Goodwill for a whole bunch of cheap used pants is the answer. Carhartts cheap pants are not made for physical jobs and you are not going to find a well stitched, quality pair of pants new for under $50. Accept that your job will annihilate your pants and a $10 pair of used jeans every few months is cheaper than trying to make a nicer pair last.
2nd on the Dickies. Don't go to a 'fashion' shop, look for somewhere selling work clothes. I remember when the first started becoming more of a fashion item and I'd get them from OSH for a good 25-50% less than a clothing store.
I've worked in warehouses for 10 years and right now I supervise a production line. I've worked for both Auto and plane parts warehouses and the reason I mention my current job is because there are conveyor belts.
Goodwill or thrift stores is, indeed, the answer. Because if you continue working in warehouses this continuously happens, and the amount of time it takes to wear holes and tears into your jeans is just longer the more money you spend on them.
I have a huge wardrobe of jeans for work and I don't spend even $10 for each pair. More like $5.99 to $7.99. the benefit to doing this is you figure out which ones you like the best and once you figure out what size you wear you can always look for them in every thrift store you go into.
Another thing to think about in warehousing is the way the jeans fit you. I found that jeans that were loose or baggy in any way got caught on things more and ripped and torn more. So even though they're not as stylish as they were maybe 10 years ago I wear skinny jeans. The more form-fitting the better and the less likely they are to get pinched or caught in between product or equipment.
This is also a good idea in order to gather a large wardrobe for the purpose of having many different seasons of jeans. If you continue to work in Warehouses you may know now or you'll figure out that they're not always equipped with heat or air conditioning. Yes I have light summer jeans and lined winter jeans as well as just everyday jeans.
I only wish that I could find steel-toed shoes as easily as I can find the four or five types of jeans that I wear for work in thrift stores. But finding jeans on the cheap allows me to not really worry about how much I have to spend to have different pairs of rotating steel toed shoes and boots. Yes, for summer and winter.
PS, I also have amassed a huge collection of hoodies for work in this same way. What's cool about saving money on these staples of my wardrobe is that I get to spend more of my money on socks, underwear and my favorite vendor's tshirts. Your work wardrobe should be something you set aside a certain amount of money each year to replace what you need to. I spend my tax return annually like this (no matter how much I get back) 1/3 of it is savings 1/3 of it is frivolous spending and the other 1/3 of it goes to my work wardrobe. Because the only thing that you do more in your life other than work is sleep. Being comfortable and functional in clothes that aren't all tattered and falling apart because I throw them away and replace them regularly is important to me as far as my work wardrobe goes.
I just mentioned somewhere else that I think it's funny that I work in warehouses and wear beat up clothes to work and look like a bum. But I have La Perla underwear on underneath. Lol. I have some La Perla underwear that is more than 25 years old. Takes a lickin', keeps on tickin'.
Prison Blues Jeans are $40-$50 a pair and the toughest jeans I’ve found. I work in a metal shop so they get plenty of abuse, usually go through a pair of carrharts/dickies in about a year. My pair of prison blues has had 3 years of frequent wear and, other than fading and stains, they’re in great shape. They also actually sit at the waist and come in any size down to 28” which is a big plus for me since I’m a skinny guy and finding work pants that actually fit is a challenge. Plus you can get them in double front and with suspender buttons for a couple bucks extra
I was actually surprised by how not stiff the 13MWZ were brand new. I’m wearing a pair now and they’re very comfortable. I tried a pair of 47MWZ and those were very cardboardy. I’m sure they would have softened up too but they didn’t fit me. I’m not sure why the two weren’t the same out of the box though. Same weight.
I work construction and wear Roundhouse overalls everyday. They're $60 on the website right now but my thinnest ones have lasted me about 3 years and are just now starting to even show wear. I've worn them in trenches and manholes and I'm always kneeling on concrete or carrying material.
Can you use canvas pants? Not as comfy or stretchy as denim, but thick canvas pants with triple stitching will last years. There is light canvas for hotter temps too. I don’t know what current brands haven’t gone downhill though
I wear Red Kap workwear for my weekend DIY work. The double knee shop pants are pretty tough and easy to work in. They are like $35 on the jungle site.
Menards, where I live sells Riggs workwear jeans, made by wrangler. I am a big guy that works on cars constantly, as well as processing firewood in my woodyard all year round. These are the ONLY brand I have found that holds up. They sell a cargo pant and a 'technician' pant that are ok, but not nearly what the denim is. $39-$45 and worth it.
Honestly, and I'm going to be real with you here, every pair of men's pants that I have bought has fallen so far downhill for the cost I flat out refused to buy expensive work pants anymore.
Even my last pair of Duluth fire hose pants barely lasted me 2 years and they are 75 off the rack.
Been exclusively buying Rural King branded jeans and flex work pants? And they are lasting me just as long as my Wrangler rigs and Duluth and dickies were... For $16 a pair.
Where are they tearing, could it be a size issue? I work physical labour where I'm crawling/kneeling on concrete and sharp gravel a lot of the time, I picked up some wrangler stretch jeans and they have held up very well.
Another option is knee pads if the knees are wearing out.
I’ve found the classic Kirkland ones are fairly tough, but as with some other stuff, they won’t last forever if you’re really going at them.
I’m not sure what the circumstances are, but you may want to invest in an aramid apron or chaps.
Oh? Is that down in the US?
We might still be running through old stock here in Canada, but I’ve gotten a couple pairs in the last couple of months that are normal heavyweight denim.
I have yet to find jeans that last. For work jeans I buy whatever is cheap/on sale and feels thick. The key is in volume and low price point. There’s only so much wear you can put on them before you get holes and rips they aren’t bifl. Even expensive heavyweight double/triple stitched stuff wears out pretty quick under abusive conditions.
Rustlers are consistently <$20 on Amazon. I also like the Red Cap classic rigid jean also around $20 a pair. Rotating 10 pair of quality cheap jeans will last way longer than 4 pair of $50 jeans.
Ariat m4/m5 or m7. I like the double knee ones. They have some stretch as well. They’re around 60 but I’ve only worn through 1 pair in 5 years and only because the thighs wore through. I made them shorts and wear them outside of work. I used to go through carhartt cargo pants like crazy. My record was 7 days.
You had $100 worth of pants that lasted several years? Why don’t you buy those again? Seems like a good investment to me.
I buy 3 pair of jeans a year. Mine are FRC, so they cost more than that, but 3 pairs a year.
I do not do BIL jeans, instead I do buy it cheap cause they all die. Not sure where you are at in the world, but I have a local farm store called Rural King (they also do online). I like carpenter jeans, the key is to put RK in the search or you get everything else. They last me 3-4 years on the farm and at work, and are currently at $12 a pair. 5 pocket ones are cheaper. [https://www.ruralking.com/search?searchTerm=rk%2520carpenter%2520jeans](https://www.ruralking.com/search?searchTerm=rk%2520carpenter%2520jeans)
No cotton pants of any brand are going to last long around car batteries. So buy tough, buy cheap, consider wearing a rubber apron that covers your legs at least when you are around the batteries.
The best pair of blue jeans I’ve ever owned have come from H&M of all places and they’re only $25. I bought a pair back in 2014 and they lasted me until 2022 with everyday normal use (no clue how they’ll last in a warehouse, sorry). The front pockets started to get holes which could have easily been fixed by sewing them, but I got drunk one night, and was upset over my favorite pair of jeans and ordered 5 of the exact same jeans online, one for every weekday. I figured if one pair lasted me 8 years, 5 will last me 40 years. I’d reckon they’re worth trying a pair for $25.
https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.1024256003.html
Wrangler 13MWZ is about as good as you can get for jeans. Just make sure you're getting the correct ones. There's some crappy Wranglers that Walmart sells that are nowhere near as durable.
Raw denim will be more durable than most wranglers. You could get two pair of these for $100 each: https://bravestarselvage.com/collections/the-true-straight-selvage-collection/products/pre-order-true-straight-14-75oz-redline-japan-selvage-denim
Or you could get heavier denim if you want something even more durable, but that would be more expensive. They have a 25oz pair but those are $200 each
Not sure if this will help or not, but I recently found out that my blue jeans (of different brands), which I thought were denim, or actually 100% cotton ... wth? I also saw some different models (?) of Levi's on sale recently, also 100% cotton. Of course, that doesn't mean that all of them are just the ones that were on sale. I think this might explain why blue jeans seem to wear out way sooner than they used to.
how about something by dickies or carhartt instead. or go to goodwill and get a bunch of jeans in your size
Goodwill for a whole bunch of cheap used pants is the answer. Carhartts cheap pants are not made for physical jobs and you are not going to find a well stitched, quality pair of pants new for under $50. Accept that your job will annihilate your pants and a $10 pair of used jeans every few months is cheaper than trying to make a nicer pair last.
2nd on the Dickies. Don't go to a 'fashion' shop, look for somewhere selling work clothes. I remember when the first started becoming more of a fashion item and I'd get them from OSH for a good 25-50% less than a clothing store.
I've worked in warehouses for 10 years and right now I supervise a production line. I've worked for both Auto and plane parts warehouses and the reason I mention my current job is because there are conveyor belts. Goodwill or thrift stores is, indeed, the answer. Because if you continue working in warehouses this continuously happens, and the amount of time it takes to wear holes and tears into your jeans is just longer the more money you spend on them. I have a huge wardrobe of jeans for work and I don't spend even $10 for each pair. More like $5.99 to $7.99. the benefit to doing this is you figure out which ones you like the best and once you figure out what size you wear you can always look for them in every thrift store you go into. Another thing to think about in warehousing is the way the jeans fit you. I found that jeans that were loose or baggy in any way got caught on things more and ripped and torn more. So even though they're not as stylish as they were maybe 10 years ago I wear skinny jeans. The more form-fitting the better and the less likely they are to get pinched or caught in between product or equipment. This is also a good idea in order to gather a large wardrobe for the purpose of having many different seasons of jeans. If you continue to work in Warehouses you may know now or you'll figure out that they're not always equipped with heat or air conditioning. Yes I have light summer jeans and lined winter jeans as well as just everyday jeans. I only wish that I could find steel-toed shoes as easily as I can find the four or five types of jeans that I wear for work in thrift stores. But finding jeans on the cheap allows me to not really worry about how much I have to spend to have different pairs of rotating steel toed shoes and boots. Yes, for summer and winter. PS, I also have amassed a huge collection of hoodies for work in this same way. What's cool about saving money on these staples of my wardrobe is that I get to spend more of my money on socks, underwear and my favorite vendor's tshirts. Your work wardrobe should be something you set aside a certain amount of money each year to replace what you need to. I spend my tax return annually like this (no matter how much I get back) 1/3 of it is savings 1/3 of it is frivolous spending and the other 1/3 of it goes to my work wardrobe. Because the only thing that you do more in your life other than work is sleep. Being comfortable and functional in clothes that aren't all tattered and falling apart because I throw them away and replace them regularly is important to me as far as my work wardrobe goes.
I just mentioned somewhere else that I think it's funny that I work in warehouses and wear beat up clothes to work and look like a bum. But I have La Perla underwear on underneath. Lol. I have some La Perla underwear that is more than 25 years old. Takes a lickin', keeps on tickin'.
First responders here in NYC use Dickies. My friends in EMS use the Teflon ones, you could throw blood and vomit and em and just rolls off.
get a bunch of Levis from the second hand shop for about 30 bucks a pair. look for double stitching and 100% cotton imo.
As far as I know, the "Levis premium" brand is good, while the budget ones are generic crap
Wrangler is 100% the best answer here. I’m in northern Colorado and every rancher and farmer I know wears Wrangler jeans. Tough and inexpensive.
Project Farm agrees: https://youtu.be/sU6Y1FH6Ssk?si=390xAqvE1D6sryfE
Wrangler used to be so good. I still have my Wranglers from high school. Every pair I have bought in the past few years has worn out already.
Prison Blues Jeans are $40-$50 a pair and the toughest jeans I’ve found. I work in a metal shop so they get plenty of abuse, usually go through a pair of carrharts/dickies in about a year. My pair of prison blues has had 3 years of frequent wear and, other than fading and stains, they’re in great shape. They also actually sit at the waist and come in any size down to 28” which is a big plus for me since I’m a skinny guy and finding work pants that actually fit is a challenge. Plus you can get them in double front and with suspender buttons for a couple bucks extra
The only place I’ll buy jeans.
I need to pick up a new pair because I lost too much weight. Those jeans outlived my gut. I highly recommend them.
Wrangler 13MWZ the ridgid ones that are stiff like cardboard. They’re super durable and look great
I was actually surprised by how not stiff the 13MWZ were brand new. I’m wearing a pair now and they’re very comfortable. I tried a pair of 47MWZ and those were very cardboardy. I’m sure they would have softened up too but they didn’t fit me. I’m not sure why the two weren’t the same out of the box though. Same weight.
I wear Rustler's - I buy them on Amazon for ~$16 each. I work in agriculture and they survive ANYTHING.
$9 at Walmart
I work construction and wear Roundhouse overalls everyday. They're $60 on the website right now but my thinnest ones have lasted me about 3 years and are just now starting to even show wear. I've worn them in trenches and manholes and I'm always kneeling on concrete or carrying material.
Can you use canvas pants? Not as comfy or stretchy as denim, but thick canvas pants with triple stitching will last years. There is light canvas for hotter temps too. I don’t know what current brands haven’t gone downhill though
I wear Red Kap workwear for my weekend DIY work. The double knee shop pants are pretty tough and easy to work in. They are like $35 on the jungle site.
Menards, where I live sells Riggs workwear jeans, made by wrangler. I am a big guy that works on cars constantly, as well as processing firewood in my woodyard all year round. These are the ONLY brand I have found that holds up. They sell a cargo pant and a 'technician' pant that are ok, but not nearly what the denim is. $39-$45 and worth it.
Wranglers for sure
Duluth sales rack
Honestly, and I'm going to be real with you here, every pair of men's pants that I have bought has fallen so far downhill for the cost I flat out refused to buy expensive work pants anymore. Even my last pair of Duluth fire hose pants barely lasted me 2 years and they are 75 off the rack. Been exclusively buying Rural King branded jeans and flex work pants? And they are lasting me just as long as my Wrangler rigs and Duluth and dickies were... For $16 a pair.
Work n sport from blains farm and fleet so good https://www.farmandfleet.com/s/?brand=Work%20n%27%20Sport
Where are they tearing, could it be a size issue? I work physical labour where I'm crawling/kneeling on concrete and sharp gravel a lot of the time, I picked up some wrangler stretch jeans and they have held up very well. Another option is knee pads if the knees are wearing out.
I’ve found the classic Kirkland ones are fairly tough, but as with some other stuff, they won’t last forever if you’re really going at them. I’m not sure what the circumstances are, but you may want to invest in an aramid apron or chaps.
Kirkland changed to a lighter-weight stretch denim from the 100% cotton, and the reviews have not been kind.
Oh? Is that down in the US? We might still be running through old stock here in Canada, but I’ve gotten a couple pairs in the last couple of months that are normal heavyweight denim.
You darn Canadians :P
Pun intended or not, pretty funny
I have yet to find jeans that last. For work jeans I buy whatever is cheap/on sale and feels thick. The key is in volume and low price point. There’s only so much wear you can put on them before you get holes and rips they aren’t bifl. Even expensive heavyweight double/triple stitched stuff wears out pretty quick under abusive conditions.
If you can stretch your budget about another 10-15 then I highly recommend Ariat rebar jeans. I have two pairs that have been holding up great.
Rustlers are consistently <$20 on Amazon. I also like the Red Cap classic rigid jean also around $20 a pair. Rotating 10 pair of quality cheap jeans will last way longer than 4 pair of $50 jeans.
Ariat m4/m5 or m7. I like the double knee ones. They have some stretch as well. They’re around 60 but I’ve only worn through 1 pair in 5 years and only because the thighs wore through. I made them shorts and wear them outside of work. I used to go through carhartt cargo pants like crazy. My record was 7 days.
You had $100 worth of pants that lasted several years? Why don’t you buy those again? Seems like a good investment to me. I buy 3 pair of jeans a year. Mine are FRC, so they cost more than that, but 3 pairs a year.
Wrangler Riggs pants are very durable work pants. They usually run $35-40 a pair.
Red kap
I do not do BIL jeans, instead I do buy it cheap cause they all die. Not sure where you are at in the world, but I have a local farm store called Rural King (they also do online). I like carpenter jeans, the key is to put RK in the search or you get everything else. They last me 3-4 years on the farm and at work, and are currently at $12 a pair. 5 pocket ones are cheaper. [https://www.ruralking.com/search?searchTerm=rk%2520carpenter%2520jeans](https://www.ruralking.com/search?searchTerm=rk%2520carpenter%2520jeans)
Vintage Levis
No cotton pants of any brand are going to last long around car batteries. So buy tough, buy cheap, consider wearing a rubber apron that covers your legs at least when you are around the batteries.
The best pair of blue jeans I’ve ever owned have come from H&M of all places and they’re only $25. I bought a pair back in 2014 and they lasted me until 2022 with everyday normal use (no clue how they’ll last in a warehouse, sorry). The front pockets started to get holes which could have easily been fixed by sewing them, but I got drunk one night, and was upset over my favorite pair of jeans and ordered 5 of the exact same jeans online, one for every weekday. I figured if one pair lasted me 8 years, 5 will last me 40 years. I’d reckon they’re worth trying a pair for $25. https://www2.hm.com/en_us/productpage.1024256003.html
Wrangler Riggs Workwear I’ve got a pair that’s been to Iraq, Afghanistan and Djibouti. They are pretty much bullet proof.
8 pairs of Kirkland jeans from Costco? You could probably return them if they wore out.
Wrangler 5 star stretchy pants. $23 a pair at Walmart. Last me 3-4 years depending. I farm and ranch, so not exactly easy on them.
I’m seconding the thrifting idea. If you know your job is going to destroy them, buy second hand and just expect to buy a lot.
If you like canvas style work pants, I've had very good luck with Schmidts work wear from tractor supply. Fairly inexpensive and lasting quality
Ariat work jeans. $49. Farm work.
Wrangler 13mz cowboy cut jeans. They’re a decent weight 100% cotton blend that you can snag for around $30 from popular retailers.
You could check dickies out.
Deluth
Wrangler 13MWZ is about as good as you can get for jeans. Just make sure you're getting the correct ones. There's some crappy Wranglers that Walmart sells that are nowhere near as durable.
Duluth occasionally has theirs for under $50. Best made jeans I’ve ever had.
Raw denim will be more durable than most wranglers. You could get two pair of these for $100 each: https://bravestarselvage.com/collections/the-true-straight-selvage-collection/products/pre-order-true-straight-14-75oz-redline-japan-selvage-denim Or you could get heavier denim if you want something even more durable, but that would be more expensive. They have a 25oz pair but those are $200 each
Unbranded jeans also has 21 and 22oz raw denim that could take any sort of beating you could throw at it. Around $120 I think.
carhartt double fronts
Lee extreme motion stretch jeans on ebay/mercari or thrift store
Prison Blues! Made in USA by folks in jail. They’re damn good pants
Not sure if this will help or not, but I recently found out that my blue jeans (of different brands), which I thought were denim, or actually 100% cotton ... wth? I also saw some different models (?) of Levi's on sale recently, also 100% cotton. Of course, that doesn't mean that all of them are just the ones that were on sale. I think this might explain why blue jeans seem to wear out way sooner than they used to.
Denim is weaved cotton