The best hiking pants in 2024, tried and tested

Choosing the best hiking pants is almost as mission-critical as picking out the right pair of hiking boots — a bad design can cause unnecessary discomfort and chafing, while a good one will help you stay warm and dry and even help you organize your essentials in secure pockets.

It’s safe to say our testers are quite familiar with hiking pants. Emily Pennington has backpacked on five continents, visited every national park and even had to purchase a new pair of trousers while trekking the entirety of the John Muir Trail back in 2021 to save her poor waist from weird rubbing patterns. Kai Burkhardt is CNN Underscored’s outdoors editor and wears hiking pants daily. He’s ripped holes in his fair share of pants while rock climbing and spends a lot of his free time hiking in and around Boulder, Colorado.

To find the best hiking pants, we created a list of the top pairs in stores today, with a focus on comfort, fit, weatherproofing and sustainability. Pennington tested women’s pants on the trails of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, inside Glacier National Park and on a chilly 10-day photo expedition in Greenland with Natural Habitat Adventures. At the same time, Burkhardt wore men’s hiking pants while participating in Nature Unplugged’s 2024 Hike-A-Thon, where he hiked over 100 miles in October.

Each pair endured water, wind and miles of hiking in rugged terrain. Afterwards, they were machine washed, machine dried and tested in a series of at-home controls. In the end, two pairs of hiking pants came out as the best.

Best women’s hiking pants: Prana Halle Straight Pant II

With stellar marks in mobility, comfort, aesthetics, pockets and sustainability, Prana’s Halle Straight Pant II took home the top prize as our best hiking pants for women, following two months of extensive testing. Our team also loved that this design came in short, tall and plus sizes, making it easy to get a great-fitting, technical hiking pant for under $100.

I must admit, I was familiar with the Halle’s design before testing began for the article, having a much-loved pair of the brand’s first version that I hiked with across California’s national parks for four years. I picked up a new pair to see the new, improved version up close and personal for this round of tests with CNN Underscored, and I was impressed with improved water resistance and stretch that made the pants easier than ever to do yoga poses in or mild, class-3 scrambles on mountain peaks. As a hiker who likes to stretch out after a long trek, the improved mobility was a huge win. They weren’t the stretchiest pants we tried (that prize goes to Mountain Hardwear’s hard-working Dynama Pant), but they were right up there with the Arc’teryx Gamma as awesomely waterproof.

The Halle Straight Pant II takes its design cues from more standard-issue streetwear, like jeans, but uses sustainable, recycled nylon fabric that’s Fair Trade and bluesign-approved to create a quick-drying and highly technical trail companion. Button flaps on the rear pockets make it easy to stash a wallet or map securely, while a lay-flat, zippered pocket on the right thigh is a great place to store a snack or small smartphone for quick access. It has the bonus effect of appearing nearly invisible when not in use, which helped the Halle score the best in our aesthetics category. Along with the brand’s 8 color options, which was more than nearly every other design we tested, this slim, streetwear-inspired design would be easy to pair with a blouse or sweater for a night out after a long day of travel or hiking. Best of all, the pants are wrinkle-resistant. I have half a mind to wear them on my next long-haul flight.

When hiking in these pants in the rocky fjords of Greenland, I noticed that they weren’t the most wind-proof on our roster (that prize goes to both the Arc’teryx Gamma Pant and the Fjällräven Keb Trousers), but they were surprisingly waterproof for a pant that was also lightweight, weighing in at just 11 ounces. If you’re looking for a wind- and water-resistant trouser that’s quicker to dry than the Halle and more suitable for hot weather, check out the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants, which cost roughly the same and feature the award-winning Ferrosi softshell fabric.

On particularly long hikes of ten miles or more and on overnight international flights, the inflexible waistband of the Halle was one of the few things I noted as a downfall, preferring the incredible, soft comfort of the Mountain Hardwear Dynama Pant. The Dynama was the most comfortable and mobility-focused of the pants on our testing rubric, only being edged out by the Halle because of sustainability.

I loved the extras Prana included on its latest iteration of the Halle Pant, like its waist drawstring, UPF 50+ sun protection and zippered security pocket. If you’re seeking pants that can roll up quickly for easier creek crossings, the brand’s Halle Pant II comes in fewer colors but offers snap-up connectors at the knees.

Lastly, Prana has an excellent and longstanding commitment to sustainability that’s present in the design and manufacturing of the Halle Straight Pant II. Apart from using its proprietary ReZion fabric, which is 95% recycled nylon and 5% elastane, it’s also gone the extra mile to get bluesign and Fair Trade certifications to ensure workers have safer factories and are paid a fair wage.

In short, the Halle Straight Pant II is a pair of water-resistant, stretchy and sustainable hiking pants that come in at a reasonable $95. They’re not the most wind-resistant pants on our list, but their awesome price point and street-smart aesthetics make them great trekking trousers that will suit most users’ needs incredibly well.

Best men’s hiking pants: Outdoor Research Men’s Ferrosi Pants

While no pair of men’s hiking pants I tested were perfect, the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants were close. The Ferrosi pants were the most comfortable and stretchiest pair I tried, and it was a top performer in breathability, weather resistance and features too.

You don’t want to be miles into your hike wearing uncomfortable pants, which is why the Ferrosi’s outstanding comfort and mobility propelled it into our winning spot. Featuring a lightweight and soft material made from a blend of bluesign-approved recycled nylon, nylon and spandex, these were the most comfortable pair of men’s hiking pants I tested. The light and airy fabric makes it feel like you’re barely wearing pants, and they were by far the stretchiest pair I tested.

There were other comfortable, lightweight pants, such as the Coalatree Trailhead Pants that felt like joggers, the Prana Stretch Zions and even the Patagonia Quandary pants, but the Ferrosis were in a league of their own. These pants are soft and were the stretchiest I wore by far, which means yoga poses, deep stretches and rock scrambles are easily possible without feeling restricted.

When hiking, protection from the elements is another key consideration. Many people carry rain jackets but rain pants aren’t as common, so having a weather-resistant pair of trousers is critical. While the Ferrosis weren’t the most weather-resistant pants I tested, that title goes to the Arc’teryx Gamma Pants, they still repelled water from my sink faucet for 7 to 10 seconds before wetting out. The Arc’teryx Gamma Pants lasted the entire 30 seconds under the sink, while the next best performers were the Fjallraven Keb Trousers.

The Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants are also very breathable, tying with several other lightweight pants — including Outdoor Vitals’ Skyline Trail Joggers — as the most breathable. When I rode a Peloton bike for 10 minutes maintaining a steady output, I could feel the warm air passing through the thin fabric, and my legs weren’t sweaty at all. The Ferrosis don’t have ventilation zippers — a feature we loved on the Fjallraven Keb Trousers, Kuhl Radikl Outsiders and the Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants — but since the Ferrosis are so thin, they don’t need them. These are a fantastic option for warm-weather hiking thanks to their breathability, and the fabric’s UPF 50+ sun protection is a cherry on top. However, since these pants are so thin and breathable, you’ll want a thicker pair for winter and cold-weather hiking. We’d recommend the Arc’teryx Gamma Pants or the Fjallraven Keb Trousers to keep your legs warm.

The Outdoor Research Ferrosis is an amazing piece of hiking gear, but they didn’t blow every other pair out of the water. In fact, there wasn’t a single pair of hiking pants I thought was perfect, and the race for the top spot was extremely close. The Patagonia Quandary Men’s Hiking Pants were a close contender and although they aren’t as weather-resistant or flexible as the Ferrosis, they have more size availability, look a bit more welcome downtown and Patagonia’s sustainability story is outstanding.

The durability of these Outdoor Research pants also isn’t as good as some others we tested, and when I rubbed them on concrete 10 times, I saw a tiny bit of pilling. Online reviewers note pilling after regular use, so I’ll keep wearing them to report any durability issues. If you want a pair of pants to last years, consider the Patagonia Quandarys, which are backed by Patagonia’s legendary Ironclad Guarantee, or the Fjallraven Keb Trousers, which utilize the brand’s proprietary, ultra-durable G-1000 fabric. The Keb Trousers were easily the most robust and durable pants we tested, and are worth a look if you want pants that can survive anything you throw at them.

Another small downside of the Ferrosis is its pockets. It has five (two front, two back and one on the right thigh), which is middle of the pack for the pants I tested. It’s enough but the thigh pocket and back pockets aren’t quite big enough to fit my iPhone 11 with a bulky case. I can get my phone in the pocket, but the fabric has to stretch for the zipper to close. This is by no means a dealbreaker, but if you have a larger phone and pockets are a big factor for you, you might want to consider the Kuhl Radikl, Radikl Outsider or the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants, all of which have more and larger pockets.

The fit of the Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants is also a bit wide at the bottom and long, and they were slightly longer than other pants I tested of the same length. The bagginess isn’t a huge deal, since they feature cinchable ankles to keep fabric out of the way of your feet. Speaking of adjustability, the Ferrosi pants also have a drawstring in the waist to help you get the perfect fit. It’s a nice feature, but other pants have better ways to adjust their waist, like Prana’s adjustable webbing waistband found in the Stretch Zions, or my favorite adjustable buckle on the Arc’teryx Gamma Pants. These make it easier to tighten and loosen your pants quickly, versus the drawstrings you have to tie and untie constantly found on the Ferrosis and many other hiking pants I tested.

None of the 14 pants I tried excelled in every category, but the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants were the best I tested. The fabric is amazingly soft, comfortable and stretchy, and they can shed rain and protect you from the sun on any sort of adventure. They performed well enough in my short-term durability tests, but I’ll keep an eye on them longer term and report back with any concerns. I wish the pockets were a little bit bigger and the adjustability features were easier to use, but for most, the Outdoor Research Ferrosi pants are some of the best you can buy.

How we tested

Our editors scoured the web and consulted with hiking experts to develop an extensive testing rubric for the best hiking pants on the market today. They selected 11 bestselling and best-reviewed women’s hiking pants and 14 of the best men’s hiking pants, then put together a no-nonsense rubric of in-the-field and at-home tests to see how they performed.

The pairs of pants that made it into our top cut were put through an intense series of day hikes, dog walks, overnight backpacking excursions, international trips and controlled tests to determine which ones were the absolute best. The three pairs of women’s hiking pants that scored the best were also taken out on a five-day hiking trip in Glacier National Park, as well as an overnight trek in Colorado.

Performance

Design

Everything you need to know about hiking pants

The main things you should consider when selecting a functional and long-lasting pair of hiking pants are fit, weatherproofing, weight and extra features like pockets.

First and foremost, the pants should fit well, without bunching around the ankles or along the ground, which might cause you to trip. Many of the pants we tested came in long, short and plus sizes, which make it easier for various body types to find their correct, no-chafe fit. Nearly all the pants we tested also included a bit of spandex or elastane in their fabric blend, making the trousers stretchy for added comfort and freedom of movement, whether on a mellow dog walk or an all-day mountaintop scramble.

Weather resistance is also a key element in a good pair of hiking pants because there’s nothing worse than getting to the summit of a 14er or having an afternoon thunderstorm roll in and being blasted by wind and rain, with no help from your trousers. Most pants will state if they are coated in a durable water repellent, which helps shed mild rain and snow. Unless it’s explicitly stated that the pants you’re eyeing are rain pants or are waterproof, most hiking pants will be water- and wind-resistant. If you’re going to be hiking into a deluge, pack a pair of rain-specific pants.

Paying attention to the weight of your hiking pants can also be important, especially if you regularly trek in an unusually hot or cold climate. Lightweight women’s pants will typically weigh under 10 ounces. This allows for greater breathability and less insulation for those scorching trail days. As you’re sussing out the fabric’s weight, also be sure to check out the pants’ extra features like zippered pockets, roll-up tabs, drawstring waist cords and ankle tighteners. Multiple adjustment points and ample pockets can make your day on the trail more enjoyable.

Other women’s hiking pants we tested

With their amazing breathability and mobility, our tester could see why the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants have long been a mainstay for climbers and hikers. They were the quickest drying pants on our list, but they weren’t the cheapest, most waterproof or had the most pockets, which kept this great design from our top spot.

Featuring one of the softest fabrics in our lineup, Kuhl’s Freeflex Roll-up Pant was comfortable, water-resistant and stretchy in all the right places. We found it wasn’t the most street-forward styling, though, and we’d love to see Kuhl embrace stronger sustainability practices in the future.

We were big fans of the Gamma Pant’s included belt, which was easier to adjust than the drawstring cords on many of its competitors. Though this trouser was amazing at shedding moisture and fabulously quick-drying, it was also expensive and had only three zippered pockets.

The wallet-friendly pricing of REI’s Trailmade Pants will make these comfy, stretchy trousers a top pick for budget-minded hikers. Our tester didn’t find it as easy to style for a post-hike drink with friends or as water-resistant as some on this list, but for $70, it’s a well-made pant with a stellar warranty that’ll make many outdoor lovers smile.

We loved the soft, forgiving elastic waistband and the superior mobility of the Dynama Pant. It was second place overall in our rankings of the top 11 women’s pants on the market today, only scoring second to the Halle for sustainability reasons. For hikers who want a cozy and wrinkle-free pant that doubles as a great flight companion on long-haul trips, spring for the Dynama.

Sure, they’re pricey, but if you need a hard-working pair of work trousers, guide pants or cold-weather companions, Fjällräven’s Keb Trousers are the best in the business. Because of their thick, waxed G-1000 canvas material, they might be too warm for many climates, but our tester loved them when hiking around Greenland’s rainy shores.

If you’re seeking a lighter, stretchier pair of trekking trousers from Swedish brand Fjällräven, the Abisko earned high marks in our testing rubric, particularly with durability and water resistance. Our tester found that they did run pretty small, so be sure to size up.

There’s a lot to love about the colorful, jeans-like styling of Eddie Bauer’s Guide Pro Pants, which have a cut similar to our overall winner, the Prana Halle. Unfortunately, the brand’s recently changed warranty and lack of fair labor sustainability practices bumped it lower in our rubric. Our tester also noted that, while good at repelling water, these pants were not windproof.

At only $99, we were thoroughly impressed with the excellent sustainability, warranty terms and stretchy mobility offered by Patagonia’s Quandary Hiking Pants. These lightweight hikers would make for excellent summer trousers, noted our tester, who also loved their great windproof characteristics. One of the few areas lacking? Overall aesthetics, as the pants had a slightly baggier fit.

Coalatree is certainly a thought leader in eco-friendly fashion, but our tester found these Trailhead Pants to work better as international travel joggers or lounge-around-the-house pants, rather than technical trekking trousers. That’s because the rougher fabric feel, scrunchy elastic waist and tie-back ankle cuffs felt abrasive on longer walks and hikes. One saving grace — these pants were amazingly durable.

Other men’s hiking pants we tested

If sustainability is a priority, the Patagonia Quandary pants might be the best pick for you. Other brands have sustainability angles but Patagonia’s brand story and 96% post-consumer recycled nylon are hard to beat. The Quandarys weren’t as weather resistant and water wet through within a couple of seconds of being under my sink faucet, they weren’t quite as breathable as the Ferrosis and they were a bit more restrictive, which are the reasons they fell down a peg. But if you’re not planning on doing deep stretches or extreme scrambles, and you’re okay with wet legs, these pants are a great pair.

The Prana Stretch Zion IIs weren’t as breathable or water-resistant as the Ferrosis, which ended up being their downfall. They’re still a fantastic pair of pants, with a much better waist adjustment system than our winners, and they’re thicker which makes them better suited for colder hikes. We wish these pants used more sustainable materials, which is why we’re eyeing the Prana Stretch Zion Pant IIs — which are made from the brand’s recycled nylon — for our next round of testing.

These Arc’teryx pants have a couple of fantastic things going for them. They look great, feel soft and durable, are supremely weather-resistant and have the best waist adjustment out of any of the pants I tested. However, they only have three pockets (two front and one on the thigh) and are one of the priciest pairs I tested at $200.

If you don’t care about stretchy pants and want a thicker, loose-fitting pair, the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants are a standout pick. They’re one of the only pairs with two thigh pockets (both zippered) and they performed surprisingly well under the sink faucet, repelling water for more than 10 seconds. The fit is loose, which helps with mobility, but the fabric isn’t stretchy, so your movement might be restricted. They’re also not as breathable as our winners, which makes them worse for hot hikes, but better for cold ones.

I wore these pants quite a lot during testing because their cotton, nylon and spandex blend feels more like “normal” pants than others I tested. They’re not super stretchy, but they look good enough to take from the trailhead to the brewery. The biggest reason they didn’t make my top cut is their lack of weather resistance — water seeped through basically immediately. And since they’re partially made from cotton, they don’t dry as quickly as others. All three Kuhl pants we tested had fantastic pocket designs, but we wish the site had more information about sustainability initiatives.

These are a more tapered, jogger-like version of the Radikls and they look good enough to wear anywhere except nicer restaurants. Their fit was a bit tighter than others of the same size, they got soaked immediately and have the same sustainability concerns as the Radikls.

REI’s Trailmade pants were the cheapest we tested, but they performed just as well as many others. They’re decently comfy, incredibly breathable, have several pockets and are solidly durable. These pants also come in the biggest range of sizes, so if you have trouble finding the right size, these are the pants for you. They were more restrictive than other pants we wore and fell short in our water-resistance test, where they wet out immediately.

I absolutely love the Fjallraven Keb Trousers, but mostly because I’m incredibly rough on my clothes and rock climb a lot, so I need a pair of pants I know won’t wear out. Fjallraven’s G-1000 material feels indestructible, but that durability comes with added weight. The Keb Trousers were the heaviest pair I tested, coming in at nearly double the weight of the Ferrosis. However, the Kebs have the most extra features and the pants are incredibly well thought out. They’re too heavy for most hikers, especially those who hike mostly in the summer, but they’re an amazing pair of pants for colder climates. I’m eager to test out the lighter Keb Agile Trousers in my next round of testing.

These pants don’t feel as durable as the Keb Trousers, but they’re built for rough rock scrambles and intense environments. They’re a little bit lighter and more breathable than the Kebs, but still performed worse on the Peloton than every other pair of pants. You don’t have as much mobility in these as the other pants I tested, but the Radikl Outsiders have seven pockets, including two back pockets the Kebs don’t have.

If the fit and material were better on these Outdoor Vitals pants, they might have been in the race for the best men’s hiking pants. An easily adjustable waist, thigh vents and cinchable ankles make it one of the most feature-filled pants I tested, but I felt restricted by the fit and material. These pants weren’t as breathable as others, even with the thigh vents open, and wet out after 5 to 10 seconds under my sink faucet.

These joggers are incredibly breathable and the lightest pair of pants I tested. They have decent mobility and are solidly durable, but don’t have the pockets or weather resistance of other pants I tried.

Coalatree’s Trailhead Pants were tied with the Ferrosis and a couple of others as the most comfortable pants I tried. Their airy, jogger-like design was comfortable every time I wore them and provided great mobility, too. They weren’t as water-resistant as other pants I tried, but their biggest drawback is the drawstrings used to adjust their ankle cuffs. You have to tie them like a shoelace and during testing, they came and dragged on the ground several times. I would use these as travel pants since they’re extremely comfortable and the brand has great sustainability initiatives — I’d just pull the drawstrings out first.

This pricey pair from Fjallraven isn’t built for extreme environments like the Keb Trousers but is more stretchy and soft for more casual hikes. However, I found the fit quite restrictive and the slim fit definitely won’t be everyone’s favorite. They don’t have back pockets, and water seeped through after a few seconds.

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Why trust CNN Underscored

CNN Underscored editors thoroughly test all the products we cover and provide full transparency about how we test them. We have an experienced team of writers and editors who have many years of testing experience and ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. For this guide, testers and writers Kai Burkhardt and Emily Pennington got their hands on the best men’s and women’s hiking pants to test them in the real world. Pennington has seven years of writing and reporting experience, while Burkhardt has been the outdoors editor at CNN Underscored for three years.