Foehn Brise Pant Review – Made for Ultralight Travel??
Disclaimer: Foehn sent me a pair of the Brise Schoeller Pants to review, but all opinions are my own.
Summary
A high-quality and highly comfortable pant that checks virtually every box for lightweight travel. If you don’t mind the athletic style, I highly recommend these as one-bag travel pants.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Extremely comfortable, can stay in them for hours | The front pocket does make them have a unique/athletic look to them |
| Not cheap, but more affordable than other travel pants out there (Outlier Slim Dungarees) | |
| Good for hiking/outdoors as well as urban travel | |
| Water-resistant, DWR finish | |
| Feel durable, not afraid they’ll give out on me |
Specs
- 100% polyester fabric
- Fabric Weight: 175 GSM
- Garment Weight 370 grams
- YKK Zippers
- Fabric from Schoeller® Switzerland
- Stretch fabric
- DWR finish
- Mechanically wicking
- Stretch waistband & cuff
- Engineered thigh storage
- Knee articulation
- Crotch gusset
About Foehn
Independently owned and directed by their two founders, Ingrid & Anthony started Foehn because they saw a gap in the marketplace:
“Our promise is to make environmentally sound, versatile, and technical clothing with a modern aesthetic.”
I think we all can get behind this kind of mission.
I love indie manufacturers like Foehn – a small, passionate group of people who just want to make good shit. Products with intention and thought behind them.
The Brise Schoeller Pant
I had seen Foehn, specifically the Brise pants, around. Sites like Huckberry have featured them before, and if I’m honest, I’ve spent way too much at Huckberry over the years.
But the only thing about the pants was the look – there is a pocket on the thigh, right at the front of the pants, which gives them away as athletic pants. And they are – the Foehn Brise pants were built with rock climbing in mind.
Usually, this isn’t much of an issue for casual wear. But the thing with ultralight travel – traveling out of a single backpack – is that I need all my clothes to be multi-functional. I need clothes that I can hike with AND go to a nice Michelin starred restaurant (hey, you never know!). So aesthetic and versatility becomes increasingly essential. This is where pants like the Outlier Slim Dungarees excel.
But I had read such great things about the Foehn Brise pants that I was curious.
Materials & Aesthetic
Right out of the box, the Brise pants had a unique feel. Foehn worked with the folks over at Schoeller, a Switzerland company specializing in outdoor textiles and materials. The Schoeller fabric is a kind of stretchy matte fabric – I got the black. You could immediately tell that they would do pretty well at repelling water – a big plus for travel pants.
I touched on the aesthetic a bit earlier, but I was actually shocked at how much I liked the look of these pants. Could you get away with these at a Michelin-starred restaurant? Uh…maybe? It probably depends on how strict they are with the dress code. But for everyday wear, the Brise Schoeller pants fit right in.
Fit
I’m usually a size 32×32 for pants, so I went with a 32×32 in this case as well. The fit is on the loose side but still tight enough to wear without a belt – I wouldn’t size up or down.
The pants have a nice taper to them, especially when you zip up the part near the ankle – this gives the pants of a “jogger” feel. And like other joggers, they are a bit lose around the crotch area, making them incredibly comfortable to wear, but you might notice some extra fabric. And since I skip leg day, there is definitely a little extra fabric around my thighs, but honestly, it doesn’t bother me too much.
Then there are some athletic features, such as the articulated knees and gusseted crotch, which make for incredibly comfortable wearing doing virtually any activity. Can every pair of pants have a gusseted crotch, please? But all the athletic stitching does reinforce that distinct, athletic look.
There is a zipper at the bottom of the pants that lets you expand or contract the leg opening. I’m not entirely sure what this is for…I suppose for specialized gear or shoes where a tapered leg opening isn’t ideal? Maybe for personal style reasons? I’m not sure. I wore these with boots and running shoes, and in each scenario, I preferred the opening to be tapered.
In fact, the zipper at the bottom of the pants can be just a touch irritating when sock-less. It’s not a deal-breaker, and I usually forget about it, but it’s worth pointing out.
Oh, and about the thigh pocket – it’s surprisingly large! This thing can easily fit a passport, wallet, keys (there’s actually a key lash inside), you name it. It actually comes in surprisingly handy for things you need quick access to when you’re out and about, I’ve used it for boarding passes to camera batteries. I didn’t realize I wanted this pocket, but I did, I really did.
Road Test
So far, I’ve taken these on two tests, one to New Orleans and another to Bend, Oregon. Two completely different types of trips; one a city-focused, debauchery-filled weekend, the other a week-long trip playing in the mountains.
One of the most significant factors when choosing travel pants is comfort in transit. Whether it’s sitting on a plane/train/bus/car for 10 hours, racing through train stations, or wandering through cities – they need to perform in every scenario.
After taking the Brise Schoeller pants on a 5-hour flight and a 6-hour car ride, I can confidently say these were some of the most comfortable pants I’ve worn in transit. The significant stretch in these pants, especially in the waistband, makes them exceptionally easy to wear during long-haul flights.
I used to think the Outlier Slim Dungarees were comfortable, and they are, but the Foehn Brise pants took it to another level.
One of the other significant factors for a travel pant is how they can adapt to various situations. Do I feel as comfortable going from the mountains to the desert to dinner?
On my trip to Bend, OR, a big part of the trip was outside. I did a pretty decent hike up Smith Rock with the Brise pants and they worked out incredibly well (which I’d expect from rock climbing gear). And they didn’t seem to pick up any smells after the hike, which is another crucial factor in one-bag travel.
I would be curious how they hold up in more extreme weather. The team at Foehn says they’re ideal for 40°F-70°F, which I can attest to. But how do they hold up in extreme cold or hot weather?
And, of course, I’m curious to see how they hold up over long periods. I’ve tested them for a little over a month now, and they are going strong so far. I would be even more impressed if they last as well as my Outlier Slim Dungarees.
Conclusion
The Foehn Brise Schoeller pants are incredibly versatile and well built.
There’s really not much negative to say about them. The aesthetic is unique, and leg cuffs are a little interesting, but those are easy trade-offs to make for the rest of the positives. Plus, they weren’t really made for travel – I’m just viewing them through a travel lens.
As I prep for an upcoming one-bag travel trip worldwide, I got some choices to make. But at this point, I’m pretty confident the Brise Schoeller pants will be coming with me.
Thanks to the team at Foehn for making some great products!