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The Ten Thousand Interval Pant and Session Pant are both designed to support your performance, but they do so in different ways. I’ve had a fair amount of questions about the Ten Thousand Interval Pant and Session Pant.
I wanted to put together a comparison article and break down their differences. This way, you, as an athlete, can decide which pants are best for your needs, much like finding the perfect training shorts. The biggest differences between the Interval Pants and Session Pants include their subtle construction details and what exactly they’re good for.
I think defining exactly what you want your pair of pants for will be essential for helping you make the best and most rational decision and not wasting your money on a product that doesn’t fit your needs.
Table of Contents+
Interval Pant Vs Session Pant for Lifting
If you’re looking into the Interval Pant and Session for gym warm-ups, lifting, or CrossFit, then there is a clear winner between the two. While both pants can technically work for lifting contexts, the Ten Thousand Interval Pant is the superior choice for three key reasons.
First, the Interval Pant has a slightly thicker material and is built out of an interlock fabric comprising 60% nylon and 40% spandex.
Overall, this gives the Interval Pant a slightly heavier feel to it and makes it a decent option for warm-up purposes on moderately brisk days. Note, these pants will not be heavy enough for seriously cold sessions.
Second, the four-way stretch of these pants allows them to move really well. I never really have issues with these pants and their mobility. They don’t pull down when squatting, and overall, I think the crotch also moves really well with whatever exercise I’m tackling.
Third and lastly, I like that the drawstring can go in or out and the pockets are big enough for holding my phone. The drawstring is great for preventing the pants from coming untied while training, and the pockets are solid enough to stash your phone and other valuables while warming up.
The Session Pant can work for these activities, but the overall material is just too light for truly being a good pant for warming up in the context of lifting. Additionally, I’ve had more issues with the Session Pant’s legs riding up and staying up, which is annoying to have to keep pulling them down mid-workout.
Winner: Interval Pant
Interval Pant Vs Session Pant for Running
For my running-focused friends, both the Interval Pants and Session Pants will work, but for slightly different reasons. The Session Pant, much like the Session Short, is designed for running and more cardio-focused training. That being said, the build of this pant replicates the shell of the Session Short.
This pant is super lightweight and breathes really well. For context, it has a fabric weight of 124 GSM and is made out of 86% polyester and 14% spandex. In the world of workout-focused pants, these specs indicate that these pants are really lightweight and have an “airy” feel to them.
For running, I think the Session Pant will be the best call and best served on brisk days when you want a pant for pre-run warm-ups or you want to physically run in your pant. Basically, if you want pants to warm up and then take off for your training session, then the Session Pant is a good call.
The Interval Pant will also work well for running, but it is a bit heavier and doesn’t breathe quite as well. This makes it a more viable option for shorter runs if you plan on running in them and as a tool for warming up if you plan to ditch your pants.
Winner: Both work, but go Session Pant if you only want a pant for running.
Interval Pant Vs Session Pant for Daily Wear
Overall, I’ve been enjoying wearing the Interval Pant and Session Pant, but I keep finding myself bias which model I wear most on a day-to-day basis. Personally, I think you’ll be best suited with the Interval Pant if you’re looking for a model that you can wear casually on a day-to-day basis.
The Interval Pant reminds me a lot of the Lulu ABC Jogger which is one of my all-time favorite daily wear pants and jogger. The pocket system, tapered fit, and overall blend of materials are what sets the Interval Pant apart from the Session Pant for daily wear.
Plus, the Interval Pant I feel like walks a really good line between being heavy enough to look casual and light sufficient to limit overall sweat in them. If you’re wearing them on a hot commute, for example, then I think these pants will do a pretty good job at wicking sweat and keeping you fairly cool.
I also feel like you can wear the Interval Pant pull them off in more casual settings and wear them to work in work environments that allow athleisure. The Session Pant’s more whispy construction definitely gives it a more “workout-focused” vibe, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it limits the Session Pant’s ability to work for casual wear.
Winner: Interval Pant
Interval Pant Vs Session Pant Durability
The Interval Pants and Session Pants are both fairly durable for their respective activities. However, if you plan to use your pant for a variety of activities, then I think you’ll get more out of the Ten Thousand Interval Pant long-term.
Their four-way stretch build never loses form or stretches, even if I wear them for a week without washing them. Plus, their materials and construction, I think, are better suited for abrasion resistance, which is awesome for making this pair of pants much more versatile in nature.
The Session Pant will be durable if you limit their use to only running or very casual wear. Their material and construction are so light, I would not recommend using them for anything outside of those activities because I worry they’ll rip fairly easily if snagged on anything.
For example, I’ve worn the Interval Pants on hikes multiple times but would opt out of using the Session Pants for fear of them ripping.
Interval Pant Vs Session Pant Sizing
One thing that I really like about the Ten Thousand Interval Pant and Session Pant is that their sizing is consistent. With some of the Ten Thousand shorts, I have to strategically choose between medium and large, which can be fairly frustrating, to say the least.
In the Interval Pant and Session Pant, I comfortably wear a large in both. I’m going to provide my dimensions below to hopefully help provide you with an idea for how the pants fit and so you can scale accordingly per your sizing.
- Height: 6′ 0″
- Waist: 33″
- Hip (circumference around butt): 39/40″
- Mid-Thigh: 24″
I feel like large is the perfect fit for my dimensions. In mediums, the pants constantly ride up and they’re way too tight around the waist and upper thighs. The legs still ride up a bit in the Session Pant, but we discussed that earlier and that’s also why I’m not a huge fan of them.
Interval Pant Vs Session Pant Construction
To break down these pants and make this section a bit more digestible, we’ll talk about a few key construction aspects that are worth knowing for each pant.
Waistband
The waistbands of each pant are reflective of their uses and core construction. The Interval Pant’s waistband feels similar to the Interval Short and features a dual-wear drawcord so you can have the drawstring facing externally or internally. The waistband in the Interval Pant lays fairly true and never really bunches up.
Just like the Session Short, the Session Pant features a perforated waistband that is lightweight and fairly breathable. I never have issues with this pant’s waistband and bunching up either. However, there have been a few occasions where the upper portion of the Session Pant’s waistband has folded inward on me.
Taper and Cuffs
Both pants feature a cuff-zip taper construction toward the lower leg, however, they both sit slightly differently. The Interval Pant’s cuff fits a bit more true around the calves and the zipper comes up enough so you can easily take these pants on and off. When warming up, I’ll sometimes leave my shoes on when taking these off.
I also like that the zipper on the Interval Pant’s cuff is more internal-facing as sometimes external zippers can break down faster due to getting snagged on things.
The Session Pant’s taper is a bit loose and they don’t hug the calves nearly as well. This then causes to ride up a bit on occasion due to there being less material to help lock down the lower leg.
Pockets
The Interval Pant and Session Pant both feature Ten Thousand’s Every Session Carry Pocket System. Basically, this is one of their core pocket constructions to deliver consistent pockets that can secure a variety of different valuables.
Below, I have my hand fully extended in each pant’s pocket. The Interval’s pocket is a tad deeper which is also another reason why I prefer this model for daily wear. The Interval Pant is on the left while the Session Pant is on the right.
In both pants, you can easily fit your phone, wallet, and keys into the various pockets and the pockets are deep enough to keep them secure.
Interval Pant Vs Session Pant Price
For the Interval Pant and Session Pant, you can expect to pay $98 USD. While these are definitely not the most budget-friendly workout pants on the market, they are priced a bit better compared to companies like Lululemon.
Personally, I think if you’re grabbing either pair of these pants for their intended purposes, then their prices are worth it. Plus, if you take good care of them, they should last a while.
Takeaway Thoughts
Overall, I like the Ten Thousand Interval Pant and Session Pant and how they perform. However, I definitely have my favorite and think the Interval Pant is a much better pant across the board in regard to construction and versatile performance.
If you have any questions about the Ten Thousand Interval Pant or Session Pant, drop a comment below or reach out to me personally via Instagram (@jake_boly)!
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