REI Co-op  Sahara Convertible Pants - Men's

I've tried multiple brands of convertible pants in the past an anyways been disappointed for a few reasons. These pants have improved or fixed a couple of these. The first biggest issue with this type of pant was always rubbing/chafing from the zipper on/around my knees that made them borderline unwearable. This hasn't been an issue with this and was one of the first things I noticed when putting them on the first time. Second, is the convertible part. These have a second zipper up the leg of the lower portion allowing for their conversion to shorts without having to take off shoes. Last, convertible pants have always been super baggy in the legs. These are a bit baggy, but definitely an improvement. A plus is the zippers ar color coordinated, so you know which leg belongs to which. Overall, they're pretty comfy, and when worn as shorts it's not obvious they're convertible pants. Definitely the best of the convertible pants I've tried.

The changes made to the features of these convertible hiking pants are not good, in my opinion. First, the pocket entry changed to a more 'from the top' entry when the previous version was on more of a slant/side entry - which was easier to access. And the right pocket in the previous version had a 'change' pocket inside. This new version does not. The women's version previously had a short cinch band, outside and next to the button closure. This made it easy to either cinch up just a little or let it out for a little more room in the waist. The new version in women's has an internal drawstring that you need to tie before buttoning the waistband and therefore untie when removing the pants. Adjustment in the waist area are more difficult with the 'new' feature. The men's version does not have any such internal drawstring but has added elastic to the rear of the waistband. The side pockets, just above the zippered leg area, have also changed. There is only a zipper on the right-side pocket, and like the above pockets, there is no longer a small/mesh pocket inside. The left pocket no longer has a zipper, only a flap. The removeable leg portions have also been changed. There used to be a snap at the bottom/ankle area which allowed you to open the zipper yet keep the leg portion attached to your ankle area. That snap has been removed so when you unzip the leg portion it opens up entirely and you would need to remove the leg portion or risk having it flap around, open. In other words, you cannot open that leg portion for a little air circulation while keeping it attached (snap at bottom) to the pants. These changes were not improvements, and I ended up returning the three pair I purchased after considering all the 'new' features. I think REI should go back to the previous version - small adjustable outside strap near waist/button closure; inside change pocket in the right hip pocket; inside change pocket in the right thigh side pocket; zippers on BOTH thigh side pockets; and the snap at the bottom of the leg near the ankle. I'll continue to look for changes in these pants that reflect the previous version before considering another purchase.

I've been an REI customer and coop member for longer than most of the REI sales people have been alive. I've pretty consistently been a big fan of REI products and their having been designed by folks with real wilderness experience. HOWEVER, that seems to be changing. I've owned three or more generations of REI's zip off pants, and as another reviewer stated, they seem to be getting consistently worse. I just bought a pair of this iteration, and in almost all cases, they are worse. The supposed innovation of color coded zippers for the legs turns out to be now just a tad of color on the end of the zipper, whereas before it was the whole zipper that was differently colored, making ease of attachment possible, especially in times of need for a quick re-attachment. The side pockets now have such a small opening that you've got to have hands as small as Trump's to get them into the pocket, even without trying to get something like a phone in and out. The back pockets used to be velcro and zippers, and now are neither, just a flap. The cargo pockets used to have real plackets to assure spaciousness. The older versions had more belt loops, and the back two were positioned thoughtfully close together so as not to create a rubbing bunch under the top of your sacrum bones where a pack lower back pad fits. I could go on. The main reason I bought these newer ones is that my older pair, which I had worn for years, including 250 miles of the GR-10 in the Pyrenees in 2022 and several Grand Canyon trips (with lots of rough limestone) had a broken front zipper. I now think the price of these should have been used to pay a tailor to replace the zipper on my old pair. Recommendation for REI: stick with features that work for real backpackers, and save "innovations" for those things that real backpackers recommend. FYI, I have several comparison photos, but this form won't let me submit them. ????

These are one of my two favorite pairs of pants! I love these! I put the durability, conversion, and comfort to the test! I practically lived in these for four months and had no problems. The pockets got some reviews of being weird but I didn't mind. They are farther forward than most pockets but SO BIG! which was nice. They slid down many a hill of scree with me and showed minimal wear and tear. One small tear on the back that held up for three months- Not due to my subpar sewing skills! The only times I had problems converting them was when I got them filthy and had a bunch of silt/mud in the zippers. Once I cleaned them they worked pretty well again. I also Stabbed into the pant leg with a crampon once and got one tiny hole that never grew bigger. Sweet!

I would have given the pants a 5 based on the weight and durability, but... The pockets are sewn about parallel to the waist and high up. It is hard to access them when hiking with a pack with hip belt. And even just standing around mind yer own business they are not particularly comforatable. The outside attachment point of the pockets needs to be further down from the waist. Where me finger is point at the not attachment point. (vs. the other pointing at the attachment point) Of course the marketing team is probably like "But this tested so well among the people who modeled them!" Models...you never see 'em with stuff in their pockets! Or maybe they have a thumb in the pocket with their jacket flung over thier shoulder trying to look cool. Hansel, Hansel, Hansel!

The problem I have reviewing these pants is that I can’t find any issues or problems, big or small, so it makes the review seem very one-sided! Being a picky person, and a 50-year hiker, there is usually something, but not this time. Consequently, I’ll have to talk about what they did right, especially over and above the other two zip-off pants I own. The biggest plus is the zip-off leg design. Previously, I have often been reluctant to remove the legs since they were such a pain to get back on, but not here. The zippers around the top are color coded so you instantly know which leg is which when re-attaching. Further, there is a second, vertical, detachable zipper the entire length of the leg enabling it to open flat. You just wrap this around your leg to put it back on. No more struggling to get your shoe or boot through a pant leg cylinder! I also liked the design of the pockets. The two leg pockets are not just flat patches, but have a base and two-vertical folds allowing them to expand to hold more stuff, and one is zippered. I like this type of pants for international travel since they give you a two-in-one option to keep your luggage light (the only way!), and the zippered pocket works great to secure passport, wallet or phone (or all three). Also, the waist pockets have a horizontal opening (like bluejeans) rather than vertical (like dress pants) and are very deep. This minimizes the chance of stuff falling out of your packet when seated (and being irretrievably left behind when exiting the aircraft, speaking from experience!). They are also nicely reinforced where they attach at the back. Overall, the fit was true for me (32 x 32) with elastic at the back of the waist for more comfort, generous cut to allow for easy movement (if you want the tight-fit, skinny look these are not for you), quality fit and finish (no loose threads, unsewn sections, etc.), and a soft-feel fabric that didn’t scream made-of-nylon (which they are). I wore them for three days straight including a couple of hikes and a car trip. Very comfortable. I loved them--and could say more, but myself I tend to skip too-long reviews!

These pants are great, feel great and very comfortable. My only issue with these pants are that the belt holes are too small, smaller than usual. I can't fit my arcade ranger belt into the belt holes which is big let down for me. My waist size is between 35 and 36 so I can't just buy a perfect size. The current pants I have are really comfortable but slide easy and I'm not able to put a belt into it. Big dissapointment, otherwise I would say these pants are perfect.

I can't believe REI is still selling these pants with curved inset pockets (blue jeans style) rather than the slash pockets they used to come with. Curved inset pockets are much harder to get your hands into, especially if you are using a hip belt. Why did REI switch from the much more functional slash pocket? To persist in this "style over function" choice is an insult to people who actually want to use these pants. C'mon REI, pull your head out of the sand on this issue.

This is my fourth or fifth pair of Sahara Convertible pants. They are fantastic! But do note that they have changed the front, upper pockets from previous versions. With the new design, they are only accessible through a straight up-and-down motion. Previous versions had much more slope to the pocket opening, allowing a (at least for me) much more natural movement. With these new pants, I pretty much have to "shrug" and pull my elbow into my side to access the pocket. Someone with shorter arms, or who wears their pants around their knees, may not find this an issue. Other than that, they seem to be the same quality I've come to expect from REI.

I've owned several pair of Saharas and have been extremely pleased with them in the past. I needed some extra hiking pants for a recent trip to Moab so I ordered the same size as my current pants, expecting the same great fit and feel. I was extremely disappointed to say the least, the current design is very uncomfortable and you can no longer trust the sizing. Less room in the thighs and seat and the fabric feels cheap and non durable. I expect better from REI especially at the price point. The fit and feel were like Amazon knock offs. I ended up returning both pairs I had ordered and replaced them with Magellan from Academy.