For this reason, any pair of climbing pants worth its price tag will be abrasion-resistant and hardy.

In a climbing setting, durability is important. When you’re knee-jamming your way up a wide crack, you’ll want to know your pants won’t be completely shredded by the time you reach the anchor.

While durability is a priority for climbing pants, comfort, stretch, and breathability are important too. It’s not easy to design a pair of pants that is both abrasion-resistant and breathable. As a general rule, the lighter and more breathable pants become, the less durable they’ll be.

On this list, we’ve selected lightweight options like the Patagonia Terravia Light as an ideal choice for warm conditions. While these pants are supremely comfortable on light and fast summertime objectives, they’re also more vulnerable to rips and tears.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Topo Designs Dirt 5-Pocket Pants are incredibly durable. However, they do not breathe well and should be reserved for cool weather.

Materials and Stretch

To maximize mobility, climbing pants need to stretch. Most of the pants on this list are constructed from fabric blends that include stretchy materials such as elastane or spandex.

Pants with two-way stretch will stretch from side to side but not from top to bottom. Four-way stretch pants will stretch side to side and from top to bottom.

On this list, the Mountain Hardwear Basin Pull-On Pant is among the stretchiest styles. Another great option is the CoalaTree Decaf Denim pants, which are the stretchiest climbing jeans we tested. With pants like these, you’ll be able to use your body’s full range of motion with ease.

In addition to elastic material, most climbing pants are made from a blend of cotton and synthetic fabric such as polyester or nylon. In most cases, pants that are mostly cotton will be heavier, less breathable, and more durable.

On our list, the Topo Designs Dirt Pants are a heavy-duty, cotton-based pant that still allows for good mobility. Synthetic-based pants tend to be stretchier, less durable, and ideal for warm weather.

The Mountain Hardwear Basin Pull-On pant, our selection for the most comfortable climbing pant, is 94% nylon.

Features

There are a few key features we feel all good climbing pants should have: secure pockets, an adjustable waistband, and a gusseted crotch. Practical, purpose-built features are the difference between climbing-specific pants and all other options. On this list, we’ve included lots of great pants, and each pair offers a unique set of thoughtful features.

Adjustable Waistband

Wearing a belt with a climbing harness is uncomfortable and inconvenient. Instead, look for a pair of climbing pants that includes an integrated system for adjusting the waistband. If you choose a pair of pants that do not have integrated waist adjustment, there are some great, low-profile, active belts on the market that are worthy of consideration.

On this list, we’ve included pants with various styles of adjustment systems. Of these, the classic drawstring is probably our least favorite, as these tend to loosen easily on their own. We love the adjustment system of the Arc’teryx Gamma Pant, which use a super-secure piece of low-profile webbing to tighten or loosen the waist.

Drawstring Ankle Cuffs

Many climbing pants feature drawstring ankle cuffs — a simple feature that adds some extra utility. Tightening the cuffs of your pants can keep any excess material out of the way while climbing and hiking.

As an extra bonus, this feature also functions as a safeguard against mosquitoes and ticks. On this list, the Outdoor Research Cirque Lite are a nice lightweight option with drawstring ankle cuffs.

Harness-Compatible Pockets

While wearing a harness, it can be difficult to access traditional pants pockets. Many climbers bring a phone along on multipitch routes, and it can be nice to have an accessible and secure place to keep it.

Many climbing pants include thoughtfully placed zippered pockets where a phone or other essential items can be kept safe while climbing. On this list, we love the zippered pockets of the Arc’teryx Gamma for their easy-to-access zippered thigh pocket. It’s out of the way of harness leg loops and large enough to hold most modern phones.

FAQ