Best walking trousers

The best walking trousers provide a winning combination of breathable and/or weatherproof tech, comfort and flexibility. Together, they ensure that your legs as protected as possible when out walking, hiking or trekking.

You'll find the best men's and women's walking trouser designs enable you to handle a variety of outdoor terrain without worrying about the damage to your clothing or the discomfort – for instance, soggy jean legs – that can add a literal dampener to your outdoor pursuits.

One of our favourite walking trousers even converts into walking shorts. This is good news for anyone who has a small budget (or wardrobe) yet wants to own a quality pair of walking trousers and durable outdoors shorts. It also means one item of clothing will take you from spring/summer to autumn/winter without skipping a beat.

Also known as trekking trousers, this type of active clothing can be split into sub-categories depending on the fabric they’re made from, the fit and the features. 

The best walking trousers are usually made from blended fabrics, and are suited to pursuits such as backpacking, hiking, trekking and robust outdoor walking where you’ll be encountering varying terrain and surroundings. 

Below we’ve rounded up the best walking trousers for men and for women, based on durability, performance and their ability to help you feel comfortable in the great outdoors.

The Salomon Wayfarers are hard to not recommend. A tapered leg minimises material around the ankle - a godsend if you’re wearing crampons or cycling - as well as reducing the ability of the trousers to snag on passing rocks/branches. This minimalism extends to flattened seams throughout, as well as neat touches like reflective highlights that add safety without a weight penalty. 

The four-way stretch fabric will flex rather than tear in most rough-and-tumble situations, as well as being pretty windproof, while a DWR coating will shrug off light rain and damp in general. In short, the Salomon Wayfarers may not be technical trousers, but they’ll do a fine job in most outdoor situations without breaking the bank.

Sometimes simplicity is best, and the Ineo trousers showcase that perfectly. Made from Mala Stretch fabric, these slim fit leg trousers not only offer comfort, durability and weather resistance, but also a practical, streamlined aspect that minimises snagging opportunities and weight. 

That streamlining delivers a host of benefits, not only stopping trousers getting wet and muddy, but also keeping the hem out of the way when mountain biking, for example. 

Mala Stretch is both wind resistant and water repellent, and comfortable next to the skin, while a pair of zippered hand pockets offer storage opportunities. In short, these are the type of trousers that will deliver the goods in most outdoor environments - from trekking to hiking, these have you covered. 

Proper old-school materials give away the game here, a blend of cotton and nylon delivering durability and reliability for the long haul, with a touch of spandex for flexibility. There are solid design touches too, with a gusseted crotch and articulated knees providing plenty of movement over complex ground, as well as extra reinforcement around the hand pockets and back ankle panel. 

In addition, the back of the waistband is seamless to prevent rucksacks from digging in, and the thigh pocket is not only the best place to keep a phone, but has been specifically designed to fit one. Nepal inspired trims soften the tone a little to make these perfect for all-season, all conditions outdoorsing - especially at the harsher end of the spectrum, where the durability here will pay dividends. 

Pordoi SO Pants won't be for everyone, but if the cut suits, these could be your go-to outdoor trousers for all seasons. Wind-defeating softshell will come in handy all year round, reasonable rain-deflection without wetting out or chafing, and slim cut around the ankles along with a gusseted zip will minimise flapping in hoolies.

Mammut has deployed a technology it calls Mammut Phase Weave, which minimises seams, as well as combining fabrics for the best performance, but without the bulk of layering. 

As with the Arc’teryx Russet walking trousers, pockets here are positioned to avoid fouling a climbing harness, and Mammut has added a flat waistband to enhance all-day comfort under a harness or rucksack hipbelt.

The key selling point of Fjallraven's Vidda Pro trousers is the G-1000 Original fabric, which offers formidable protection against the elements. It makes this pair of walking trousers a great choice for those engaging in more serious outdoor activities, like hiking in dense bush. 

The Vidda Pro have also been designed with additional bum and knee support. That means slipping and sliding down banks, tripping over tree roots or scrambling around on your knees aren’t so much of a rip hazard. 

There's a mammoth amount of pockets on these trousers too – seven in total! – all of which have their individual uses and can be securely stuffed with survival gadgets and supplies.  

For those times when comfort and durability takes precedence over everything else, you won’t get much better than the Berghaus Exporer Eco. These trousers have a generous fit and a non-elasticated waistband, so no digging into your flesh whenever you move or bend.

The design is minimalist, so they can be paired with pretty much any technical jacket, base layer or summery tee. Speaking of summer, you can zip these walking trousers off at the knees, transforming them into shorts when you're exploring in hotter climes. 

There are five pockets in total, with two  designed purposefully for warming your hands during cold weather walks. Add to that the eco-friendly manufacturing process and you can be satisfied that you’re doing your bit for the environment, just like with the Jack Wolfskin's further up. 

The rather fetching Kathmandu Federate are not only highly comfortable slim-cut trekking trousers, they have a surprise up their leg... There's a hidden stash pocket, lined with an anti-RFID material, to keep your credit card and passport safe from both real-world and virtual attackers.    

A close second in our best walking trousers buyer's guide, the lightweight and slim-cut Kathmandu Federate is arguably the ultimate trekker-traveller’s trouser. A water-repellent finish should keep you safe from passing showers, and a sustainable material construction adds a degree of environmental credibility.

Looking for durable walking trousers on a budget? Do you mostly do recreational walking? Then try the Mountain Hardwear Chockstone Trousers.

While they are waterproof and wind-resistant, the Chockstone's aren’t the most heavy duty design on the market and therefore work best on day walks rather than multi-day off-road adventures.

That said, for recreational walkers looking for more stretch than their normal trousers offer, these are a great middle weight option that will last a long time.

If you’re looking for stronger waterproofing than the Montane Terra Ridge can offer, we’d recommend the North Face Women’s Venture 2 walking trousers. 

They offer maximum waterproof protection, including a seam-sealed shell and velcro ankle tabs to keep you dry right down to your hiking socks. As well as being waterproof, the fabric is windproof so you'll be fine on blustery, wet weather walks too.