The Best Mens Jeans: 5 You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of

If you’re in the market for a new pair of jeans, the choices can be overwhelming. You’ve got brands you’ve never heard of before like Mugsy and Revtown and jeans from the tried and true brands like Levi’s. But what jeans are the best for you?

If you’re in the market for a new pair of jeans, the choices can be overwhelming. It it’s almost impossible to sift through all the different options to find the best possible pair for you.

On top of that…

Sites like Reddit (I’m looking at you /rawdenim) recommend jeans that are incredibly high maintenance. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

Fortunately for you, we’ve tried over 30 brands of jeans to find you the very best. If you are looking for the most comfortable and flattering jeans that require next to no maintenance (and still look like a pair of jeans), then keep reading to find out what pair is right for you.

The Best Jeans for Men: Our Pick

Why should you trust us about the best pair of jeans?

We’ve tried countless brands of jeans, ranging from the less expensive (hello Kirkland Signature!) to the really expensive (hello 7 for all mankind!) and everything in between (hi Duer!).

We’ve really tried them all. 

Also, see our guide to the best men’s products, where you’ll also find some of these jeans, too! Want something a little different? See our best Jean Alternatives, too.

There is no perfect pair of jeans. I know that. Because I a pair that I love may not fit you correctly. Or a pair that looks great on me, might not look great on you. 

I get it. But I’m going to help you find out what the best jeans for men are, what are your options, and hopefully provide you a couple of pairs that I recommend wearing on a regular basis. 

This list isn’t for the jean purists

If you are a jean purist that only wears Levi’s 501 Jeans or only depends on selvedge denim jeans – this list isn’t for you. This isn’t a high fashion website. Trust me.

We’ve got 2 kiddos and want to be comfortable. If you want something that is about 100% raw or selvedge denim jeans,go look at Reddit’s Male Fashion Advice or something similar.

The Styles we typically like

We don’t like super skinny jeans but we also don’t like JNCO jeans from the 90s, either.

We like jeans that fit well and aren’t too baggy.

How we style our jeans

I typically wear my jeans with a pair of Allbirds (read our Allbirds Review) or dress them up with something like my favorite pair of dress shoes, Amberjack (read our Amberjack Shoe Review, too).

We like jeans that can be dressed up with a button-up dress shirt, dressed down with a t-shirt or something in between (like wearing a polo).

We’ve found the following styles fit our needs and are nice looking, too, but most importantly aren’t so skinny we can see your ankles and aren’t so baggy that it looks like we are wearing the Jeans from my Dad’s closet.

If you want to be even more casual – pair jeans with some Fresh Clean Tees.

The best mens jeans fits and styles

We typically don’t wear jeans that are super skinny jeans.

The best way to describe the jeans we wear are slim cut.

The skinny cut tends to be super skinny. The athletic cut tends to be too loose (except for 1 exception we’ll highlight below).

We typically wear our jeans with a belt (typically the minimalist GRIP 6 Belt) and like them to sit right below our waist. We’re not talking about low rise pants, but we’re not talking about pants that touch your belly button either.

We like to have a decent opening at the bottom of the pants, not too tight that it looks silly – but also no so baggy that it looks unflattering.

Why we aren’t reviewing JUST denim

The jeans we’ll be reviewing today are filled with other fabrics besides cotton. Pure denim is 100% cotton. None of the jeans on this list are 100% cotton.

Some have more cotton than others – but the best on the list complement cotton with other fabrics to make the perfect pair for your legs. For example, one of our top picks is made from:

64.5% Cotton; 30% Polyester; 3.5% Viscose; 2% Spandex – that’s just under 50% that is NOT cotton.

There are obvious reasons for adding these additional fabrics, for example: To give the jeans stretch (spandex) and added durability (polyester).

So, are you in? Let’s find the best jeans for men.

Mens Jeans: 6 must-haves we test for

We’re looking for something that fits a couple of unique characteristics, and probably why we’ve found some unique jean brands in this overwhelming denim world. 

1. First, we want jeans that look like jeans. Of course, there are pants that kinda, sorta look like jeans (we’re looking at you Lululemon Jeans), but we want jeans that the average joe can’t tell if they are performance or not.
2. We also want pants that are functional and comfortable. That means they are stretchy, aren’t stiff, and just feel good on. We also like our pants to not be too hot, too. 
3. They have to last a good period of time. I’m not looking for pants that I can hand down to the grandkids, but a couple of years is a good time period, we feel for jeans to last.
4. They shouldn’t bleed! Some jeans bleed (transfer ink to hands, shoes, etc when wearing), especially on the first couple of wears. We don’t have time for that.
5. They need to be a good value. A good pair of jeans will run you around $100 – but we’ve got some that run for less in our list, but we aren’t going to spend $200+ on jeans. No way. 
6. Fit well and look good. Once again, we aren’t high fashion, but we want a good solid fit, even on a dad bod. We aren’t try super skinny fit jeans with a 2 inch opening at the bottom. These are all a closet staple that should stand the test of time.

We aren’t picking them solely based on fashion, we are picking them based on utility and quality. Your first thought might be “But I want a pair of good jeans!”

We’ve got some options that you can look good in… and feel good in.

Also, check out our best shirts for dad bods.

Best Mens Jeans: Meet the contenders

First of all, we’ve tried probably close to 30 different pairs of jeans. These are the only pairs of jeans that we would recommend. You will NOT find any raw denim or selvedge jeans denim on this list.

Why?

That’s because they don’t meet the criteria above. Many raw denim jeans bleed. Pure raw denim is 100% cotton, which doesn’t have the performance fabric we desire for everyday wear. Selvedge jeans are in the same boat – most selvedge denim jeans bleed (and bleed a lot at first) and don’t have the comfort we look for. 

As mentioned, there isn’t a perfect pair of jeans for every single person. We’ve all got diverse bodies and different things that work for each person. 

To be honest, our first three picks, Duer, Mugsy and Perfect Jean – are all incredibly great choices that got scored within fractions of a point from eachother. You really can’t go wrong with any of those brands. 

In fact, I’d encourage you to try them out and let me know what you think. They all have great return policies and superior customer support – beyond just making a stylish pair of good jeans. 

Best Overall Jeans: Duer

Duer Jeans are one of our favorite pairs of jeans because they are incredibly technical and don’t look like it.

They offer jeans that range in functionality from the Fireside Jeans that have fleece lining (I run way too hot and would never wear these) to more lightweight jeans and everything in-between.

They also offer a great variety of washes from regular blue jeans wash to light wash. They also have a crazy number of fits from straight jeans to slim jeans to a skinny jean. 

In short, if you can think of a style, there’s a good chance they offer it. 

Read our full Duer Review to learn more about this amazing jeans brand. 

What we love: they’ve thought of everything

Seriously, Duer is a technical denim brand that creates really great products. It doesn’t matter if you want a dark wash or a light wash, you will find these to be a super comfortable pair of jeans.

It doesn’t matter if you have thicker thighs because these jeans are ultra stretchy and we own multiple pairs from this great brand.

What we don’t love: the price

These jeans are not cheap. We get it.

They are one of the most expensive brands on our list. But we wouldn’t blindly suggest a pair of jeans that we don’t believe in.

We have several pairs of Duer Jeans that have lasted many years without a single problem. They are the most expensive, however, they are also might be the overall best quality on the list. 

Close Runner Up: Mugsy Jeans

Mugsy is relatively new to the denim world, but they feature super-stretchy jeans. The Mugsy Brand’s jeans have a lot of different styles of jeans (and now other clothes) and overall are a great product.

What we love: the comfort

Mugsy prides their jeans as feeling like sweatpants. We have to agree. Their jeans feel like you’re wearing the most comfortable sweats in the world, but also look good.

They’ve nailed the comfort and style mix – which is hard to do. Men’s jeans have many issues to address, such as movement and comfort.

What we don’t love: an unproven brand missing some features

They don’t feature a gusset (see what is a gusset) and they are relatively new. We haven’t had the chance to wear our Mugsy jeans a lot, but we found this brand to be incredibly comfortable and a close second over in our best jeans search. We’ll continue to update this post as we wear them more. 

We also didn’t like some of the details on the fabric. It just looked a little unpolished, to be honest.

The beautiful comfort of the Mugsy jeans was enough to justify them in our top 5 best jeans overall, but room for improvement on the details.

Best Value: Perfect Jean

We love the Perfect Jean (read our Perfect Jean Review and get our Perfect Jean Promo Code). These were another pair of jeans that were close to being out best men’s jeans, too, honestly.

You really can’t go wrong with the perfect jean, Duer or Mugsy. I’ll be 100% honest with you.

Their ads are very noticable, telling you to F&@# Your Khakis – but the jeans are simply awesome.

The Perfect Jean: what we love

The perfect jean wins in one key area: price. At only $79.99 and even less with our perfect jean promo code, they are an incredible deal. 

They are very comfortable and have lasted a long time.

They are also super strechy. I’d say they are slightly more strechy than the Duer Jeans but slightly less stretchy than the Mugsy jeans. 

They also feature minimal branding. We hate jeans with giant branding marks on them and The Perfect Jean doesn’t feature any of that.

What we don’t love about the perfect jean

The perfect jean wins on price, 100%. However, two small areas that the perfect jean isn’t, well… perfect: sizing and fit. 

1. Sizing: Be sure to size down – probably 2 sizes down with the perfect jean for a perfect fit. I typically wear a 32 waist in most pants. However, I wear a 30 waist in the perfect jean. 
2. Fit: forget the skinny jeans fit unless you have legs the size of toothpicks. I typically wear a slim fit in most jeans. However, I wear the “athletic” fit in the perfect jean. That’s because the tapered leg is simply too tapered in this case. The denim is actually a bit constrictive on my thigh and not super comfortable.

All that being said, if you have decently sized thighs, just get the athletic fit and you will have a great overall fit. It’d be more of a slim fit in 99% of other brands. Just don’t get caught up in what sizes you are for another brand – just take our advice for a pair of great jeans for your body type. 

Once again – skip the skinny jeans fir with the Perfect Jean. You might even skip the slim fit jeans and go straight to the athletic cut. We talk more about slim fit vs. athletic fit jeans from the perfect jean in our perfect jean nyc review.

The perfect jean is a great value at only $79.99, and they are very comfortable with a great fit. However, be sure to size down and get the athletic fit if you have bigger thighs or calves. They also feature minimal branding, which is a plus.

A quick note on price

Is anyone else like this: you don’t always wear the brands you like the most, if they are more expensive, because you don’t want to ruin them?

Am I the only one?

To me, that’s where I really like the perfect jean’s denim jeans. They aren’t too expensive that I don’t feel like I can wear them, but they also look good.

I do hesitate to wear my “nicer” denim when they might get dirty, but clothes are pointless if you never wear them… right.

I can’t be the only one.

I don’t mind spending about $100 on a pair of jeans that will last a couple of years. However, anything more than that and I will hesitate to wear a brand that costs a lot more. 

Finding the best men’s jeans is all about finding the right balance between price and wearability. You want to find a pair of jeans that’s not too expensive, but also looks good.

Best Men’s Jeans: Variety of Styles – Revtown

I really like Revtown jeans. Founded by a former executive at Under Armor, this company makes jeans in the same way that Under Armor makes clothes: designed with technology and a comfort wear at the same.

I found Revtown Jeans to be pretty comfortable but not as comfortable as the other brands on this list.

They did probably have the best selection of pairs with a modern look and different cuts, fits and styles – but I found it to only have a slight stretch – not the massive stretch that I found in other pairs.

What we liked about Revtown

Overall, we felt like Revtown was a great value. They clock in at just under $100 for most styles and even have a good competitor to the lululemon “jeans.”

In addition, they have a many more styles and washes than some of the other jean brand companies we’ve reviewed. Their denim comes in a wife variety of styles (from straight leg jeans to boot cut jeans to slim fit jeans), you are almost guaranteed to find a great pair of denim jean choice. 

They also offer women’s jeans, too. We all know how tough it is to find good denim for women (or at least that’s why our wives say!) but this is another great brand offering denim for men and women.

What we didn’t like about Revtown

With my short legs, I ordered all of the Revtown jeans at 32 waist and 30 inch inseam but one pair was comically large. It must have been a mistake because even their own labels said “32” on them! 

The other two fit perfectly so there were no complaints from me about this issue with sizing or quality… it must have been a fluke error.

These jeans just kinda were in the middle for us – not our favorite in any one category, but not the worst in any one category, either. 

Final thoughts about Revtown

Revtown offers a huge variety of denim choices for women and men but we didn’t fall in love with any one specific style.

Best Travel Jeans: Bluffworks

You’re tired of uncomfortable travel clothes. You’ve tried wearing jeans on the plane before, but they never work for you!

Imagine a pair of jeans that are so comfortable, you forget you’re even wearing them. They look and feel like regular jeans, but with hidden pockets to keep your passport and phone safe from pickpockets. And since they’re made from lightweight stretch denim fabric, they move with you as if they were part of your body.

Bluffworks Jeans are the best travel jeans ever made because they combine all the traditional details we love about our favorite pants (like comfort) with technical performance features (hidden pockets). So whether it’s an overseas business trip or a weekend getaway, you can count on Bluffworks Jeans to keep you looking and feeling your best.

What we liked about Bluffworks

We really loved the hidden pockets in these jeans! It’s so nice to have a place to store our passport and phone without having to worry about someone stealing them. And since they’re lightweight and stretchy, they’re perfect for traveling.

I actually wore my Bluffworks jeans the last time I went to Mexico to make sure I kept important items like my passport in a hidden pocket. 

The jeans were lightweight and comfortable. 

What we didn’t like about Bluffworks

Bluffworks is a great overall brand. As you can read in our Bluffworks Review, they have a ton of products with great features.

However they don’t have the variety of other brands. So if you’re looking for a specific style or cut, Bluffworks may not have it.

The jeans were also a little hot for Mexico. I don’t think another pair would have faired better in the 100+ degree weather, but they were a bit warm for my liking. 

If you’re looking for a great travel clothes, they’ve got you covered. We’ve scoured the market to find the best jeans for men, and we’ve come up with a list of our top picks.

Another great brand: Mott + Bow

File this brand under: I didn’t know what to do with them.

Mott + Bow is a great brand that has incredibly comfortable products. I’d put them as more comfortable than Duer or the perfect jean but slightly less comfortable than Mugsy. 

They are incredibly high quality, but also a little more expensive. They run about $125 a pair. 

They also feature a large variety of style and fits.

These are probably the “nicest” looking jeans of the whole bunch. 

Brands we tried but didn’t care for

As you can imagine, we’ve tried many brands that we didn’t care for at all. 

Buck Mason Jeans

We love Buck Mason clothes, in general. They are super high quality and they don’t jump on trends, they only make staples. Read our Buck Mason Review and our Buck Mason Tees Review for more information.

Their jeans are no different. That’s a good thing and bad thing.

They offer everything from selvedge denim to more modern fits (however they only have about 2% stretch).

Some of their jeans even have button flys (which I don’t personally care for).

However, Buck Mason is very consistent. What you see is what you get. What you get every time is a high quality product with no frills. The only frill is that you’re going to have a high quality product.

The Buck Mason jeans are a great option for men who want a high-quality, no-frills jean. The jeans are made from Japanese denim and are available in a variety of fits. They feature rivets at the stress points and a traditional tack-button fly.

Levis

True story, I used to be a 100% Levi’s guy. I would only wear Levi’s Silvertab in High School. I thought they were the most incredible jeans in the world.

Then I discovered stretch jeans and the Levi’s 511 Jeans.

I’m embarrassed now at how little stretch these bad boys actually had. The first pair I ever ordered only have 1% stretch… seriously. Isn’t that crazy!!?!

Now, I’d borderline not even look at pants if they didn’t have a 20+% stretch, either via elastane or spandex.

Levi’s were my go-to jeans for a long time, but I eventually discovered the power of stretch denim and now I wouldn’t even consider buying jeans that don’t have at least 20% stretch.

Mizzen + Main Jeans

For a period of time Mizzen and Main made jeans. I hoped and prayed that they would make the perfect pair of jeans.

Alas, they didn’t. Sadly.

Their jeans were unfinished at the bottom, bled like crazy, and were overall, not a great deal.

American Eagle Jeans

A ton of people on Reddit sweat by American Eagle Jeans. Sure, they are stretchy, sure they can be found on sale for a super cheap cost – but I just didn’t like them.

The styling just reminded me of high school and I couldn’t do it.

I didn’t care for the overall quality either. They had the stretch and the comfort but they were a little lax in overall quality.

Everlane Jeans

Another popular choice that I didn’t care for: Everlane’s jeans. We love Everlane for so many reasons, but these didn’t pass the test.

These jeans claim to be super comfortable and even 4-way stretch. But let’s take a quick look at the fabrics in their jeans: 94% Organic Cotton, 2% Elastane, 4% Other Fiber.

First of all, what is “other fiber?”

Everlane prides itself on transparency. Why is this any different?

What we love about Everlane’s jeans

We do love that Everlane’s jeans come with a 365 guarantee.

All Everlane Uniform items are backed by a 365-day guarantee. Everlane is so confident in the collection that in the unlikely event that a tee gets a hole, a sweatshirt collar shrinks up, an oxford loses its color—don’t sweat it. Everlane will gladly replace it with a new one.

That’s pretty awesome!

What we don’t love about Everlane’s jeans

The style is great and their manufacturing is always great. So, why don’t we love Everlane’s jean?

They are just too simple. They don’t use a whole lot of other types of fabrics to get the benefits from stretch, etc. While the jeans are only about $88, they won’t be as comfortable as other jeans on this list.

The best jeans for men: final thoughts

We’ve thrown a lot at you. We get it. However, our first pick, Duer, remains the same.

You can’t go wrong with the other recommended brands on this list. They all have something unique.

Pair some of these jeans with something awesome like a Mizzen and Main Shirt (read our best performance button-up shirts roundup and Mizzen + Main Review), or an awesome t-shirt (see our Buck Mason T-Shirt Review and our Fresh Clean Tees Review or even our new Rule of Threads Review).

Want something that is NOT Jean-like at all? Read our Guide to the best Mens Pants that are NOT jeans and our guide to the best ABC Pant Alternatives.