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HIKING IS A serious job for your legs. The best hiking pants make that job easier. While normal pants can lead to chafing, sweat, chills, reduced mobility, or all of the above, hiking pants provide breathability, comfort, storage, and stretchy mobility. In other words, they’ll improve your hikes — not make them harder.
At a Glance: The Best Hiking Pants to Wear Right Now
- Editor’s Pick: prAna Stretch Zion
- Runner-Up: Kuhl Renegade
- Extra Stretchy: Outdoor Research Ferrosi
- Best Weather Protection: Arc’teryx Gamma
- Convertible Pants: Patagonia Quandry
In recent years, hiking pants’ tech has seen some big leaps (pun intended). The best hiking pants now feature advanced materials for regulating temperature, waterproofing, and UV-blocking, and, of course, plenty of well-laid-out pockets. Below is a quick guide to finding the right pair, as well as our top picks for the best hiking pants.
The Best Hiking Pants to Wear Right Now
Below are some of the best hiking pants on the market right now. To make this list, we tested pants and researched reviews from other experts and customers alike. All pants are available, as of writing, from trusted online retailers with an average customer rating of at least 3.7/5 stars.
EDITOR’S PICK
prAna Stretch Zion
prAna might be best known for yoga gear, but the company actually makes great outdoor clothing as well. The brand’s Stretch Zion pants are some of the best hiking pants, and they work just as well for climbing and yoga too. The real secret to the Zion pants is their balance of comfort, performance, and durability. Although the pants only have three percent spandex, they’re very stretchy for maximum mobility.
They also feature UPF 50+ for sun protection, a DWR finish for water resistance, and leg snaps for keeping the bottoms rolled up if need be. Not to mention they could easily pass for normal cargo pants, making them a great companion for errand-running or traveling.
RUNNER-UP
Kuhl Renegade
If you’re looking for a tough, comfortable pair of hiking pants that also look great, check out these much-loved Renegade trousers from Kuhl. The softshell fabric is quick-drying and UV-protective, but also extremely rugged thanks to heavy-duty stitching. You’ll find a few well-placed pockets too, but they’re streamlined to keep things dispersed and secure. The pants also come in a range of colors to match your hiking gear look.
EXTRA STRETCHY
Outdoor Research Ferrosi
These Ferrosi hiking pants from Outdoor Research are among the best pants for all-around, use — especially in the summer. They feature an 86 percent nylon, 14 percent spandex build which, in unison with a gusseted crotch, and articulated knees, provides some impressive stretch in all directions. The pants still have some toughness in the form of UPF 50+ sun protection and water resistance for light showers or splashes. When the temperatures rise, a drawcord cuff lets you secure the pants higher up the leg. Pocket space is on the sparse side, although some hikers (especially those with a pack) like the minimalism.
BEST WEATHER PROTECTION
Arc’teryx Gamma
Arc’teryx is a go-to for ultra-protective outdoor gear, and these Gamma pants are a great example of the brand’s expertise. Just like Arc’teryx’s best-selling snow gear, the Gamma pants do a great job of keeping the weather out thanks to a DWR treatment. They’re very comfortable over long hikes, but also double as top-of-the-line climbing pants with a pocket layout that’s designed to work with harnesses. Plus, they look great too.
CONVERTIBLE PANTS
Patagonia Quandry
If you’re a fan of convertible zip-off hiking pants, these Patagonia Quandarys are a great choice. They quickly turn into shorts via zippers just above the knee. But even in full-length mode, the pants are light and breathable enough to handle most hot days. Thanks to a spandex-nylon construction, articulated knees, and a gusseted crotch, they’re also very stretchy for easy movement.
The pants do have sun protection thanks to a UPF treatment, so no need to worry about burns. They don’t have a DWR finish, but the quick-drying fabric means you can still wade through a creek without a hitch.
Hiking Pants Shopping Guide
Not all hiking pants are made for the same trek. Quite the opposite, as hiking pants come in an array of styles for different weather and preferences. First, you’ll want to decide how and when you’ll be using a pair of hiking pants. What weather are you hiking in? Are you more of an off-trail scrambler or a long-distance trail hiker? How much pocket storage do you need? If you’re in warm weather, do you like zip-off or roll-up pants? Here’s a rundown of all these considerations.
Material: Most hiking pants use a blend of nylon and spandex or elastane. More nylon means more durability and protection against rogue branches or stumbles. More spandex or elastane, on the other hand, means better mobility and more comfort on long hikes.
Temperature Control: Keeping your legs cool on hot days and warm when it gets cold is essential. Most hiking pants are designed for a specific type of weather, so be sure to note what season a pair is made for. Keep a lookout for added tech like lining in winter pants or sweat-wicking properties in summer hiking pants. Also be sure to note if a pair of pants is wind-resistant, as this can be a major plus.
Waterproofing: Water-resistant hiking pants usually use a durable water-repellent (DWR) coating. Even if you’re hiking in dry weather, waterproofing is nice to have in case of showers or splashes from puddles, creeks, and so on.
Sun Protection: When you’re out on the trail for hours, the UV rays can actually get through thick hiking pants and damage skin. Some hiking pants have an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating, which denotes their ability to block sunburn-inducing UV rays.
Adjustability: Hiking pants come in three varieties: full-length, zip-off, and roll-up. Full-length pants don’t have any features for easy adjustability when it gets extra hot, or when you want to wade through some water. Zip-off pants let you remove the bottom halves of the legs, and roll-up pants have a dedicated button, tab, or drawcord that keeps rolled-up pant legs in place.
Pockets: If you’re like us, you carry a lot of stuff on hikes. Be it your phone, keys, snacks, or anything else, ample and ergonomic pockets make carrying it all much easier.
Versatility: The comfort and durability of hiking pants make them great for other activities like climbing, boating, or even outdoor yoga. Some of the best hiking pants are made to support these other uses.
How We Chose the Best Hiking Pants
We made this list by taking a few pairs of hiking pants out on trails in California (Los Angeles and Marin), exposing them to both heat and rain. We also poured over other expert reviews and combed through customer feedback for best-selling pairs of hiking pants. After this, we synthesized our testing, expert reviews, and customer feedback to create the list above.
