By TomIn the past, my packing list didn’t have any merino wool pants or trousers in it.
Instead, I opted for a pair of Slim Dungarees by Outlier. I’ve had two models since 2013.
But now I run Merino Wool Rocks, so I wanted to research the best options for wool pants.
I like to travel a lot as well as hike and I also do CrossFit.
Merino wool does suffer from the drawback that it’s not as durable as other synthetic fabrics (although I feel this drawback is made up for with the lack of the disadvantages of synthetic or cotton fabrics).
So, I was looking for a pair of pants that could withstand a beating, yet keep all the benefits of merino wool.
After trying out pants from various different merino wool brands I’ve found two brands I’m happy to recommend as well as some good runner ups.
Our pick
- Material: 44% Wool, 44% CORDURA, 12% elasterell-p
- Best for: Smart causal, office wear
- Price (estimate): $158
Also great
4 Season AeroDri
Wool Jeans
- Material: 50% Wool, 45% Polyester, 5% Spandex
- Best for: Daily wear, city bike riding
- Price (estimate): $115
This brand caught my attention with this testimonial via Tynan:
“So far this is the only wool pant that has had any sort of longevity.” – Tynan
I reached out to Makers and Riders, and I had a nice chat with the man behind the brand, Chris.
They have several models. I have had the 4 Season AeroDri Wool Jeans for over a year now, wearing them almost daily.
Despite the amount of wear, they’re still in good shape. Highly recommended.
It exists in 2 colours and I have it in both colors. I’ve worn the dark pair for years. I even wore them on my wedding day!
See on Makers And Riders site | Check price on Amazon
Runners-up merino wool pants for men
Here’s three pairs of pants that came in as runners-up. Icebreaker have several different options ranging from 99% merino wool to 30% and Asos has a stylish option at a very reasonable price.
Jogging Pants
It tends to be easier to find jogger-style pants that are 100% merino. If you are looking for a baselayers to go under, you can also check our recommendation of bottom baselayers for men.
Thanks for your tip! I’ll check out the brand.
Hi!
I’m looking for 1 single pair of pants which I can do everything with, from biking to work, to traveling, hiking, to doing presentations for work. I read a lot of good things about the slim dungarees which you also have. I haven’t bought them yet since they aren’t made of Merino, so I was wondering weather they are also smell resistant when wearing them a long time without washing them. Since the 4 Season AeroDri Wool Trousers F16 are made from merino wool they also caught my attention, since I love merino wool in my shirts. Would you advise the 4 Season AeroDri Wool Trousers F16 over the Slim Dungarees? Thank you in advance!
Best,
Chipo
The Slim Dungarees have amazing durability. I have a pair that is going over 3 years. I wore them today while cycling down to my CrossFit box in the rain. I’ve found, however, they do get looser over time.
The 4 Season AeroDri Wool Trousers F16 feel nicer, however once you wear them in. Interestingly the first couple of days they were a little “prickly” but then they wore in fine. Additionally, the price is a significant plus with the F16 trousers – much cheaper than Outlier.
Thank you for the detailed comparison! Very helpful 🙂
I wanted a warm pair of wool pants for hiking as well as pub crawling so after some research and reading all the reviews, I bought a pair of merino wool pants from Gostwear, Big Bill 18 Oz. Merino Wool Cargo Hunting & Outdoor Pants – 234MER. I just got them in the mail last week and they are very well made and the quality of the fabric is stellar, only problem was sizing, too baggy for my slender frame. I took them into a tailor and had them tapered and hemmed, now they are a perfect fit, rugged enough for hiking and stylish enough to go with my Blundstone boots.
I made a mistake on my comment post yesterday with the wool/nylon percentage on the Big Bill pants, it is 80 % wool/ 20% nylon.
Cheers, Derek
You should check out Woolly’s Longhaul Merino pants. Higher percent wool and just generally amazing.
Mine failed in 2 months in the crotch.