As you think about personal protection equipment (PPE), what tends to come to mind? Boots? Earmuffs? Helmets? High-visibility safety vests? Safety glasses?
What about pants? Did you know that the correct pair of pants can provide you the protection you need on your jobsites?
Without question, construction work pants aren’t generally considered PPE, as items like earmuffs, safety glasses and safety vests are normally discussed far more often. However, they’re just as critical as any other workwear item that’s deemed a PPE option.
After all, the proper pair will protect you from the elements you’ll encounter on your jobsites, whether you’re working in cold weather, hot, humid conditions, high winds, heavy snowfall or torrential downpours. And, even more importantly, they’ll protect you from a wide array of man-made, on-the-job hazards, too.
Why Buy Construction Work Pants?
Aside from protecting your legs from numerous natural and man-made hazards, the correct pair of work pants will offer you a wide array of other benefits as well.
For starters, they should enhance your comfort, enabling you to focus more on your job tasks than any of the discomforts associated with uncomfortable pants. To increase your overall comfort, your construction work pants should be as soft as possible. They must also fit properly, ensuring they’re never too loose or too tight. In addition, they should be stretchy, while providing you room too, especially in their seat and thighs, allowing you to have a high range of motion.
Just as importantly, they must be durable. In fact, more often than not, durability is the primary characteristic that construction workers seek as they purchase their work pants. Simply put, workers, like you, want (and need) pants that will withstand practically any element, over and over again. In turn, they can potentially be worn for several months, if not years, before they’re replaced. The bottom line? The most popular construction work pants are always the most durable.
Flexibility is key as well. Construction workers typically want to have variety as they purchase their work pants—from their fabrics and fits, to their colors, lengths and widths. The more options a manufacturer can provide, the more likely workers are to purchase work pants from that particular manufacturer. Not to mention, storage is a significant factor, too. As a construction worker, you want to know where your small tools are, along with items like pens and pencils, without always having to utilize a tool belt. Thankfully, construction work pants (the most popular, that is) tend to have various hammer loops and pockets, which are often more spacious now than they used to be.
Finally, many construction work pants offer protection in a variety of ways, aside from only covering your legs. As a PPE option, work pants are generally thick, thereby protecting your legs more than thinner options might. Furthermore, they may be comprised of fire-resistant materials, or they might provide knee protection, due to their knee pad pockets. Consequently, you’ll potentially be protected from burns, cuts and other injuries that may lead to considerable downtime.
In order to notice each of these benefits, along with others, IRONPROS recommends that you research the following five construction work pants, each of which could be a great addition to your current collection.
Carhartt Rugged Flex Relaxed Fit Canvas Work Pants
Carhartt Rugged Flex Relaxed Fit Canvas Work Pants.
As a result of the manufacturer’s Rugged Flex technology, these pants are very flexible, which is especially critical for construction workers that have to steadily bend down, kneel and stretch on their jobsites. Aside from their flexibility, the pants provide considerable variety too, with regards to their colors and sizes. Available in seven colors, including black, dark khaki, navy and tan, the pants are offered in several waist sizes (28 to 54) and lengths (28 to 36) as well. Comprised of 8.5-ounce cotton (98%) and spandex (2%) canvas, the pants are also very soft, which will likely lead you to wear them for many hours at a time.
Best Features: Rugged Flex technology; various waist sizes
Price: $40.97 - $54.99 – Buy Construction Work Pants on Amazon.com.
Caterpillar Trademark Work Pants
Caterpillar Trademark Work Pants.
Available in four colors—black, dark earth, grey and navy—these work pants have become one of the world’s most iconic for various reasons. First, they have robust oxford panels, ensuring they’re guarded from consistent wear and tear on your jobsites. Second, they have knee pad pockets, which guarantee that your knees will remain protected from the elements on a steady basis. Third, they have 20-inch leg openings, enabling you to easily fit them over your boots. And fourth, they offer a variety of storage opportunities, including cargo pockets, a cell phone pocket, a rear tool pocket, a ruler pocket and tool belt holders.
Best Features: Knee pad pockets; pockets for items like cell phones, rulers and tools
Price: $49.70 – Buy Construction Work Pants on Amazon.com.
Dickies FLEX Regular Fit Duck Carpenter Pants
Dickies FLEX Regular Fit Duck Carpenter Pants.
Offered in eight colors and eight waist sizes (30 to 44), these pants are available in various inseams too, ranging from 30 to 34. Aside from their variety, with regards to colors and sizes, the pants are also renowned for their composition—cotton (68%), polyester (30%) and elastane (LYCRA fiber) (2%)—leading to their simultaneous comfort, durability and flexibility. Featuring Tough Max technology, resulting in further durability, the pants will allow you to easily move from one jobsite to another as well, due to their flexible fabric. Providing triple needle reinforced felled outseams, the well-built pants offer space throughout their seat and thighs, too.
Best Features: Elastane (LYCRA fiber) composition; Tough Max technology
Price: $43.17 - $44.99 – Buy Construction Work Pants on Amazon.com.
Red Kap Industrial Cargo Pants
Red Kap Industrial Cargo Pants.
Upon researching these pants, you’ll notice one immediate quality: their variety. First, they’re available in 12 waist sizes, ranging from 30 to 50. Second, they’re offered in 10 inseams, from 27 to 36. And third, they’ll provide you four colors to choose from, enabling you to have plentiful variations as you prepare to purchase them. Aside from their assortment of options, the pants are also comfortable and durable, as they feature Touchtex Pro Technology. The technology, in particular, will ensure they’ll maintain their freshness after long durations, as they retain their original colors and resist stains. Moreover, due to the technology, the pants are soft and breathable, too.
Best Features: 12 waist sizes; Touchtex Pro Technology
Price: $30.34 - $37.96 – Buy Construction Work Pants on Amazon.com.
Snickers 6241 AllroundWork Stretch Trousers with Holster Pockets
Snickers 6241 AllroundWork Stretch Trousers with Holster Pockets.
There is no doubt about it. These pants were created for two primary reasons—to provide you flexibility and protection. Offering four-way stretch panels on their backsides, the pants have pre-bent legs as well, enabling you to effortlessly bend down, kneel and stretch without any restrictions at all. Featuring Cordura-reinforced KneeGuard pockets that will protect your knees from on-the-job hazards, the pants provide dirt and water repellent capabilities too, leading to high durability. Comprised of polyester (53%) and cotton (47%), the pants are also available in eight colors, including black, blue, brown, navy and white. Additionally, they provide plenty of storage, as they have cargo, holster and ruler pockets.
Best Features: Cordura-reinforced KneeGuard pockets; dirt and water repellent capabilities
Price: $144.99 – Buy Construction Work Pants on Amazon.com.
Things to Consider about Construction Work Pants
Should I air dry my construction work pants?
You certainly can! By air drying them, you’ll increase their likelihood of longevity, as they won’t be exposed to a dryer’s friction and high heat. You’ll also minimize the odds of warping, as they’ll likely maintain their original shapes for longer periods of time, when compared to drying them in a dryer.
If air drying isn’t always an option, can I dry them in a dryer instead?
Of course! Make sure you tumble dry them on low to medium heat, thus preventing any potential damage or shrinkage. Once they’re fully dry, try to remove them from the dryer as quickly as possible. You should also avoid ironing or dry cleaning them, too.
Finally, should I consider hand washing my work pants?
If you have the time to do so, definitely. By hand washing them, you’ll avoid the potential long-term damage associated with regular machine washing. However, more often than not, you simply won’t have the time to hand wash them, leading you to wash them in your washer instead. As you do so, be sure to wash them in cold water, while using a light detergent, in order to reduce any possible damage.
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