A craze that was started by Lululemon with the ABC Pant, has now exploded to almost every men's clothing brand. These pants are everywhere. And each brand makes claims like "the best pants ever made!" and "so comfortable, that you will never wear jeans again!" These pants are great, but they are not all made equal.
So, what do you look for in these pants? Personally, I am looking for something that is comfortable, has some stretch, and can still pass at work. When I say "pass at work" what I really mean is they are not too shiny or athletic looking. While some 5 pocket pants have good stretch and are comfortable, they just look off when you pair them with a button down. These pants should do everything jeans can do while being more comfortable and stylish.
P4G REVIEW
As a reminder, here at Picks4Guys we pick FOUR (2 staples, 1 discount, and 1 new kid) products in one category and review the items for price, fit, materials, and x-factor. We score the items and pick a winner. (Writer Note: This was a tough category to narrow down to four brands. It's likely that I will do another blog with four new brands in the not too distant future. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I have to write one blog before I can give myself credit for two.) Without further ado, let's get to the review...
5 Pocket Pants:
- Staples (Lululemon's ABC Pant, Rhone's Commuter Pant)
- Discount (Goodthread's)
- New Kid (Peter Millar eb66) - Reminder this is new product to me, not necessarily a new brand.
(Working from left to right in the pictures)
Peter Millar eb66 Performance - Retail $149 - We are going to start off with the new kid today. These pants are unbelievable! They look like a nice pair of chinos, but stretch like a pair of ABC pants. I am really impressed that they pants can stretch so well while looking like a traditional pair of casual pants. My only gripe with these pants is the fit. As someone with athletics legs, they are a bit too tight in the thigh. This might be a blessing, if these had fit, it would be hard not to buy multiple pairs of these pants. I am not sure how well these pants hold up over time, but they feel really well made and look great. Overall Score - 3.50 (out of 4.00) Buy Here
Goodthreads Athletic Fit 5 Pocket Chino - Retail $19 - These pant's are really just chinos. At $19, they are a good price for Chinos, but they don't really fit in the category. However, you can buy a pair of these and still have a hundred dollars in your pocket. The material of these pants is thick with little stretch, but for $19 it's hard to compete with the other pants in this category. If you work outside and need some durable pants with some stretch, these are a good option. Overall Score - 3.25 Buy Here
Lululemon ABC Pant - Retail $128 - These pants are the OG of this category. And rightfully so, they are fantastic. I still remember buying my first pair of ABC Pant's and thinking they were a game changer. I was so impressed by the pants ability to stretch and keep shape over time. If you have never purchased a pair of these pants, you need to. I bought my dad a couple pairs of these pants and he loves them. He doesn't like to admit that he wears Lululemon, but he pretty much wears these pants exclusively now. These pants are extremely comfortable and can transition well from golf, to work, to a game of HORSE. These pants are the king of this category. Overall Score - 3.55 Buy Here
Rhone Commuter Pant - Retail $128 - These are solid pants. They are comfortable with good stretch. These pants pair well with a t-shirt or a light track jacket and do so while looking stylish. They also work well for golf. There's a but coming... But, when it comes to versatility and durability, the Commuter Pant can't compete with the ABC Pant. The material is a bit thinner and shinier, and over time these pants don't keep their shape as well as the ABC Pant. If you are going to spend the money, I would buy Lululemon. Overall Score - 3.35 Buy Here
And the winner is... The ABC Pant from Lululemon. These pants are still the King in my book. The combination of stretch, fit, and durability is unmatched in my book. (Writer Note - This one is personal preference, had the Peter Millar eb66 Performance Pant fit me better, I might have gone that way.)
I hope you found the blog helpful. Do you disagree with the blog? Did we miss your favorite t-shirt brand? Let us know at comments@picks4guys.com
How I Scored It - The below scores are my opinion with a max score of 4.00
