Vuori Haul: Reviewing Vuori's Bestselling Ripstop Pants and Transit Joggers, And A Jogger Hybrid Alternative That Beats Both

Are you looking for the best Vuori men's joggers? Look no further. Today, we are reviewing two of Vuori's bestselling men's casual wear pants - the Transit Joggers and Ripstop Pants. Although the Vuori Sunday Performance Jogger is more popular than both. Each pair reviewed today has their time and place. 

    

In a few short years, Vuori has become an absolute juggernaut in the athleisure activewear industry. Their most popular jogger, the Sunday Performance Jogger, has been a casual wear staple for a lot of men's closets switching from Lululemon ABC Jogger.

We've reviewed Vuori Sunday Performance before. You can read that review here. I love them as casual comfort wear. But they aren't really aren't professional enough to style up or down.

That's why I was so keen on reviewing Vuori's new Ripstop Traveler and Transit Joggers. Both pants are designed with an outdoor active focus. But are they enough to become your new go-to pair displacing legends like Lululemon's ABC Joggers and Public Rec's All Day Everyday Pants?

Let's find out!

Tale of the Tape 

Vuori's Ripstop Traveler Joggers (And Pants)

Price: $98

Coming in at $98, which seems to be standard for high-end athleisure these days, they in the middle of the pack when compared to Lululemon's ABC Joggers ($128) and Rhone's Commuter Joggers ($138).

Many men scoff at paying over $100 for a pair of sweats. But when you are using premium materials, including detail-rich features, and prioritizing comfort over one-size-fits-all, they cost more to make and market than cheaper joggers.

 

Reviews: 300+ reviews with a 4.5 rating

Although many athleisure brands would love to have a product with over 300 reviews, the Vuori Ripstop pants don't crack the top ten in popularity for Vuori Men's lineup. For instance, the Vuori Sunday performance jogger has over 7,500 reviews and the Ponto performance jogger has over 1,300.

From what I could gather combing through the reviews, the Ripstop Traveler Joggers (And Ripstop Pants) are a great option for guys looking for high-end outdoor hiking pants.

Here's a quick rundown of most relevant reviews I combed from their website.

The Good (5-star reviews):

• "Easily the most versatile and comfortable pants I have ever owned. I go from walking the dog, working out, working in an aquatic animal facility, and lounging around at home - all without needing to change my style."
• "This is one of my official outdoor pair of casual pants. I wear them and struggle to take them off, even at home."
• "These are great pants! Great color, great style, and great fit."

 The Bad (1- to 3-star reviews):

• "Too structured & not flexible enough."
• "The fabric is awful."
• "This jogger is stupidly overpriced compared to its equally priced, superior product; the Ripstop Pant. do yourself a favor and avoid these."
• "Seem like really cool pants. I want to like them but.... Im 6'2 and the xl's ride up my ankles. In what world is a 6'2 188lb man an XXL? And my guess is the XXL will be longer but also much wider in the seat and legs Unfortunately will be returning."

The bottom line here is some men prefer the durable fabric feel of the Ripstop while others feel it's uncomfortable.

For me personally, my review of these were slightly negative.

When I wore these, I echoed the negative comments about how uncomfortable the fabric is and the weirdness of the fit (waist and thighs). If you are a tall guy over 6'0, these are going to ride up and look like capris. If I were a rock-climber or avid hiker, I can see the appeal of the durability-focused material. I will not be wearing these often.

The Fit and Feel

The Ripstop Traveler Jogger disappointed me in both fit and feel.

Vuori isn't known for fitting guys with bigger frames. I was hopeful after reading in their description that the Ripstop Traveler Joggers is "our most versatile lifestyle pants-now available in a more relaxed, jogger fit...wider-fitting pants crafted for added mobility."

This simply isn't the case. Especially for any dude that has ever done a heavy squat.

I'm 6'2 260lb. As a (very) large man, I know that in Vuori, even with the elastic waistband, the XXL will be tight on me both around the waist and thighs. And it was.

Many reviewers mentioned that if you are a tall guy do not apply. They are very short. Unless you like rocking the high ankle look.

 As mentioned before, the fabric is not soft. It feels very rough. Some men may like that it feels durable. But I personally don't like rough lifestyle pants. The material feels like the grill cover for my Traeger. Must be the Teflon coating on these joggers.

The Ripstop Traveler Joggers (and Ripstop Pants) are made of 98% organic cotton and 2% elastane (spandex).

 

Use & Design

Although I didn't like the fit or feel of the Ripstop Joggers, I love the design and use case for these. A lot of the reviewers mentioned its counterpart, the Ripstop Pants, as a superior product to Ripstop Traveler Joggers.

My theory is most men when they wear "joggers" want to be comfortable. They prefer features like the cuffed bottom, zippered pockets, and soft material in athleisure activewear. But these are made more like jeans than comfortable joggers.

For me, they are too uncomfortable for daily wear. I prefer a comfortable pair of athletic fit joggers. But they are aren't dressy enough for me to not reach for other pants.

It's like its catch in no man's land. They aren't stretchy even though they claim two way stretch.

Bottom line, if you don't mind the rough material and are a smaller guy who prefers a slim fit, these can be an okay choice. But evaluate the Ripstop pants. They actually have a zippered fly rather than the faux fly. Neither have side zip pockets though.

 

Summary

The Ripstop Traveler is a well-meaning joggers that overpromises the versatile lifestyle pants and underdelivers on the material and fit. The fabric isn't breathable or soft. They are tight around the waist and thigh areas. The inseam is short at 30 inches for taller guys. Plus, I found a few stitching issues on my particular pair.

If they billed these as hiking pants for the outdoorsy type, they would have nailed it.

Solid option for certain men in certain situations. But opt for the Ripstop Pants instead. They have more colors, an actual zipper, and features including a drawstring.

 

Vuori Transit Jogger

Price: $118

At $118, the Vuori Transit Jogger is the second most expensive joggers in Vuori's lineup.

Similar products with the same fabric composition include Fabletics' The Fundamental Pant ($75) and Lulu's License to Train Jogger ($128).

 

Reviews: 900+ reviews with a 4.6 rating

There are a lot more reviews for the Transit Joggers compared to the Ripstop Travelers, which speaks to their popularity.

Here is a selection of their most helpful reviews.

The Good (5-star reviews):

• "These joggers fit nice, and are great quality! Love the stretch of the fabric."
• "A really stylish, lightweight jogger. The fit is perfect and I like the three pockets."
• "Love it—fits great and great fabric—it's a little too pricey considering there are very comparable products for much less, so i probably won't buy another, but I love this one."

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

• "A tad snug and a tad short in the leg for a guy 5'11". Will use it for lounging as I can't see being out and about in them.”
• "Love Vuori. Have many Vuori pieces, these run small in body. Unfortunately had to return, too short for 6’4". Vuori please make tall sizes!"
• "I liked that it was dry fit but the material was a bit stiff so had to return them."

For me personally, I echo mostly the positive reviews for the Transit jogger. Strongly positive impressing after wearing.

Many reviewers had an opinion on the increased length. As a taller guy, I appreciated the longer inseam. It's an extra half inch compared to their other joggers. But for guys over 6'0, they will still be short. There seemed to be more room than the Vuori Ripstop in the thigh area.

I wouldn't wear these on colder days since they are so lightweight. Great material, zip pocket on the sides, modern cut and style. Easily my favorite pair of joggers from Vuori.

The Fit and Feel

Very similar to Lulu's ABC Joggers, the fabric is the ubiquitous polyester spandex blend. This means it's more technical and structured. Rubbing your hand against the fabric, it is swishy. But the inside feels good because the inside has minimally brushed.

This is the main difference between these and the Lululemon ABC Joggers. The ABC Joggers have a matte feel and no swish.

The Transit Joggers is made of 91% polyester and 9% elastane.

Compared to the Vuori Sunday Performance, the Transit Joggers feels more like activewear, more abrasion-resistant than the traditional joggers material - the stretch jersey fabric used in the Sunday Performance.

I enjoyed the fit of these joggers which surprised me. They are tapered but not too tight. They were long enough for me being 6'2. They are a half inch longer than the Ripstop and Lululemon ABC Joggers. But the Lulu joggers also have short and tall variants.

Use & Design

As the name denotes, these Vuori joggers are for traveling and everyday. The design is modern and professional but still very comfortable. They feature moisture wicking material, two zippered pockets on the side, gusseted crotch, and drawstring.

Made of midweight material, they are not lightweight joggers like Lululemon's Surge Joggers. Reviewers loved wearing these to the gym, work, and even date nights. I agree these can be dressed up or down given the acceptance of athleisure outside the house.

 

Summary

For me, these are my favorite Vuori Joggers. They are classy, feel great, and worth the premium price even at $118. They nailed the fit and feel. The design is modern and tasteful. You can dress them up or down. I appreciate the more relaxed fit.

My only minor gripes is the ankle stiffness at the bottom. Being made of woven material, they aren't that breathable.

You can choose from many colors: Ink, Black, Smoke, Smoked Beryl, and Charcoal.

 

RuggedBlack's Performance Pants

Price: $89

At $89, our pants are a whopping $30-$40 cheaper than the competition. We use the same polyester spandex blend that other pants like Lululemon's ABC Joggers, Vuori's Transit Joggers, and Rhone's Commuter Pants.

 

Reviews: 2 reviews with a 5.0 rating

There aren't enough reviews for the Performance Pants as they are just recently released. But our initial feedback has been overwhelming positive.

Here is a selection of their most helpful reviews and direct feedback to me.

The Good (5-star reviews):

• "I was looking for something I can wear everyday while loosing weight and going down through sizes. I'm 6ft tall, 225lbs and 42 inches hips. Ordered xl size. Initial impressions are great. Fits great, feels good, if they can withstand everyday use I may order more. I wish there were more color options such as bluish slate / pale olive / khaki / charcoal."
• "Was a little nervous because I've had good and bad luck with joggers. These are awesome. Comfortable and high quality. Will definitely be using these a ton."

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

• Some men don't like the brushed inside of the joggers.
• Could run a bit warm when wearing them for athletic endeavors.

We produce athleisure for the bigger, rugged guy who prefers enough room in the waist and thigh areas.

The Fit and Feel

Although RuggedBlack's Performance Pants are made of the same material as the Transit - 91% polyester and 9% elastane - the feel is noticeably different. Our pants do not have that swishy, plastic feel as Vuori's. We really wanted to mimic the matte finish that feels better on your hand. You can tell by the texture and lack of a sheen in the picture below.

Being frustrated with the tight fit with most athleisure brands, the Performance Pant is roomier than the two pairs of Vuori pants reviewed today. That doesn't mean it's baggy. It still has the modern cut and tapering found in the Transit and Ripstop.

Compared to a traditional jogger with 4-way stretch, the Performance Pants feel more structured and business casual. It's not too stiff making the pants uncomfortable.

Use & Design

With Performance in the name, we wanted to make clear this jogging pant is ready for whatever. We have had customers wear these to play pick up basketball, running errands, traveling, and chilling around the house.

I personally wear them as my everyday pant. Each pocket has a zipper. The material is soft but durable.

One of the most design elements we wanted to include was an actual zipper around the fly. Although many popular joggers have a faux fly. We thought an actual zipper might help these pants style up and down.

All the best joggers are versatile in use.

 

Summary

I believe our Everyday Performance Pant is the best choice between the three reviewed today. It balances the technical features and use of the Ripstop and the comfort and style of the Transit. I know other brands have tried to produce a hybrid activewear product that can do it all. I believe we actually nailed it with this product.