Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants Review 

With so many brands and types of hiking pants on the market it can be difficult to figure out what to get. I have done countless of hours of research and on field trial and error with many pairs of hiking pants. If you have been thinking about buying the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro pants and wondering if they work for your needs. Then this review should help make your decision easier. 

Performance: Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants 

When looking to find the best pair of hiking pants there are a lot of factors to consider. Depending on the season you will want either a lighter more breathable pair or a heavier and warmer pair of pants. Other things to consider are the features like belt loops, pockets, and attachment options. But most importantly is comfort and mobility, when heading out in the backcountry a pair of restrictive pants will just work against you.

Comfort & Mobility 

When focusing on comfort, these pants actually do well. They offer an athletic fit which provides more room at the seat with a gradual taper. Although, I find that the Guide Pro pants have a looser athletic fit than most standard pants. And it feels a lot looser around the hips and especially loose from the knees to the ankles.

This was not necessarily a con to the comfort though. After wearing these on multiple hikes I found the loose fit made the pants easy to layer base layers or fleece underneath if needed. I could see some people not necessarily like the looser fit but, on the flip, side could see people loving it.  

When it comes to mobility these pants excel and do not restrict motion at all. I was easily able to scale up steep inclines and rocky passes without any difficulty. The Eddie Bauer Pro Guide’s passed my squat test and I noticed no restrictions when going into a full squat position. 

Overall, the Guide Pro are comfortable fitting pants that I did not find to restrict or limit my movement. If you are looking for a slightly looser athletic fitting pants, then you should consider trying these pants. 

Versatility & Style 

These are fairly versatile hiking pants. The fabric blend is made up of a 94% nylon, 6% elastane blend. Which allows the fabric to ventilate well, be durable, and provide some stretch for action. 

The fit of the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants is a slightly low rise, relaxed at the seat with a loose fit from the knee to the ankle. I didn’t mind this fit even though I like more tailored fitting pants. I found this fit to work well as it provided enough room around my waist and hips. It did feel just a little too floppy around my ankle than it really needed to be. But that was not a big deal. 

Overall, the Guide Pro Pants are a great choice for any outdoors activities. They are an excellent choice on warmer summer days, fall, and/or spring. They easily work for multi-day trips or even day hikes. 

While the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro pants are fairly versatile hiking pants. They do not offer much warmth or protection against colder weather or wind due to how thin and breathable the fabric is. Keeping a pair of rain pants handy for added protection against the elements is a necessity.

In warmer conditions these pants can be warm however are loose enough at the lower leg to be rolled up over the knees. There are no cinch cords built in to help keep them above the knee so they do fall down at times. 

Durability 

The durability of the Eddie Bauer Pro Guide pants is mostly pretty good. I have just one small complaint though and it is with the button. With just a couple uses the button started to become extremely loose with fabric starting to fray. Besides that, the pants are able to resist normal wear and tear on the trails. Now I have not really tested the extent of durability in these pants yet.  But they have easily held up for use on several groomed hiking trails without a scratch. 

Breathability 

For how lightweight these hiking pants are it’s no surprise that they also ventilate well during activity. The Eddie Bauer Guide Pro pants are not the most breathable pants out there but perform well in moderate temperatures. In super hot temperatures you might be a little uncomfortable and want to roll up the pants. There are no cinch cords to help keep the pants in place and tend to fall down. 

Weight 

The Guide Pro hiking pants come in at about 12 oz making it a fairly light pair of pants. I definitely did not feel bogged down by the weight of these pants at all. Also, these pants retain a good amount of durability from the nylon even though they are on the lighter side. 

Weather Resistant 

Eddie Bauer’s Guide Pro hiking pants do an effective job at repelling water due to the DWR coating. I didn’t have an opportunity to wear them during a rainy hike so I did a spray test and the water beaded up and rolled off like it should. I also sprayed the pants with water for 5 minutes and the pants were able to repel during multiple showers with very minimal saturation. In 5 minutes, one should be able to toss on some rain gear in a downpour. 

The pants also come with a 50+ UPF rating, which means they only let 1/50th of the ultraviolet rays through. Another thing to note is that 50+ UPF is the highest rating clothing can have. So these pants are an effective piece of clothing for additional sun protection. 

Features

These pants offer quite a few features. There are six pockets in total: two front pockets, two back with velcro closures, and two deep side zip pockets.  All the pockets work well and are deep enough to fit a six inch cell phone. I found the side zipper pockets to be super handy for storing my phone. 

The Eddie Bauer Guide Pro pants do not include a drawstring or a belt but do have belt loops for adding a belt if needed. I found the belt loops useful and able to fit my arcade belt. I have had difficulty in the past sliding the arcade belt into loops that were too small. But, the loops on these pants were able to accommodate. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

How do you wash the Eddie Bauer Guide Pro pants? Eddie Bauer recommends machine wash cold delicately with like colors. Do not bleach and do not use fabric softeners. Tumble dry on low and remove. Cool iron if that is desired.

Are Eddie Bauer Guide Pro pants true to size? Yes, they are. In my experience they stay true to size. 

What Other Hiking Pants Should You Consider?

The Guide Pro pants are a good pair of pants for versatility and comfort; they are a bit loose around the lower legs and waist. If you are wanting a snugger option Eddie Bauer has a slim version of the Guide Pro pants that are slim from the waist to the ankle. Better options for summer conditions are the Outdoor Research Feriossi which is lighter and more breathable. Or the REI activator 3.0 which is warmer in colder conditions. If you are wanting a good trail to town option, then check out Kuhl Deceptr pants.

Should You Buy The Eddie Bauer Guide Pro Pants?

Overall, the Guide Pros are a great pair of pants that are not a bad value for the price. Also, it is not uncommon to find these pants on sale. If they are on sale, then these pants would be an excellent purchase. These pants offer a lot of versatility, comfortability, and mobility. Which are all things you want on any outdoor excursion. Only downsides are a bit of a loose fit, this is a bit of a personal preference though. And some aspects of the durability of these pants especially the button which would just be worth it to replace to reduce chance of failure out in the backcountry.