The 14 best cargo pants for men in 2023

Best overall: Duer Adventure Pant

Duer's Adventure Pants takes the best elements of cargo pants — plenty of pockets, a rugged look, and room to move — and ups the ante. The cargo pockets have a unique design and zippered closure that are less bulky than the traditional style, the water-resistant fabric is soft with a good bit of stretchiness, and the ankle cuffs are adjustable. Since it's Duer, it also features a hidden gusset for ease of movement and triple stitching at high-stress areas. 

Best affordable: Uniqlo Cargo Pants

Uniqlo's Cargo Pants have a somewhat oversized feel with wide legs and a slight taper with two traditional cargo pockets. The brand makes them from a cotton-spandex blend for a touch of stretch. These pants come in at less than $50 and are durable if properly cared for. 

Best baggy: Dickies Eagle Bend

The Eagle Bend pants from American workwear legend Dickies has a slouchy look with straight legs and a built in drawstring at the ankles. They make these pants that feature two roomy cargo pockets from a ripstop cotton fabric and have added double knees and a reinforced crotch, in case you actually want to work in them. 

Best black: Prana Stretch Zion Slim Pant II

If you love the idea of cargo pants, but not their traditional bulky look, Prana's Stretch Zion Slim Pant II will win you over. Black is already a slimming color and in combination with the pants' slim cut and single cargo pocket, you end up with one sleek pair of cargo pants. And because it's Prana you get cargo pants made from a lightweight, breathable, stretchy, and sustainably produced fabric. 

Best on Amazon: Wrangler Twill Cargo Pants

These Wrangler Twill Cargo Pants are best sellers on Amazon and with good reason. Like the rest of Wrangler's products, they're hardwearing and affordably priced. They're classic versions of the cargo pant style made from durable 100% cotton twill with double stitching with straight legs and a roomy fit.  

Most warm: Under Armour Essential Fleece

Under Armour delivers warmth and comfort in jogger-style cargo pants perfect for light workouts or casual evenings out. They make the Essential Fleece cargo pants from a mid-weight cotton-poly blend with a brushed interior that feels soft against your skin and helps retain heat to keep you warm and looking stylish when the temperatures drop. 

Best for travel: Relwen M-51 Commando

The Relwen M-51 Commando cargo pants take their inspiration from Korean War-era GI wear and are built to the same exacting standards as the originals. They're roomy and have a good bit of stretch with plenty of pockets to store everything you need at hand making them perfect for long trips. And they still look great after being in a suitcase or on your body following a flight. 

Best for hiking: Fjallraven Vita Pro Lite

The Swedish outdoor brand Fjallraven's reason for being is to get people out into nature and the Vita Pro Lite trousers make it easy to do just that. Besides all the pockets that include purpose-built places for your phone and a multi-tool, the brand crafts these pants from a water and wind-resistant, sustainably made recycled polyester and organic cotton fabric that's breathable. Fjallraven also adds a second layer of material on the knees and rear for extra protection where you need it. 

Best for work: Southern Gents Cargo Pants

Southern Gents keeps you looking on point from head to toe and the Houston-based brand's cargo pants do the same with the perfect combination of style and functionality. They're dressy enough for work (depending on the dress code) but still tough enough for weekend play. Nice touches include the zippered ankle slits and pockets. 

Best camouflage: Polo Ralph Lauren Slim-Fit Cargo Pants

Polo Ralph Lauren takes the humble camouflage cargo pant and gives it an update like only the brand can do. They start by using sustainably produced cotton for the durable canvas fabric and then craft a slim-fitting cargo pant that doesn't bag or bulge. These pants feature side adjusters for a perfect fit and drawstring at the ankles so you can give them a more traditional appearance or roll the pant legs for a stylish, yet casual look.

Best big and tall: Lee Extreme Motion Cargo Pant

Lee offers these cargo pants in a wide range of sizing — up to 60-inches for the waist and 36-inches for the inseam — in a stretchy cotton-spandex blend fabric for all-day comfort. The brand tops it off with a flexible waistband in a straight-leg style that allows for ease of movement without having a baggy fit. 

Best parachute: Jaded London Parachute Cargo Pants

These parachute cargo pants from Jaded London take this '90s throwback style and update them with contemporary tailoring. Nice touches like the pleated knees and leg darts on these 100% cotton pants help give them the structure mostly missing from the original style (the '90s version, not the '80s, which were tight-fitting and made of nylon).

Best convertible: Outdoor Voices RecTrek

Outdoor Voices' Rec Trek allows you to easily convert these cargo pants into shorts or somewhere in between with a third choice of calf-length pants. The brand crafts the Rec Trek pants from a nylon-elastane fabric with four-way-stretch in four striking color block options. 

Best designer: Stone Island Comfort Cargo Pants

The Italian label Stone Island's clothing have military and workwear roots and impeccable tailoring for designs that are both timeless and trendy. The company makes its Comfort Cargo Pants in Romania from cotton-elastane gabardine fabric with paneled construction for a perfect drape that's neither too slim nor too loose. 

Best sustainable: Raeburn GD Cargo Pant

Christopher Raeburn is serious about sustainability and his eponymous label reflects that drive. The brand handcrafts the Raeburn GD Cargo Pant from 100% recycled nylon with a jogger-style look that features two gusseted cargo pockets and knee patches to ensure a longer life for the garment.