Stretch Zion^™ 5-Pocket Pants

I bought two of these a few years ago - I'm guessing right around covid times. The previous version (the one without the zippered 5th pocket) had a superior fit in almost every way. The seat and thighs of this version are noticeably baggier and make me look like I'm wearing my granddad's pants. They've also changed the waistband to a material that doesn't stretch at all -similar to the Bryon jeans, I think. It's all fun and games until you're sitting on a plane or at your desk all day. The one thing I wished was better about the old version was that the fabric seems to abrade really easily, that seems not to have changed, but I haven't worn them as frequently because of the fit. I guess if you're relatively built and have a lot of junk in the trunk these might work for you, but if you're a skinny guy I'd probably pass.

I will start with the good: I like the material and I like the feel of these pants. However, when it comes to the way they fit, they are way too loose to be considered a slim fit, coming from the Brian II, those pants had a very tailored and slim fit, and I liked them very much when I found out they were discontinued. These were the new updated version, so I decided to give them a try. However, upon trying them on, they are a hard pass, and I have returned them. If you are a fan of a slim tailored fit, I would recommend skipping these.

Compare the fabric details from this product to the Stretch Zion Straight Pants (made from the original Stretch Zion material; not recycled). This product lists "95% Recycled Nylon, 5% Elastane," which seems more like the ReZion fabric prAna used in their discontinued ReZion line nobody liked—shinier, hotter, far less durable. Customers tore them apart in reviews, then ratings were temporarily disabled on their site, then ReZion disappeared. I've bought prAna products for decades, but their quality, innovation, and trustworthiness spiraled since they were acquired by Columbia. For me, it's time to find another brand.