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The past few years have led to a new category of pants. Whether you call them technical pants, travel pants or commuter pants, they all have a few key features: they are made from polyester or nylon, have stretchy properties that usually owe to the use of spandex or elastane, and most of them have extra security pockets designed to hold credit cards or passports.
Below, we’ve rounded up eight of our favorite technical pants that you can wear to the office, the airport or just to bum around town. Whatever you do in them, rest assured that you’ll do so comfortably.
Outlier Slim Dungarees
You could wear the Dungarees everyday, just about anywhere you go. They blend nylon, polyester and just 2% elastane for a normal-feeling pant that will dry quickly, expel light rain and maintain its shape even after a week without a wash.
Lululemon ABC Classic Tech Canvas Pants
The heathered colorways give this pant a slightly more formal look, making them great for dressing up with an Oxford. They have five deep pockets, including a zippered security pocket in the rear. Flip up the cuffs to reveal two reflective strips — a touch that bike commuters will appreciate.
Mission Workshop Mission Jeans
These are the most traditional-feeling pants on this list, because, well, they’re jeans. But unlike your Levi’s, the Missions are made from a stretch-woven fabric that offers better movement and water resistance than traditional indigo denim. It also helps them retain their shape for longer than traditional denim.
Western Rise Evolution Pants
Just 4% elastane keeps these nylon Evolutions feeling like pretty normal pants, though they do stretch a little. A double-hemmed cuff lets you easily extend them to a 34″ inseam, which is a great touch, as most other pants come strictly in a 32″ length. The five-pocket design is also fairly traditional — there’s a media pocket but no zippered security pocket.
Rhone Commuter Pants
Rhone recently updated their best-selling Commuter pant. The leg got a little more streamlined, and the stitching, which used to be a different color, now matches, making them a little more professional. They’ve still got four-way stretch, a zippered rear security pocket and a gusseted crotch, and they also comes in four different cuts, from skinny to jogger, so you can easily find a style that fits you best.
686 Everywhere Pants
The Everywhere pant has the organization of a cargo pant in a more svelte design. There are a whopping 10 pockets total, including one specifically designed to hold coins and an RFID-blocking credit card pocket. The water-resistant nylon fabric is comfortable and stretchy without feeling overly technical.
Coalatree Trailhead Pants
Weighing just 10.9 ounces, these are the lightest pants on this list. They’re constructed from durable ripstop nylon that features four-way stretch and a DWR (durable water-resistant) coating, and they’re also made from completely recycled materials. The waist and ankle ties make these pants comfortable but definitely more casual and active-focused than other pants on this list.
Oliver Passage Pants
To make the Passage, Olivers took a very traditional silhouette and swapped in high-quality materials to increase their versatility. They’re made from 91% Cordura nylon and 9% spandex, which means they’re quite stretchy. There are no antimicrobial properties, but the thinness of the fabric helps them dry quickly.
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