The Best Pants for Carpenters – Durable Buyer’s Guide

If you’ve operated with any sort of machinery or possess a skill that requires some physical work, then you know that clothing choice can often make the job more or less easier to do. Things like comfort and the number of pockets you have to place tools in hand are important, along with how well the fabric in their makeup can keep your skin at a comfortable temperature as you move around.

Carpentry particularly calls for good work pants, although picking them isn’t the easiest thing to do, mainly from so many companies making knockoff carpenter pants that aren’t properly tailored for people that work in the field. However, the five below are proven to be reliable, relaxed, and carry enough sturdy pockets to fit your go-to tools without damaging the material. When you’re done with the reviews, head over to the Buyer’s Guide for the latest tips to help you pick the right pair. Let’s begin!

Comparison Table

Image	Product
Best Choice	Caterpillar H2o Defender Pant Sizes: 28-42 Pockets: 8 Fabric: Polyester, Cotton Check Price	Check Price
Also great	Carhartt Ripstop Cargo Work Pant Sizes: 28-50 Pockets: 8 Fabric: Cotton Check Price	Check Price
Comfort	Dickies Straight-Leg Duck Carpenter Jean Sizes: 28-34 Pockets: 8 Fabric: Cotton Check Price	Check Price
Style	Wrangler Riggs Workwear Carpenter Jean Sizes: 29-42 Pockets: 5 Fabric: Cotton Check Price	Check Price
Durable	Dickies Loose Fit Double Knee Work Pant Sizes: 28-58 Pockets: 4 Fabric: Cotton, Polyester Check Price	Check Price

Top 5 Best Carpenter Pants Reviewed

 

1. Caterpillar Men’s Big and Tall H2o Defender Pant – Best Carpenter Pants for Work Use

The material consists of cotton and polyester, a nice combination that will stretch as you walk and move in them. This is helpful in two ways. First, it provides an anti-ripping effect. When you move your legs in ways that would cause tension, the stretch will never hit a critical point that could potentially break the threads holding the pants together.


The second is less risk from tears if they were to catch on to something, such as a two-by-four that you’re cutting. And if you work in a busy area with a lot of people, your presence will always be known for the reflective strips close to the knee area. They’re small but manage to pick up enough light to catch the attention of anyone nearby. If you’re going to machine wash these, remember to use fabric softener. The fabric will otherwise leave static, resulting in shocks whenever you touch metal. But this isn’t a big issue and shouldn’t keep you away from trying out the H2o Defender. In fact, place these at the top of your potential buying list.

2. Carhartt Men’s Ripstop Cargo Work Pant – Best Carpenter Pants for Home

Place your keys are other pointy belongings, such as pens and pencils, inside with no worries of making holes. They’re shaped in a way that will let you reach into them whether you’re standing or sitting down. Depending on how long you plan on using the pants, you might have to buy them in a size that’s smaller than you would normally wear. The waist may stretch permanently over time. Of course, how often you wear them also plays a factor in this. Yet this aside, there’s nothing negative to say about the fit and comfortability of the Carhartt pants.

3. Dickies Men’s Relaxed Fit Straight-Leg Duck Carpenter Jean – Best Carpenter Pants for Comfort

But the thick fabric may also be a letdown, more so if you live in an area that has a moderately warm climate. Heat seems to have a sort of “greenhouse effect” on the skin when the weather’s hot, resulting in a higher chance of sweating and discomfort in such a situation. However, those residing in a cooler climate shouldn’t have any of these problems. In short, you’ll certainly enjoy wearing this carpenter jean, but more so during the colder months of the year. For people that don’t sweat much, the issues described could even be irrelevant.

4. Wrangler Riggs Workwear Men’s Ripstop Carpenter Jean – Best Carpenter Pants for Storage

You might have to purchase them in a size that’s larger than what you would normally wear. To ensure that you do get them in the correct size, it’s suggested for you to measure yourself first in the waist before checking out a pair. This is the only improvement that could be made with the product; there’s nothing physically wrong with the jeans themselves.

All points of stress are properly reinforced, and they will never be at risk of tears and break along the seams. Use them if you want a jean that has specific pockets for small items, or just need something that’s comfortable to wear during work. They also look great and style well with literally any top when worn casually.

5. Dickies Men’s Loose Fit Double Knee Work Pant – Best Carpenter Pants for Durability

You’ll also get lots of breathability here. The pants do a great job of letting air inside as you move around, making sweating an unlikely issue when they’re on. It doesn’t seem to matter if you’re outside in the heat either; moisture will always be at a minimum when you’re working in them. The pockets are deep and sturdy, easy to reach whether you sitting up, down, or standing in an awkward position. This could also be a problem, as the back pockets are particularly large.

This could result in small items falling out of them if you’re not careful. But the biggest problem could be sizing. They run quite small; it’s almost a given that you’re going to have to go up an inch or two, possibly in length as well. If that doesn’t bother you, then don’t rule out the Dickies. You’re strong and look great, no matter if you’re wearing them on the job or as a fashion statement during your off hours.

Buyer’s Guide

This guide will make it easier for you to pick one (or more) pairs on the jeans that are shown in the reviews. It’s recommended that you read through it before finalizing your purchase.

How to Choose the Best Carpenter Pants

The most important thing to remember before buying any of the pants shown is to understand when they’ll be worn. Remember, you’re looking for carpentry pants, so put durability and your work location as factors in your buying choice. If you’re working from home, you might want something that’s built well, but could also function as normal jeans that could be worn anywhere you go. For employment, you should get something that will last a while, but functional and contain safety features that make the seams and stress points difficult to break.

This is a common complain among carpenter when wearing ordinary jeans, which is why carpentry pants remain in high demand. And most importantly, always look for fakes. No fakes as in fake brands, but fake carpentry pants. There are a lot of legitimate manufacturers that product pants that claim to be for home improvement and carpentry work but aren’t. You can generally tell by either the lack of pockets or reinforcement along the seams. If they appear to be thick and sturdy, then you’re probably looking at authentic carpentry pants. But if the material is thin and/or seems a bit off along the points of stress, consider finding a different brand.

Getting the Correct Size

This can be a tricky one, depending on your size. For individuals that wear sizes between a 33 and 42, finding jeans that will fit modestly isn’t that difficult to do. But for those who are larger or smaller, you’ve probably encountered the problem of getting the incorrect size. This could result in a swift return and is a big problem for people buying clothing online. You’re not getting the chance to try the clothes out for yourself in a clothing room, so know before you buy.

The best way to check the size of an item is to measure your own first, them compare it to what’s listed by the clothing company. For some, going up or down size is strongly recommended. If you feel that the brand’s sizing is inaccurate, measure the jeans yourself if they give the dimensions. To do this, it might even be necessary to visit the clothing line’s website. It doesn’t take a long as it sounds, so do it if there’s any doubt in your mind about the accuracy of the brand’s measurements.

The Number of Pockets and their Quality

Pockets are a huge deal with carpentry pants. If you end up with pants that aren’t properly fitted with good quality pockets, you may find yourself returning the item. If the manufacturer shows the material that the pockets are made from, be sure to pay attention. Sometimes, it might be an entirely different material than the rest of the jeans themselves.

Wool could be used, or even a polyester/cotton blend. You should look for jeans with pockets that are strong or stretch. The stretching gives more room for a pointed object to not rip at the bottom, such as pencils and pens. Dense fabrics like wood are best for people that put small tool accessories inside. Of course, you won’t want to store nails or screws inside but the pocket should hold up, even when temporarily supporting such items.

Material Strength

Most jeans that are built for carpentry work are made from either cotton, polyester, or a blend of the two. Blends generally are the best in terms of temperature comfort. Cotton is durable buy may get quite warm when it’s worn during the summertime, or in a hot room. If you’re working outside, 100-percent cotton is probably the best way to go. But for user in an indoor setting (or a mixture of both), blended fabric will be well received. If you’re not sure, just go for whatever you think is best in the comfort department. Remember, even the sturdiest pair of jeans may not be good for your carpentry work if they feel too awkward when put on.

Putting Quality above Looks

Each pair of jeans that are shown in the reviews can be worn on the job, or off. But always put quality of materials first before the way they look. This might be stating the obvious, but many shoppers will notice a pair that looks appealing and completely forget about their design, or how well they function when worn. Of course, this isn’t to say that you can pick your favorite color, but make this is secondary issue after first deciding on the jeans that will function well for your carpentry work. What looks well might be low-quality threads that can break quicker than you can cut a two-by-four.

Summary/Conclusion

Now that you’ve read through the reviews and guidelines, it’s hopeful that you have a general idea of what carpenter jeans you think is best for you. Remember to take things such as size differences and number of pockets into account before you settle on any one product. But if you’re still not sure which is best, there are two from the list that you should consider getting first. The Caterpillar H2o Defender and Carhartt Ripstop Cargo Work Pants are outstanding for either work or at-home (garage) environments. You can’t go wrong with either of them. But truthfully, each of the five reviewed have worthwhile qualities that make them highly recommended. If you can, it’s suggested that you try them all out. Either way, you won’t be disappointed with any of them!