Are you an athletic guy with muscular thighs? Looking for a pair of jeans that fits well AND looks good? Then here’s a review for the best men’s jeans for athletic legs on the market in 2021!
Even with the skinny jeans era behind us, finding the perfect pair of jeans can be challenging, especially for us guys with muscular legs.
Whether you’re a weight lifter, Crossfit junkie, or just NEVER skip leg day, you’ve probably run into the problem where your well-developed legs just want to hulk out of your jeans.
Thankfully, some brands have started making athletic-fit jeans. Jeans that are roomier, tailored, and still fashionable for those with a swoler and more muscular physique. You no longer have to hide the fruits (peach) of your gym labors in baggy jeans. So without further ado, here are the best men’s jeans for athletic legs for every budget and style!
***I don’t have any affiliate links or discount codes for any of these jeans. I have no relationship with any of these jean-makers. These are honest, uncompensated reviews. Enjoy.***
Why Did I Make This Blog?
As a former collegiate athlete and a lifelong fitness enthusiast, finding jeans that fit my muscular thighs and butt has always been a challenge. In the era of online shopping, it’s easier to find jeans made for more athletic guys, but I wanted a guide that actually into some detail on the sizing and overall fit. I couldn’t find one.
So…
I searched the internet for the best men’s jeans for athletic and muscular thighs, purchased over 12 pairs of jeans from 6 different brands, and put together this guide to help you find the perfect jeans for you.
I purchased all of these jeans at full price. I make zero dollars on any of this, and I have no affiliation with any of these clothing companies. I just want to make finding jeans for athletic guys easier, and I think this will help.
How I’m Reviewing Athletic Jeans
There’s a lot of ways to evaluate and review jeans, especially when you have some big quads, a voluminous booty, and some wide hips. To make this review more systematic and measurable, I’ll be reviewing the jeans based on the following criteria:
- Overall Impression
- Fit
- Stretch
- Quality
- Price
- Final Verdict
To help you make the most informed decision, I’m including the exact measurements of my body here in this blog. Be sure to factor these into your decision-making process as you consider which pair of jeans will have the most appropriate fit for your body.
Dean’s Measurements:
- Height: 5’10”
- Weight: 185-190 lbs
- Thighs (at their thickest point): 26”
- Hips (the widest point of my hips all the way around): 41”
- Waist (just below the obliques and above the butt): 33.5 – 34”
Levi’s – 541 Athletic Taper – $89
Levi’s is a trusted classic American jean company and for good reason. They’ve been making jeans since 1873 at the height of the California Gold Rush, built for durability.
These jeans are a solid pair of fashionable denim jeans for the athletic guy with bigger thighs. They’re very stretchy, made with a solid thickness, and they look great while maintaining a reasonable price.
They’re a bit wider in the hips and the thighs and then finish straight from the knee to the ankle. These will stretch to whatever size you need. These are more of a relaxed fit – they don’t taper down through the ankle like many of the jeans I tried on here, but if you’re looking for a looser, more straight-fit jean then this is a great option.
Final Verdict: If these fit you well, I would definitely recommend you keep them. They look great, they’re very comfortable, and they stretch a lot. Personally, they just didn’t fit me as well as some of the other jeans I tried on, but I’m willing to try these again in the future.
Outerknown – Local Straight Fit – $128
Outerknown is Kelly Slater’s personal clothing brand focused on sustainability. They’re certified Fair Trade and accreditated by the Fair Labor Association, so you buy these jeans without a guilty conscience.
My take on them?
If you’re looking for a pair of jeans that you can use as all-purpose, active jeans for years and years to come, look no further. These jeans were the most durable pair of jeans I tried out, and they come in a timeless blue denim wash.
They’re less stretchy than the other jeans I tried, but keep in mind that this is by design – they’re meant to be more durable and active, and less so for a night out on the town.
Final Verdict: These were my second favorite jeans from all of the jeans I tried on. They’re extremely high quality, and I’m looking forward to keeping these as a durable pair of jeans that I can use for any outdoor occasion.
Fran Denim – Nate’s Slim Fit – $103
Fran Denim (FMD) was a brand that I have actually never heard of before, but after I saw their website I knew I had to try these out. They’ve been making jeans since 1997 with a large focus on the CrossFit and Olympic lifting community. So they’re quite familiar with the big quad, muscular thighs, wide hips, and the dreaded waist gap problem.
That being said, after trying on my first pair – I was in love.
These jeans are super soft, stretchy, and extremely comfortable. They’re wide enough in the hips and butt that they’ll fit muscular thighs, but taper down through the ankle so they still look trim. They also had plenty of room in the groin area (but not too much)- and did I mention they look fantastic?
Final Verdict: YES. For me, these jeans are perfect as a fashionable, relaxed (but not baggy) pair of jeans that I can wear with pretty much anything. The wash is a classic dark blue. They taper down nicely to the ankle, and they’re super soft.
I’ll keep these as a more relaxed fit, as they’re far from skin-tight (which is nice to have, in addition to those more slender fits), but these are jeans that I’ll wear for any casual occasion.
Revtown – 3 Styles to Pick From – $79
I tried out three different styles of jeans from Revtown, and though they have their own pros and cons, there’s definitely one style in particular that had it all for me. These are the most affordable jeans that I tried, but they are very high-quality. If you haven’t tried out a pair of jeans from Revtown, I highly recommend it! Check them out below!
Revtown Taper
These are the slimmest fit jeans from Revtown, and even though they fit pretty slim, they’re still not so thin that a guy with muscular thighs won’t find a good use for them.
The taper is pretty significant, starting off with a decent amount of room in the thighs and butt area (for those guys who don’t miss squat day) and then tapering down into a slim fit around the ankles at the bottom.
The quality is hard to miss. They’re thick, stretchy enough to comfortably move in, and they look amazing. They also have enough room in the groin area that I feel like my balls can breathe, which isn’t something that I can say for all of the jeans I tried. If you’re looking for a slimmer style of jeans for athletic guys, this is one of my top choices.
Final Verdict: If you are an athletic guy with a decent amount of leg and hip muscles looking for a slim, tapered jean that actually fits you, this is one of your best options – period. I was easily able to squat and do cossack squats in these, so they’ll stretch to whatever size you need them to if you buy them in your size. They also look great. Get these if you want a good-looking, slim, tapered cut pair of jeans.
Revtown Sharp
The Revtown Sharp is technically a pair of slim-fit jeans, but for me, they’re more like the perfect taper jeans for any athletic guy. I was surprised at how well these fit.
As with all Revtown jeans, the quality is hard to miss. They’re durable and comfortable with enough room in the groin without looking baggy. Of all the jeans I tried, this is my favorite fashion pair of jeans (for MY body).
The wash is beautiful, the jeans are incredibly soft, and the fit is unreal. As soon as I tried them on, I knew I was keeping them. With plenty of stretch to accommodate movement, but still tapered and slim enough that you’ll look great when you wear them for a night out – people will definitely notice.
Final Verdict: YES, YES, YES!! I’m truly surprised at just how well this pair of jeans fit me. It’s slim enough that it looks great on me without looking baggy at all, but it’s still comfortable as a looser-fitting pair of jeans. If you are the athletic guy who wants to be comfortable AND look great at the same time, get these jeans.
Revtown Automatic
The Automatic fit is Revtown’s straight fit, but even though they don’t provide a noticeable taper, that doesn’t mean you won’t look great.
The Automatic does a great job of balancing the relaxed fit – they’re comfortable and stretchy enough that you can easily do anything you want in these jeans, but they don’t look noticeably baggy.
They’re soft, the wash is pretty, and they are comfy, comfy, comfy. If you want a pair of comfortable, everyday pair of jeans that feel almost as good as your sweatpants, then these are one of my top recommendations.
Final Verdict: These jeans are more about comfort and movement than they are about style, but they do a pretty good job of looking great, too. These are a good pair of jeans to have for more casual situations.
Wear these on a fall day when you plan on doing a lot of walking or movement, but still want to look decent while doing it. These are a great pair of casual jeans you can wear for whatever.
Madewell – Athletic Slim – $128
Of all the jeans I tried, these seemed to be the slimmest fit. So if you’re not quite as muscular as I am (check back to the intro section of this blog to see my exact measurements), then this will be a nice option.
The wash that I tried was very cool looking, and overall, these jeans were one of the better-looking jeans I tried on. They have a fashionable taper to them, getting slimmer as they move from the thighs down to the ankle, and they’re stretchy enough so that squatting and moving in them is easy.
Though the jeans were soft and pretty comfortable, I was a little overwhelmed by the overall quality for the price. They also seemed a little smaller in the groin area, but they should stretch enough so that shouldn’t be an issue once they’re more broken in.
Final Verdict: If you’re as muscular as a bodybuilder and you’re looking for a more fashion-oriented jeans, this might be one of your best options. Of all the jeans I tried on, my wife actually liked the way these looked the best.
For me, they were a little slim and didn’t provide the comfort that I wanted, particularly in the groin area and in thighs, but if you’re not as big as I am and you want a stylish pair of jeans for going out in, then these are great.
Barbell – $149
Barbell Apparel was founded by a group of friends looking to bring the “athletic fit” to the mainstream. They were crowdfunded and were one of the most successful Kickstarter fashion projects of all time and for GOOD reason!
I’ve been looking forward to trying out Barbell Apparel for years, seeing as they were one of the first brands I’d ever seen created specifically for guys (and women) who lift weights and can’t find clothes that fit muscular thighs and hips.
These jeans stand out from the others for a few reasons. They’ve got more stretch than almost all of the other jeans I tried, and they’re also made with thinner materials so you won’t get as hot when wearing them.
You can also tell that they’re really made for athletic, muscular guys. I’m talking about the guys who haven’t skipped leg day in years. So for these guys, it’s nice that there is a pair of jeans really made to fit them.
Barbell Straight Athletic
These do a great job of fitting the more muscular guys while still providing a stylish look. They offer more room in the hips and thighs, but taper from the knee down to the ankle, so you still have a trim, tapered look.
The stretchiness of these jeans cannot be understated – I could easily do a split without feeling any resistance from the jeans, which is something I definitely can’t say for most denim. These do have a higher price tag, but these are jeans that you can easily wear for years and do just about anything in, so I’d say they’re worth it.
Final Verdict: If you are a guy with significantly more muscle in your thighs and hips looking for a pair of jeans that’s actually going to provide a tapered look without choking the life out of your balls and hips, then this is a really great option.
Better yet, if you want to move from your hip mobility session straight to the bar, then you can do that now without changing pants.
Barbell Relaxed Athletic
These are the most relaxed-fitting jeans that I tried on in this entire list of jeans. If you prefer a looser fit of jeans and you’re a muscular guy struggling to find a pair of jeans that fits your larger thighs and slimmer waist, then these are going to be your pair of jeans.
While they’re definitely not a good look for me, I think it’s great that guys with significantly larger hips and thighs will now be able to purchase a pair of jeans that fits their thighs and hips without being 2+ inches too big on the waist.
Final verdict: If you lift weights and you want a more relaxed look, try these out. If you’re looking for a pair of jeans that looks slim and trim, DO NOT GET THESE.
Additional Resources
About the author, Dean Pohlman, Founder & CEO of Man Flow Yoga, Author of Yoga Fitness for Men, Expert on Yoga Fitness for Men.
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Great post! I’ll definitely check out a few of these brands. Have you ever tried pants from Bonobos? They claim to have an “athletic” fit as well but I’ve heard mixed reviews. Now that you’ve done some research curious if you’ve got a comparison. Thanks!
Great suggestion! Glad you found these helpful!