The 9 Best Hiking Pants for Women, Tested & Approved

Seniq’s bestselling hiking pants take design cues from the Swedish military uniform with cargo pockets, earth-toned hues, and daisy chain details. I loved the unique stay-put elasticated waistband that hits high on the waist and is easily adjustable by an integrated belt. The Nylon Twill material was buttery-soft while providing a nice balance of durability, technical performance, and subtle GORPcore style ready to go off trail.

Trail Performance: 9 - Held up in a light rain, cooler temps, and warm sun. Tons of stretch allowed me to move with ease through denser sections of the trail with great breathability.
Versatility: 9 - Cool techy look for daily wear. Roomy enough to layer over a pair of hiking leggings on colder days.
Features & Build: 9 - Seniq didn’t miss a single performance feature weaving in everything you need in a performance pant, including moisture-wicking, coverage from sun and rain, cinchable hems, adjustable waist, and pockets galore.
Overall Rating: 9

I took these pants everywhere for a day—from home to appointments to meetings, and finally a late afternoon hike. After looking cute and feelig comfy all day, they held up beautifully when I finally got out on the trail. While the Hikerkind Kick Flare Trousers 01 remain a stalwart pair, I love the classic trouser look and sophisticated earthy hues of these pants.

Trail Performance: 8 - While I might not grab them for a longer days or multi-day hikes, these trousers held up great on the trail, delivering active comfort with a great look.
Versatility: 10 - I would not hesitate to wear these for travel, outdoor adventures, and regular use.
Features & Build: 7 - While a very technical pant, it’s not the most feature-rich, and was missing a few details, like adjustable ankles and waist and windproofness, that I felt earned a slightly lower score here.
Overall Rating: 8

For light hikes or laidback outdoor adventures, the Prana Send-Off Pant delivers. The double-knit fabric had a soft handfeel with just enough movement and durability to handle a quick, casual hike—plus, it looks pretty cute! Layer them over Prana's Luxara Pocket Tights, if you're like me and get wimpy during a cold start.

Trail Performance: 7 - I wouldn’t take these backpacking but they do have the performance benefits and technical details to keep you comfortable and moving on a light hike.
Versatility: 10 - Great to throw over a pair of hiking leggings for a warmer layer during a cold start, around camp, adventure travels, or everyday wear.
Features & Build: 8 - Moisture-wicking, water repellent and ease of movement, these pants have more features than meets the eye. They do run larger and longer than expected, but the ankles are adjustable for a tighter fit and avoid snags in dense brush.
Overall Rating: 8

The iconic Keb Trousers blend Swedish sensibility with a classic rugged design and lasting active comfort. Recently another Field Mag contributor deemed these the perfect hiking pants, period. In my experience, they live up to the hype. Despite the aesthetic being a little hardcore outdoor for my taste, their signature durable G-1000 fabric is softened with just enough stretch for ease of movement on trail to make a pant that truly felt like it was ready for anything.

Trail Performance: 10 - From windy exposures to a little rain and miles of sun, I experienced a range of weather conditions while hiking in the Kebs and always stayed comfortable.
Versatility: 6 - Stick to backpacking and hiking in these puppies!
Features & Build: 10 - Though it's hard to tell, the front leg panels have articulated knees which felt molded to my body. Side zips provided more airflow, and adjustable ankles created a tight fit, alongside many more technical features.
Overall Rating: 8.5

At first glance, Astrid Wild's Outdoor Pants were indistinguishable from a pair of business casual work pants. But after a half mile into my hike I could feel how smooth and stretchy the durable fabric actually was (like leggings, but burlier) and started to understand why these versatile, hardwearing Swedish women's outdoor brand's flagship bottoms are a mainstay within their growing collection.

Trail Performance: 8.5 - Comfortable active fit kept things in place; flared style looked good while also allowing airflow to balance the warmth built into these midweight pants during New England's fickle October weather.
Versatility: 10 - Town to trail versatility is there. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference between these and a regular pair of pants.
Features & Build: 8.5 - Astrid Wild says their water-repellent, abrasion resistant pants are built "5x as durable as recommended for workwear" a quality I could definitely feel.
Overall Rating: 9

This versatile hiking-biking jogger earns points for being a sturdy, thicker pant that remains soft, stretchy, and breathable while in use. The fit was on point: roomy in the legs with an adjustable waistband that hits high on the hip and stays put, alongside some well-placed (ahem, flattering) pockets. It was clear one active woman designed these pants for other active women. More of that, please!

Trail Performance: 8 - The durable fabric maintains mobility with its four-way stretch and articulated knee panels. Stayed warm and protected from the wind on the trail, but didn’t overheat when elevation increased.
Versatility: 7 - Jogger style makes it easy to roll up or down to adjust the fit which works well for multi-sport use and everyday wear.
Features & Build: 8.5 - Lots of thoughtful details and technical components, like an extra-wide drawstring waistband, four large pockets, plus one zip pocket, and bio-based stretch yarn makes it easily recyclable at end of life.
Overall Rating: 8

I have always appreciated Mountain Hardwear’s ability to design technical mountainwear for women that fit great, look good, and can go hard. I’m happy to report that the Stryders lived up to my expectations as a solid option for cold weather hiking pants, hitting all the right notes of fit and function with loads of performance features. What it lacks in style (it’s a pretty baggy fit), it makes up for in versatility as a great multi-sport softshell pant to wear all winter long.

Trail Performance: 9.5 - Not sure how these would perform on a really arduous multi-day winter hike, but on a shorter cold weather trek, these kept me comfortable, stayed put, and offered plenty of storage solutions.
Versatility: 8 - Great for a cold day hike with a super-soft microfleece lining that felt like a pair of sweatpants (in a good way). Long ankle zips accommodate ski or snowboard boots, where these softshell pants could work for more laidback days on-piste, but it’s a bit bulky to wear around town.
Features & Build: 8 - Stacked with tech like DWR, stretch, adjustable waist and ankles, plus pockets everywhere, the only question mark for me was its abrasion-resistance for tougher treks.
Overall Rating: 9

I tested these pants on a cold day, layering them over a pair of hiking leggings which was easy thanks to the relaxed fit. By the end of my hike, I had heated up enough to regret my choice, further convincing me that these are best for warmer days or stowed in your pack for a lightweight option. It doesn't hurt that the Fig Green is a really fun pop of color.

Trail Performance: 9 - Despite being lightweight, these are a rugged pair of hiking pants that can handle wear and tear for active comfort when the weather is warm.
Versatility: 9 - Techy enough to make them work for different outdoor activities yet with a great straight leg silhouette for a cool trail-to-town look.
Features & Build: 9 The rugged nylon is some of Rab’s most durable material that has an integrated belt, deep pockets, and built-in stretch for everything you need in a good hiking pant.
Overall Rating: 9

OR's bestselling hiking pants have a classic style and fit that reliably perform on trail. Out of all the pants, these have the widest range of sport versatility beyond hiking with design features that make them work for bouldering, climbing, and travel.

Trail Performance: 8 - The Ferrosis excel on rugged hikes where the four-way stretch and superior durability is needed. However, they are very lightweight and didn't keep me warm on a cold start (bearing in mind this is different for everyone and I score very low in my tolerance for starting cold).
Versatility: 8 - Designed to perform well for varying outdoor adventure sports and travel, but aesthetically, the very traditional style lowered the score for me.
Features & Build: 9 - No feature is left behind in the Ferrosis and it shows. They protect from all the elements (rain, wind, and sun), have tons of adjustability, breathe well, and dry fast to keep you moving comfortably for miles.
Overall Rating: 8.5

How I Tested These Hiking Pants

I live in Maine, where hiking is a pastime and trails are never far away. I did all my wear testing four months postpartum, fresh out of the so-called fourth trimester, which meant comfort, fit, and function were non-negotiables. And, dear reader, I’d be lying if I said I did not take into account the look of said pants. Especially now in my Mom Era, I appreciate clothing (and outdoor gear in general) that has considered the finer points of style and design—a well-placed pocket here, a nice pleat there—alongside durable materials with plenty of stretch, because comfort is important too. A good pair of women's hiking pants should be both good looking and hardwearing. At Field Mag, where we live happily at the intersection of good design and the great outdoors, these two things must always be true.

What I Look for in Hiking Pants

On some hikes, I hauled kids up the mountain with me, other treks were done solo. Some trails involved sections of rocky scrambles and others were leisurely strolls along flat forest footpaths. All adventures were considered and performance was a top priority. Each pair was also graded according to the following categories:

Mobility

Hiking pants shouldn't restrict your movement, but provide enough stretch for full range of motion. Articulated knees and strategically-placed seams were also noted.

Temperature Regulation

Does this material breathe when it's warm and warm when it's cool? If the answer is yes, or if they were designed specifically to do one better than the other according to seasonality, they made the list.

Durability

Hardwearing materials that won't snag, resist wear and tear, and just generally hold up outside are a must-have. When investing in a good pair of hiking pants, they should be designed to last.

Versatility & Style

Almost all of these pants have some element of crossover appeal, like silhouettes and styles that easily transition from town to trail. Pants that work for more than one outdoor activity or traveling scored even higher.

Features

I kept a close eye out for technical details that boosted performance and functionality, like cinchable hems, integrated belts that allow you to adjust the fit, wind and waterproofness, zip pockets, and more. All things that you don't think you need until you do.

My Number Ratings, Explained

Trail Performance – How well they handle actual hiking. Factors included mobility, breathability, weather resistance, and overall comfort while moving.

Versatility – Can they cross over into casual wear, errands, travel, or other activities?

Features & Build – Pockets, waist system, durability, cuff design, zip-offs, etc. These are the in-the-weeds details that you don’t see in the shop but that separate good from great.