These $36 Amazon Pants Are the Comfiest, Most Versatile Pair I Own

Motherly / Angela Elias
If you too have lusted after the $249 viral Ruti pants, you'll want to give this dupe a try.
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Very few pants in my wardrobe bridge the gap between sweatpants and jeans, and most days, anything with an elastic waistband wins. As a mom with small kids who works from home, my new mission isn’t to wear more pants with buttons and zippers. Instead, it’s to make sure that my soft-pants era is as stylish as it is comfortable.
Ruti’s On The Loose Work Pants ($249) have served as my north star for style inspiration. The only roadblock? I couldn’t justify the steep price. Once ads for the Ruti pants took over my social feeds, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop thinking about them. After scouring the Internet in search of an affordable Ruti pants dupe, I finally settled on these Barrel Leg Sweatpants ($35.99) from Amazon.
I opted for the black option to get as close to Ruti’s version as possible. The slightly cropped, barrel-leg silhouette was exactly what I was looking for, and I’m constantly finding new ways to style them.

What sets these barrel leg sweatpants apart
Unlike the other sweats in my closet, this pair is ridiculously versatile. I can easily masquerade them as slacks when I pair them with boots or go for a more casual look with sneakers and a sweatshirt. I’ve worn them for roll-out-of-bed school drop-offs, rainy day errands, and dressy date nights.
The high waist makes them easy to pair with cropped tops without having to worry about my midriff showing, but I can also get away with a blouse or T-shirt tuck—I’m a millennial, after all—without it looking too bulky.
I also don’t have to stress about ironing. Unlike my cotton sweats, the poly and spandex blend of these pants captures plenty of softness without the wrinkles, which also makes them ideal for traveling.
What to know before you buy these barrel leg sweatpants
Unlike the Ruti pants, which are made from a lightweight blend of nylon and spandex, these are made from a thicker, scuba-like fabric. The cozy material is ideal for cooler months but I don’t see myself wearing these on a hot summer day.
The legs have a wide barrel shape, which may tempt you to size down, but that might cause the waist to feel uncomfortably tight. After scanning the reviews, the most common con was that the waist feels too small. I ordered my usual size and the waist is snug but not uncomfortable. Because the pants are so high-waisted, they don’t cut into my stomach the way that jeans do, but it’s something to note if you’re between sizes.
While you can throw these in the wash, you have to keep them out of the dryer. I’m usually irritated when I have to tumble dry something, so the fact that these need to be air dried is my biggest pain point. Since the thick material takes a long time to air dry, buying a back-up pair for laundry days isn’t a bad idea, especially at this price.
Would I buy these pants again?
I don’t usually buy clothes on Amazon, but I’m glad that I took a gamble with these. While they have a noticeably different texture than the Ruti pants, the silhouette is a dead ringer. Considering that I saved over $200, it seems like a fair trade-off. They come in nine different colors, so obviously, I’m already coordinating outfits around the next color I choose.

















































































