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Indochino

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A suit is easy to reach for when a ceremony is clearly outlined as formal, but may run the risk of looking extra in more business-casual settings. You need something that’ll cover your bases for when the stakes aren’t quite as high — and that’s where the best chinos for men come in. 

Investing in the best work clothes for men will inevitably include a reliable pair of chinos, so we’ve listed the top pairs, including those we’ve tested ourselves, to help you find what are sure to be your next favorite pants to live in. A tried-and-true favorite are the ONS Rider Chinos, made with pre-shrunk cotton thick enough to wear throughout the cold weather season. And since our men’s style editor Amir Ismael has relied on his same Indochino pair for years, we recommend the $79 Houndslow Chinos as a fairly priced customizable option. 

Our top 3 best chinos for men

Quince Ultra-Stretch 24/7 Smart Chino

The lightweight performance fabric has the subtle texture of a wool dress pant, but feels like your favorite yoga pant. Designed to look clean on the leg in a fit that tapers at the hem and sits neatly on the shoe.

Indochino Houndslow Chino

This pair is made-to-measure and can be customized with interchangeable pockets, pleats, and button details.

Best overall: Bonobos Italian Stretch Chinos

Bonobos

The Bonobos Italian Stretch Chinos are highly regarded in the realm of the best chinos for men for their super luxe feel. The Italian milled cotton is soft and retains a vibrant hue, even after several rounds through the washing machine. A major perk is the option to choose from a wide range of colors, shapes and sizes. These range from 28 to 46 for waist, and from 28 to 36 for inseam lengths. You can choose between a tailored, slim, slim tapered, or athletic fit. Then, you can take your pick of 16 colors. These are a more polished looking chino with crisp lines, but are worth having for a variety of occasions between business-casual and formal events.

Read our full Bonobos Stretch Organic Cotton Chinos review

Best affordable: Quince Ultra-Stretch 24/7 Smart Chino

Quince

The Quince direct-to-consumer business model makes their prices competitive, despite the quality of their apparel exceeding our expectations for basic wardrobe essentials. The Ultra-Stretch 24/7 Smart Chino’s value will become apparent the more you wear them, with a four-way stretch twill that provides the same flexibility as you’d expect from joggers. Plus, they’re wrinkle resistant, so you can pull them out as needed. Chinos that are this deceptively comfortable means you can get the most use out of them anywhere along the spectrum of casual to semi-formal.

Read our full Quince review.

Best custom fit: Indochino Houndslow Chinos

Indochino

As you may be able to guess from the brand’s name, Indochino makes some of the best chinos for men. A fitting expert from one of their many showrooms can tell you your precise size in the Houndslow chinos, but if you can’t make it to a storefront, their site has an in-depth tutorial on home measuring. Once you’ve found your perfect fit, you can further personalize them with custom pleats, hems, pockets, buttons, and belt loops. At $79, the Houndslows are also a great value for the high quality, perfectly sized chinos you’re guaranteed by going through their detailed fit screening.

Read our full Indochino chinos review.

Best stretch: Everlane Performance Chino

Everlane

Each piece of Everlane’s Uniform collection went through over 100 rounds of fittings to ensure they’d feel natural on most bodies. Included in the Uniform series are the Performance Chinos, which were examined after 50 washes for signs of fading, shrinking, or pilling before Everlane issued them with a 365 day warranty. These dry quickly, wick moisture, and have a 4-way stretch similar to performance materials found in workout gear. The Everlane Performance Chinos have a classic dressy look about them, yet can move with you in all directions of daily life.

Read our full Everlane Uniform review.

Best lightweight: Madewell Pleated Cotton-Linen Chino

Madewell

The best chinos for summer are made with featherlight materials and allow extra space for breathing room. Madewell’s Pleated Chinos accomplish this with their cotton linen blend and vintage-inspired wide legs. Madewell is the sister company to J.Crew that caters to a younger demographic with remixed classics, as seen in their chino’s double pleating and mid-century modern flair. Their relaxed straight fit and breezy fabric makes them the ideal companion for polished summer outfits.

Most comfortable: Woodies Premium Performance Stretch Pants

Woodies

Woodies Clothing took off with their high-tech dress shirts, but their super comfortable chinos have thrived in the men’s workwear space, too. They can be personalized with different combinations of custom pleats, pockets, and hems. The Woodies Premium Performance Stretch Pants are amid the best chinos for people unwilling to return to stiff slacks after living in work-from-home attire. What feels almost like joggers are really formal-presenting pants that are easy to style through every season. Their soft, two-way stretch, quick drying fabric is remarkably stain repellent — just the right chinos for the accident prone. 

Read our full Woodies performance chinos and dress shirt review.

Most stylish: Aimé Leon Dore Straight Fit Chino Pant

Joey Bada$$ for Aimé Leon Dore/Instagram

If you’re trying to start weaving luxury fashion labels into your day-to-day wardrobe, these Straight Fit Chinos may be the exact jumping-off point. Aimé Leon Dore is one of New York’s premiere streetwear brands, and whether worn with high-tops or loafers, the Straight Fit Chinos have a highly versatile, generally standard cut that slightly puddles at the ankle. Their minimalist silhouette comes in four earth-toned colorways that easily blend in with whatever you intend to style them with. The Straight Fit Chino is composed of 100% cotton and features a subtle woven “Aimé Leon Dore” detail on the back pocket.

Best heavyweight: O.N.S Rider Chino

O.N.S

Since their original tapered Riders became so popular with people shopping for the best chinos for men, O.N.S has expanded the collection with the Rider Movement and Rider Stretch chinos, both of which are equally flattering on their clientele’s range of sizes and shapes. With a similar weight as the best lined chinos, the substantial cotton-spandex blend is heavier than common fabrics, such as the denim used in the best jeans for men. The O.N.S Riders are highly durable, have lasted us for years, and especially come in handy when dressing up on cold weather days.

Read our full O.N.S clothing Rider Chino review.

Best big and tall: Dockers Ultimate Chinos

Dockers

For many men who shop big and tall sizes, finding comfortable formal wear can pose a serious challenge. But dressing up with an athletic build doesn’t have to mean feeling squeezed into a suit all day — Dockers’ Ultimate Chinos will assure you that. These come in extended waist sizes with extra room in the seat and thighs so as to not constrict you, even when you’re sitting for long periods of time. The four-way Smart 360 Flex™ material allows for more mobility, and the extended inseam lengths positions the knee correctly before tapering off towards the hem. Dockers also has some of the best affordable work clothes for men, so you stock up on chinos and more big and tall styles from a reliable source of wardrobe basics.

Best slim fit: Polo Ralph Lauren Stretch Slim Fit Chino

Polo Ralph Lauren

As one of the undeniable symbols of Americana, Polo Ralph Lauren makes the best chinos for men that are high quality and ultimately timeless. The heritage brand offers their Stretch Slim Fit Chinos in a trim silhouette that sits low on the waist. Despite being slim from top to bottom, the cotton and elastane blend makes them soft and lightweight instead of too compressed, the way other slim fits can feel. A bonus of the slim fit is how well they factor into a high-low outfit — sleek dressy pants paired with an oversized sweater is a simple way to create a balanced contrast.

Best cropped: Alex Mill Standard Pleated Pant

Alex Mill

Many designs from Alex Mill are uniform and minimalistic, with nuances only shown in the details. Their unisex cropped chinos are standard at first glance, but their prominent pleats, neatly cropped hems and “X” belt loops give them a subtle edge on the average pair of dress pants. These have a relaxed fit that allows for slight stretching, and each pair comes in unique color variations according to their natural dye process.

Gabrielle Chase

Associate Style & Beauty Editor

Gabrielle Chase is an Associate Style & Beauty Editor at Business Insider.  She applies a healthy dose of skepticism to the fashion trends on her For You Page — still, she’s never above a good designer dupe. Gabi started her career climb as a fashion intern at Interview Magazine. Before Business Insider, she wrote for ELLE Magazine’s online series “The Launch.”Gabi graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a double major in journalism and Spanish. She lives in Brooklyn, models, loves K-pop, and frequents her local movie theaters.If you’d like to ask a question— or just want a girl’s girl to talk about cool clothes with— you can reach her at gabriellechase@businessinsider.com.Learn how the Insider Reviews team tests style and beauty products here.

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Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at reviews@businessinsider.com.

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