Last winter, I wore and then wrote up our experience with some European-style work pants. Soon after that review, Truewerk reached out to me over Instagram to see if I’d try out a pair of its work pants. I’d heard good things about the T2 version, so I decided to give them a shot. I also wanted to try out Snickers Workwear products, so I requested to test out a couple of pairs there as well. As the European-style work pant gains popularity here in the states, the options and features are increasing.
Truewerk G2. Truewerk has designed its line around the “industrial athlete.” It is true that a lot of what we do in the trades requires some level of athletic ability. This is especially true of tasks that require working at heights and in a harness.
The G2 pant is designed to be abrasion and tear resistant, but flexible. It is also designed not to melt but rather burn if the wearer is dealing with sparks from tasks like grinding or welding. The seams of the pant are stitched with “Core Spun Poly thread-constructed like Kernmantle climbing rope.” This resists abrasion but will stretch. The stretch in the work pant, too, has been optimized directionally for the way we move on and around buildings as we work. The wear points of the pant feature Cordura Nylon 6.6 to extend the life of the pant.
The G2 has pockets that zip to the pant in the front and rear that allow the user to store tools and so on. I know from some finish carpenters who wear the pant these pockets mean they don’t need to wear tool bags.
Fit. This pant just doesn’t fit me. I wear a 36w x 30 inseam and these are still too long. They are deliberately made this way for harness work. My recommendation is to order 2 inches or 4 inches shorter in the inseam if you don’t do harness work. I gave my pair to a friend who is 6’3” tall (I’m 5’7” tall), and he absolutely loves them. He won’t stop raving about them and gets a lot of comments about them when he is at the lumberyard. My coworker loves his as well. As of this writing, the pants are only available in 30-, 32-, and 34-inch inseams, so if you typically wear a 30-inch inseam, they’re going to be too long on you.
What makes this a great pant is that it is lightweight but stretches so it won’t bind when you’re crouching or crawling around in crawl spaces or attics. One of the biggest pros to this pant is that you can slide in kneepads from the outside. This is easy, but more importantly will save your knees over time.
The G2 costs $124, but there is a program to reduce price.
Snickers Workwear. I reached out to Snickers because the Truewerk didn’t fit me well. I asked to review the 6301 AllroundWork Trouser and the FlexiWork.
AllroundWork Trouser. Snickers has a variety of trouser and short options for tradesmen and tradeswomen, with everything from high visibility and built-in outside pockets available. I opted for the AllroundWork Trousers, which don’t have outside pockets. As a framer, I have to wear tool bags, so pants with built-in pockets tend to get in the way. This pant is a little slimmer cut than American pants, but has a Cordura stretch crotch gusset (which is the most common wear point in pants). Behind the knees are openings to allow for ventilation. The Cordura-reinforced knees allow for kneepads to be inserted from the outside.
I found these to be very comfortable pants, similar to the Bjornklader Jubilee I reviewed last year, though I think the Snickers are a little more comfortable.
What sets Snickers apart from other brands is that the company has a much larger selection of sizes. I highly recommend these pants, but know that they are a little slimmer so if you have larger legs (like I do), then they’ll be a little snug. You can buy them from Snickersdirect.com for about $80. I opted for the “petrol” color and love them.
FlexiWork. This pant was recommended to me because it is made to be flexible. The fabric is a lightweight (similar to the G2) “Cordura stretch and rip-stop fabric.” Like the Allround, the FlexiWork has ventilating knees and kneepad pockets that insert from the outside.
The pant comes with a built-in belt. I love the belt because it doesn’t get in the way of the buckle on my tool belt. This pant is so comfortable to wear that I have to recommend it. I feel like this pant (and the G2 above) are the tradie’s (I learned a new Australian word from some carpenters on IG from Australia) equivalent of Lululemon yoga pants. At $100, they are a steal. I have been working in them in upper 20°F temps and thermals and have been plenty warm.
I had a guy at the grocery store ask me about them. He was interested in buying them because of the built-in kneepad pockets for his job stocking shelves.
One thing I wish is that the color selection was better. I’d like a lighter color to wear when we get closer to warm temps in a few months because I’m anticipating these absorbing the sun and getting warm.
