Choosing lightweight travel clothing often means deciding between a garment built around merino features and one designed for wrinkle-resistant, easy-care wear. The Woolly Longhaul is a black pair of shorts with a merino blend, while the Eddie Bauer option is black dress pants in a relaxed fit. The right pick depends less on a universal winner and more on whether your itinerary calls for shorts or pants.
Quick verdict
Choose the Woolly Clothing Co Longhaul Merino Wool Shorts if breathable, moisture-wicking, odor-resistant, stretch fabric and five-pocket styling are the main reasons for packing. Choose the Eddie Bauer pants if wrinkle resistance, machine-washable care, and a relaxed trouser fit matter more. The $22.45 price gap is meaningful, but the garments serve different roles, so format should lead the decision.
At-a-glance comparison
| Attribute | Woolly Clothing Co Longhaul Merino Wool Shorts Mens 36 Black | Eddie Bauer Men 38x32 Dress Pants Black Relaxed Fit Wrinkle Resistant Cotton |
|---|---|---|
| Price | USD 39.95 | USD 17.50 |
| Garment format | Merino wool shorts | Dress pants |
| Fit and size | Regular fit, Mens 36 | Relaxed fit, 38x32 |
| Material | 66% merino wool, 29% cotton, 5% elastane | 100% cotton |
| Condition | Pre-owned - Good | Pre-owned - Excellent |
| Notable features | Breathable, moisture wicking, odor resistant, stretch, pockets | Breathable, wrinkle resistant, easy care, pockets |
Where each product wins
- Woolly wins for merino-centered packing. The merino blend, moisture-wicking feature, odor resistance, and stretch give it the more feature-focused case for a minimalist travel wardrobe built around shorts.
- Eddie Bauer wins for care and trouser utility. Wrinkle resistance, easy care, machine washability, a flat front, and slash pockets make the pants a more fitting choice for travel that includes work, business meetings, or dressier settings.
Product notes
Woolly Clothing Co Longhaul Merino Wool Shorts Mens 36 Black
The Longhaul makes the clearer case when a trip calls for black shorts with a merino blend instead of dress pants. Its 66% merino wool, 29% cotton, and 5% elastane composition is paired with breathable, moisture-wicking, odor-resistant, and stretch features. Five-pocket styling and a clean chino-short silhouette also give it a useful transition from outdoor activities to casual wear. The limitation is concrete: the item is marked pre-owned in good condition, and shorts cannot serve a shorts-free itinerary that specifically requires pants. The $39.95 price also makes the choice more deliberate than the Eddie Bauer alternative. Select Woolly when its merino-centered feature mix and shorts format are central to the trip rather than incidental details.
Eddie Bauer Men 38x32 Dress Pants Black Relaxed Fit Wrinkle Resistant Cotton
Eddie Bauer is the more direct match for a travel plan built around black dress pants. The 100% cotton fabric is paired with wrinkle resistance and easy-care handling, while the relaxed fit, flat front, slash pockets, and zip closure keep the design suited to casual, work, and business-meeting settings. Machine washability adds a practical reason to choose it for an itinerary where straightforward garment care matters. Its limitation is the format: dress pants cannot replace shorts when the packing plan specifically calls for that cut. The listed 38x32 size is also a specific fit starting point rather than a general sizing description. At USD 17.50, Eddie Bauer is the lower-priced route, making it the clearer choice when trouser utility and simple care outweigh merino-focused features.
Final choice by use case
- For merino travel clothing and a shorts-based minimalist wardrobe: Choose the Woolly Longhaul. Its merino blend, odor resistance, moisture wicking, and stretch directly support that use case.
- For wrinkle-resistant travel pants: Choose Eddie Bauer. Its cotton construction, wrinkle resistance, easy care, and dress-pants format are the stronger match.
- For work or business-meeting travel: Eddie Bauer is the better fit because the description specifically places the pants in those settings.
- For a feature-led shorts choice: Woolly is the more suitable pick, provided pre-owned good condition is acceptable.
