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! 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. 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. 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

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. Called a variety of names, from combat trousers to combat pants and sometimes just combats, these have been around for years. Inspired by the original military design, these are loosely cut for comfort, while being hard wearing and tough. Excellent for taking on the outdoors. Great for work 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. 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. 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.Variety is the spice of life, and that applies to your wardrobe in the same way it does to your dinner plate. You wouldn’t eat the same food every day, so why would you wear the same outfit. Many of us can fall into the habit of just throwing on the same jeans wherever we go. But, try diversifying this year with a pair of cargo trousers. Cargo trousers? 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 pantis 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. 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. The tailored version of the straight-leg cargo pant is known as the cargo trouser. Sleekly designed, they fit in office environments and nice restaurants. Try them with a sweater, Chelsea boots ,blazer and a button-down.

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. 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’. 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. Travel pant fabrics should be breathable, durable, and easy to clean; (photo/Steve Graepel) Fabric Type

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

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. 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. 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.

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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. 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. 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. 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″), Aviatorwill hem your jeans to your personal fit, and the rest were spot on for length. (Photo/Emily Malone) Function Airports can be uncomfortable, so do yourself a favor and spend your travel days in the most comfortable pants you can find; (photo/Steve Graepel) How We Tested Men’s Travel Pants