12 Best Double Knee Pants for Work, Adventure, Chilling

Field magazine

What to Consider When Buying Double Knee Pants

Fit

Roomy, relaxed fit cuts were once the standard for the reinforced carpenter pants, now regular fit and slim fit options are also plentiful, making for lots of work pant options that are fit for everyday wear with your favorite hoodie or puffer jacket. We typically favor regular fit silhouettes with a straight leg and moderately wide leg opening that wear well off the job site too—don’t let us catch you still rocking skinny jeans!

Materials

Material choices make the difference between a true pair of double knee work pants and superficially reinforced pants; what good is an additional layer of lightweight cotton twill? (Not much.) When it comes to heavy-duty materials for either the knee panels or whole pants, heavyweight cotton duck is king. For lighter use cases, we’ve seen ripstop, Cordura, and similar sturdier materials gusset more vulnerable materials like fleece with decent success.

Pockets

One does not simply talk about work pants without mentioning the utility pockets to rival cargo pants, designed to keep a variety of small tools and utensils at the ready. Some brands keep the traditional hammer loop of carpenter pants intact, but most know their customers aren’t swinging them frequently enough to necessitate it. Some of the most useful utility pockets are along the side-seams, but you’ll find some clever designs for front and back pockets to hold everything from bouldering brushes to pocket knives.

Double Knee Jeans

Our article primarily focuses on options made from cotton duck or canvas, but there are some great options also made from denim. Double knee jeans give a variation on the classic work pant look, and the indigo counterparts are certain to create some sweet fades over time.