Men’s REI Trailmade Pants Review

Bottom Line

The REI Trailmade is our favorite budget-focused hiking pant for hikers who want a light, comfortable pair without paying premium prices. At $80, it delivers a straightforward mix of breathability, stretch, useful pockets, and an adjustable waist. 

The low price comes with limits. The thin fabric is not especially weather-resistant, and it is less protective in brush or harsh terrain than more expensive technical models. For summer hiking, maintained trails, and hikers who mainly need comfortable full-length coverage without a lot of specialized features, the Trailmade offers strong value.

For a broader look at budget and performance options, see our guide to the best hiking pants for men.

How We Tested

As part of CleverHiker’s Alaska comparison of men’s hiking pants, Gear Analyst Miles Knotek wore the current Trailmade alongside the rest of the category. He focused on mobility, heat management, weather protection, durability, and how the simple feature set works in everyday trail use.

Comfort & Mobility

The Trailmade has enough stretch for steep trail steps and normal scrambling without feeling clingy. Its soft material and straightforward cut are easy to wear for long periods, and the drawstring provides useful waist adjustment without a belt.

It does not have the exceptionally elastic feel of the Ferrosi or Runbold IV, but it also costs less. For normal trail movement, the balance of comfort and flexibility is very good.

In more awkward terrain, the limits of the fabric show up sooner than the cut. Crawling over logs and around boulders sometimes pulled the material tight across the thighs and crotch, so the Trailmade is comfortable but not as unrestricted as the category’s stretch leaders.

Comfort & Mobility Score: 4.4/5.0

Breathability

Thin fabric keeps the Trailmade comfortable in warm and mild conditions. It releases heat well enough that the absence of ankle cinches is rarely a major problem, and the lightweight construction recovers quickly after sweat.

Convertible pants can provide more ventilation on truly hot days, but the Trailmade avoids the extra zipper bulk and remains one of the easier full-length options to wear through summer.

Field use in Alaska showed that the light construction works well during sustained movement without building much heat. The Trailmade is not unusually ventilated by design; it simply avoids excess material and insulation, which suits its budget summer role.

Breathability Score: 4.3/5.0

Weather Resistance

The Trailmade is not designed for substantial rain, strong wind, or cold exposure. Light moisture is manageable, but the fabric offers less protection than softshell-style models and will wet through in sustained precipitation.

Its quick-drying nature helps after brief showers. Still, hikers expecting uncertain mountain weather should pair it with rain pants rather than count on the Trailmade alone.

The fabric provides enough coverage for light brush and brief changes in conditions, but wind and moisture protection are secondary priorities. Hikers using the Trailmade in exposed terrain should plan around its quick-dry behavior rather than expect a meaningful storm barrier.

Weather Resistance Score: 4.2/5.0

Durability

For maintained trails and normal hiking, the Trailmade holds up well enough. The fabric is light, though, so repeated bushwhacking, rock contact, and kneeling on abrasive ground are not its strengths.

That tradeoff is reasonable at this price and weight. Hikers who regularly move through rough terrain will get more confidence from the Gamma or Keb Agile, while casual trail users may never need that extra protection.

Our testing also confirmed that the thin fabric is better at handling normal vegetation than harsh abrasion. It works for maintained trails and routine backcountry use, but repeated contact with rock and heavy brush pushes beyond the design’s strengths.

Durability Score: 4.4/5.0

Features

Five large pockets provide useful storage, including a low-profile thigh pocket that adds capacity without making the pants feel like bulky cargo wear. The drawstring waist is simple and effective for fine-tuning fit.

The men’s version does not include ankle cinches, so there is less adjustability at the cuffs than on some competitors. Overall, the feature set is practical and appropriately simple for a budget pant.

The large thigh pocket is especially useful because it adds capacity without making the pant feel like cargo wear. Combined with the waist drawstring, it gives the Trailmade a more functional setup than its price would suggest.

Features Score: 4.3/5.0

Should You Buy the REI Trailmade Pants?

The Trailmade is a strong buy for hikers who want a lightweight, comfortable, inexpensive pant for maintained trails and mostly fair weather. It is particularly appealing for new hikers or anyone building a hiking wardrobe without spending heavily.

Choose a more technical model if you need strong weather resistance, abrasion protection, or extensive cuff and ventilation adjustments. The Outdoor Research Ferrosi is the better all-around performer, while the REI Activator 3.0 is better for colder conditions.

What Other Hiking Pants Should You Consider?

Check out our full gear guide to see all of our favorites.

Outdoor Research Ferrosi Review: The Ferrosi costs more but improves on the Trailmade in stretch, breathability, weather performance, and long-term trail versatility. It is the better one-pant solution for frequent hikers.

Patagonia Terravia Trail Review: The Terravia Trail is another comfort-first lightweight option with a more refined waistband and stronger mobility. It costs substantially more and still is not designed for harsh weather or heavy abrasion.

REI Sahara Convertible Review: The Sahara is better for hikers who want true hot-weather versatility from zip-off legs. It is slightly heavier and more cargo-oriented, but pants-to-shorts conversion makes it more adaptable across large temperature swings.