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[Request] Comfortable, durable, work pants NOT from Duluth
To be frank, no work pants are indestructible and will inevitably fall apart/fail in multiple areas over the course of a year of hard usage and machine washing/drying.
I have similar pants from multiple brands you've listed, including Duluth. All of them wear out and break.
Duluth used to have a lifetime warranty but recently changed it to a 1-year "no Bull warranty" (here) that extends past a year at their discretion.
I have never pursued warranties on Dickies or Carhart because I have bought them from box stores. However I have gotten pretty good service at multiple Duluth stores a couple of things failed or didn't fit well after a couple wearings and washes.
I agree that their initial response to your claim on the elastic was BS but I would attribute that to maybe a shit employee or a bad day. Any retailer scoffs when a customer sets an item that looks heavily used and abused on their counter. Some, like Costco, will take just about anything back in any condition at any time.
If you've got one single pair of work pants your wear for even one day of rough work a week, they're gonna be trashed in a year. I say this as someone with 30 years of experience in rough conditions outdoor labor.
I very much recommend learning to sew and do your own mods and repairs. Maybe even build your own--seriously, this is how businesses are built; when there's a market need met with an exceptional product.
More on reddit.comDuluth trading company fire hose pants
Should I get the fire hose work pants from Duluth or the carhartt cargo work pants canvas ?
Viewing a thread - Work pants suggestions.
Idk what's different about me, but the Firehose Flex pants I got last year are straight up bad1 and both the local store and corporate number offered any meaningful support. So I have sworn them off...I see no reason to pay a premium for non-premium products with no actual guarantee to speak of.
That said, the slim fit on the Firehose Flex was good, and the plentiful yet low-profile pockets were great too. If there were a pant with a similar design but, ya know, actually durable material, that would be great. I am 50/50 on whether they need stretch.
I'd prefer canvas-y/duck material over denim. Thick and too-hot-in-the-summer material is fine; I'd rather be too warm than cool from having the breeze blowing through holes in the knees and crotch.
Brown color would be great (shows less dirt), though I really don't like the Carhartt yellow-y brown. But also, color is like the lowest priority if the pants hit all the other marks.
Pockets for insert knee pads would be a great plus.
I'd be willing to spend up to $100 or so if it gets me pants that will actually last for years, and are backed by an actually usable guarantee.
Looking at the big brands, here are my thoughts based on the product info; I haven't actually owned any of these so I could use some real-world experience too:
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"RUGGED FLEX RIGBY DOUBLE-FRONT PANT" from Carhartt seem appropriately durable and have knee pad pockets, but I'd really like more leg pocket space
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"DuraTech Ranger Duck Cargo Pants" from Dickies also seem decent but the cavernous cargo pockets aren't as good as multiple separate ones
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1620 Workwear "Double Knee Utility Pant" seem spot-on for durability, but the price is kinda steep, and no additional pockets would be annoying
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Caterpillar "Men's Trademark Pants" look a bit too whatever-the-construction-version-of-tacticool-is with their two-tone design, but the pockets look fantastic and at least their promise of durability sounds good too
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"WRANGLER® RIGGS WORKWEAR® RIPSTOP RANGER CARGO PANT" also have a nice pocket design, and the 10oz fabric is a bit thicker than others
Any thoughts?
1 Here's what's wrong with them. This is from <1 year of light homeowner use mowing, gardening, etc. a handful of hours a week:
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Elastic started failing and puckering after just a couple washings
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Left knee worn through, right knee threadbare
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Crotch ripped on both sides of the gusset
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The material in front of the pocket wore through where the top corner of my phone sits
I brought them into the store when the elastic puckering was the only issue and they implied that it was somehow my fault and wouldn't exchange them. After the rest of the stuff started wearing out so quickly, I called the corporate number, and their answer was that I can pay to ship them in, but if they decide it's from normal wear and tear, they will just throw them away and I'd be left with nothing.
To be frank, no work pants are indestructible and will inevitably fall apart/fail in multiple areas over the course of a year of hard usage and machine washing/drying.
I have similar pants from multiple brands you've listed, including Duluth. All of them wear out and break.
Duluth used to have a lifetime warranty but recently changed it to a 1-year "no Bull warranty" (here) that extends past a year at their discretion.
I have never pursued warranties on Dickies or Carhart because I have bought them from box stores. However I have gotten pretty good service at multiple Duluth stores a couple of things failed or didn't fit well after a couple wearings and washes.
I agree that their initial response to your claim on the elastic was BS but I would attribute that to maybe a shit employee or a bad day. Any retailer scoffs when a customer sets an item that looks heavily used and abused on their counter. Some, like Costco, will take just about anything back in any condition at any time.
If you've got one single pair of work pants your wear for even one day of rough work a week, they're gonna be trashed in a year. I say this as someone with 30 years of experience in rough conditions outdoor labor.
I very much recommend learning to sew and do your own mods and repairs. Maybe even build your own--seriously, this is how businesses are built; when there's a market need met with an exceptional product.
Husband likes the fit on the Carhartt Doublefronts versus any of his Duluth. We both had issues with ours too and I got the same run-around. I sent mine in anyhow and did get refunded for what it is worth. My Carhartts seem a bit thin and the fit is odd, but the men's sizes don't fit me alas and I have yet to find the women's doubles to try them on. His seem much nicer. I will caution their sizing is all over the map. On my list to try are the Patagonia line. They have a hemp-duck blend which ought to be very sturdy. You might also look for Tough Duck. I have their overalls and they are very good. Much pocket. They make pants for dudes too (I'm jealous!). I have looked at the Dickies, but they are reputed to not be terribly durable. Still...the doublefronts are crazy cheap sometimes.
Are they really as tough and long lasting as the reviews indicate? Hoping for folks who work construction type jobs to reply, as anything lasts if you work in a cubicle farm.