Elastic waist chino pants provide a comfortable, yet professional appearance that helps take pressure off the waist. Some elastic waist khaki pants and chinos will use a full-elastic waistband, while other will use a partial-elastic waistband that has side elastic panels.
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These are my choices for best elastic waist khakis and chinos:
- Goodthreads Men’s Straight-Fit Elastic Waist Chino Pants (click here to view)
- L.L. Bean Men’s Comfort Stretch Dock Pants (click here to view)
- Vans Men’s Range Relaxed Elastic Pants (click here to view)
- Coofandy Men’s Cotton Elastic Waist Chino Pants (click here to view)
- Gap Men’s GapFlex Slim Pull-On Pants With E-Waist (click here to view)
- *Expandable Waist* Haggar Men’s Iron Free Stretch Khaki Pants (click here to view)
- *Big & Tall* Knockarounds® Full-Elastic Waist Pleated Pants (click here to view)
- *Women’s* Gloria Vanderbilt Women’s Elastic Chino Pants (click here to view)
- *Women’s* Chic Classic Collection Elastic Waist Khaki Pants (click here to view)
- *Youth* Classroom Uniform Pull-On Elastic Waist Pants (click here to view)
On the list above I also included a pair of expandable waist pants. Expandable waists use hidden stretch panels, which allow the waistband to look normal (instead of looking like elastic). These stretch panels often expand up to three inches as needed.
If you want to preserve the professional appearance of your pants, but need some relief around the waistline, perhaps expandable waist pants would be a better option than elastic waist khakis and chinos. Click here to view expandable waist khakis available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
In this article let’s take a closer look at the best elastic waist khakis and chinos so you can find an option that fits your needs. Let’s also discuss several things to consider when buying these types of pants.
Best Elastic Waist Khakis & Chino Pants
Goodthreads Men’s Straight-Fit Elastic Waist Chino Pants
These Goodthreads chinos have an elastic waist, but they are also made out of a stretch fabric blend so the material itself is also flexible and comfortable. These specific pants have a straight fit design, but Goodthreads offers these pants in several different types of fits, including slim.
Here’s what these Goodthreads straight-fit chinos look like:
This is the current price of these Goodthreads elastic waist chinos available at Amazon (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about these pants:
- Elastic Waistband – Yes, these pants use an elastic waistband. The waistband also has a drawstring so you can secure the fit around your waist.
- Material – These Goodthreads elastic waist khaki pants are made with a cotton/elastane fabric blend that is flexible and stretch with your body as you move. This material will add extra comfort and extra freedom of movement compared to most traditional khakis and chinos.
- Fit – These pants have a straight fit that isn’t too loose or too tight. Think of it as an in-between fit. Goodthreads actually offers these pants in a variety of fits so you can find one that meets your sizing needs. Click here to see all the different types of fit available for these pants (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
Click here to buy these Goodthreads elastic waist khakis available at Amazon (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants are machine washable.
Gloria Vanderbilt Women’s Elastic Waist Chino Pants
If you are shopping for women’s elastic waist khakis or chinos, these Gloria Vanderbilt chinos will be a nice option. They are made with elastic panels on the sides of the waistband for the needed flexibility you desire.
Here’s what these Goodthreads straight-fit chinos look like:
This is the current price of these Gloria Vanderbilt women’s elastic waist chinos available at Amazon (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about these pants:
- Elastic Waistband – Yes, these pants use a partial elastic waistband. The waistband has elastic panels on the sides for flexible comfort.
- Fit – These high-waist chinos are designed to sit at your natural waist and have a relaxed straight-leg design. They have a leg opening of approximately 15 inches. These pants have a traditional button front with zipper design.
- Material – These Gloria Vanderbilt elastic waist khaki pants are made with a cotton/elastane fabric blend that is flexible and stretch with you as you move. This fabric will add extra comfort and extra freedom of movement compared to 100% cotton khakis and chinos.
Click here to buy these Gloria Vanderbilt elastic waist khakis available at Amazon (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants are machine washable.
Haggar Men’s Iron Free Stretch Khaki Pants
I wanted to specifically discuss these Haggar expandable waist khakis. If you are shopping for elastic waist khaki pants, and want to increase your options, you might also consider expandable waist pants.
Expandable waist pants will have side elastic panels that are designed to expand as needed. The benefit of these pants compared to elastic waist chinos and khakis is these expandable waist pants look, from the outside, like traditional pants (meaning they don’t look like they have an elastic waistband).
Here’s what these Hagger khakis look like:
This is the current price of these Haggar expandable waist khakis available at Amazon (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about these pants:
- Expandable Waistband – As we discussed above, these pants use an expandable waistband. And expandable waistband is hidden, and much less noticeable than a traditional elastic waistband, but the elastic panels will still stretch up to three inches for a comfortable fit.
- Material – These Haggar khaki pants are made with a cotton/polyester/spandex fabric blend that is flexible and stretch with your body as you move. The polyester helps make these pants wrinkle free so you don’t have to rely on ironing them.
- Fit – These Haggar pants have a classic fit that isn’t too loose or too tight, but Haggar actually has a wide selection of expandable waist khakis in a wide variety of fits. Click here to see all the different types of fits available for Haggar expandable waist pants (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
Click here to buy these Haggar elastic waist khaki pants available at Amazon (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants are machine washable.
Other Elastic Waist Chinos & Khakis to Consider
- L.L. Bean Men’s Comfort Stretch Dock Pants – If you are shopping for casual elastic waist khaki pants, these L.L. Bean dock pants are made with a soft fabric and an elastic waist that also has a drawstring. These are warm weather pants and designed to help keep you cool and dry in the summer heat. Click here to view these elastic waist khakis (paid affiliate link takes you to llbean.com).
- Vans Men’s Range Relaxed Elastic Pants – These skater-style relaxed fit Vans khaki pants have an elastic waist with a built-in drawstring. They are made to feel lightweight and they have elastane added to the fabric to create a flexible, stretch fit design. The leg opening on these pants is 17 inches. Click here to view these Vans elastic waist chinos (paid affiliate link takes you to Vans.com).
- Chic Classic Collection Elastic Waist Khaki Pants – These women’s elastic waist khakis are designed to have a straight fit that finishes just above the ankle. These pants have two front pockets, but no back pockets. They have a full elastic waistband. Click here to view these Chic Classic Collection elastic waist pants available at Amazon (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
3 Things to Consider When Buying Elastic Waist Khaki Pants
Expandable Waist vs Elastic Waist Chinos
As we discussed earlier in the article, some companies will use an expandable waist instead of an elastic waist. Why? Well, expandable waists use hidden stretch panels, which allow the waistband to look normal (instead of looking like elastic).
If you want to preserve the professional appearance of your pants, but need some relief around the waistline, perhaps expandable waist pants would be a better option that elastic waist khakis and chinos. Click here to view expandable waist khakis available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
Comfort
Elastic waist khaki pants are popular because they provide comfort around the waist, but there are other ways to add comfort to your pants. Here are a few things to consider.
- Stretch Fabric – Most elastic waist chinos and khakis will also be made with a stretch fabric blend. A stretch fabric makes it easier to move around while wearing your khakis.
- Gusset – Some pants will have a built in crotch gusset to provide more space in the crotch and seat of the pants which makes it more comfortable to sit, bend, and crouch. Crotch gussets are more common in work and active gear, but will also be found in some types of casual pants.
- Fit – Obviously you can find khaki pants in all types of fit, from slim fit to loose fit. Buying a relaxed or loose fit pant helps provide additional comfort and feels less restrictive.
- Warmth – Elastic waist khaki pants are often made with lightweight fabric, which won’t make sense for cold weather. If you need a winter work pant, then I would recommend consider a pair of fleece lined khaki pants to add warmth during the winter months.
If you are also interested in elastic waist pants and shorts, visit our articles linked below:
Flex Waist Khaki Pants
As we discussed above, many elastic waist chinos and khaki work pants will use a stretch fabric blend. This stretch blend will use spandex (or Elastane) to blend with the cotton fabric to provide stretch. The amount of spandex (or Elastane) used will vary brand to brand.
If you want to preserve the traditional khaki feel, but have a small bit of stretch, sticking with a 1% spandex blend will be best. If you want your pants to be very flexible, then finding a spandex blend in the 4-5% range may be best.
Not all stretch fabric khakis will have an elastic waistband, but because the fabric has spandex mixed in, the waistline is still very flexible. So if you don’t like your options for elastic waist khaki pants, then shop for flex khakis and you should be able to find a wider range of options that still provide flexibility in the waist.
