Finally, A Better Alternative to Cuts AO Joggers, An In-Depth Review

Cuts Clothing makes some of the most popular business casual pants in the premium athleisure segment- the AO Joggers. For the trendy millennial male, these pants are the perfect blend of business casual and activewear. Seeking to become the go-to brand for "the Sport of Business," some men ask, is Cuts Clothing worth it? At $118, we are going to review Cuts AO Joggers and find out.

I've been an admirer of Cuts Clothing for a long time. My first introduction being Cuts founder's, Steven Borrelli, YouTube channel. He documented his startup journey visiting factories, evaluating fabrics, and designing his prototypes of his soon-to-be popular Cuts tees.

Impressed by the unique design and quality, I bought one of his early Cuts Curved Hem Tees. Fast forward a few years later, Cuts Clothing quickly expanded to long sleeves, joggers, and hoodies. And adopted their "Sport of Business" positioning.

The product that transitioned them from a t-shirt company to an apparel brand is the AO Joggers. I had to try them. Out of all the "joggers" I have tried, the AO Joggers are the most hybrid pants I have reviewed. The love-child of business casual slacks and khakis with a few jogger elements sprinkled in.

These joggers showed early potential. With strong branding, luxury price tag, and reputation for quality (from their t-shirts), I needed little convincing to try them.

No company dominates the middle ground of activewear and business casual. The closest would be Lululemon and Vuori. The race to meet the needs of men who need better performing workwear can carve out a lasting apparel brand. Lululemon cracked the code at the intersection of activewear and leisure and became a billion-dollar company challenging the giants—Nike, Under Armour, Adidas, etc.

Today, we are going to evaluate Cuts $118 AO Joggers. Are worth the money? We'll find and give a recommendation of who these joggers will work best for. As always, we're going to give compare them to a similar "dupe" from our lineup, Ruggedblack's Performance Joggers.

Leggo.

Tale of the Tape

Cuts AO Joggers

Cuts AO Joggers Review - Product Page

Price - $118

Here is a list of the most comparable products from other high-end athleisure brands. To generate comparables, I used my experience with each of these to mimic the same fabric feel and function.

Reviews

2,762 reviews with a 4.4-star rating

5-star positive reviews center on:

the slim fit,
feel of the fabric, and
ability to dress up or down.

1-to-2-star negative reviews center on:

the tight fit (being bigger and/or taller),
fabric softness and stitching quality, and
value.

The Good (5-star reviews):

"The pant feels great and easy to wear without feeling uncomfortable. The pockets flare a bit, so don't carry much of anything in your pockets, and the ankle is less snug than I'd like. The elastic could be tighter, but I can deal."
"…It can be used for dressy situations and casual ones too. Looks great in pictures!"
"…The fit is great. It's a perfect cut for someone with a slim or athletic build. They can be worn casually while running errands or throw on a cardigan over a dressier shirt and wear to brunch or to a coffee date…"

The Bad (1- to 3-star reviews):

"Sizing is off. my husband is normally a 34 x 32. I ordered him a size large and they were SO tight on him! He's very average/muscular build too and never wears any XL sizing."
"This product was too tight on me, did not fit very well. Stick to the shirts from cuts, joggers not a strong suit."
"Not the quality I expected for the price. They stretch but also a feel a little stiff for how they're advertised, stitching was fraying out of the bag, and they run on the thin side which makes it feels a little cheaper."

The Fit and Feel

While doing research for this review, I noticed the models for Cuts Clothing, both on their website and ads, had a specific body type—slender and short.

I always search product pages for more inclusive models, because I'm a bigger guy. Being over 6'2 and 250 lbs., I have trouble finding a comfortable fit. Especially with "athleisure" brands such as Lululemon, Bylt, and Vuori. Reading through their negative reviews, I didn't have high hopes for the fit.

Even in Cuts biggest size, XXL, the AO Joggers were both tight and short. To even get them on, I had to do that jump-hop shimmy you see in the movies to pull them up.

In addition to being tight around the hip and thigh, they were at least 4 inches too short. I usually wear a 34-inch inseam. These joggers hit around my upper ankle, lower calf.

If you are big, tall, and/or muscular, these joggers will not fit comfortably. And vice versa.

I recently went on a ski trip with my friend, a prototypical average guy with a slim build—5'9" and 160 lbs. His body type looks more like a soccer player rather than a football or basketball player. He loves Cuts gear because of the fit. Everything hugs the body, creating clean lines which is definitely a millennial style.

The inseam range of the AO Joggers ranges from 27" inches to 29.5" inches. From the style guide below, these lengths are great for dudes 5'6" or below.

As you can see from their product photos, you are going to be a couple of inches above your ankles for an average sized dude.

Cuts AO Joggers Too Short

I don't prefer Capri pants in a business casual setting.

The fabric itself of the AO Joggers isn't anything special—100% polyester. This is similar to Lululemon's ABC Pants and Vuori's Meta Pants. Although Lululemon steps it up a bit by using a special type of polyester called Elastomultiester and recycled polyester.

Overall, the synthetic material has the benefits of being durable, lightweight and wrinkle resistant.

They aren't very stretchy or breathable. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. In a business casual setting, you want a more structured (stiff) pair of pants, not loose, stretchy comfort sweatpants.

Uses and Design

The AO in the AO Joggers stands for "Always On." Blurring the line between business casual and activewear, these are the most hybrid of any pants I have worn recently.

As an entrepreneur, I don't mind wearing athleisure and/or activewear 24/7. But for the guy who doesn't want to look and feel comfortable all day…everyday, the AO Joggers are a good hybrid option.

The AO's minimalistic design is classic. It seems that they started with a pair of khakis, swapped out the cotton fabric with a durable polyester, and changed to cuff to a slightly ruffed, jogger like bottom to make them into "joggers."

Cuts AO Joggers Front View

This means you have some must-have features for business casual—belt loops, zippered fly, and structured waistband. But you have some jogger comforts such as the slightly stretchy fabric and ankle flexibility/mobility.

Cuts AO Joggers Back View

These features combined make the AO Joggers versatile joggers on the upper end of the formality spectrum—business casual to fancy casual.

Cuts AO Joggers are wear-appropriate to the office, after-office drinks, and date night. That's if you are a shorter guy or don't mind showing your ashy ankles to your boss.

For me personally, I don't think they are comfortable enough for active activities, lounging around the house, and/or running errands. So for me, they won't be "Always On." A traditional cotton blend slack will be more comfortable and office appropriate.

Summary

The bottom line is Cuts AO Joggers are a great business casual, dressier variant of a jogger. Many slender guys appreciate the very slim fit, durable fabric, and zippered pockets.

Although the fabric isn't anything special, Cuts has a knack for getting the branding details right. Many men regard their branding and marketing on par with Lululemon, Vuori, Public Rec, and Bylt.

If you are a big and/or tall guy, it's probably best to steer clear of the AO Joggers.

Although the size guide gives you recommendations based on a few models, it differs from my try-on experience. I understand my point of view is biased.

But look at the try-on portion of my video review, the 1- & 2-star reviews on their website, and look at the candid photos showed above. I'm telling the truth.

However, if you are a slender or short guy, the AO Joggers are a good option to add for your business casual wardrobe. Priced competitively in the athleisure segment, these joggers offer stylish versatility. With so many TikTok and Instagram ads from famous people, you will definitely be seen as fashion forward.

Update: Cuts Clothing recently released a tall version of their AO Jogger which increases the inseam length by around 2 inches per size. Still short for taller guys, but still tight from what I've read.

Ruggedblack's Performance Joggers

Price: $89

At $89, our pants are $30 cheaper than comparable joggers.