Best Plus Size Hiking Pants: Size Charts, Not Promises

The best plus-size hiking pants are the three that are cut on a plus pattern with a published size chart, rather than a straight size graded up: the Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants in Plus (16W to 24W, waist 40 to 48 in, hip 46 to 54 in, three inseams), the Columbia Saturday Trail II Convertible in Plus (16W to 24W, three inseams, zip-off legs), and the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants in Plus (16W to 24W, a chart that runs to a 54 in hip). All three stop at 24W, which is the honest ceiling of the mainstream outdoor industry right now; the section at the end covers what exists above it. Buy by the chart, not the size name, because a 20W at one brand is a 22W at another.

What “plus” should mean in a pattern

A straight-size pant graded up adds the same inches at the waist and the hip, which produces a pant that fits the hip and gaps at the back of the waist, or fits the waist and binds across the thigh. A true plus pattern changes the ratio: more hip and thigh per inch of waist, a higher back rise so the waistband does not drop when you bend, and a longer front rise so it does not dig when you sit. You can read this off the chart. The Ferrosi Plus has a 6 in waist-to-hip difference at every size; the Eddie Bauer plus chart has 9 in. If your own hip is 9 or 10 in bigger than your waist, the Eddie Bauer ratio will fit with less waistband gap; if it is closer to 6, the Ferrosi will.

Brands label plus sizes two ways. W sizes (16W, 18W) correspond to numeric sizes but with the plus ratio built in. X sizes (1X, 2X, 3X) are usually looser and cover about two W sizes each. Neither label means anything without the inches, so go to the chart.

Reading the chart: the four numbers

Waist, measured at the natural waist where the pant actually sits, which for mid-rise pants is below the navel. Hip, at the fullest point. Inseam, from crotch to hem; plus pants from these three brands run 29 to 34 in and all offer at least two lengths. Rise is the one most charts leave out and the one plus-size hikers feel most; Treeline’s reviewer, who wears a 20, noted the Ferrosi sits at the belly button and wished it were higher. If a listing does not state rise, look for the words “high rise” in the product name or assume mid.

Fabric: stretch percentage and thigh wear

Thighs that touch wear through fabric and, worse, chafe. Two numbers matter. Spandex (elastane) content: 10 to 15 percent gives the four-way stretch that lets you high-step without the seat binding; the Ferrosi is 14 percent. And weave: ripstop nylon resists the abrasion of inner thighs better than plain weave, and a gusseted crotch (a diamond panel instead of four seams meeting) removes the seam that chafes first. The Columbia Saturday Trail II lists a gusset; the Ferrosi is ripstop. Avoid cotton and cotton blends entirely; wet cotton on the inner thigh is where blisters start.

Pants that fit

Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants (Plus)

The plus-size hiker’s standard: a bluesign-approved ripstop of 46 percent recycled nylon, 40 percent nylon and 14 percent spandex, 16W to 24W, in Short (29 in), Regular (31 in) and Tall (34 in) inseams, with an adjustable waist cinch and ankle cinches that close over boots. The chart runs waist 40 to 48 in and hip 46 to 54 in. $110 at OR, and the plus sizes sell out between restocks, so if your size is in stock, buy. Treeline’s reviewer found them true to size with plenty of stretch. Check price on Amazon

Columbia Saturday Trail II Convertible Pants (Plus)

The value pick and the only convertible on this list: 16W to 24W, inseams of 30, 32 and 34 in, legs that zip off to a 10 in short, a gusset, leg hem cinches and UPF 50. Columbia sells them for $30 to $60 depending on color. The waistband is narrow, which Treeline’s reviewer found uncomfortable when sitting with a belly, and the fit runs small; size up. Check price on Amazon

Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants (Plus)

Two-way stretch Flexion nylon and spandex, a DWR finish, UPF 50+, a 32 in plus inseam, and a plus chart that runs 18W (39 in waist, 48 in hip) to 24W (45 in waist, 54 in hip); 16W is offered but not charted. The Guide Pro also comes in a High Rise version in plus sizes if the mid-rise digs. $85 full price, often $50 to $60 on sale. Check price on Amazon

Above 24W

Mainstream outdoor brands stop at 24W or 3X, which is a 48 in waist and a 54 in hip. Above that the options are smaller companies: Thicket Adventure’s Brecken travel pants, sold through Plus Outdoor in Australia, run sizes 18 to 34 with a high-rise waistband. Torrid’s active line, noted by readers of the Happiest Outdoors roundup, is cut fuller in the seat and offered in multiple lengths, though it is not technical fabric. REI Co-op’s Trailmade pants are sold in 1X to 3X at under $80 and are worth checking in store, where you can see the chart against your tape. For plus-size packs whose hip belts actually close, see hiking backpacks for plus-size women, and for a sleep system that does not compress on a bigger body, plus-size sleeping bags and plus-size sleeping pads.