4.5 stars: Comfortable, great fit, good protection and tool holding features
After a recent trip to Europe I was interested in getting some Euro-style work pants so I could stop using jeans / Carhartts. As a serious DIYer, I was looking for both better aesthetics as well as protection and tool holding. I didn’t have time to go to a tradesman store while on vacation but I started looking online. The Blåkläder stuff looked okay (and who doesn’t like umlauts and stuff), but the features looked limited and the most comment models (X1600/1900) seemed to be made of canvas; I wanted synthetic. Some forum post pointed me Helly Hansen workwear, and that’s where I discovered these pants. With no Amazon reviews the order (and sizing) was a bit of a gamble. The pants just arrived and I really like them. Here are the pluses: 1. Attractive: My partner says they are cute and she loves the navy color scheme. The black/navy/light blue accent combo is just what I wanted from a Euro-style pant. 2. Fit is true to size. The waist and inseam fit are exactly the same as my go-to daily wear pants (Everlane Performance Chino). 3. Comfortable: The material is a midweight synthetic that reminds me of lightweight motorcycle adventure gear. It has a comfortable finish and isn’t at all scratchy, though the materials and stitching look and feel durable. The pants did not feel warm at normal room temperature but on warmer days I imagine cotton might be a better choice. 4. Protection: The knee pad pockets are easy to access with exterior zippers. Inside each pocket is a secondary pocket that holds the bottom of the knee pad up 2”, which is perfect for the knee protection I installed. 5. Tool holding: These pants have a lot of tool holding: a) There are pouches on each side that hang from the bottom of the belt line. Each has a large fastener pocket, two narrow and one wider pockets, each with a matching exterior loop made of webbing; b) The left thigh has a divided pocket with a Velcro closure; c) The right thigh has a narrow deep pocket with a button (whose purpose I could not divine) and a shallower small pocket with a webbing loop; d) a stretchy pocket on each butt cheek. 6. Belt loops: The belt loops are generously sized and will accommodate a 2” belt with no problem. While I am very pleased with these pants and am excited to wear them for my next project, there are a few minor things I would like to see improved: 1. The tool pouches are non removable. It would be nice to have them attached by sturdy zipper so they could be removed for convenience, replaced, or swapped for different modules. 2. While the belt loops are solid, at this price point I would like to see stretch tabs at the waist to adjust fit (especially for a heavy tool load-out) without needing a belt. 3. There are no reflective materials on these pants. While totally not necessary for my application, it would be nice to have some reflective accents. Overall these pants are great, if expensive, option for those interested in Euro-style work pants. I can’t speak to the durability of the construction yet, but trust Helly Hansen to stand behind them. Read more
