The Carhartt B151 pants are not like other traditional canvas work pants. These Carhartt B151 work pants use a lightweight 7.5-ounce canvas fabric instead of a heavyweight 12-ounce canvas fabric. Because these pants have a lightweight toughness, I’ve declared them my favorite summer work pants.
But before you imagine these pants having an ultra-lightweight, flimsy feel, please understand that although this canvas material is lighter-in-weight compared to heavyweight 12-ounce canvas, these 7.5-ounce pants will still feel much sturdier than, for example, a nylon hiking pant.
If you are looking for ultra-lightweight pants, there are better options. But I like these pants so much because I think they find that nice middle-ground where they are lightweight enough to allow your legs to breathe a little bit in the summer heat, but they also have enough toughness to stand up to harsher work environments.
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If you are shopping for lightweight canvas pants for hot weather, these are my favorites:
- Carhartt Men’s B151 Lightweight Canvas Pants (click here to view)
- Wrangler ATG Men’s Moisture Wicking Reinforced Utility Pant (click here to view)
- Dickies Relaxed Straight-Fit Duck Lightweight Carpenter Pant (click here to view)
- Duluth Trading Co. DuluthFlex Fire Hose CoolMax Cargo Pants (click here to view)
- Filson Dry Tin Cloth Canvas Pants (click here to view)
- Wrangler Riggs Workwear Men’s Lightweight Ranger Pant (click here to view)
For me, it has been really close over the years whether I like the Carhartt B151 pants or the Wrangler ATG pants linked above the most. One thing I like about the Wrangler ATG lightweight canvas pants is they have a reinforced knee for extra durability.
Here I am wearing my B151 pants:
In this article I want to focus specifically on these Carhartt B151 canvas work dungarees so you have a better idea what they’re like and what situations they are best for. I also want to compare them to another one of my favorite lightweight canvas pant options (Wrangler ATG).
Carhartt B151 Pants
Understanding the Material
Cotton canvas is a popular workwear material because it is very durable and abrasion resistant. It can stand up to harsh environments better than other materials, and will usually last longer.
But with that toughness does come a couple drawbacks. Heavyweight 12-ounce canvas is stiff and has a long break-in period, and canvas is not very breathable.
Enter these Carhartt B151 pants that use a lighter-weight 7.5-ounce 100% cotton canvas material which not only makes these pants better suited for hot weather, it also removes some of that stiff feeling that heavyweight canvas pants have.
Here’s a close-up look at the material on my gray B151 pants:
As you can see, even though these pants use a lighter-weight canvas, the material still has that canvas durability needed on tough work sites.
Weight
Because these pants use a lighter-weight canvas they obviously weigh less than heavyweight cotton canvas work pants. To give you an idea of how much Carhartt B151 pants weigh, my size 32×34 pants weigh 1.33 pounds:
All things considered, this is a very reasonable weight compared to normal canvas pants. I’ve had pairs of heavyweight canvas pants that have weighed twice as much as these pants.
But to get an idea of where these pants stack up compared to other lightweight summer work pants, here are the results when I weighed my 5 favorite types of work pants for hot weather:
| Pant | Weight (lbs) |
| Columbia Silver Ridge Pants | 0.62 |
| CQR Vented Knee Pants | 0.68 |
| Carhartt Force Cargo | 1.28 |
| Carhartt B151 Work Pants | 1.33 |
| Wrangler ATG Canvas Pants | 1.58 |
Again, if you want to read more about these summer work pants discussed in the table above, visit our article about the best work pants for hot summer weather. I use the weights above to help illustrate that, yes, there are other options that weigh less and if you want an ultra-lightweight work pant, I’d probably go with a nylon ripstop fabric.
But if you also need that canvas toughness on the job, these pants are a perfect blend between comfort and toughness, and that’s why they have been my go-to summer canvas pant.
Pockets & Tool Loops
Another thing I really like about these pants is the slash front pockets that are angled in a way that makes it easy to get your hand in and out:
These pants have a hammer loop on the left leg and also a tool band on the right hip:
Overall, I have found the pockets and tool loops to be functional and to hold up over time.
How do Carhartt B151 Pants Fit?
In my experience, these pants fit true to size. I have always ordered my normal sizing and not had any issues. Expect the pants to have a loose fit that won’t hug tight against your legs.
Here I am wearing my B151 pants:
The leg opening is 19 inches and fits over all of the work boots that I use.
Carhartt B151 vs Wrangler ATG Pants
At the top of this page I listed some of my other favorite lightweight canvas pants on the market today. I wanted to specifically discuss the Wrangler ATG pants since they are the other summer canvas pants that I wear. How do they compare to these Carhartt B151 pants?
The Wrangler ATG pants are made using a slightly heavier 8.9-ounce cotton/spandex blend. So even though this is still lighter than heavyweight canvas, these pants are a little sturdier than the B151 pants.
They have a reinforced knee, which differentiates them from the Carhartt B151 work pants:
But with all that reinforcement, comes extra weight. These Wrangler ATG pants weigh more than the Carhartt B151 work pants:
But even though these Wrangler pants weigh more, they are still built for summer. This material is moisture wicking to help keep you dry, and help pull some heat away from your body.
These Wrangler ATG pants also have a diamond-shaped crotch gusset for extra comfort while bending and crouching:
For storage, these Wrangler ATG pants have a side-zip utility pocket which gives you a secure place to store essentials:
One thing that jumps out though is the Carhartt B151 pants have a tool loop and a tool band, and these pants have neither. But these Wrangler pants are a great option for those of you who need reinforced knees on the job, but want a pant that is summer friendly.
Click here to buy these Wrangler ATG lightweight utility pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Both these Wrangler ATG pants and the Carhartt B151 work pants are great options if you need canvas pants for hot weather.
My Conclusion for Carhartt B151 Pants
The Carhartt B151 work pants are great summer canvas pants. They have a lightweight 7.5-ounce cotton canvas that provides the toughness you need while still allowing your legs to breathe a little bit.
No, don’t expect flimsy pants. These are not nylon hiking pants. They still feel durable, but they find that nice middle-ground between comfort and toughness.
Can you wear these pants year round? Sure. Maybe in the middle of winter in cold environments you’d opt for a heavyweight pant, but these pants are definitely perfect for spring and fall temperatures, and even some mild winter temperatures.
If you work in extreme heat and don’t necessarily need toughness, then I’d probably just opt for a lightweight hiking pant that uses ripstop nylon fabric (ripstop vs canvas). Those are, in my experience, the most breathable type of work pants. But if you need canvas pants for durability on the job, and want something a little more summer friendly, these Carhartt B151 work pants are perfect.
Click here to buy these Carhartt B151 pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). To read more about how Carhartt pants fit, visit our article about Carhartt Work Pants Sizing.