DU/ER No Sweat Pants Review

DU/ER sent us a pair of No Sweat Pants and requested we test them to their limits. They said we’d be amazed by their stretch (very true) and these pants would work great for climbing (mostly true).

Performance

Let’s get straight to the point: This is a pretty impressive pant with insane stretch for the weight of the material. It seems as though DU/ER is approaching the performance/style compromise from opposite direction of most other climbing apparel brands: they are making stylish, urban appropriate trousers which also have the flexibility (pun intended) to go on adventures. These pants blew my mind the first time I got them in my hands. The material is meaty and the weight put me off until I pulled on them and they stretched like a Slinky™. Stretch is a critical factor in the performance of a climbing pant and holy moly do the No Sweat Pants stretch — far more than any other similarly thick material I’ve ever seen. Although they’re named the No Sweat Pant, the thickness of the material is inherently less breathable than other pants I’ve tested (including the 3rd Rock Ramblas).

Features

Extremely stretchy, they’re even on par with the Outdoor Research Ferrosi. Given the thickness of the material, that is really impressive. I love the feel of these pants. They are luxuriously comfortable and part of what allows for this stretch is the gusseted crotch. Beyond the stretch, the performance features of the No Sweat Pant are pretty standard which makes sense since they were designed to be a stylishly functional pant, emphasis on the stylish.

Pockets

Stand out front pockets. By far the best designed pockets of any of the pants I’ve owned. Not super deep, but cut perfectly. The front pockets aren’t as easy to get into as the Ramblas, but nothing is going to fall out. Unlike many other pants I’ve owned where the front pockets can be untrustworthy for important items, the DU/ER pockets promote confidence. The back pockets are deep and nice and the extreme stretchiness keeps things in them really well.

Chalk

Chalk becomes pretty obvious given the darker color of the pant (Gull). But, it seems to come off the pant pretty thoroughly after a few aggressive pat-downs.

Fly Closure

Metal zipper with button. Nothing particularly notable here. They do have belt loops, unlike some climbing pants, but they’ve never created a pressure point under pack or waist belt.

Inseam and Sizing

I’m a solid 32″ inseam – I got the regular length and they are at least an inch too long and I regularly have to roll them up.

For the waist I’ve typically been a 33″, but it turns out I should have ordered a 32″. I don’t think I’ve lost weight recently, so I’m going to suggest you size down 1 size smaller unless you like your pants to fit loose/baggy.

Concerns

I am concerned about durability. The material feels so burly that I would have expected them to hold up exceptionally well. But after only a handful of washes I noticed threads are already starting to hemorrhage out of the fabric.

FWIW, after I had received this No Sweat pair of pants, I talked to a DU/ER employee who said the Live Free Adventure Pant is more durable and therefore better suited for climbing. DU/ER’s online chat also recommended that their Performance Denim would be more durable too.

Color Note

Looking at the website, the “Gull” color appeared to be a solid gray, but in reality they are a muted olive. When I first started wearing them I felt like I as wearing a U.S. Forest Service uniform (nobody said that and they’re really not that green, but that’s the vibe I got when wearing them). However, the color has grown on me and I find myself wearing them, and enjoying them, quite a lot. I don’t know if the color has become more washed out over time, of if I’m simply becoming desensitized to wearing something other than neutral gray pants. It does seem that the color changes dramatically depending on the lighting situation. I find the picture below to be a fairly accurate color representation.

Overall

The DU/ER No Sweat pants are a fantastic go-to pant for strolling around town on cooler days. Super stretchy, but not exceptionally breathable. I don’t plan on wearing them in the summer, but I probably won’t be wearing any other pants in the summer either. They’re definitely more suited for shoulder season / cooling temperature adventures. In the end, I’ll probably use them for last-minute climbing when I’m too lazy to change into pants more suited for it. Like if I’m in town and end up at the gym, I won’t think twice about climbing in them. They are by far the most stylish pant that I’ve been wearing and testing lately but their durability still brings up doubts for me.

Final Note: I did receive these pants for free with the expectation of an honest review. The links above are not affiliate links and I was not paid to write this review, nor were there any heavy hands in the process.