10 BEST Travel Vests With Pockets For Men & Women (2024) (2024)

Are you looking for the best vest for travel? This post covers the best travel vests on the market and discusses what to look for in a vest. After all, there’s a lot to remember when heading off to tackle a new city or country. You have tickets, wallet, keys, sunglasses, phone – the list goes on and on! Then you have the adventure seekers who need an extra layer of warmth before tackling the mountains.

The ideal travel vest will help keep all your essential gear organized, accessible, and protected, but which ones are the best? Let’s cover the ten best travel vests to peruse and easily see what the market offers.

Best Travel Vests for Men

Orvis Performance Vest

You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better outdoors-focused vest than the Performance Vest from Orvis. The vest packs a punch with fifteen pockets, perfect for organizing all your essentials. Orvis designs many products for fly fishing, but that outdoor focus is also ideal for travel as they carry a ton of similarities.

This travel vest has water-resistant fabric and hidden interior pockets, perfect for travel documents and valuables. It also features nifty features like magnets to hold headphones in place on your shoulder. The Orvis Performance Vest is a beautiful vest that will last a lifetime.

Orvis has a vast line of vests in various styles and price points, so look at their shop even if the Performance Vest is not your style.

Patagonia Down Sweater Vest

Patagonia makes our favorite packable down jacket, so it’s no wonder they make one of the best down vests for travel. The down vest uses 800 fill down and their new recycled polyester for the shell. The result is a down vest that keeps you warm and does decent job-fighting moisture. We also find Patagonia’s nylon material extraordinarily comfortable without the obnoxious crinkly/swishy sounds cheaper down items make.

With its wide range of colors and appealing brand name, the down vest feels at home in the mountains, the beach, or city streets. The only drawback to the garment is the high price tag that comes with Patagonia vests. It’s also not the warmest down vest on this list, but it retains a slim fit and is attractive.

SCOTTeVEST Travel for Men

Luckily for the men, SCOTTeVEST also produces a top-notch travel vest for travel and adventure-oriented gentlemen. The travel vest boasts 26 pockets to keep all your travel gear organized and in one place. An RFID-blocking pocket is a perfect home for your wallet and passport. In contrast, the multitude of electronic pockets and wire passageways allows you to charge items without ever taking them out of your pockets!

The lightweight and breathable vest material make it a breeze to wear all day for whatever your adventure may be. Strolling around the city, spending a day on the trail, or even a beach day – you’ll have everything you need at your fingertips! I find SCOTTeVest products a little gimmicky sometimes, but plenty of people love their pocket-heavy clothes.

Arcteryx Atom Vest

The Atom Vest demonstrates consistent excellence throughout various seasons, landscapes, and activities. Enhanced with state-of-the-art insulation and material technologies, this adaptable vest now achieves its ultimate and most flexible performance.

Its Coreloft™ Compact synthetic insulation preserves heat even when damp, enduring years of packing and unpacking. The resilient Tyono™ 20 shell, both breathable and durable, effectively wards off wind and mild weather. Additionally, stretch fleece side panels promote ventilation and unrestricted movement, while the entire vest conveniently packs into its own pocket.

Carhartt Denwood Vest

For travelers out there who would like to blend a little extra style into their travel vest, there’s the Denwood. This vest emphasizes comfort and style with a light yet warm construction. With its slick looks, the vest is still surprisingly durable for the serious traveler. The material is water-repellent, machine washable, and has reinforced seams for all your adventurous traveling escapades.

Bulky backpacks and finicky purses begone! We’ve covered all the essentials to pick out the perfect travel vest for your adventure of choice and keep your requirements safe and secure in your new army of pockets.

Filson Oil Tin Cloth Vest

This iconic vest uses Filson’s heavy, abrasion-resistant, and water-repellent Tin Cloth canvas. It’s a work vest for rough work on the ranch, operating an angle grinder, chopping wood, or in the garage. That rough-and-tumble look makes for a gorgeous piece of clothing that will last a lifetime.

It may not be your standard travel vest, but this vest is up for an adventure—a stylish piece of workwear. Be prepared for a wait as this piece of clothing is in high demand and sometimes requires a waitlist. The only negative I can find with this vest is the price. It was pretty expensive. However, given its lifespan, one could argue it’s better value than the budget-conscious Columbia vest below.

Columbia Silver Ridge II Vest for Men

Crafting a travel vest that can function just as well in an urban environment as in the heat of an outdoor adventure is a fine line, but Columbia seems to do it with ease here. Their Silver Ridge vest is specially crafted for some hot and sunny adventuring but wouldn’t raise a single eyebrow if you slipped it on for a day of city sightseeing.

The vest features Columbia’s Omni-wick technology to quickly whisk any sweat away from you for faster drying and increased comfort during your activity while at the same time protecting you from the sun with a UPF 50 Omni-shade sun resistance. All this outdoor technology is in a fashionable vest that can easily be worn for an evening out in the town after spending all day adventuring outdoors. You’ll have a security pocket in addition to the standard side pockets.

Best Travel Vests for Women

Orvis Quilted Vest

Orvis designs some of our favorite items for stylish outdoor wear — perfect for travel. The vest’s weight has a nice balance between wearing it independently in warm weather or as an outer layer for cooler days.

It’s pretty lightweight and can fold down into an included stuff sack. A waist cinch and multiple pockets also deliver the practicality and features we want in a vest. As a bonus, the polyester material is Bluesign® certified and dries out fast.

Patagonia Down Sweater Vest

Patagonia makes our favorite packable down jacket, so it’s no wonder they make one of the best down vests for travel. The down vest uses 800 fill down and their new recycled polyester for the shell. The result is a down vest that keeps you warm and does decent job-fighting moisture. We also find Patagonia’s nylon material extraordinarily comfortable without the obnoxious crinkly/swishy sounds cheaper down items make.

With its wide range of colors and appealing brand name, the down vest feels at home in the mountains, the beach, or city streets. The only drawback to the garment is the high price tag that comes with Patagonia vests. It’s also not the warmest down vest on this list, but it remains slim fit and is attractive.

Arcteryx Atom Vest

Whether used as a midlayer or on its own, the Atom Vest excels across diverse seasons, landscapes, and activities. Featuring its most advanced insulation, fabrics, and design to date, this iteration builds upon its storied performance.

The Coreloft™ Compact insulation retains warmth even when damp, enduring years of compression and expansion. The Tyono™ 20 shell, both breathable and durable, effectively combats wind and mild weather. Enhanced by stretch fleece side panels, the vest promotes ventilation and unrestricted movement, while its entirety conveniently packs into its own pocket.

ExOfficio Women’s FlyQ Vest

For the female traveler that goes everywhere, from the occasional jungle trek to exploring a big city and a safari here and there, there is the FlyQ vest. The FlyQ has many different pockets – one of which is RFID blocking – to keep all your essential items close at hand for any adventure, all arranged in an attractive style that is suitable just about anywhere.

The built-in water, wind, and stain resistance ensure this vest keeps pace with all your adventures, while the durable construction will keep it in your travel clothes rotation for many future trips!

Columbia Benton Springs Fleece Vest

Many outdoor and travel enthusiasts associate Columbia’s name with quality and decent value. Columbia’s Women’s Benton Springs vest is one of the most affordable on the market, priced at less than $50.

The fleece vest is full-zip and features two zippered front pockets to warm your hands. Basic and comfortable polyester fleece is used in construction but offers little durability or natural warmth. Fit is decent and strikes a nice balance between roomy and athletic to fit most body types excellently.

It’s best utilized as a layer because any breeze tends to pass right through the thin fleece material. Finding a more affordable fleece travel vest in terms of quality is challenging. Color choice is also plentiful, with well over 20 color options to choose from online.

SCOTTeVEST Q.U.E.S.T. for Women

If you have worries about finding a vest with enough pockets for all your things, the QUEST vest categorically puts those fears to rest! With an incredible 42 total pockets, it’s guaranteed to find a place for everything you need on your travels. Amongst these pockets, you have an RFID-blocking area for credit cards and an oversized pocket for tablets such as a Kindle or iPad.

The material is also treated for water and stain resistance to maximize outdoor fun; you even have a storable hood for when the weather turns cold or nasty! So if you’re planning on lots of gear for your trip – from camera lenses to souvenirs – we highly recommend this slick-looking vest for every occasion!

Ranking Vests For Travel

Pockets and Pockets

The ideal travel vest is, first and foremost, an array of different pockets to ensure that everything you possibly need on a typical day in your trip can easily find a home. It can benefit female travelers; we all know that many of the best and most comfortable women’s pants are painfully pocket deficient. Therefore, a good travel vest can eliminate a clunky purse that risks theft in an unfamiliar city.

But the male traveler can equally benefit from a travel vest that compiles everything you could need into one place—no more unslinging a backpack to try and hunt for tickets or opening and closing a briefcase to fish out a passport during your travel day. So once again, pockets and more pockets! Make sure your travel vest can fit everything you want to have on you for your day.

Construction

It’s always important when purchasing travel clothes to consider the quality and material used. Synthetic materials for standout vests as they’re quick to dry, which can keep you cool or warm. At the same time, cotton articles tend to hold moisture and are slow to dry. It is crucial in cold weather destinations with snow/rain or tropical destinations high in humidity.

When looking through different brands and types, one element that we are always looking for is durability. You want to ensure the vest lasts for your trip(s) and beyond! Pay close attention to your vest’s manufacturing and material/stitching quality. Is it an established manufacturer or an off-brand?

Do they stand behind their product and offer an extended warranty? While at it, look and see if the vest is water-resistant if you’re heading into a wet environment. If you’re traveling to dry and sunny climes, check if the vest is UV-resistant.

Security

As we alluded to earlier, traveling the world always risks becoming the victim of petty theft. A vest eliminates the need for extra bags by condensing all your gear down. It isn’t foolproof protection from pickpockets or thieves, but it allows you to keep a better eye on your belongings. It is essential because it reduces risks, as thieves have fewer opportunities with a travel vest.

An RFID pocket is a nice touch, but it’s a little outdated and more for marketing. It’s an obsolete tactic, as skimming a chip card is impossible. So the practice is falling out of fashion with thieves, particularly in Europe, where everything is a chip. We highly recommend you look for travel vests with hidden pockets to carry your valuables, as the classic pickpocket is a more significant threat.

Comfort and Style

It may seem like a no-brainer, but please try to track down a vest that will be comfortable for you to wear and is suitable for your travel plans. If you’re heading to a warm tropical location, a bulky and heavy-duty vest may not be the most appropriate – aim for something a little lighter such as nylon or polyester!

Along these same lines, you’re likely to draw some unneeded attention if you’re strolling down the city streets in an oversized, safari-style vest draped with pockets; aim for something more city appropriate, eh?

So now that we’ve covered the critical buying points for the ideal travel vest let’s move on to our top suggestions!

READ MORE

• The Best Travel Essentials For Any Trip
• 30 Best Travel Accessories You Want For Every Trip
• Best Travel Clothes For Women
• 12 Best Travel Backpacks For Men
• 15 Best Travel Coffee Mugs and Coffee Thermos