Travel Pants

Travel Pants

What Are the Best Pants for Traveling on a Plane?

On a plane, comfort is decided by the waistband and the knees. Hours in a narrow seat put pressure on the stomach, and many people notice mild swelling around the middle and the ankles on long flights. A pull-on elastic or drawstring waist gives a little as you sit, where a rigid button can start to dig in after the first hour.

The knees need room too. Fabric that pulls tight when you bend creases badly and restricts circulation, so choose a straight or wide leg with ease through the thigh. A full or ankle length keeps your legs warm in chilly cabin air, and loose hems slip easily over compression socks.

Dark or printed fabrics are kind to in-flight coffee accidents, and they still look fresh after a red-eye. Black, navy and small busy prints all hide a travel day well; white is lovely on arrival but risky in transit.

For long-haul flights, the best travel pants are the ones you could also sleep in: soft, unstructured and with nothing hard at the waist or hips. Think of them as the dressier cousin of lounge pants, polished enough to walk through a hotel lobby after landing.

Getting up to walk the aisle every hour or two helps circulation as much as any fabric, and a pair with some stretch makes the walking and stretching easier.

What Makes Pants Travel-Friendly?

Great travel pants share four qualities: they resist creases, weigh little, wash easily in a sink and dry overnight. Fabric is where all four come from. Blends with polyester, nylon or a touch of spandex usually shrug off wrinkles and dry fast, and crinkle or gauze weaves look intentionally textured even after a day in a suitcase. Pure linen breathes beautifully but creases at the first sitting.

Since fabrics vary from style to style, the product description is where to check before you order. Look for the fabric content and for care words such as machine washable or quick drying, then roll the pants up in your hand when they arrive: if they spring back smooth, they will survive a packed bag.

For city trips in Europe and elsewhere, think about where you will walk. Cobbled streets and a lot of standing call for a soft, roomy fit; churches and cathedrals often expect covered knees, so capri or full lengths work better than shorts. Many travelers pair two neutral pairs with a printed one and build every outfit around them.

Travel Pants With Pockets

Pockets change how a travel day feels. A phone for boarding passes, a passport at security, a few coins for the train: having them on your body rather than buried in a bag keeps lines moving and hands free.

Look for side pockets deep enough to hold a phone below the hip, so it stays put in a narrow seat. Zippered or buttoned pockets are the most secure for busy stations and markets; where a pair has open pockets only, keep valuables in a crossbody bag and use the pockets for small things you can afford to lose. Check the description or photos for how each pocket closes before you order.

Petite and plus size travelers should check one more measurement: the rise. A rise that is too short pulls down when you sit for hours, while one that is too long bunches in the lap. Compare the rise and inseam on the size chart with a pair you already wear on long trips.

How Many Pants to Pack

Fewer than you think. The 3-3-3 rule for clothes is a simple capsule approach: choose three bottoms, three tops and three pairs of shoes that all mix with one another, which gives plenty of combinations from a small bag. For pants, that usually means one dark pair, one light neutral and one print or color.

To pack pants for travel, lay them flat, fold once lengthwise and roll from the waist down; rolling leaves fewer hard creases than folding, and the rolls fill the gaps between shoes. Wear the bulkiest pair on travel day. For warm destinations, add one pair of beach pants to wear over a swimsuit, and see our summer pants for hot-weather fabric tips.

Traveler pants that pull on and off easily also make airport security, overnight trains and quick stops easier. Our pull-on pants, drawstring pants and stretch pants all share that one-step ease, and a pair of white pants saved for arrival day brightens holiday photos.