Oliver’s Apparel Passage Pant Review

Oliver's Apparel Passage Pant Review; Man Standing on Street

Overall Score:8.4

After 3 months of frequent use, the Oliver’s Apparel Passage Pant has proven to be a solid pair of lightweight trousers for travel and everyday wear. Performance wise, they’re extremely comfortable, breathable, and versatile – a great choice for one-bag and/or urban-focused travel. 

Durability: 8.0
Functionality: 8.0
Performance: 9.0
Aesthetics: 10.0
Value: 7.0

Main Material: Nylon / Spandex (200 GSM)

Hardware: YKK / Riri

# of Pockets: 5

Manufacturing Country: USA

Warranty: 365 days

Length of Test: 3 months

Acquisition: Self Purchase

Countries: Thailand

Climate(s): Tropical Savanna

Weather: Hot and Humid (highest temp 32 C), Light and Heavy Rain. 

The Passage Pant is designed for:

  • Travel and daily commuting.

It’s not designed for:

  • Extensive outdoor use.

Table of Contents

Durablity

Build Quality

Materials: made of a 4-way stretch fabric that consists of 91% Cordura nylon and 9% spandex, the Passage Pant utilizes durable synthetics that move with your body and breathe exceptionally well. The fabric itself is soft to the touch and feels great against skin. Even when heat builds up, it doesn’t get clammy – unlike cheaper synthetics. 

As for the hardware, the pant’s feature a self-locking YKK Zipper as well as Riri stainless steel buttons and rivets. Between the fabric and the hardware, the Passage Pants truly have a premium build and feel.

Construction wise, it’s worth noting that some minor fraying exists after 3 months of heavy use – however, nothing that causes alarm. 

Functionality

Main Feature Set

Front Pockets: with the classic 5-pocket design found on most jeans, the Passage Pant has two hand pockets on the front (surprise, surprise). These pockets are deep and lined with a somewhat breathable material (not mesh). In use, they’ll securely hold your phone or wallet without any fear of them falling out. 

Additionally, there’s a security pocket on the right side. It’s a relatively narrow pocket that can easily accommodate some emergency cash. Personally, I primarily used it to house my Spyderco Pacific Salt 2. For me, it’s a perfect place to store an EDC knife or your keys.

Back Pockets: well, there’s not much to say here as these are standard back pockets.

Honestly speaking, I’ve never used them and never will, so I can’t solemnly swear on how great or horrible they are. To my untrained eye, they seem fine but I plead the fifth.

Performance

Practical Utility

Versatility: since Oliver’s Apparel markets the Passage Pant as “performance clothing,” I tested this claim on several day hikes through the Thai rainforest and rural rice fields.

For outdoor use in a hot and humid climate, they performed much better than expected – except for two things: (1) they’re a dirt magnet and (2) they don’t dry as quickly as my Fjallraven hiking pants. Other than that, I had zero complaints and would use them again in a heartbeat, as overall breathability during high output movement was top-notch. They also didn’t snag or catch on any branches whenever I went off trail.

In practical terms, the ability to take on rugged trails makes the Passage Pant incredibly versatile. For one-bag adventure travel, you’d only need to take these pants with you – no need to bring an extra pair for hiking or other outdoor activities. 

Mobility: given that these pants have a 4-way stretch and a generous gusseted crotch, freedom of movement is built into the design. As long as you don’t plan on doing any yoga in them, movement restriction will basically be non-existent. So if you need to high step, squat, or lunge while wearing these pants, you’ll be able to get a full range of motion (ROM) without any constraints.

PRO TIP: to maximize ROM, pair the Passage Pant with an elasticized belt.

Aesthetics

Design Elements

The Passage Pant is a slim-fit techwear garment with a chino-style design. From an aesthetics perspective, their simplicity makes them incredibly versatile. No matter what you pair them with, they’ll look great as they’ll blend in with any environment – whether urban or outdoors. 

For travel, just be aware that the Passage Pant wrinkles easily when packed and doesn’t “unwrinkle” too well after being worn. If wearing slightly wrinkled pants is an issue for you while traveling, then you’ll need to make sure you have access to an iron.

At the time of writing, the Passage Pant comes in 14 subdued colorways – basically, there’s something for everybody. 

Value

Primary Alternatives

No doubt about it, the Passage Pant is an expensive garment – albeit, they’re in the general price range of most techwear pants that prioritize performance and comfort. In our humble opinion, their elevated functionality and versatility are worth the premium.  

Did you know that… when you purchase something through one of our links, we earn a small fee. However, you still pay the exact same amount. It’s a win-win that helps us produce new content.

Pants Main Fabric(s) Fit Pockets 4-way Stretch?
Passage Pant Cordura Nylon / Spandex Slim 5 Yes
Kinetic Pant Primeflex Polyester Slim 5 Yes
Slim Dungarees Nylon / Polyester / Spandex Slim 5 No
Vardag Lite G1000 Lite Eco Stretch Slim 5 No
Brion Pant Nylon / Elastane Straight 5 No

8.4/10 Rating

Overall Verdict

The Oliver’s Apparel Passage Pant is a solid pair of lightweight trousers for travel and everyday wear – they’re ridiculously comfortable, great looking, and highly versatile. 

Other than some minor nitpicks and some minor fraying issues, these pants are an all-around performer. They function well for crossover use and I can easily recommend them to anyone that’s in the market for highly breathable, warm weather pants.
  • Fit is true to size and the pants look great – zero drape.
  • They’re relatively odor resistant and dry quickly after being washed or getting wet.
  • Crossover potential makes them incredible versatile for adventure travel and digital nomads.
  • Breathability and mobility are top-notch – they work well for high output activities.

There’s not much to dislike about the Oliver’s Passage Pant, but we’d like to see:

  • The addition of a hidden drawstring to the bottom of the pant legs for “gaiter-style” coverage when outdoors.
  • Factoring in a way to add in better wrinkle resistance.

Longevity

Usage Timeline

Excellent

Initial Usage

Material is thin and breathable, but seems to be hard-wearing. From first impressions, they look great – simplistic and casual.

Excellent

Solid

3 Months of Usage

Some fraying threads are visible, but nothing to worry about. Overall, I’ve enjoyed using the Passage Pant and will continue to do so – so far, so good.

Solid

Solid

1.5 Years of Usage

The pants are still going strong and there hasn’t been anymore fraying. No other damage to report either.

Solid
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