Honest Review: KÜHL Kontour Straight Women’s Travel Pants

Are you shopping for women’s travel pants? Are you on the hunt for hiking pants you can also wear out to lunch? KÜHL sent me a pair of their Women’s Kontour Straight Travel Pants, and you’ll find my honest review below!

The Disclosure: 

I don’t normally do endorsements or product reviews. This is a travel blog, adventure journal, and happy place for fellow life explorers. 

However, I’ve independently purchased and loved a couple of KÜHL’s jackets over the years. My first is the Sherpa Trench, which I bought a couple of years ago and wear all the time at our place in the mountains. I would have frozen to death on our way up to the LeConte Lodge without it! I purchased my other jacket, the Celeste Lined Hoodie, on our way to the Bourbon Trail when the weather turned unexpectedly, and it’s another favorite. 

So, when a KÜHL representative reached out to see if I’d be interested in reviewing a pair of their women’s travel pants, I was interested. Not only is this a brand that’s gone with me on tons of my adventures through the years, I am in forever in need of comfortable, durable women’s travel pants. 

The Fit: 

I must be a really strangely shaped lady, but it is darn near impossible for me to find pants that fit properly. I’m a very normal, very boring 5-foot 6-inches tall, yet nearly every pair of women’s pants is mysteriously “ankle-bearing” on me. It’s actually become a joke among my friends. 

So, my first priority in selecting which pair of pants KÜHL would send me was something that wouldn’t leave my ankles hanging out. Questionable personal style aside, I spend a lot of time in the woods avoiding poison ivy, and that also includes my weirdly naked ankles. 

I followed all the fit guides and went with the Women’s Kontour Straight Travel Pants because they promised an extra bit of length. I’m thrilled. My ankles are covered and not in poison ivy or ticks. Win! 

The Kontour Straight Travel Pants also fit snugly around the waistband, and I love that they don’t gap when I’m sitting or squatting in them. I hate feeling like my bum crack is hanging out, and that’s not a problem at all in these pants. Last but certainly not least, I appreciate that the Kontour Straights are both form-fitting through the rear and a relaxed fit, melding comfort and a flattering silhouette. 

The Flexibility:

Ok, so once the pants cleared the ankle and bum crack test, my next question was, “but can you move in them?” We spend a lot of time on the road, and even when we’re not actively hiking or adventuring, I still want to be comfortable and have a full range of motion. I need to be able to jump in and out of the back of the truck bed, lift my senior dog into the car, and kick my leg up like Chuck Norris every time I need to flush a toilet in a public restroom.

You can absolutely move comfortably in your Kontour Straight pants. On the flexible pants sliding scale, I’ll put them solidly between my favorite yoga leggings and my most comfortable stretchy denim. Would I do yoga in them? Probably not. Would I hike in them? Absolutely, and I already have. I just did Chimney Rock in them. Would I wear them on a long road trip? Absolutely. 

The Wearability: 

Listen, I want it all: I want to run around in the woods comfortably and then eat a fancy lunch without looking like a lady Sasquatch. My jeans are too hot, too tight, and too inflexible for this. My hiking pants look like, well, hiking pants. My leggings are super comfortable, but they’re also not exactly “wear anywhere” attire.

I needed something in between, and the Kountour Straight pants fit the bill. They’re comfortable and flexible enough to go out and actually do things without requiring a wardrobe change before your date night at a local winery.

They’re the perfect weight for cooler weather, and I also love the color options.

The Verdict:

I really like these pants. They’re going to be my new go-tos for a day of light hiking or exploring before heading to a date night during the spring, fall, and winter.

Where has your KÜHL gear gone with you? Drop your favorite memories in your favorite gear in the comments below.