The BEST Shorts/Pants For Guys With BIG Legs – 2024

Last updated on December 14th, 2024 at 07:10 pm

Lets paint a scene. You spend hours a day in the gym pushing big weights. You never skip leg day. And you never miss a meal. You are a big dude with big legs. And buying pants and shorts SUCKS! My friend, I feel your pain. I’m currently sitting at 6ft and ~250lbs. I squat over 500lbs, and deadlift over 600lbs. My thighs haven’t fit in a NORMAL pair of pants for two decades.

We are left with two options. Quit being awesome and skip a few leg days… or push forward and blaze a new path. One where we can have monster quads and hams and STILL fit well in our pants. Today, my friends, I share my adventures down the path less traveled in pursuit of finding The BEST Shorts/Pants For Guys With BIG Legs.

Links throughout may include Affiliate Links. These help fund the site at no expense to you.

Pants/Shorts For Regular People And Their Regular Legs

When I first started caring about my attire, I was spending time on the subreddit r/FrugalMaleFashion. A great sub for finding deals on good looking attire. The problem is that the VAST majority of the recommendations are for skinnier guys, or average sized guys. I love all my brothers, but my big fellas have needs too. And those needs don’t fit into a pair of skinny fit chinos.

But if I’m a somewhat more normal person and I’m looking to find good clothing at good prices, they have great resources to do so.

I looked up the average thigh size for American Men between ages 30-39, and it clocks in at 21.69 inches. So I’m sitting at an easy 5.5in bigger than average. I shared my struggles with my wide feet and finding shoes, where I was again much larger than the average sized person.

Quick Note – Don’t expect a ton of clothing related reviews from me. That really isn’t my jam. I just know that my struggle, is what others have struggled with, so here I am trying to save you the pain I felt.

My History With Pants/Shorts

Over the years I tried every damn pair of shorts I could find. I bought from Kohls, JC Pennys, Nordstroms and Nordstroms Rack, and a ton of online retailers. I bought cheap shorts/pants, I bought expensive ones. I tried athletic fit, I tried stretchy material, I tried stuff that was GUARANTEED for dudes packing heat in the thighs, and I tried thinking outside the box. I ran into a few problems with my pursuit for pants/shorts.

First, the shorts/pants just didn’t go up over my legs. The amount of “correct size” wide fit, stretchy material, loose fitting pants that never even got to my waist, was absurd. Shorts TYPICALLY had an easier chance here, but not always. Anything slim in anyway was instantly out. And plenty of shorts were a bust. Days spent at the store to come home empty handed became the regular outing.

Second, was the squat test. I absolutely knew if I put on a pair of shorts/pants and couldn’t squat down safely, they were going to bust immediately. I walk about a mile or two a day with my dog, my family, and otherwise just living life. Bending down to pick stuff up, garden, grocery shop, whatever. So my shorts/pants had to be able to move and groove and handle the elements as they say. If half the pairs I tried on failed the first test of getting over my thighs, the other half would fail this test.

Typically if they passed those first two tests, they failed in either the basic aesthetics or they were MASSIVE. I want something clean and simple, not a pair of shorts with rips, tears, seventy four buttons, and sixteen straps. And while I want them to fit and have some room, I don’t want to be wearing a size XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXL.

Then, when the rare unicorn of pants/shorts actually passed the first two tests, looked fine, and didn’t fit like a trash bag and made it home, I would run into another issue. The crotch test. No, I’m not talking about my balls again. I’m talking about the fact that with big thighs, they rub together when you walk. This friction seemed to put some wear and tear on the pants in the form of busted seems and torn and worn fabric.

I would REGULARLY bust through a pair of shorts in a matter of months, a few I busted within a week of getting them home. It was the huge let down of “I finally found a pair that fit” and then right back to square one.

I don’t have the specific names and brands to share with you, because this has been multiple decades of my life and easily 50+ pairs of pants and shorts that I ran through. Instead, if you are here at this point, you probably share my pain (or someone close to you does).

So, let’s dive into what I’m looking for in The BEST Shorts/Pants For Guys With BIG Legs.

My Criteria For Pants/Shorts

They Must Fit Comfortably

Absolutely critical, they have to fit comfortably. I’ve snuggly fit into a few pairs over the years and regretted the purchase. They go through a wash cycle and now don’t fit AT ALL. You eat a big burrito and no go. People can’t tell if that is your cell phone in your pants or if you are just happy to see them (and are very oddly shaped). You get it. They need to be able to fit, have room to move around, but still let people know I look good.

Pass The Squat Test

I mentioned above, this is one of my first tests for pants/shorts. If they make it to my waist and can fit comfortably in a standing position, I take them for a ride as I drop it low. If the crotch tries to bust out on me, the crack of my butt pops out, or otherwise they no longer fit, this is a no go. I can make an exception for dress pants for special occasions where the sole purpose is to look good. But otherwise, I gotta be able to live my life and not worry about destroying a pair of pants with a quick turn.

Basic Aesthetics

What good is all that time in the gym if your clothes look like trash? Now, I’m not super picky here, I like me a basic pair of cargo shorts, clean jeans, clean gym shorts, you get it. A little flair here and there is ok, but I’m not wearing anything crazy. Just not my style. Again, not asking a lot here, just a simple set-up.

Durable

As I mentioned, the pants/shorts of my past were notorious for falling apart in a matter of weeks or months. I’m not about spending $50, or even $10, to get a pair and have them be trash right away. I would be comfortable with about a year or so, give me a season of use and I’m good. If I buy a pair of jeans in October, they should last through till the next October (since I rarely wear them during the summer). I want to see, ideally, that they hold together through a weekly wash, I don’t need to mend them like crazy, we don’t have a ton of stitches falling out, and otherwise they are still intact.

Affordable-ish

I’m open to spending $150 on pants, but only if they last. And $50 for shorts, only if they last. I’d rather spend less, but I’m totally on board with buying something that doesn’t fall apart. $50 once is better than $20 five times a year. Right? So the price likely needs to connect to how durable they are.

Two Types of Pants/Shorts

Ok, above is my history of issues trying to find the BEST Shorts/Pants For Guys With BIG Legs, as well as my criteria. I would settle for a good balance of the above criteria… maybe kind of expensive but they look good, feel good, move good, and last a long time. Or they are cheap, give me a season, and otherwise do their thing. Like a good beat for a song, I’m able to adjust one piece for another.

In my pursuit for the BEST Shorts/Pants For Guys With BIG Legs, I wanted to find pairs that worked for my daily lifestyle. As I work from home, lift, coach my daughters sports, and live in an area that gets everything from 30 degrees to 110 degrees, I need both shorts and pants, for the gym/workouts as well as casual daily wear.

Gym Use

Monday through Friday, I am almost exclusively wearing gym attire. I lift during the week, typically twice a day, I work from home, and I coach my daughters various sports. So I’m often in either gym shorts or gym pants. That means they need to pass the tests above, and be perfectly suitable to coaching, grocery shopping, gardening, and more. A tough ask for a pair of gym shorts, but here we are.

Casual Wear

On the weekends, I ditch the gym attire for a pair of cargo shorts or jeans (depending on the weather). While these don’t need to be able to do all the lifting and what not, I still move things around, garden, ride my bike, and otherwise stay active with my family. So they need to accommodate that activity.

Below I’ll give you my favorite pairs of shorts and pants, in both Casual Wear and Gym Use.

What Are the BEST Shorts/Pants For Guys With BIG Legs?

Lets start with the Casual Wear, because I think these are the most impressive.

Men’s DuluthFlex Dry on the Fly 11″ Cargo Shorts

As I write this, I’m currently wearing these exact shorts. I own two pairs total, a “camel” color, and a “gunmetal” color.

Get ready for this… the Camel pair was bought on July 21st of 2019. We are approaching a full FIVE YEARS of regular use throughout the Spring, Summer, and Fall months… everything from working on bikes, moving gym equipment, going to the park, bathing the dog, and much MUCH more. And these things look essentially brand new.

I used to keep a pair of ratty shorts in my closet for when it was time to do things like full days of yard work, DIY projects, or anything that was a messy job. I didn’t want to add extra wear and tear and dirt and grime to my clean pants. Since owning these shorts, I haven’t touched those old pairs.

My second pair, the Gunmetal, was purchased July 11th, 2020. So almost FOUR YEARS of regular use on these. Same experience.

These things work well for ANY activity. Their dry on the fly concept, means they help whether you are sweating in them or happen to get drenched fixing a drip line… or maybe you just decided to take a hose bath, or even go swimming in them. They dry within a matter of minutes. The pockets are more than adequate to hold all your stuffs, and if you are like me, you are constantly holding your wife’s phone, your daughters stuffed bunny, and the snack you brought on the car ride. I’ve carried full water bottles in the pockets before, they’ve gone on multiple mile long hikes, helped move rock, redo gardens, and more.

The ONLY thing I’ve noticed over the years is that the stitching on the edges starts to unwind a bit. Not enough to ruin the shorts, but if you are even slightly handy with a needle you can keep these running forever. The only other complaint I have? I believe when I ordered mine they were only in two colors. Now they come in four color options. I’m betting that my Camel color, is their current Smoky Tan option.

When writing this article, in my head I was thinking “these shorts are a couple years old and that is impressive”. I was even shocked that they were approaching their 5 year anniversary.

Life Pro Tip

Duluth often has sales. As of writing this, these shorts are on sale for under $50 a pair, compared to the list price of $79.50. That puts them in the range of MOST basic pairs of shorts, but at a MUCH more tolerable price. So, if you can, sit back and wait for a sale. They are worth the asking price, but still, save yourself some coin.

Sizing and Fit Notes

I wear a 36×32 in MOST shorts and pants I buy (or a large if that is how they measure). These are a 36in waist and fit comfortably even at my larger end of the scale. You can see they sit RIGHT at the knee cap on me. Overall I have plenty of room to sit, stand, squat, move, do whatever, without them sitting so baggy that they look trashy.

Duluth Men’s Ballroom Double Flex Standard Fit Jeans

I’ve owned a couple of pairs of jeans from Duluth, and these are my favorite. The fit is great, they move and shake and do their thing, and they last. I purchased this pair April 2nd, 2023. Far from the amazing Five Year stretch of the Cargo Shorts above.

But, I’ve tried Lucky Jeans, the Athletic Cut for Levi’s and many others. While they all “worked” for a bit, nothing made it past a single season. These are passing my test, and so far look like they are on the way to battling another few seasons in the future.

Their Ballroom material is meant to, as the name kind of implies, let you move and groove as though you were in a ballroom dancing.

One negative, and probably the only one, is that they only come in a couple color options. So you won’t be mixing and matching to your hearts desire here. Good news is, I like my jeans in about two different colors anyway, so this works for me.

Life Pro Tip

As I mentioned, Duluth often has sales. As of writing this, these jeans are on sale for $52 a pair, compared to the list price of $74.50. I believe the pants I was buying before were around $100 a pair, and no where near this good.

Sizing and Fit Notes

These are going to fit a bit more “snug”, but I mean, they are jeans. The good news is, they look fantastic. For my brothers with the meaty thighs, you are gonna show em what you are working with in the best way possible. You LIKELY will want a jacket or something to hold the majority of your stuff, especially if you plan to hold your phone, wallet, wife’s phone and wallet, etc.

But again, these pass all the tests. Squat, bend, move, ride a bike, or wear them out with a button down and look good. And they have a lot of flex in the waist, so whether you are bulking or dropping down, you’ve got some leeway.

I have a pair of 34 x 32 Relaxed Fit. They fit awesome. I could probably go anywhere between 34 and 36 and be happy, even 32 if I’m at the tail end of a cut and runny slimmer. So 34 is the sweet spot for me.

Other Offerings From Duluth

If you aren’t familiar with Duluth, I honestly can’t tell you where we first learned about them. My wife has bought a lot of shirts, tanks, and pants over the years from them. Just about everything we’ve bought from them has been solid.

I say just about everything, because I bought a button down shirt that fit like a garbage bag. I have another pair of their jeans, the Coolmax Flex Ballroom Jeans, in the same size, and they don’t fit as well.

So be careful on some things. As we know, as a bigger dude, clothes shopping is tough to find what fits all your curves.

A7 Center-Stretch Squat Shorts

A7 sent me a pair of their shorts when they first sponsored the Garage Gym Competition. I was so impressed with their shorts that they sent me for free, that I bought SIX more pairs myself. I bought these August 2nd, 2022, and they are still kicking.

Now let me be real clear… the Duluth stuff above doesn’t get daily use. Weekends only, 99% of the time. But these A7 shorts? They are getting worn every single week, for a workout or two, washed, dried, and repeated. Meaning that in the ALMOST two years I’ve owned them, they have probably gone through close to 100 washes.

On top of that, they get worn ALL DAY LONG. We are talking, wake up at 6:30AM and put them on, and take them off when I shower around 8PM at night. They get worn in workouts, walking the dog, doing yard work… they get wet, sweaty, dirty, and they come back for more. Did I mention I workout twice a day most days? So they are getting sweaty, dry, then get sweaty again…

A7 360Go Shorts

I believe A7 is phasing out their Center Stretch shorts, in favor of the 360GO Shorts. The good news is, that just means the entire short is made of the same cool material as the center. I can’t directly comment on these yet, but my fair guess is that they are just as good, plus a little better in the movement category.

Life Pro Tip

The A7 shorts are EXPENSIVE. My pairs were $49.95 a PIECE. Meaning I spent over $300 on shorts in one order. BUT, their Black Friday Sale is BUMPING. I believe they are something like 30% off or more… buy you gotta be REAL quick. Make sure to sign-up for their mailing list, so you get the notices and can snag em. If you want specific colorways or designs, you might just need to fork over the bucks and grab em.

Sizing and Fit Notes

Since these are “squat shorts” they sit a bit higher than some might be accustomed to. Well above the knees, but not quite into the crotch. These are going to stretch well because of the center flex material, they have two pockets which are great for daily activities and use, but because they sit higher, you are definitely gonna flex the beans in any spread leg sitting situation. Not in a, everything is hanging out fashion. But in a, someone looking for the outline of your junk is gonna get it.

Other Offerings From A7

A7 had sent me a full lineup of their stuff, and I did a review of it. Check it out here. Some things have changed since then, but overall, A7 makes good stuff. I’m still using their Wrist Wraps regularly, and the grip shirt comes out for big bench attempts.

GASP No1 Mesh Pant

Gym pants were a real struggle for me. I owned the same pair for, no joke, well over two decades. We bought them when I was in junior high school, at a Nike Outlet, and I just tossed them recently. The problem? No one makes them like that anymore… Well, almost no one.

Digging into gym pants on Amazon, I bought a few pairs that failed miserably. Even my friends at A7 sent me a pair of their joggers. XL size, and they never made it up my legs. Those are pants made for powerlifters, and no luck.

So I went to my other love… Bodybuilding. GASP is the official brand of every big bad dude in the gym. Johnnie Jackson, Shaun Clarida, Branch Warren, and a bunch of other monsters. The good news is, they took that need and made some awesome apparel, most notably their pants.

These fit well, look good, breathe well but keep you JUST warm enough, and have plenty of ability to handle a heavy squat or deadlift session and come back tomorrow for more.

My original order was made on November 29th, 2021. That pair of pants went in the garbage just a few months ago. I tried finding some pants that were a little cheaper, but to no avail. So I ended up ordering three more pairs of the GASP pants.

I bought all three pairs of these style. The white I was a little afraid were going to be

Pro Tip – GASP added me to their ambassador program, which means I now have a discount code for you. Save 15% on ALL of their apparel for bodybuilders and powerlifters w/ Code: GASP15

Life Pro Tip

If you look at Amazon, gym pants can come in packs of three for about $30. So stomaching $80+ a PIECE, is a little tough. I will tell you, I tried those Amazon pants. No go. I tried a number of offerings from Costco and other places. Nothing. So, you have two options with GASP.

My code GASP15 is generic, but gives you 15% off your order. You can also wait for a sale, which they do throughout the year, even sometimes Buy One Get One deals. So if you NEED something right now, use the code. If you can wait, sign-up for their newsletter and grab a deal when it pops up.

Sizing and Fit Notes

These fit VERY loose. Not like, you are wearing 10 sizes too big loose, but the legs are definitely nice and accommodating. I can do a full squat in these without issues. The good news is, they don’t look so baggy that they aren’t a nice cut. They terminate right at the shoe in a good way too, so you aren’t tripping on them.

Other Offerings From GASP

I own a shirt from GASP. Keep in mind that they are meant for VERY large dudes. Good build overall, but my wife hates this shirt. I look JACKED in it, but it isn’t really my style. I bought it to get free shipping cause it cost like $5.

As we are talking pants here, GASP makes about 2 dozen types of pants which is honestly confusing. I’ve tried two or three types, and the No1 Mesh are my favorite. I’m not a big sweatpant guy, or jogger dude, but feel free to mix and match where you want to.

Wrap Up On the BEST Shorts/Pants For Guys With BIG Legs

If you are like me and struggle with balancing leg day and put-on-pants day, I hope I was able to send you down a couple paths of quality options. If my experience ever changes, if I try something different for the sake of science, or otherwise have new information to share, I’ll keep this article updated. As of now, these are without a doubt my choice for the BEST Shorts/Pants For Guys With BIG Legs.

If you have a pair I should try, feel free to let me know.

💲Want a pair of these pants/shorts for yourself? You can use the following links

• Men’s DuluthFlex Dry on the Fly 11″ Cargo Shorts
• Men’s DuluthFlex Ballroom CoolMax Jeans
• A7 Center-Stretch Squat Shorts
• GASP No1 Mesh Pant

🏅 Like to save money? Check out my full list of discount codes.