10 Best Canvas Carpenter Pants for Work [Duck Cotton]


Canvas carpenter pants help because they are both functional and durable. The Carhartt pants at the top of our list are made with 100% cotton. If you prefer a stretch canvas fabric for added flexibility, I’d recommend the Dickies Tough Max Carpenter Pants.

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Here are our choices for the best canvas duck carpenter pants:

  1. Carhartt Men’s Loose Fit Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
  2. Dickies Men’s Tough Max Duck Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
  3. Ciano Farmer Denim Co. 12oz Duck Canvas Field Hand Pants (click here to view)
  4. Dickies Men’s Sanded Duck Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
  5. Duluth Trading Co. Men’s DuluthFlex Fire Hose Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
  6. Carhartt Men’s Firm Duck Double-Front Work Dungarees (click here to view)
  7. Topo Designs Stretch Canvas Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
  8. Berne Acre Washed Duck Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
  9. Round House Duck Double Front USA Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
  10. *Women’s* Dickies Relaxed Straight Carpenter Duck Pant (click here to view)
  11. *Women’s* Carhartt Original Fit Crawford Pants (click here to view)

Another thing you will want to consider when buying duck carpenter pants is whether or not you need a double knee. I personally wear double knee pants, but they aren’t necessarily right for all jobs, and can trap heat during the summer.

There are a few options on our list that are made in the USA, and we will discuss throughout the article what options to consider if you prefer American-made carpenter pants. Let’s take a closer look at the best canvas carpenter pants, including the pants that I wear, so you can find an option that fits your needs.


Duck Carpenter Pants that I Wear

I personally wear the Carhartt B01 pants. These are double knee pants and I like them because they are compatible with knee pad inserts. Yes, they have a hammer loop. The reason these are not at the top of the list is double knee pants might not be what everyone is looking for.

This is the current price of these Carhartt B01 work pants available at Carhartt.com (affiliate link takes you to Carhartt.com). Here’s what you need to know about these pants:

  • Heavyweight Build – These pants have a 12-ounce, 100% cotton heavyweight duck canvas which can stand up to a tough work site.
  • Double Knee Pockets – These pants have a reinforced double knee to help them hold up over the long term. These pants have internal knee pad pockets in case you want to pair them with removable knee pad inserts.
  • Relaxed Fit – These pants have a loose, relaxed fit that won’t hug tight against your legs, and gives you freedom of movement. This is Carhartt’s roomiest cut. To read more about fit, visit our article about Carhartt Pant Sizing.
  • Pockets – These work pants have 2 front pockets, 2 back pockets, side utility pockets. Yes, these pants have a hammer loop. They also have the knee pad pockets that we discussed earlier.

Here’s a look at my Carhartt B01 pants:

canvas-carpenter-pants

This is where you can buy these Carhartt B01 work pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Again, these pants have a double-front. If you don’t want a double front carpenter pant, then keep reading.


Best Canvas Carpenter Pants for Work

Carhartt Men’s Loose Fit Carpenter Pants

What I like about these Carhartt carpenter pants is they have hammer loops on both legs, instead of just one leg. This just makes things easier and allows you to work in a way that feels comfortable to you.

This is the current price of these Carpenter canvas carpenter pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about these pants:

  • Material – These pants are made with a 8.5-ounce cotton canvas. These pants are 100% cotton. If you prefer a stretch fabric, the Dickies pants we discuss next might be the best option.
  • Fit – These pants have a loose, relaxed fit that won’t hug tight against your legs.
  • Tool Loops – Yes, these pants have a hammer loop on both legs. The loop on the left leg has the matching utility pocket underneath. The tool loop on the right leg has a cell phone pocket underneath.

The 8.5-ounce canvas used in these pants is a sort of midweight fabric. Heavy duty work pants are often made with 12-ounce canvas. The nice thing about these pants is they are a bit more summer-friendly than traditional heavy duty work pants.

Click here to buy these Carhartt duck carpenter pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants have a standard zip fly with a button closure.


Dickies Men’s Tough Max Flex Duck Carpenter Pants

These Dickies pants are a great option if you prefer to wear a stretch canvas pant. One drawback to canvas is it can be uncomfortably stiff, and this stretch fabric blend helps remove that problem.

This is the current price of these Dickies stretch canvas carpenter pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about these pants:

  • Material – As mentioned, these pants use a stretch blend. This fabric is 10-ounce duck, cotton/polyester/elastane fabric blend that gives you a durable fabric that is also comfortable and flexible. Dickies’ “Tough Max” fabric provides more strength and durability, as well as abrasion resistance, than an all-cotton fabric.
  • Pockets – Two front scoop hand pockets and two rear pockets. Dual tool utility pockets on the right leg for storing basic work essentials and/or your phone.
  • Tool Loop – Yes, these pants have a hammer loop on the left leg.
  • Fit – The regular, modern work fit sits slightly below the natural waist.

Click here to buy these Dickies Men’s Tough Max Flex Duck Carpenter Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants have a standard zip fly with a button closure.


Berne Acre Washed Duck Carpenter Pants

The Berne brand of workwear has been around since 1915. Founded in the small town of Berne, Indiana, they set out to make comfortable and dependable workwear for American farmers.

Today they’ve evolved into a company that supplies all sorts of workwear, including carpenter pants.

This is the current price of these Berne work pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Here’s what you need to know about these pants:

  • Fabric – These pants are made with 100% cotton 10-ounce duck canvas.
  • Tool Loops – These pants have two tool bands, and a left leg tool loop, giving you plenty of places to stores essentials while you work.
  • Fit – These pants have a relaxed fit that won’t hug tight. Give you plenty of room to operate comfortably on the job.

Click here to buy these Berne carpenter pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants are machine washable.


Canvas Carpenter Pants Made in the USA

Not a whole lot of workwear is made in the USA anymore. The Carhartt B01 pants that I wear (featured earlier in the article) are made in the USA. But if you prefer American-made work pants, here are a couple other nice carpenter pants to consider:

  • Ciano Farmer Denim Co. 12oz Duck Canvas Field Hand Pants – Ciano Farmer Denim Co. is a locally-owned business located in Texas. These pants are handmade right there in Texas using heavyweight 12-ounce cotton canvas. These pants can be modified to fit your individual needs, including the addition of a carpenter pocket and tool loop. Click here to view these CFD Co. canvas work pants.
  • Round House Double Front Carpenter Pants -Round House is the self proclaimed “largest and oldest maker” of American made jeans, overalls, and work pants. Round House was founded in 1903, and to this day, they still run their operations in the state of Oklahoma. These pants are made with 12-ounce, 100% cotton heavyweight duck canvas and have double knees. Tool loop on left leg. Click here to view these Round House carpenter pants (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).

For more options, visit our article about the best work pants made in the USA.


6 Things to Consider When Buying Canvas Carpenter Pants

Gusseted Crotch

If you are bending a lot on the job, you may want to consider a crotch gusset. A gusset is a diamond-shaped piece of material sewn into the crotch to give you extra space to comfortably bend, crouch, kneel, and drive. Here’s the crotch gusset on a pair of Wrangler pants I own:

atg-pants-gusset

Many workwear companies make pants that have a gusseted crotch. To read more, visit our list of pants with a crotch gusset.

Comfort

Choosing a pair of pants with a relaxed fit through the seat and thighs will also help give you additional comfort and additional freedom of movement while working.

Also, canvas carpenter pants made with a stretch canvas blend can take the stiffness out of your work pants. Again, if you want a stretch fabric, I’d recommend the Dickies Tough Max Carpenter Pants which are #2 on our list. For more stretch options, visit our article about the best stretch work pants.

Winter

Canvas is very good at trapping heat, which can be an obvious benefit in the winter months. But sometimes, even canvas fabric by itself isn’t warm enough. For those dangerously cold temperatures, it might be time to turn to a fleece or flannel lined carpenter pant.

This is just my opinion from wearing both, but fleece is better at trapping heat. But for active jobs, flannel may be better so a little heat can still escape. To read more, visit our article about the best winter carpenter pants.

Ripstop

Ripstop is another durable fabric used for workwear. When comparing ripstop vs canvas fabric, ripstop is thinner and not as tough, but it is very lightweight and summer friendly. Ripstop is designed to help discourage rips and tears.

Ripstop pants are great for hot weather, and don’t trap heat like canvas does. To read more, visit our article about the best ripstop pants.

Price

There is a wide range in the price of workwear. USA-made heavy duty work pants can are usually quite expensive. Imported pants, with less specific details, can be much more affordable (but also likely won’t last as long).

You’ll need to weigh your options to figure out what type of workwear pants make the most sense for your budget. Sometimes higher priced quality can save you money in the long run because it lasts longer.

Double Knee

Do you need canvas carpenter pants that have a reinforced double-knee? Yes, this helps add toughness to the work pants, and helps them hold up longer, but it also adds weight and traps heat. For some jobs, a double-front is an overkill and just adds bulk.

I personally use double knee work pants because I like knee pad pockets so I can slip in knee pads when they make sense. To read more, visit our article about the best work pants with knee pads.


**In this article we discussed duck carpenter pants. For shorts, visit our article about the best carpenter shorts to use on the job.

Paul Johnson

Paul is a lead content creator for Workwear Command. He has had several blue-collar jobs which have provided him a wide range of experience with tools and gear. He also has a business degree and has spent time in business casual office settings.

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