What to Look for in a Great Pair of Jeans on Amazon
Just because Maison Bezos carries high-quality jeans doesn’t mean everything you’ll find there is worth your time. If you don’t have the keen eye of a denim enthusiast, we’ve got you covered. Well, in this case, your quads. So before adding to cart, check the following:
fabric: Ideally, we’re looking for 100% cotton jeans with a reasonable weight (at a minimum, 11-ounce fabric, although a 13-14-ounce heavyweight is good too). Even a little stretch isn’t disqualifying, but the best jeans are entirely cotton: they last longer and age better. If you’re looking for the primo stuff – raw denim, selvage denim, Japanese denim – it’s best to stick to stores that specialize in this style, but Amazon stocks almost everything, so there are some solid options in the mix.
Drag: We know some of you prefer stretch denim for comfort, but the highest quality jeans usually don’t have anything like that – although some can do Take a little as a gift. Stretch-laced denim wears out much faster than all-cotton pairs, and also fades less over time, and our rubric for quality is based primarily on durability and aging ability, so avoid it if you can.
Style: You won’t find a lot of skinny jeans in this guide, but if you’ve been out and about in the past few years, that won’t be a surprise. For this guide, we’re favoring straight-leg pants that sit at the waist, and occasionally (so-called) slim-fit pants that are on the more roomy end of the spectrum. Also: Be sure to choose denim colors and washes that will go well with your existing wardrobe. Purple jeans may look good in the moment, but can often turn into a shelf-based reminder of regret.
Brand: There’s a time and place to take fliers on unknown brands — we do it all the time — but Amazon can be a little tricky. Generally, a store stocking a brand indicates some degree of confidence in said brand: if you trust the store, you can trust the brand. But when it’s a massive marketplace the size of Amazon, it’s best to rely on brands with some pedigree, to minimize the chance of disappointment. If you don’t know the label and can’t find more information about it anywhere else, press the Buy Now button at your own risk.
What are the best jeans brands on Amazon?
APC: An easy way to set yourself up for failure is to declare your hero product the “new standard” of a very popular genre. But APC did just that and kept its promise many times over. Over the years, the quality of the jeans hasn’t diminished one bit, despite the space getting a little more crowded every now and then. Known for high-contrast, highly personalized fades, natural indigo colors, minimal detailing, a slim silhouette and copious amounts of internet lore, APC is the kind of jeans that can be a little obsessive.
Carhartt: You probably don’t think of “denim” or “jeans” when you think of Carhartt, but considering that A) denim is one of the longest-running workwear fabrics and B) Carhartt is one of the oldest workwear brands still doing its thing, it should be no surprise that they know how to make a pair of jeans. Or something to be more precise. And while their signature double-knees are the undisputed headliner, the classic 5 pockets are nothing to scoff at.
Levi’s: You know them, you love them, you can get them with Prime shipping. The first name in denim has been on Amazon for some time now, which means replacing a well-worn pair or finding out for the first time what all the 160-year-old fuss is about has never been easier. While 501 will always be the default, don’t sleep on 505 or 550 either.
Naked and Famous: Made entirely in Canada from some of the finest denim in the world, it’s hard to find a better value proposition than Naked & Famous, working hand-in-hand with mills to create the most luxurious fabric ever made – i.e. glow-in-the-dark denim. It just so happens that they also make incredibly good pairings that are more in the middle, too.
Rag and Bone: Well, so are Rag & Bone jeans Sometimes Violate the stretch rule above, but if the stretch is done well, we’ll allow it – and Rag & Bone does it well when they do. And regardless of the stretch, all the jeans are extremely soft, comfortable even when out, have wash features that go with an entire wardrobe and are made in a way that most other jeans like them are not.
Wrangler: There’s a list of reasons cowboys have been wearing Wranglers for generations, and “extremely durable,” “ridiculously affordable” and “looks good to the butt” are at the top of that list. If you’re looking to dabble in the world of bootcut jeans, Wrangler is a great place to start, but don’t sleep on the rest of their hard-wearing catalog, either.
How we test and review products
Style is subjective, we know – that’s the fun of it. But we’re serious about helping our audiences prepare. Whether it’s the best white sneakers, the most affordable suits, or the most must-have menswear drops of the week, the perspective of GQ recommendations is built on years of practical experience, an insider’s awareness of what’s what and what’s next, and a mission to find the best version of everything at every price point.
Our staff isn’t able to try on every single piece of clothing you read about on GQ.com (fashion moves fast these days), but we have an intimate knowledge of each brand’s strengths and we know the hallmarks of quality clothing – from materials and sourcing, to craftsmanship, to sustainability efforts that aren’t just greenwashing. GQ recommendations draw on our own editorial experience with those brands, how they make their clothes, and how those clothes have been reviewed by customers. The bottom line: GQ wouldn’t ask you to wear it if we didn’t.
How do we make these choices?
We make every effort to cast as wide a net as possible, with an eye on identifying the best options in three key categories: quality, SuitableAnd price.
To start this process, we enlisted the GQ recommendations braintrust to vote on our contenders. Some of the people involved have worked in retail, delivering clothes to people; Others have worked hard for small-batch menswear labels; Everyone spends too much time thinking about what hangs in their closet.
We’re relying on that collective experience to guide our search, which includes a mix of household names, indie favorites, and artisan imprints on the genre’s bleeding edge. We then narrow the assortment to the selections that have received the highest scores in quality, fit, and price.
In most of our buying guides, our team claims to have first-hand experience with most of our picks, but some of them are brand new to us. So after several months of intense debate, we tallied the votes, collected anecdotal evidence, and came up with a list of what we believe to be the best in this category right now, ranging from tried-and-true stalwarts to modern disruptors, affordable beaters to wildly expensive (but wildly worth it) designer riffs.
Whatever your preferences, whatever your style, there is sure to be an excellent version for you on this list. (Read more about GQ’s testing process here.)
