Rave Pants

Rave pants are the loose, roomy bottoms you can dance in for six hours straight. Think harem pants, cargo pants, flares, bell bottoms, chaps and mesh with fur trim, nearly all with drawstrings or adjusters and real pockets. iHeartRaves carries unisex, men's and women's rave pants in sizes from XS up to 4XL, from baggy cotton harems to reflective cargo joggers that flash back at every laser.

On this page: harem, cargo, reflective, flare and fur-trim rave pants for women, men and anyone who shops across both, plus a pocket guide and a sizing breakdown.

Okay so, here's how I'd want a rave pants shop to explain itself: which cut, which fabric, what the reflective stuff does under a light and how the sizes run. Building a whole look instead? Browse festival clothing first and come back for the bottoms.

Rave Pants by Style: Harem, Cargo, Flare and Fur

Cut first, print second. That's the order I shop in, because a gorgeous print on a pair that fights you at 1 a.m. ends up in the back of the drawer by August.

Rave Harem Pants

Harem is the biggest family in this collection, and most of it runs unisex. Lucid Loop, Lucid Lava, Dreamwave Unisex, Violet Vibrations and Secret of Life Mushroom all go XS to 4XL. Hypnotica stops at 3XL and Happy Hour Harem Pants 2.0 stops at 2XL. The Pixxie Stixx x iHR PsyTrip starts at S and skips 3XL entirely. So the size run changes pair to pair. Check before you fall in love.

Swirls are the harem calling card. Lucid Loop runs a warped black and white swirl with deep zip pockets and drawstring toggles at the ankles. Lucid Lava rolls out hypnotic neon waves. Happy Hour 2.0 brings a full swirl in full color, while Violet Vibrations skips the swirl for a purple geometric design. Hypnotica keeps a trippy purple print and a drawstring waist. Pick your poison.

Searching wook pants? Right section. Wook is festival slang for the tie-dye, bass-music crowd, and wook pants usually means loose, earthy harems with a print that looks like a lava lamp had a rough night. Lunar Fog is the men's cut, a smoky grey acid wash with fractal patterns. Sacred Grove is the women's cut, with mushroom and tree-of-life motifs in teal and sage with a little sand. Secret of Life Mushroom goes red and black. And Walking on a Dream Tie Dye swirls in rainbow, with colors that vary from pair to pair, so yours will look a little different from the photo.

Then there's the cotton crowd. Sacred Grove, Lunar Fog, Bussin' Bass, Higher Love, Zen Zone and Swirl Mode all list 100% cotton. Bussin' Bass is the pick if baggy rave pants are the goal. The description calls it ultra-baggy for max movement, and it has deep pockets and adjustable waist ties.

Shopping rave harem pants comes down to two camps, the printed swirl pairs and the earthy cotton ones. I used to think harem pants were a costume you'd wear once and never again. I was wrong, and the proof is how often I grab a cotton pair for a long travel day, kind of embarrassingly so.

Rave Cargo Pants

If you want rave cargo pants, think utility. Pockets, buckles, straps and, in plenty of pairs, legs that zip away.

In the men's cut, Dark Matter keeps it clean with a relaxed fit and a drawstring waist. Fire Shadow Zip Away puts red clouds on black. Incognito brings green camo joggers. Hypernova adds reflective trim and a trippy print lining behind its buckle waist. All four run S to 4XL.

On the women's and unisex side, Push the Tempo Cargo Pants are a fishnet-paneled wide-leg with a silver O-ring belt, and the utility pockets have button flaps down each leg. Don't Ever Stop runs baggy and black with eight pockets and removable chains. The iHeartRaves Patchwork Cargo Pants wear pink and lavender patches that carry the daisy, star, flame and bolt, plus removable chain straps and D-ring suspenders. All three go XS to 3X.

I rolled my eyes at zip-off pants for years. Hiking-dad energy, zero apologies. Then I spent one 2 p.m. set sweating through full-length cargos in a dusty field, and I changed my mind before the next act. Hypernova, Gatekeeper, Fire Shadow and Incognito all have zip-away legs. Speed Demon goes a step further, with detachable legs that turn the pants into shorts, no outfit change needed. Full length for the cold walk in. Shorts for the afternoon. That's a no-brainer.

Flares, Bell Bottoms and Mesh Flare Pants

Flares live in the women's cut, mostly XS to 3X, and they flip the silhouette: snug through the hip, wide through the leg. Smoke Show Bell Bottoms use sheer lace legs that open wide from the knee, and they have a built-in bottom for full coverage (a detail I'd want to know before putting on anything sheer). DnB Diva Pants are plain black flares, sleek through the hip and wide at the ankle, with adjustable lace-up ties.

Dreamwave Cutout Bell Bottoms pair a hypnotic print with cutout details. Lace Flower Fields Stretch Bell Bottoms go high-waisted, with embroidered wildflowers and crochet trim over a mesh lining. Infinite Matrix Cutout Fishnet Pants swap the flowers for a circuit-style print and mesh cutouts. Code Black Pants lace up and flare at the leg.

Looking for mesh flare pants? They get their own paragraph. Holo Star Fur Pants are black shimmer mesh flares with faux fur trim along the waistband and ankles, and they have double lining for extra coverage and support. Skybound Pants are mesh too, in white, with plush faux fur trim and a side zipper for easy on and off. Skybound starts at S, so no XS there.

Real talk about flares: wide hems sweep up festival dust like a mop. I wear mine with a chunky sole for exactly that reason. Call it the cost of doing business.

Chaps and Wide-Leg Statement Pants

Chaps are a different conversation. Power Surge Silver Reflective Chaps pair cutout legs with chain details and a reflective print. Full Throttle Chaps go wide-leg with mesh paneling and a hidden stash pocket inside the waistband. Flash Point Silver Reflective Chaps add fishnet panels and four big pockets. All three run XS to 3X. With that many cutouts, plan what goes underneath before you plan the top.

Wide-leg and phat pants round out the list. The Pixxie Stixx x iHR God is a DJ Unisex Phat Pants scatter neon doodles and lightning bolts across black legs, with a yellow stripe up the side and removable straps that double as suspenders. No Escape Pants go all-black and baggy with ankle adjusters, and you can wear them high-waisted or low. Brain Candy Pants have jogger-style legs and a psychedelic swirl, and the description says to ride them low. That's XS to 3X on Brain Candy and XS to 4XL on the phat pants.

Men's Rave Pants vs Women's Rave Pants

Let's sort the labels, because every search has a different gender word in it. People type mens rave pants, rave pants for men, womens rave pants and rave pants women, and the answers overlap more than the labels suggest.

The men's cut covers the cargo and zip-off pairs plus a few joggers: Hypernova, Fire Shadow, Dark Matter, Incognito, Gatekeeper, Flashbang, Firelight, Deorro x iHR Silver Reflective, Vibe Dealer and Lunar Fog. Sizes start at S and top out at 4XL, with Lunar Fog as the exception at S-M, L-XL and 2XL. There's no XS in the men's cut, and no flares either.

The women's cut leans fitted through the hip and open at the hem. Flares, bell bottoms, mesh and chaps all live here, XS to 3X, and 1X to 3X is your plus range. Smoke Show has a form-fitting cut that hugs your curves, and the Dreamwave Cutout bell bottoms use body-hugging fabric.

Unisex harem and wide-leg pants split the difference. One print runs XS to 4XL, so a crew with mixed sizes can match without anybody settling. For mens festival pants, I'd start with Dark Matter or Incognito if you want structure, and Bussin' Bass or Lunar Fog if you want baggy. And if a guy wants wide-leg drama, Don't Ever Stop and the Pixxie Stixx phat pants are both unisex and both go past the cargo look.

Fit differences boil down to this. Men's pairs lean relaxed and structured. Women's pairs lean shaped. But neither rule is universal, since the unisex harems run roomy on everybody. For full outfits around all of it, browse men's rave clothing or women's rave clothing.

Reflective Rave Pants for Light Shows

Reflective rave pants bounce bright light straight back at wherever it came from. A camera flash does it. So does a laser, or a pair of headlights in the parking lot at 3 a.m. No light source, no effect, and I'd rather say that up front.

Here's the lineup by shape. For reflective cargo pants, start with Flashbang Silver Reflective Cargo Joggers, which carry seven pockets, and Time 2 Get Lit Rainbow Reflective Cargo Joggers, which add rainbow accents and a form-fitting ankle. Time 2 Get Lit goes S, M and L, then 1X to 3X, so there's no XL.

Harem fans get two. Deep Void Reflective Pants have a relaxed harem silhouette and oversized pockets. Deep Void Rainbow Reflective Pants stay black until a light finds them, then the full rainbow spectrum shows up. Both run S to 4XL.

Then there's everything else. Deorro x iHR Silver Reflective Pants have an allover rose print and custom logo charms. Gatekeeper Silver Reflective Zip Off Pants hide zip-away legs. Speed Demon has reflective binding and detachable legs. Firelight Reflective Pants put flame graphics on black and silver, with four pockets. Power Surge and Flash Point are the reflective chaps.

Honestly, I assumed reflective just meant shiny. Wrong again. A friend held up her phone at the edge of a crowd and fired the flash, and a stranger's pants lit up like a traffic cone. For photos, have someone shoot from a few feet away with the flash on. It works better than most club lighting.

But reflective pants don't glow on their own. I went through every product page for these pants, and none lists a UV reactive finish, so if you want blacklight glow in a tent, check the page of whatever pair you're eyeing and don't assume. Build the whole look from reflective rave clothing and keep the other colors quiet so the shine does the talking.

Pockets, Phones and Stash Pockets

Look, pockets decide how I rank pants more than prints do, and I'll defend that in court. Wildwood puts a flap pocket on each side so your phone rides with you. Lucid Loop has deep zip pockets. Swirl Mode has six pockets, some with zippers. Don't Ever Stop has eight. Flashbang has seven, and Zen Zone sits at five.

Hidden stash pockets are the sleeper feature. Wildwood and Lucid Lava hide one in the waistband. Full Throttle Chaps do too, and the PsyTrip has a hidden zippered secret stash pocket. Hypnotica has hidden side pockets.

My own rule: one key and one ID go in the stash pocket, plus a lip balm if I'm feeling bold. Phones go in a zip or flap pocket, never an open one, because a pit will test every pocket you own. And fair warning, deep pockets with a phone and a portable charger inside swing against your thigh every time you jump. Worth knowing before you pack them full.

Rave Pants for Cold Desert Nights and Winter Raves

Here's the functional version. Nothing in this collection claims insulation, so treat rave pants as coverage, then layer.

Full-length pairs beat shorts after dark. Higher Love and Zen Zone are 100% cotton harems. Holo Star Fur Pants have double lining plus faux fur trim at the waist and ankles, and Skybound has plush faux fur trim. Keep zip-off legs zipped once the sun drops. Wear a thermal base layer underneath and pack a jacket for the walk back to camp. Wildwood's description says to cuff the hems over chunky boots, which I'd do anyway.

How to Build a Rave Outfit with Pants

Putting together rave outfits with pants comes down to one rule. One loud thing, everything else quiet. Loud pants get a plain top. Quiet pants get the loud top.

Loud Pants, Quiet Top

Swirl harems, tie dye, camo and mushroom prints all count as loud. Put a solid, fitted top above any of them and let the legs do the talking. A pair of rave tops in one color does the job, because all that volume below needs something snug above.

Quiet Pants, Loud Top

My favorite blank canvas is black rave pants. Code Black, Dark Matter, Don't Ever Stop, DnB Diva and Hypernova all run black, and a patterned top or one of our rave jerseys sits on them without a fight. Going head to toe dark? That's black rave outfits territory, and a silver reflective accent keeps it from going flat.

Shoes and the Jump Test

Call them edm pants or festival pants. The test is the same. Jump ten times in the fitting room before you commit. If anything slides or rides up, pick another pair. Then pick rave shoes you'd happily stand in for six hours, because pants only look as good as your feet feel by hour five.

Matching Sets

A few pairs, Brain Candy and Skybound among them, mention a matching top right in the description. If you'd rather skip the matching game, two-piece rave sets already did the work.

Rave Pants Sizing and Fit

Sizing changes with the cut, so here's the quick map. Most unisex harem and wide-leg pairs run XS to 4XL. The men's cut starts at S instead and also tops out at 4XL, while the women's cut runs XS to 3X. Then come the exceptions, and there are a few.

• Higher Love, Zen Zone, Swirl Mode and Walking on a Dream Tie Dye stop at XL.
• Sacred Grove, Lunar Fog, Bussin' Bass and No Escape use combined sizes such as S-M and L-XL.
• Skybound starts at S, and Time 2 Get Lit skips XL.
• The PsyTrip skips 3XL, and Happy Hour Harem Pants 2.0 tops out at 2XL.

But plus size rave pants deserve a straight answer. They come in two label systems. Women's Curve pairs, like the flares, chaps and cargos, use 1X to 3X. Unisex harem pairs use 2XL to 4XL. The two don't line up one-to-one, so read the chart on the product page before you guess. For more, browse plus size rave clothes.

Honestly, the waistband matters more than the label. Drawstrings, elastic, tie waists, lace-up ties and belts all show up across this collection, and they keep a roomy pair in place when you jump. Hypnotica lists itself as roomy and true to size, which tells you the baggy fit is on purpose.

Measure first. I once ordered a baggy pair by my usual jeans size, skipped the chart, and spent a whole Saturday afternoon hitching them up every four songs. A tape measure feels like homework, I know. Do it anyway, then read a few reviews on the exact pair you're eyeing. iHeartRaves has 68,000+ reviews at a 4.4 average across the whole store (Stamped), so somebody has probably sized your pair before you.

Caring for Rave Pants

Check the label first. Several of the reflective pairs list Handwash cold and Do not dry clean on the product page, including Deep Void, Flashbang, Power Surge, Flash Point and Time 2 Get Lit. Turn printed and reflective pairs inside out before washing. Skip bleach and fabric softener, since most care guides for printed gear say both dull the finish. Hang to dry. And keep the iron off any reflective area. For the 100% cotton pairs, the label beats anything I write here, so follow it.

How Fast Can Rave Pants Ship?

Order a week or two before the festival, not three days. Orders over $80 ship free. And popular sizes sell through, so don't wait on a pair you love.

Rave Pants FAQ

What pants do you wear to a rave?

Loose, breathable pants you can move in, with pockets and a waistband that stays put. Harem pants, cargo pants, joggers, flares and bell bottoms all work, and reflective pairs add a light-show effect when a flash or laser hits.

What are wook pants?

Wook pants is festival slang for loose harem or drawstring pants in earthy or psychedelic prints. At iHeartRaves, the closest matches are harem pairs like Lunar Fog and Sacred Grove.

What size rave pants should I order, and do they come in plus sizes?

Check the size chart on the product page first, since sizing changes with the cut. Men's pants run S to 4XL, women's run XS to 3X with 1X to 3X as the plus range, and most unisex harem pants run XS to 4XL. If you land between sizes, measure your waist and trust the chart over your usual jeans size.

How do reflective rave pants work?

Reflective pants bounce bright light, like a camera flash or a laser, back toward the source, so they flash against a dark crowd. They need a light source to do anything, and none of the pants in this collection list a UV reactive finish.

How do I keep rave pants from falling down while I dance?

Pick a pair with an adjustable waist. Drawstrings, tie waists, lace-up ties, elastic waistbands and belts all appear in this collection, and a couple of pairs add removable suspender straps. Pull the waist snug before you head out, then check it after the first hour.

Can you wear rave pants in cold weather?

Yes, with layers. None of these pants claim insulation, so wear a base layer underneath and keep zip-off legs zipped after dark. Full-length cotton harems and the faux fur trimmed flares cover more than shorts do.