Design 
Comfort 
Quality of Materials 
Value for Money 
Customer Service He who would travel happily must travel light.
– Antoine De Saint-Exupéry
If you’re here, you’re more than likely a guy who’s trying to live an intentional life.
You like to dress with purpose.
I get it. I’m on the same path.
Related to that—the older I get, the more attracted I am to versatility. ‘Dedicated travel clothing’ now screams ‘wasted wardrobe space for 320 days per year’.
But travel clothing that doubles effortlessly as everyday apparel? Now you’ve got my attention.
And it’s this search that led me to TravelSmith.
Skip Ahead
What is TravelSmith?
It’s 1992.
Bill Clinton is President, Basic Instinct is in theatres, and Jordan and the Bulls have won the NBA championship for the second year in a row.
And most importantly for this review—TravelSmith is born.
TravelSmith is a unisex apparel, travel gear, and accessories brand based out of Southington, Connecticut.
While the word travel is in the TravelSmith name, the brand’s focus is equally about everyday wear. It claims its goal is to provide high-quality, comfortable, easy-care clothing that can be worn multiple ways, straight out of your closet or luggage.
Well, hey now—I travel a lot and I want more versatility in my wardrobe.
So my team and I decided to put a few pieces from TravelSmith men’s range to the TAM
Keep reading for our thoughts on how it stacked up.
The Review
Here’s what we got from TravelSmith:
- Voyager 15-Pocket Vest in Olive
- On The Fly Lightweight Year Round Travel Blazer by Territory Ahead in Grey
- Flyaway Pants in Grey
I first talk through our collective thoughts on each item individually before giving our overall thoughts on TravelSmith as a brand.
The Voyager 15-Pocket Vest
First up is the Voyager 15-Pocket Vest. It’s available in a few earthy colors. We landed on olive because it matches really well with denim and a whole range of shirt color pairings.
And yes—it really does have 15 pockets (we counted), including handwarmer pockets, a discreet ticket pocket, and a secure passport pocket.
Did we mention it has a lot of pockets?
The vest is made from an abrasion-resistant, quick-drying nylon shell and poly mesh lining.
It’s machine washable and boasts UP40+ sun protection—an ideal feature for any vest as you’re likely to give it some outdoors time.
It also has an adjustable cord bottom edge, a funnel neck, and a full hidden zip front with snaps.
Overall, the Voyager Vest is really lightweight and breathable. The nylon has a quality feel to it and the zip and buttons are all sturdy and secure.
The amount and variation of the pockets is also a big plus. While we were out at the park shooting photos for this review, it was handy to have a bunch of pockets to store camera equipment and various bits and pieces in.
We could easily imagine it being super useful when going to the airport, traveling in general, or for anything else that requires you to hold a bunch of things and have quick access to them.
The only downside for us to report is on sizing.
Our model is 5’11” and wearing a medium and we found that it did run a little long in the torso for him. If you’re a similar height and build, it may be worth sizing down if you prefer a vest to sit a little higher.
But overall, we’re very impressed with the Voyager 15-Pocket Vest. It feels and looks great, it’s well-made, and it has a heck of a lot of pockets.
What more do you need in a vest?
On The Fly Lightweight Year Round Travel Blazer
The next piece we tested is the Lightweight Travel Blazer in grey.
It’s produced under TravelSmith’s exploration and adventure apparel focused sister brand, Territory Ahead. Same manufacturer, different name. TravelSmith sell quite a few Territory Ahead products on the TravelSmith store and vice versa.
The blazer is crafted from a poly/nylon/cotton blend intended to help with wrinkle resistance (we’ll come back to this later). The sleeves are lined in striped poly, and the body is lined in cotton.
It’s machine washable, has a water-resistant coating, and has been designed to be easily packable.
Living up to the travel part of its name, the Lightweight Travel Blazer has quite a few pockets, including four on the outside and four on the inside. It features two faux horn buttons on the front and is flanked by two back vents.
There’s a tone-on-tone patch on each elbow, and a contrast zig-zag stitching underneath the lapel and collar.
As you can see, this blazer fit our model really well (medium, regular fit). The material feels great and we like that it has plenty of pockets that don’t overwhelm the design. The internal lining looks quite neat as well.
It’s a stylish looking piece whether you dress it up or down, although given how lightweight it is, it’s definitely more suited to casual or travel wear.
As a downside, it wrinkled a little too easily for our liking. We found other reviews that said the same, and this surprised us given the claim that the fabric is designed to be wrinkle resistant. Fortunately, the wrinkles do iron out easily.
As a whole, the Lightweight Travel Blazer gets the thumbs up from us. It’s a classy looking piece with a great feel and plenty of extra pockets to make getting from A to B that little bit easier.
As with any jacket or blazer you buy online, it’s important to get the fit right. Be careful when measuring yourself and follow the sizing chart closely, and you should be all set.
The Original FlyAway Pants
Rounding out our review are the Original FlyAway Pants in grey.
Made with travel on the brain, these are tailored from a high-performance nylon/spandex blended fabric for added stretch.
They’re designed to be lightweight and water-resistant, as well as quick-drying for when the fabric can’t quite resist the water.
Carrying on the you-can-never-have-too-many-pockets theme, the pants have two front pockets (one with a hidden zip security pocket), a zip pocket on the right leg, and two zip pockets on the butt.
They’re machine washable and fitted with elastic on the back waist for up to 3” of added stretchy comfort.
We don’t say this lightly—these pants are super comfortable. The elastic waistband allows for a lot of give around the waist, and combined with the stretchiness of the nylon/spandex blend, you can easily wear them for long periods.
They also look good, and they’re really versatile. The added pockets are again, a real nice-to-have for getting around as a guy on the go.
As for negatives, the right pocket is a little shallow and doesn’t have a flap on it which makes it a little dangerous. You wouldn’t put your passport in there, let’s put it that way.
Also, while the pants are lightweight, they lack some breathability. We found the material to get a bit warm against the skin after a few hours in our humid Texas summer climate.
To sum it up, we recommend the Original FlyAway as a solid option if you’re in the market for new pants, especially given the price point. They’re versatile, well-made, and really comfortable. Just try to stay out of the heat.
Our Overall Thoughts on TravelSmith
What We Like
Simple yet classy designs with a high quality of construction.
The focus on travel means all pieces have utility (like several pockets) you’re less likely to get with other brands.
For the most part, the material feels great against the skin and the clothing is lightweight and comfortable.
The consistent use of versatile, solid colors means items pair easily with your wider wardrobe—a huge plus when you’re traveling.
Most pieces are very reasonably priced given the quality and utility on offer.
Versatility checks out—all pieces are suitable for both travel and everyday casual wear.
What We Don’t Like
Some items wrinkled a little easier than expected given the wrinkle-resistant claims.
A minor fit consistency issue with the vest running a little long in the torso, while the jacket fit perfectly.
A lack of common sense testing in some areas such as the dangerously shallow right pocket of the FlyAway Pants.
The Verdict
What we like most about TravelSmith is that its brand identity shines through clearly in its designs.
Some brands struggle to deliver on what they claim to stand for. TravelSmith has it nailed.
Everything we tried combines functionality, simplicity, and versatility in a purposeful way. Yes, the added pockets and travel-focused fabrics make their clothing a no-brainer for travel.
But the apparel is stylish and comfortable enough to earn its place in your everyday casual wardrobe.
Yes, we have some gripes—the fit consistency probably being the most frustrating—but they’re minor on balance.
It really comes down to this:
If you’re a fan of everyday or travel apparel that’s stylish, comfortable, offers great utility, and is available at a reasonable price, then TravelSmith could be the brand you’ve been searching for.
With its intentional focus on comfort, utility, and versatility, TravelSmith is sure to win over plenty of guys in search of affordable travel or everyday apparel.
