2022 test12 productsWorkwear & Safety Gear
Which Work Jeans Brand Wins?
We compared 12 work jeans options head to head. Wrangler Riggs Carpenter came out on top. See the measured results, the runner-up, the budget pick, and a link to the full test video.
Winner
Wrangler Riggs Carpenter
Price shown in test: $44
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Runner-up
Wrangler Riggs Flame Resistant
Price shown in test: $44
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Budget pick
Blue Mountain
Price shown in test: $18
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The measured results
Every number below is read straight from the test. Scroll sideways to see all measurements. Products are listed in the order they finished.
| Product | Made In | Waist Fit | Weight | Breathability | Back Pocket Strength | Hammer Loop Strength | Crotch Blowout Strength | Puncture Resistance 16 Penny Nail | Pocket Fabric Puncture Resistance | Abrasion Resistance | Fit Rating | Flame Resistance | Comfort Rating | Stain Resistance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Wrangler Riggs Carpenter$44 | Nicaragua | right at the advertised 32 in | 2 lb 0.5 oz, by far the heaviest of the non flame-resistant jeans | 35.8 ft per minute of air flow | 224 lb before failure, by far the strongest pocket of the lineup; stitching gave out first, an easy repair | 164 lb, second place behind the Lee Carpenter | denim leg tore (not the crotch) at 455 lb, showing a very durable midsection | 5,652 g, second place behind the Lee Carpenter | 3,744 g, above average | 7 passes of 180-grit sandpaper before wearing through, tied for first place with the Wrangler Authentics | best possible fit rating of one (tied with Lucky and Levi's 505) | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 2Wrangler Riggs Flame Resistant$83 | Mexico, using US fabric | sized for a 31 in waist (host could not find this model in size 32); measured 30.75 in after one wash and dry cycle, a little undersized | just under 2 lb | 28 ft per minute, a little less air movement than the non-flame-resistant Wrangler Riggs | pocket ripped loose at 128 lb, but the stitching held to a peak load of 145 lb before completely failing, second place for pocket strength; denim held up fine and the pocket could be resewn | not tested | midsection tore at 433 lb | 7,380 g (about 16 lb), the best puncture resistance of the entire lineup | 3,674 g, almost as good as the standard Wrangler Riggs | 6 passes of 180-grit sandpaper, almost as good as the other two Wrangler models | not tested | self-extinguished every time as advertised; the only flame-resistant jeans in the lineup, all other brands were roughly equally flammable | not tested | not tested |
| 3Lee Carpenter$30 | Mexico | 2 in oversized at 34 in | 1 lb 8.4 oz | 0 ft per minute, very airtight (tied with Dickies as least breathable) | 120 lb; stitching gave out on one side while fabric tore on the other, noted as repairable | 180 lb, the strongest hammer loop of the lineup before it detached | 501 lb before a massive blowout tore the denim | 5,762 g, the best puncture resistance among the non flame-resistant jeans | 4,546 g, second place behind the Carhartt Carpenter | 4 passes of 180-grit sandpaper, about average | not tested | not tested | best possible comfort rating of one (tied with Lucky), described as softest and least abrasive | not tested |
| 4Blue Mountain$18 | Bangladesh | 35 in, 3 in too large | 1 lb 12.4 oz | 67.3 ft per minute, second best breathability of the lineup | 138 lb, tied for first place with the Dickies at that point in the video | 114 lb, about the same as the Walmart George's jeans | leg area tore near the midsection at 402 lb, about the same as the Walmart jeans | 4,742 g | 3,596 g, almost identical to the Walmart George's jeans | 5 passes of 180-grit sandpaper, better than the Walmart jeans | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 5George's Carpenter$16 | Mexico | measured 3 in too large versus the advertised 32 in waist | 1 lb 10.9 oz | almost 63 ft per minute | weakest of the lineup, began tearing at 87 lb around the pocket stitching, described as ruined | 115 lb | 398 lb before the denim tore | 5,134 g (just over 11 lb) | 3,590 g | 4 passes of 180-grit sandpaper before a hole wore through | not tested | not tested | comfort rating of two, very comfortable | not tested |
| 6Wrangler Authentics$24 | Lesotho | right at the advertised 32 in | 1 lb 12.6 oz, the heaviest measured up to that point in the video | 41.3 ft per minute | 126 lb, second place behind the Blue Mountain jeans at that point in the video | not tested | 338 lb | 5,188 g, took the lead at that point in the video | 1,810 g, gave up early, about half the pressure resistance of the other brands | 7 passes of 180-grit sandpaper, the most durable measured up to that point, tied for first place overall with the Wrangler Riggs Carpenter | not tested | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 7Dickies Carpenter$28 | Mexico | 33 in waist diameter | 1 lb 9.7 oz (the lightest measured at that point in the video); noted as 25.7 oz specifically during the pocket-strength test | 0 ft per minute, very airtight | 138 lb, tied for first place with the Blue Mountain jeans | 160 lb, about 45 lb better than the competition at that point in the video; finished third overall behind Lee and Wrangler Riggs | 582 lb, by far the strongest crotch/blowout result of the lineup, described as almost indestructible | 4,754 g, about the same as the Blue Mountain jeans | 2,904 g, a little below average | 5 passes of 180-grit sandpaper | not tested | not tested | not tested | oil stain was noticeably less obvious than on the other brands, along with the Carhartt |
| 8Nautica$29 | Mexico | 2 in over the advertised size | 1 lb 8 oz, the lightest measured at that point in the video | very close to 21 ft per minute | 102 lb, fabric tore on both sides of the pocket | not tested | 437 lb, a pretty bad rip in the denim | 3,258 g, weakest puncture resistance measured at that point in the video | 1,862 g, struggled, finished just ahead of the Wrangler Authentics | 3 passes of 180-grit sandpaper, tied with the Levi's Carpenter for worst at that point | not tested | not tested | comfort rating of two, very comfortable | not tested |
| 9Levi's Carpenter$22 | not tested | very close to 32 in, the best fit measured up to that point in the video | 1 lb 10 oz | 25 ft per minute, quite a bit more airtight than the Walmart and Tractor Supply jeans | weakest at that point in the video, tore at only 81 lb | 105 lb, finished behind the Walmart and Tractor Supply jeans | 387 lb, trailed the George's and Blue Mountain jeans throughout the showdown | 3,700 g, continued to trail the less expensive brands | 4,034 g, took the lead at that point in the video, about 1 lb better than the competition | 3 passes of 180-grit sandpaper, gave up a little early | not tested | not tested | comfort rating of two, very comfortable | not tested |
| 10Levi's 505$32 | Bangladesh | 33 in | 1 lb 11.4 oz | 65.1 ft per minute, third best breathability of the lineup | 93 lb, 12 lb better than the Levi's Carpenter but still weak; described as not as durable as some other work jeans | not tested | 327 lb, the worst (last place) crotch/blowout result of the lineup | 3,470 g, struggled, finished just ahead of the Nautica | 2,250 g, finished below average | 4 passes of 180-grit sandpaper | best possible fit rating of one (tied with Wrangler Riggs Carpenter and Lucky) | not tested | not tested | not tested |
| 11Carhartt Carpenter$40 | Nicaragua | right at 32 in | 1 lb 7.4 oz, the lightest measured at that point in the video; noted as 23.4 oz specifically during the crotch/blowout test | 6.6 ft per minute, pretty airtight | 124 lb, fourth place behind the Wrangler Authentics | 145 lb, third place behind the Dickies | 536 lb, second-strongest crotch/blowout result of the lineup | 4,642 g, about average | 4,796 g, the best pocket-fabric puncture resistance of the entire lineup | 2 passes of 180-grit sandpaper, the worst (least durable) of the lineup | not tested | not tested | not tested | oil stain was noticeably less obvious than on the other brands, along with the Dickies |
| 12Lucky$99 | China | oversized by 3 in at 35 in | 1 lb 3.8 oz (also stated as 19.8 oz and 'just under 20 oz' at different points), the lightest of the entire lineup | 74 ft per minute, the best (most breathable) of the entire lineup | 86 lb, fabric near the pocket tore | not tested | 248 lb, the worst (last place) crotch/blowout result alongside Levi's 505 | 4,816 g, a little below average | 2,736 g, a little below average | 3 passes of 180-grit sandpaper, below average | best possible fit rating of one (tied with Wrangler Riggs Carpenter and Levi's 505) | not tested | best possible comfort rating of one (tied with Lee Carpenter) | not tested |
How it was tested
- breathability (airflow through pant leg)
- back pocket strength (weighted pull to failure)
- hammer loop strength
- crotch/blowout strength
- denim puncture resistance (16-penny nail drop test)
- pocket fabric puncture resistance
- abrasion resistance (180-grit sandpaper passes to failure)
- stain resistance (used motor oil)
- shrinkage after one wash and dry cycle
- flammability / flame resistance
- subjective comfort and fit
“the Wrangler RIGGS Carpenter jeans came out on top with an average finish of three”