GEAR TEST: Men’s and Women’s KÜHL Travel Pants

Ian and I live a pretty minimalist lifestyle. Since we travel a lot we don’t like to have a lot of possessions weighing us down. What we do own we want to be multi-functional and versatile for any adventure we might be taking on. That’s especially true of our clothes.

It seems like it’s always a challenge to find clothing that strikes a balance between being technical and attractive. Sometimes you need highly technical clothing for the backcountry, but most of the time when you’re traveling, you’d prefer to get a pint at a brewery or walk around town without looking like you just crawled out of a tent.

We were stoked when KÜHL reached out to us to test out some of their men’s and women’s travel pants. KÜHL’s travel pants were designed to provide the versatility that you need so that you can take less clothing with you while traveling. While KÜHL did send us some free travel pants to review, but we thoroughly tested them for about a month and took them on a road trip along Flathead Lake. This review is our own opinion.

I wasn’t even planning to mention this in our review, but KÜHL also stuck a bar of their chocolate into the package with the pants. The flavor was Blueberry Brownie Chocolate. At first I just thought, “Oh that’s quirky and cute!” But then we tasted, and it was incredible! It was super creamy with crunchy bits of freeze dried blueberry. Maybe it was just the fact that everything tastes better on the trail, but if you do order some pants, treat yourself and throw a bar of that chocolate in your cart!

The KÜHL Blueberry Brownie Chocolate was surprisingly delicious! An awesome addition to a quick stop for coffee.

Women’s KÜHL Travel Pants- KONTOUR Skinny

I tested out KÜHL’s KONTOUR women’s pants, which are designed to look more like a pair of jeans than your typical trail pants. Yes, I am millennial, so I did opt for the skinny style of the KONTOUR pants. (But if you land on either side of my generation, you’re in luck, because there is a straight-leg cut of these jeans.) The KONTOUR also comes in shorts and a skirt style too!

KÜHL women’s pants do tend to run small according to the reviews, so I got a size up from what I typically wear, and the pants were the right size for me. The pants come in three different inseam lengths. I ordered the shortest length, 29,” because I prefer a cropped look that works well with different types of shoes, whether it’s hiking boots or ballet flats.

I ordered the Sea Grass color, which is a light gray-green, and I absolutely love it! It’s one of those colors that can match with almost anything. The pants also come in regular blue jean washes and a range of colors, including some bright ones if your fashion choices are more adventurous than mine.

KÜHL KONTOUR pants are not fully synthetic, but they dry relatively quickly and are great for a huge range of frontcountry adventures.

The fabric of the KONTOUR pants is very soft and stretchy, giving you a really high range of movement for activities. The fabric is a blend of 89 percent cotton, 9 percent polyester, and 2 percent spandex. With the high percentage of cotton, these aren’t going to replace your fully-synthetic, quick dry pants for camping, but they’re definitely up for the challenge of shorter hikes and other frontcountry outdoor activities.

Don’t let stiff pants stop you from doing whatever this is.

One of the great things about KÜHL pants is that in addition to being very stretchy, they have a high-level of rebound. It’s hard to speak to long-term durability after only a month of wear, but I did notice that they seem to hold their shape better than other stretch jeans that I have. I liked that they don’t bag out in the knees after just a couple of wears.

In terms of durability, the pants do appear to be very durable and well constructed. I have another pair of KÜHL pants that I bought a few years ago at a thrift store in Missoula, Montana. They have proven to be very durable, and even as I wear them they have continued to look good. That said, that pair is more of a cargo-style pant, so it’s not the stretchy fabric of the KONTOUR pants.

While I definitely appreciate that there are different inseam lengths for the KONTOUR pants, my one critique was that the waist of the pants was a bit loose on me. I think the smaller size would have been too tight in the legs though. There is an internal drawstring in the waistband that can be used to adjust the size. However, when you tighten the drawstring, it creates dimples and affects the smooth look of the waistband.

Ideally, I’d like to see the women’s pants sized like the men’s pants with multiple waist and inseam measurements to choose from (e.g. 30x32). (Of course, this criticism goes way beyond just KÜHL pants since most women’s pants are sized this way.) Likewise the pockets are a good size for women pants, but bigger pockets = better pockets! There’s no way to hold a phone except in the butt pocket. (Again, this is not a problem exclusive to KÜHL women’s pants, but women’s pants generally.)

KÜHL KONTOUR Skinny pants are super comfortable, and super cute. I know that these are going to be my new “airplane” pants, because they are comfortable enough to wear on a red-eye flight, but still look great when you arrive in your destination city. I currently work in an office environment, and I have worn them to work several times. To be fair, I do work in Montana, where business casual is a flannel shirt and a clean pair of Wranglers. However, I think that if you style KONTOUR pants with a nice shirt, they are stylish enough to be worn in a typical office. On the whole, I would absolutely recommend these pants as casual, “cross-over” pants that deliver on the versatility needed for travel.

The KONTOUR pants are going to be my new go-to pants for road trips and long flights, because they are flattering and comfortable.

KÜHL Men’s Travel Pants- REVOLVR

Ian tested out the men’s REVOLVR pants. The pants come in a full and tapered fit. Ian often complains that men’s pants are too tight in the thighs and calves, because they are designed for men with skinny legs. The full fit of the REVOLVR pants was a huge plus for him, because they look good but still give the freedom of movement that thick thighs crave. #thickthighssavelives

We were both impressed by the high-quality construction of the REVOLVR pants. It’s clear that the details of the pants were carefully considered and designed by people who spend a lot of time outdoors. The crotch of the pants has a gusset to provide a greater range of motion for clambering over rocks or squatting by a camp stove. Ian was especially impressed that they don’t bind up around the knees at all.

The REVOLVR pants look more similar to what you might expect to see in a trail pant without looking like baggy cargo pants. Even though they don’t look like cargo pants, they have tons of pockets- seven actually! There are two pockets on the thighs that can be used for your cell phone so that you don’t have to sit on it.

Did you know that the small pocket inside the hip pocket is actually called the “watch pocket”? That’s because it was designed to hold your pocket watch back in the day. Ian, a modern-day nerd who owns a pocket watch, was dismayed that there is a small metal slide detail on the watch pocket that could potentially scratch his watch. But if you’re not a total hipster, this likely won’t be a problem for you.

There are a lot of great details in the construction of the KÜHL REVOLVR pants that seem like they will ensure the pants are durable in the long-run.

The waist closure is a snap, which initially we were a little unsure about. We’ve both had snap closure pants that pop open when you sit down or crawl over a log across the trail. However the snap proved to be strong and didn’t unbutton at all while Ian was wearing it. There is also a small additional panel of fabric inside the fly with a traditional button closure. Apparently this is called a French fly and you often see them on dress slacks. This type of fly helps keep the waist and pockets of the pants flat. I’m not sure this really made a difference in the look initially, but I could see this helping keep the pants looking good as the pants start to wear.

The fabric of the REVOLVR is a cotton-synthetic blend called ÜberKÜHL—68 percent cotton, 29 percent nylon, and 3 percent spandex. With a higher percentage of synthetic fiber than the KONTOUR pants, these pants are relatively quick drying (although again we wouldn’t recommend them for backcountry trips where staying dry is essential). The fabric is lightweight, but still feels tough and durable. There is a very slight stretch to the fabric as well so it’s not too stiff.

Ian picked the REVOLVR’s in Gotham Gray—a deep steel gray color. The color is super versatile and stylish. The patina dye is designed to fade and look even better as it wears. I’m really excited to see how the dye ages over time, because Ian does tend to be pretty hard on his clothes. When he finds a pair of pants he really likes, he’ll pretty much exclusively wear those pants until they finally give out (or get so bagged out in the butt or knees that I have to confiscate them for his own good.)

The Verdict

After giving them an all-around gear test for a month, we were definitely impressed by our KÜHL travel pants. While KÜHL pants are on the pricier side, the versatility and the emphasis on durability make them worth it. If you don’t have to purchase pants as often and avoid trendy fast fashion pants, you’ll actually save money in the long run, and it’s better for the planet. Plus, by purchasing a pair of high-quality pants, you can minimize the horrors of pants shopping. (Leave a comment if you’re a disturbingly confident person that feels great about your body after trying on a bunch of jeans under unflattering fluorescent lights.)

To sum up our review of KÜHL travel pants, we’d definitely recommend them if you’re looking for casual pants for the wide range adventures you have planned (and unplanned!)

On the whole, we’d absolutely recommend the KÜHL travel pants if you’re looking for pants that are high-quality and made designed to last.

Have you tried out KÜHL pants? Let us know what you think.