Lightweight trail running pants with zippered hand pockets
Wearing trail running pants for hiking increases mobility and comfort on the trail. Compared to traditional, burly, static hiking pants, trail running pants are lighter weight, more breathable, more stretchy, comfier, and better suited to speed hiking, fastpacking, and scrambling. If you’re reading this article, by now you probably already hike in trail running shoes. So why not trail running pants?
From a hiking use case perspective, the disadvantage of trail running pants is that they’re less durable, but mainly that they have inferior pockets. What pockets they do have are less deep and less secure, thus items are more likely to fall out. That’s why this buyer’s guide focuses exclusively on the ~10% of trail running pants with zippered hand pockets. The zippers guarantee you won’t lose essentials, thus somewhat offsetting their primary disadvantage compared to traditional hiking pants.
At time of publication, there is no perfect pair of trail running pants for hiking. But this highlights the best of what’s out there, and they’re all great for running! While you’re here, don’t miss our guides for trail shorts, hiking shorts, hiking pants, trail shoes, and running packs.
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Quick Picks: Trail Running Pants For Hiking
All of these have zippered hand pockets
- Editor’s Choice: Janji Transit Tech Pants
- Best Fabric: Path Projects Killam PX Running Pants
- Lightest Weight: Adidas Terrex Liteflex
- Best Value: Willit Lightweight Joggers
Trail Running Pants Comparison Table
| Model | Price ($) | Weight (Men’s M) | Fabric | Pockets |
| Janji Transit Tech | 94 | 7.1 | 88% poly, 12% spandex |
2 zip hand, 1 zip hip
|
| Path Projects Killam PX | 98 | 8.9 | 100% poly |
2 zip hand, 3 zip rear
|
| Adidas Terrex LiteFlex | 85 | 5.7 | 69% nylon, 19% poly, 12% elastane |
2 zip hand, 1 rear
|
| Willit Lightweight | 30 | 8.5 | 95% poly, 5% spandex |
2 zip hand, 2 thigh, 1 zip rear
|
Janji Transit Tech Pants
The Janji Transit Tech are our editor’s choice trail running pants for hiking because they’re lightweight, stretchy, surprisingly durable, and come with one of the best pocket configurations in the biz. That is, in addition to two zippered hand pockets, they also get a side hip pocket on the right side.
This pocket is so obviously excellent and useful that we’re forced to ask, why not both sides? Unlike a thigh pocket, the hip pocket is situated on immediately behind the hand pocket, which gives extra capacity without placing it lower down the leg where it becomes prone to bounce and sway. They’re also great looking and made with recycled materials. They would have benefited from a slightly looser fit, and a less aggressively tapered lower leg. Size up if in between, or a full size if you prefer a more relaxed fit.
- Price: $94
- Weight : 7.1 oz (Men’s Med)
- Fabric: 88% Recycled Polyester, 12% Spandex
- Pockets: 2 zippered hand, 1 zippered side hip
- Pros: Zippered pockets. Unique hip pocket. Stretchy. Durable. Weather resistant. Sustainable. UPF 50
- Cons: Run small, size small. Average breathability. Would have preferred a second side hip pocket. Overly-tapered lower leg.
Path Projects Killam PX Trail Running Pants
The Path Projects Killam PX are the best looking, and one of the best performing, pair of trail running pants in our round-up. That’s because they’re constructed with what is easily the best fabric – Toray PrimeFlex. The 100% polyester with 4-way mechanical stretch is more durable, more breathable, quicker drying, and less absorbent than competing fabrics made with elastic/Spandex.
The zippered hand pockets are secure, bounce-resistant, and check all of the necessary boxes. That being said, they’re not perfect. For starters, the pocket liners are made with stretch mesh, which is prone to snagging and ripping if you place the wrong thing inside, like a key chain. Furthermore, they feature inverted zippers, meaning that the zipper pull rests at the base of the pocket in the closed position, and you pull upwards to open them; exact opposite of normal. It’s still unclear why they designed it this way, and we consider it to be minor a downside until proven otherwise.
- Price: $98
- Weight: 8.9 oz (Men’s Med)
- Fabric: 100% Polyester
- Pockets: 2 zip hand, 3 zip rear
- Pros: 4-way mechanical stretch. Most durable, quickest drying. Best looking. Great waistband. Antimicrobial.
- Cons: Men’s only. Inverted zipper direction on hand pockets. Rear pockets may be harder to access with pack. Mesh pocket liner has ripping potential. Ankle zips are unnecessary.
Adidas Terrex Liteflex
Addidas Terrex Liteflex blur the line between hiking pants and trail running pants. They’re comfy, ultralight, lightly stretchy, and breezy like other trail runners, but cut with a more relaxed fit and labeled as hiking pants. Whatever you call them, the fact that they weigh less than six ounces in a men’s medium makes them incredible for backpacking.
A system we’ve had success with is pairing these pants with trail running shorts for a modular system weighing ~9 oz. Wear your shorts for maximum comfort until midday when sun protection becomes required, and then pull on the Terrex Liteflex to beat the UV and prevent burns. We have yet to tear or damage them after a full season of use, but it we wouldn’t exactly describe them as durable.
- Price: $85
- Weight: 5.7 oz (Men’s Med)
- Fabric: 69% nylon, 19% Polyester, 12% Elastane
- Pockets: 2 zippered hand, 1 snap rear right
- Pros: Lightest weight. Most packable. Most breathable. Most comfortable. Most minimalist. Hem snap reduces excess fabric. Easy to use zipper pulls.
- Cons: Least sporty, least durable.
Willit Lightweight Joggers
The Willit Lightweight Joggers are the first pair of trail running pants we’ve tested with hiking-pants-style cargo pockets, ultimately yielding best-in-class storage optionality for the category. The 95% polyester, 5% spandex blend is soft, lightly stretchy, comfy to wear, and UPF 50 rated. The elastic waistband is secure without using the drawstring.
All in all, a really sweet and actually quite innovative design, despite being cheaply manufactured by an offshores “Amazon Brand.” As such, our biggest concern about this pair is with regard to durability, longevity of the stitches, and potential for a blown pocket. But hard to argue with the value!
- Price: $30
- Weight: 8.5 oz
- Fabric: 95% Polyester, 5% Spandex
- Pockets: 2 zippered hand, 2 thigh, 1 zippered rear
- Pros: Affordable. More pocket storage than any other pair. UPF 50.
- Cons: Cheaply made by an Amazon brand. Thigh pockets make them worse for running (but better for hiking). Stitching durability.
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