Under 5’10 Pants Review
A travel-slanted review in the pants built from the ground up for the shorter guy. Can they provide a solid option specifically for travel pants?
Under 5’10 Pants Review Introduction
Under 5’10 was a brand that came on my radar earlier in 2023 and I’ve been feverishly trying many of their pants since then. This is a brand that is made specifically for shorter men - or those “under 5’10” as the name implies. Get it?
Because I am one such man, I am constantly on the lookout for the perfect travel pants. The issue I have with most brands is that their “short” version either doesn’t exist, or only goes to 30” inseams. On a rare occasion, I can find 28 inches but I find that these still aren't built from the ground up for the shorter male. The best “travel” focused pants stop about here, in my opinion. The other side of it is that I want pants that are a modern and tapered cut (not skinny skinny, mind you, don’t worry). And not American-relaxed. Pants that look like a modern chino cut, while having awesome characteristics for travel. Western Rise and Outlier do this the best in my opinion - but I have to alter their pants which changes how they fit and changes the taper. Lululemon also has some 28 inch inseams - but I’ve not been impressed with their fit and find the upper legs/seat area to be much too baggy. They’ve also since changed the overall fit profile to be less slim (which you can see the absolute FURY on their recent reviews). Ditto for a recent Bluffworks Ascender I’ve tried. They’ve changed the fit from when I first reviewed a pair 3 years ago and they are baggier now (they said they haven’t, but the proof is in the pudding).
Enter Under 5’10. While not specifically travel focused, they have a pair of Performance pants that I’ve worn the crap out of, in multiple colors and versions, for the past year and have focused on them being used as travel pants. I’ll also put my thoughts into the jeans here.
This is my Under 5’10 pants review - with a travel focus. For my testing, I’ve worn various versions of their pants all over the US while traveling, to work, around NYC, and on multiple international trips. I’ve got a good grasp of how they “fit” in with your travel gear. See what I did there?
If there isn’t a sale going on, using my link should get your $10.00 off as well.
As always for full transparency, I had NO interaction with this brand prior to my review and purchased ALL of the (many) versions of their pants I’ve tried with my own money. I do use affiliate links which help to support the site if you decide to use them to make a purchase, but you’re under no obligation to do so and there’s no additional cost to you. Thanks for stopping by!
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Under 5’10 Pants Overview
So, this brand focuses on making sizes and patterns (the pieces that make up a finished garment and the guides they use to make them) that are specifically designed for shorter men. This means: proper proportions on shirts and pants, proper cuts on shirts and pants, no more “too long” sleeves even on Small shirts, etc. They are similar in mission to Ash and Erie, but I would say they lean more on the value side of things. Kind of like a GAP (or just below) type of quality. Which isn’t a terrible thing - I own many GAP items including their oxfords being some of my favorites. Let’s settle at better than Old Navy, not quite at GAP level.
I’m primarily looking at their Super Stretch Performance Pants (Formerly “Jon” models), but have some comments on two pairs of jeans that worked out for me, as well as some that did not.
The Super Stretch pants are made to look like chino style, with side slash pockets rather than having more jeans-like, 5 pocket style. It’s for this reason I was particularly interested to begin with. They also come with a more tapered, but not skinny (well, depending on your build) style leg. This was also something I was extremely interested in from a fit profile.
These pants are pretty good for lots of all around travel, with some limits. They might be a little too hot for ultra warm places, and they have their limits in the cold. For instance, in Berlin at 0C which caught me off guard, I went to Uniqlo and got some HeatTech tights for walking around. The pants had reached their limit a few degrees ago! That said, I wear them all the time in pretty much anything in between.
As an aside for the jeans (I own a Bruce version and a Kingston version) - they feel like regular jeans but have a nice amount of stretch. They are pretty lightweight which is good for packing (compared to my Perfect Jeans, SPOKE jeans, and GAP jeans which run heavier in weight).
These pants are squarely in the leisure column, but in many ways they can in fact replace proper chinos just fine. Perhaps in all but the true business casual (and up) settings.
Material stats from the site for the Super Stretch:
88% Nylon 12% Spandex
Slim Fit With Tapered Leg from Knee to Ankle
Leg Opening is 6 Inches Across on Waist Size 32
4-Way Super Stretch Fabric for Unmatched comfort
Snap Closure With Zip Fly
They retail for $65 USD as of Dec 2023 and come in black, navy, charcoal and now khaki for color options. I have the new Khaki and the previous version for Charcoal and Navy. Note: It seems to me that they did a SLIGHT redesign on these and the fabric is a little higher quality than Pre-November 2023 versions. Fit is SLIGHTLY less form fitting, too. Nothing major though.
For the Jeans - they all run about $60 USD and come in various washes.
Under 5’10 Pants Features
We’re going to be quite short on this section. And in fact, this is a big area where actual “travel pants” separate themselves. That’s by design, of course.
The only real features here are the stretch on these pants. While they also don’t specifically say they are quick-dry, I do find they dry overnight when washed.
There is no DWR, or zippered pockets, or abrasion resistance on these pants.
The Fit of the Under 5’10 Pants
Fit is the NUMBER ONE REQUIREMENT for me when I’m looking at pants. For travel, I want the travel focused features as well - but this can be trumped by fit. So for the record, I’m 5’6” and about 140lbs or so. The Super Stretch Pants here are 30x26. The jeans are 30x27 as I don’t like jeans to be too high.
For off the rack pants? Honestly the fit is outstanding for me. It’s exactly how I want it to look, and if you are into the more cropped look, you can still get it. That’s hard for short dudes. I’m not into the cropped look, but it’s nice to know it’s possible if you are. Twenty Six inches is kind of what I find to be the perfect length on my legs for both casual looks with trainers, but also still the right length for when I put my dress shoes on (English brogues in most cases).
Here you can see various shots with both trainers and proper shoes.
I tried and returned the Twill pants, as well as their Xavier jeans, and lastly the stretch chinos. I just did not like the cut on those and they weren’t consistent with the taper on the other pants. If they copied the patterns on their performance pants or Bruce/Kingston jeans for their chinos - I’d be all over those too.
Jeans first, then the newest Super Stretch Performance Pants with both sneakers and shoes.
The Look
The look here is pretty straight forward. I don’t think these will replace true proper chinos (and absolutely not in terms of dress pants, stop lying to yourself, LOL), no matter the marketing. They just don’t have the proper looking seams, hardware, and cuffs for that. But they will be totally fine for most casual days, nights, and tech offices.
These pants shine with t-shirts and oversized sweatshirts but still make you look pretty “put together” overall. Very presentable. You won’t look sloppy and these do NOT look like joggers. I don’t care what Instagram is trying to tell you, joggers do not look “fancy” or “up leveled”.
They also shine with casual button up shirts like oxfords, denim, or flannels.
For the two styles of their jeans that I own - they look like…jeans. Shocker. I have a dark blue pair and a true black pair. There is no indication they are anything other than jeans and because the fit is nice and tapered, you can certainly dress them up with proper shoes and a jacket as well. Both also look good with your favorite all-white tennis shoes.
For the Performance pants - let’s be clear that they will never reach the level of a true pair of chinos. The material just can’t replicate that. But you’re trading in that cotton for a more technical fabric that is quicker drying and more stretchy for comfort. I think overall, these pants + tennis shoes is the best combo. Proper shoes look better with jeans and chinos. But, that still leaves plenty of restaurants and most bars that you’re good to go with.
Just two more shots - jeans with nicer shoes, and a shot of the charcoal Super Stretch pants in the Western Rise StrongCore Merino shirt (great for travel) and tennis shoes.
Under 5’10 Pants For Travel
So like I said, while I’ve been wearing these all the time in my everyday life, I specifically wanted to review them as it relates to travel to try and help out my fellow short people out there. How did they do?
Pretty dang well. They are super comfortable so for situations like physically traveling (such as in a plane or a long drive) they are really great. They aren’t any bulkier than other pants either, though they aren’t as packing friendly as say, the Evolutions from Western Rise.
The stretch on these is such that you could one hundred percent do your yoga routine in them, or just your morning stretch. That means for light work like that, you don’t need to pack something specialized.
Plus these go from the street to the bar or restaurant with no issues. I pair them with tennis shoes or more of a lifestyle sneaker (like an Onitsuka vs a Nike runner) and also wear proper shoes with them occassionally. That said, for true haute dining I put on a pair of nice jeans instead. I don’t quite believe in the “leisure pants being good for every scenario”. Just being honest, I think it’s a little sloppy when people do that, and kind of disrespectful to the establishment. For instance I think these would look ridiculous with a jacket, but that is totally something an American would try. Just like how they are trying to ruin proper dress shoes now by attaching sneak bottoms to them and trying to tell everyone that will listen that “They look just like regular dress shoes!”. OK off my grumpy soapbox now, sorry. Haha.
For anything below 5C, you might want to start thinking about HeatTech tights or similar.
High travel score for comfort and situational wear. But they lose travel points for not having extra durability, DWR, or a zippered pocket.
The Good
Fabric Macro.
As a short guy that has struggled with finding pants that were designed for me in life - the number one thing to praise here is the fit and look. The company absolutely NAILS it. Now, body types are all different. So be prepared for plenty of “try and return” to find your best fit some times. I certainly have done a ton of this. But that said, they know their audience. I LOVE the fit on these pants.
How much so? Well, because of the fit, I find myself taking these with me more often than my Western Rise pants on trips. Those pants are MUCH higher quality and have MANY more features and helpful things while traveling. But as I said, FIT trumps that sometimes. And I’m very picky about my fit. These pants require no alterations and fit me as they are designed to. (In fact, I would love to see Under 5’10 do some sort of collab with a brand like WR. Their Pattern making with WR’s fabric and feature expertise - amazing).
For both these types of pants (the Performance and Jeans), the comfort is top notch. The Performance pants feel like you're lounging and are SUPER stretchy. It’s not just a clever name. Great for wandering around towns or for the planes/trains/automobiles portion of your trips to again - not look like a slob.
Solid color options.
They are a lightweight option for packing, though not as good as something like the Evolutions from WR.
They wash easy and don’t shrink when they dry (though a dryer might, but it’s not recommended to put them in there).
And for the nitpicky Onebaggers out there - these do not shine, and they do not swish unless your thighs are rubbing together - in which case - there is no pant besides sweatpants that will counteract the laws of physics regarding friction.
The Bad
Well for starters, other than comfort there really is no “travel” benefit for these. So, you’re giving up things like DWR, abrasion resistance, and the big one - a zippered pocket. For that you’ll still want the travel focused brands like Western Rise. For the jeans, look to Aviator.
The quality is not what I’m used to. It’s…FINE. And again, for the fit profile I’m willing to accept. Ash and Erie is a better quality but much higher price. I also like Under 5’10’s fit profile much better than Ash and Erie’s pants! But, AnE is definitely better made. Things like the zippers, snap button closure, belt loops, etc. I’d say they are in line with the cost, but I would pay more for better finishing on these.
If quality and features is your top red-line - you’re going to want to stick to the other brands I mentioned.
One note on the Bruce jeans in darker blue: these things are bluer than an Elliot Smith album and they DO run. So, accept that it’s going to add some indigo to your white shoes. I would advise against wearing them with light suede like chukkas or something like that. No bueno. This is after multiple washes. This of course is NOT really this company’s problem. It’s a blue jeans problem and a lot of indigo does that. I do not have any issues with the black jeans.
The Improvement Requests for the Under 5’10 Super Stretch Pants
Under 5’10 team - if you’re reading this - here are my requests. For one, let’s put a zippered rear pocket in there. That would give it the ULTIMATE travel feature that’s almost a necessity on a travel pant.
I would love to see some quality improvements in the hardware. That is, the zipper and the snap closure. Either a MUCH higher quality snap, or a button closure. I can live with the zipper.
And again, maybe consider a collaboration with a company like Western Rise for a superior, short man, limited edition travel pant.
Otherwise I’m willing to compromise a little on the other missing travel features (like more durability and DWR) in order to maintain a reasonable price point under $90 USD.
Find a way to color-set the blue dye in the Bruce jeans? Again, not solely their issue but hey I’m making requests here!
Final Thoughts On My Under 5’10 Pants Review
So, I’m the owner of like 5 pairs of their pants now, simply because of the fit. Proper fitting pants for a short guy is akin to getting a bespoke suit in America. You’re so accustomed to wearing something that just never fits right, that you’ve maybe accepted it, altered it (which can very much change the pattern), or just quietly give up. It hurts your confidence, too, when something doesn’t fit right.
But suddenly finding something that fits your body type after a lifetime of struggling with that? You’d be surprised what this does for confidence. Just like putting on a custom suit jacket.
Are the other brands I review for travel generally better travel pants? One HUNDRED percent yes. With the caveat being if you’re someone that fits in that range of lengths. You will love those pants and honestly, I love my Evolution pants from Western Rise for their utility, quality, and features.
But overall for the price point, and ESPECIALLY for the fantastic fit for short guys - I have to recommend you give Under 5’10 Super Stretch pants a try if you’re in this demographic - mostly for those under 5’7 if I’m honest. It’s hard to put a value on feeling confident in your own skin, and you might be willing to trade some features for it.
To note, the company is great with shipping and free returns. I’ve done it many times with no ill will thrown back at me. It’s the nature of buying clothes online, and I think it’s great they make returns so easy if the product doesn't fit you.
As always with most brands, I’d suggest buying directly through their website for best service.
Wander more - and wander smarter everyone.
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