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ClothingExtreme Conditions Gear

Toughest Work Pants

by Jim Arrows February 6, 2022
Toughest Work Pants

What are the most durable pants on earth?  Based on our research, the most durable pants you can purchase are the Carhartt Men’s Firm Duck Double-Front Work Dungaree Pant. A close runner-up is the Filson Oil Finish Double Tin Cloth Pants.

How to Choose Durable Pants

If you’re in the market for pants that will withstand the pressures of hard work, we’ve gathered helpful information below that we think you’ll find helpful. To help you land on the right selection, we’ve broken our review down into five separate categories:

  • Overall toughest work pants
  • Toughest dress work pants
  • Toughest hunting pants
  • Toughest jeans
  • Toughest construction work plants

General Tips For Choosing the Most Durable Pants

Fabric

Being able to identify the high-quality material that is appropriate for your specific use is an essential part of the search process in your quest to find the toughest pair of pants. That process is even more complicated by the fact that some tough pants are meant to be used in very specific contexts such as construction work, firefighting, general recreation and so forth. Below are a few tips that should help you work through the process in a more informed manner.

  • Read the label: Synthetic and natural fiber blends are very common, but aren’t always the best option.  For example, when you machine dry cotton-polyester blends it’s always possible that you might shrink or alter the shape or even durability of your pants.
  • Grade of Fabric matters:  Even if the manufacturer of your pants states the pants in question are 100% cotton, you need to ask what grade of cotton or wool? And, don’t always assume that the more expensive pants are the higher-quality pants.
  • Comfort.  Each of the pants we’ve recommended are best used in specific contents. As you give thought to your purchase, don’t lost sight of the fact that you want to be comfortable in your pants. Ultimately, it might make sense to purchase a less expensive, less durable pair of pants if you find comfort is on the top of your list.
  •  Tighter fabric weave matters.  Some pants will point this information out. Spend some time evaluating this level of detail if you’re able to find it in the product description.

Stitching

Fabric quality is important, but it goes without saying that stitching is as well. In short, better quality pants have more stitches per inch and thus have tighter seams.

  • Seams should be straight and tightly stitched using a solid threat type.  Ideally, they should lie flat without any pleating or improper placement.
  • Inspect the seams carefully. Even if the outside seam looks good, it’s possible there are issues with the inside seams.
  • Inspect the backstitching carefully to ensure high-quality workmanship.
  • Examine the crotch stitching.  The inseam and crotch .  The crotch in a durable pair of pants is sewn using two separate stitch patterns differing in length one on top of the other.  Test the crotch seam by pulling on either side firmly.  If the stitching flexes or shows separation even a bit…walk away
  • Look for a gussetted crotch In works pants:  crouching, squatting and kneeling puts enormous strain on crotch seams especially on work pants
  • Look for sturdy button holes: no fraying or loose threads.

Engineering truly rugged work pants is no easy task and few companies do it well.  Work pants must be over-engineered in 4 key areas: crotch, knees, butt and pockets.

Double and triple-stitched seams, heavily reinforced crotches and double-layered knees are bare minimum requirements for truly rugged work pants.Pockets must be well built and be able to handle a handful of nails without perforation.  So if you find the pockets are made of light gauge material walk away.

If you’re looking for additional tough clothing, check out our post detailing the toughest socks.

Overall Most Durable Work Pants

There are a lot of options, but we’re a fan of Carhartts and their Carhartt Men’s Firm Duck Double-Front Work Dungaree Pant is a solid choice if you’re looking for an option that’s versatile, affordable and will last for many years. If on a daily basis you’re crawling on roofs, pounding nails, or securing rebar into cement, the double-front dungaree is prepared to absorb the pressure. Made in the USA, these pants are manufactured with 12-ounce, firm-hand, 100 percent ring-spun cotton duck. They include a full seat for easy movement, a double front with cleanout openings that accommodate knee pads, multiple tool and utility pockets for convenience, left-leg hammer loop, heavy-hauling reinforced back pockets. These are serious pants for serious workers.

Carhartt Men's Firm Duck Double-Front Work Dungaree Pants
9.9/10Our Score
  • Super durable 12-ounce, firm-hand, 100% cotton ring-spun duck stands up to years of use
  • Cleanout openings that easily let dirt and debris escape and accommodate knee pads
  • Multiple tool and utility pockets with left-leg hammer loop
  • Heavy hauling reinforced back pockets to take on hand tools and more
  • Made in USA
Check AmazonCheck Walmart

Toughest Dress Work Pants

This choice was a no-brainer. Even though these pants can double as your best overall tough pants, we felt these just looked a little sharper than your typical Carhartt work pants.

The Patagonia Men’s Iron Forge Hemp pants are truly an exceptionally well-design and well-made pant. Hemp is a more durable, breathable fabric and it tends to be more durable than just about any fabric used with clothing. Peruse this well-written and extremely detailed review of these pants on the ISSU site.

Patagonia Men's Iron Forge Hemp Pants
9.8/10Our Score
  • The durable foundation of our Workwear line
  • Heavy-duty, double-knee work pants are made from our innovative 12.9-oz Iron Forge Hemp™ canvas
  • 25% more abrasion resistant than conventional cotton duck canvas and needs no break-in.
  • Inseam is 32"; also available in 30" and 34" inseams. Fair Trade Certified™ sewn.
Check Patagonia

Toughest Hunting Pants

These pants are costly, but if you’re hunting in extremely cold weather, Filson is a brand you can depend on to keep you warm. The Filson Mackinaw Field pants are naturally water-repellent, straight-leg pants are made with durable 100% virgin wool. They have suspender buttons and six pockets for tools. Wool provides superior warmth even when wet, and naturally wicks away sweat. The belt loops accommodate belts up to 1-1/2″ wide. We highly recommend these pants if you’re looking for the toughest pants for cold-weather hunting.

Filson Mackinaw Field Pants
9.1/10Our Score
  • These Filson® Mackinaw Field Pants are naturally water-resistant and retain their warming properties even if they do get wet.
  • Belt loop waistband with solid brass zip fly and button closure.
  • Suspender buttons on the waistband.
  • 2 slash hand pockets and 4 flap pockets.
  • Straight-leg with wide, unhemmed cuffs that can accommodate boots. 100% wool. Dry clean only. Made in the USA. Measurements: Waist Measurement: 32 in Outseam: 47 in Inseam: 37 in Front Rise: 14 in Back Rise: 16 in Leg Opening: 20 in Product measurements were taken using size 34. Please note that measurements may vary by size.
Check AmazonCheck Backcountry

Toughest Jeans

We all need a pair of basic jeans if we’re looking to outfit our wardrobe with clothing that can withstand the test of time. And, more importantly, protect and keep us comfortable while we’re doing physical work. While you really can’t go wrong with a basic pair of Levis or some other well-manufactured pair of jeans, our review focuses on the toughest jeans. With that qualifier in mind, we recommend you check out the Carhartt Men’s Flame-Resistant Rugged Flex Relaxed Fit 5-Pocket Tapered jeans. As the name suggests, these jeans are designed to take a pounding even when the environment gets hot. These jeans are made of our most durable, abrasion-resistant denim with enough stretch for easy movement. They’re cut with a slim seat and thigh and have a tapered leg.


Toughest Construction Work Pants

Although these pants can at times be hard to find, we’d be remiss if we didn’t include the Filson Oil Finish Single Tin Pant. Our first link (Amazon) points to the double finish, whereas our second link below points to the single finish option. Overall, these are just ferocious work pants. These pants are titanium tough and loaded with pockets. These pants have been made for 75 years and are a virtually impenetrable barrier to briars, foul weather and wet brush. Equipped with a double layer of our toughest, water-resistant oil finish Tin Cloth from waist to knee, they provide armor-like protection from abrasion and punctures. Although they’re costly, you just can’t go wrong with these tough pants.

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