Best Walking Pants In 2022

First up on our list are the Columbia Men’s Silver Ridge Convertible Pants. You’ll probably know Columbia as one of the biggest and longest-running outdoors brands around. They make some fantastic products and these pants are no exception. In fact, they regularly crop up on lists of the best walking trousers, which was our first indication that we should include them. Then, when we looked a little closer, we realized that these are the best around. They do have a few drawbacks, but we’ll get into that a bit later. First, let’s look at the good points.

They’re ultra-lightweight and very thin. In fact, they’re one of the lightest pairs of walking trousers we could find. When you slip these on after walking around in your distressed jeans, you’ll feel like you’re walking in space. In hot weather, you’re going to be really thankful for that thin material, but you will need an extra layer underneath if the temperature drops. To be honest, they’re really designed for hot climates. You can tell that just by looking at the product pictures – it looks like they were all shot in Arizona. This brings us onto their next best feature – they’re convertible. With one quick zip, you can change them from trousers to shorts, and really feel the breeze on your legs. Of course, the downside to all this is that they’re not the most durable. The fabric is Nylon ripstop, but just because of how thin it is, it’s not going to stand up to high-abrasion activities.

If you’re the kind of guy that likes to wear jeans, this pair of walking pants is probably the best compromise. From a distance, they could be made from denim and the feature the same relaxed style of fit. Unlike the Columbia pants we just looked at, the Wrangler Authentics Relaxed Fit Cargo Pants are loose and let your legs breathe. This does make them a little heavier, which isn’t ideal for long and technical walks, but it does mean they’re more comfortable. In fact, they have what Wrangler calls a ‘relaxed fit silhouette’. This basically means that they sit on your waist naturally and hang off your bum and thighs. When you add that to the relaxed leg fit and contoured waistband, you end up with a pair of walking trousers that feel like sweat pants. 

There is actually a choice of two materials. One is the twill pattern, seen on other similar Wrangler pants, and the other is a classic Nylon ripstop fabric. Both of these are durable and reasonably lightweight. Plus, they’re finished off with the kind of heavy-duty zips and buttons that you can expect from a company like Wrangler. These pants should last you a long time if you look after them properly.

Next up are the Dockers Men’s Relaxed Fit Comfort Khaki D4 Pants. These are technically khakis, as opposed to walking pants, but we thought they deserved a mention anyway. The reason is that they are some of the most comfortable pants on the market. Dockers have been making high-quality khakis for over 30 years, so they know what they’re doing. They try to blend comfort with style and durability, and in our opinion, they’ve succeeded. The only slight downside is their choice of model and clothing in the product picture. They make these pants look a lot less stylish than they actually are. But hopefully, you’ll be able to see past that.

The reason they are so comfortable is because of the blend of materials used. These pants are 51% cotton, 47% polyester, and 2% elastane. On the face of it, this might not mean anything to you, until we drill down into those fabrics. Cotton is one of the softest and most forgiving materials around, and by blending it with polyester you make it durable as well. Then, there’s the elastane. This is what gives the pants their stretchy quality. Even though they already have a relaxed fit, the elastane makes them excellent for walking.

So far, the walking pants we’ve featured have been designed for relaxed hikers and fair-weather adventurers.  That’s stops here with the 5.11 Men’s Taclite Pro Tactical Pants. These aren’t just designed for your average walk in the park, they’re full of awesome features that will help you survive in any number of situations. Again, they’re not strictly walking pants. 5.11 calls them tactical pants, but they tick all the boxes (and more) that you’d expect from a pair of hiking pants.

First, before we jump into the added features, we’ll talk a little bit about the quality and construction. They’re made from a mixture of polyester (65%) and cotton ripstop fabric (35%). Then, this mixture is treated with a Teflon tear-resistant finish. This mixture of materials and finish makes these pants lightweight, very tough, and pretty much weather-resistant. They shed water off the surface of the material and are actually stain-resistant as well. To sum up, these are some pretty tough pants.

If you liked the last pair, you should also check out these CQR Men’s Tactical Pants. They’re actually very similar to the last pair but are slightly more affordable. Despite not being strictly designed for walking, they’re still absolutely perfect for technical hikes and even just a normal walk. That’s because they’re strong, lightweight, and full of features that will make your time of the trail that little bit easier.

As per usual, we’ll take a look at the way they’re made and what they’re made from first. They actually use the exact same blend of polyester (65%) and cotton ripstop fabric (35%) as the last pair. But instead of using normal Teflon, CQR has opted for Duratex. This finish actually functions in exactly the same way as Teflon, by repelling liquids, dirt, and just about anything else you can get on your trousers. The construction isn’t quite the same high level of quality as the 5.11 tactical pants, but it’s still pretty good. For the price, you’ll struggle to find anything as durable as these.

As our Premium Product, we’ve chosen another pair of Columbia Men’s Silver Ridge Pants. These are the stretch variety though and provide a different experience than the convertible pants. The most important thing about these pants is how comfortable they are. They’re made from a mixture of polyester, twill, and elastane. We’ve seen all of these materials on this list already, but never in this combination. Honestly, we think it’s the best possible combination for a pair of walking pants because it offers true comfort, flexibility, and much-needed durability.

Unlike the convertible pants we featured as our Best Choice, these are designed for all weather. They’re actually less suited to hot-weather but can handle everything else a lot better. And, if you do get caught in the sun, they have the same Omni-Shade UPF 50 technology to stop your legs from getting burnt. The reason they’re better for all weather conditions is that they repel water. They’re not completely waterproof but wick moisture a lot more effectively than most cheaper walking pants.

Next up are the BC Clothing Men’s Convertible Cargo Pants. We decided to include these because they’re great value for a pair of walking pants that does pretty much everything. At just over $30 (for most sizes), they’re one of the best priced walking pants around. Of course, at that price, you can’t expect amazing quality, but they’re actually pretty durable.

The material is a mixture of 73% cotton, 24% nylon, and 3% spandex. Again, this is another mixture of materials that are designed to give comfort, flexibility, and durability – and it succeeds. The only problem is that it comes with some pretty specific washing instructions, so you don’t damage the pants. This is okay, but it generally means you have to put these pants in a separate wash to everything else, which could get annoying after a while.

Do you ever wish you could just go out hiking in your sweat pants? Well, now you can sort of. Rdruko Men’s Jogger Casual Pants are the kind of pants that are designed at the man who puts comfort above everything else. With these pants, you’ll never chafe again. They’re really designed for working out, but we think they’d make a great option for walking if you want to be truly comfortable.

The reason they’re so comfortable is that they’re made from polyester (95%) and spandex (5%). The polyester is the soft fabric that you associate with sweat pants and the spandex makes them stretchy enough to really move around in. The material is actually thinner than it looks in the product images. This makes them plenty cool enough to walk on a hot day, but it does have a few drawbacks as well. Firstly, they’re not the warmest of walking pants. Secondly, they’re not really that durable – if you catch them on something sharp, they could rip. And lastly, as one customer said in the Amazon reviews, “the fabric is so thin that I felt naked”. Now, that might not be a problem for some of you, but some people like to have a thick layer between themselves and the outside world. We’ll leave that one up to you.

Our last pants in this list are the Nonwe Convertible Cargo Pants. These are another pretty standard pair of cargo pants. There’s nothing flashy about them, just a great, solid pair of walking pants that can be used for pretty much any activity. The first thing we noticed about these pants was the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Amazon. They’ve had no 1-star reviews and only a couple of 2-star reviews, the rest are positive. And a quick read through them will show you plenty of happy customers praising the quality, comfort, and practicality of these pants.

When you look at the product pictures, you’ll probably notice that these pants look a bit tighter than most other cargo pants. Maybe that’s just because the model had the wrong size on, but we’d prefer them a bit baggier. They have a similar fit to the Columbia Silver Ridge Pants we’ve featured – some people love it and some people will want a bigger size. Again, like so many of these pants, if you want them baggy, go for a size up.

If you’re looking for an affordable pair of walking pants, we can seriously recommend this pair of TBMPOY Men’s Walking Pants. We like these pants because they’re designed for serious walking but they’re not going to empty out your pocket, like a lot of the outdoor brands on the market. Designed for cool weather walking, these pants have a thermal micro-fleece fabric on the inside to keep your legs warm. This also makes them super comfortable, even on a long hike. The exterior is made from quick-drying nylon to stop water from building up and weighing you down. They’re not 100% waterproof but you won’t feel any moisture on your legs in moderate rain or from splashes. 

In terms of pockets, you get two front zippered pockets and a rear zippered pocket. They also make these pants with cargo pockets but we’d take a zippered closure any day. Another feature that impressed us was the 3D knee articulation. The pants have been sewn in a way that allows your legs to move naturally without causing you discomfort.