prAna Sutra Pant

Very comfortable for daily use or yoga.

I currently own two pairs of PrAna's Sutra Pants. These pants are extremely comfortable, but do come with a few drawbacks.

COMFORT: The comfort of the Sutra Pants is precisely why I now own two pairs. These things are like wearing pajamas around all day. They are by far the most comfortable pants I own. They have proven themselves to be good pants for hiking, general use, and fishing (they flex with you and dry quickly when wet) as well as for yoga workouts at home or at a gym (again, they flex with you, allowing you to reach even more advanced poses without any issues).

MATERIALS:  The Sutras are made from hemp and lycra. This explains both their breathability and their ability to flex as you move. Unfortunately, none of that flexibility is built into the waist-band (see Fit below).

DESIGN: The Sutra pants are generally very well designed. They use a drawstring waist which is extremely comfortable, but also feature a faux-fly which makes them look a little less like pajama bottoms. I have worn these in to work on many occasions and get compliments almost every time I do.

However, their design also has a few drawbacks. First, the pockets are stitched to the leg of the pants instead of being free-floating. This means that sitting down inverts your pocket (depending on the depth / angle of your seat). Every single time I get into a car in these pants, I end up losing all my change.  

Second, the waistband doesn't have any elastic at all. This seems odd in a pair of pants marketed for yoga, though it doesn't hinder their functionality there at all. It really just makes it harder to get in and out of these pants if you aren't built like a #2 pencil.

FIT: The PrAna Sutra pants don't have an elastic waistband. Nor do they have a fly of any kind. Instead, they have a drawstring waist band and a faux fly (just an extra flap of material designed to look like a fly). As a result, you need to order one size larger than you normally would.

I usually wear either a 32" 32" or 33" 33" depending upon brand. With PrAna, this usually translates to a Medium 32" (PrAna often uses "S", "M", "L", and "XL" for their waist measurements for men). However, with the Sutra, I can't get the Medium 32" over my hips / butt. As a result, I wear a Large 32" in the Sutra, but a Medium 32" in the Stretch Zion.  

That being said, the Large Sutras don't really look overly large. They are a little on the baggier side, but not by much.

BREATHABILITY / WARMTH: The hemp fabric breathes very well in warm weather and does a surprisingly good job of insulating in cold weather. In warmer weather, these pants feel like I'm wearing linen. In colder weather, they don't feel much different from any other pair of khakis. I find I tend to wear the Sutras more often in warm weather than in cold, but I do wear them year round and have yet to run into any issues.

BEST USES: I have used these pants all over the place and have yet to find an environment they don't adapt well to. I have used them for hiking and for surf-casting both for daytime wear and for sleep wear. I have taken them power-kiting and I use them regularly for yoga. I even wear them in to work on days when I just want something comfortable.  

These pants are great for yoga class and a casual evening out. Light, comfortable, and very stretchy when they need to be. These are my favorite pants to teach yoga class in.