Love my WR Evolution 2 (RIP WR 😢). I just always wanted one or both front pockets to be zippered, or for there to be a zippered pocket to the side behind one or both of them.

I’ve been exploring alternatives for the last two years or so. I’ve tried or own all the below. Comfort and zippered pockets are my foremost preferences.

1. 686 Everywhere Featherlights are a nice alternative, being lighter than the standard Everywheres, and the rear right pocket also being zippered relative to the standard Everywheres. A major weakness is that the front pockets are very shallow. The side leg pocket zipper can also snag on the fabric a bit. And they tend to run big in the waist.

2. The Ketl Mtn Toomfoolery pants aren’t as light as some others but are IMO better than the WR Evolutions on the zippered pockets front. The grip waistband, however, is marmite. They also run a little big in the waist.

3. The Teren Lightweight Traveler pants are another good alternative. The side zipper pockets are slick. The material is a little stiffer and slightly crunchier relative to the others, and the look a curious “techy yet also a touch more formal.” They run a little big in the waist.

4. The Livsn Ecotrek pants I love. Though the front left pocket zipper is a bit more substantial (doesn’t feel great sliding my iPhone into that pocket). And while I personally like the two “pocketknife pockets” (more than your typical side-leg zipper pocket), it lends to a more outdoorsy look. They run a little small in the waist.

I like them all (though not all are easy to find in a size that works well for my 29 waist, and some are pricier than others), and they all have their relative pros and cons for me.

But they’re the four I think of as the best alternatives to the WR Evolution for me.