It’s winter, and you’re freezing. You need a pair of reliable, winter work pants to help you beat the cold. The good news is many workwear companies do make insulated work pants for cold weather.
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These are my choices for the best insulated winter work pants for cold weather jobs:
- Carhartt Men’s Washed Duck Flannel Lined Winter Work Pants (click here to view)
- 1620 Workwear Made in USA Fleece Lined Winter Work Pants (click here to view)
- Wrangler Riggs Workwear Men’s Ranger Insulated Cargo Pants (click here to view)
- Filson Flannel Lined Dry Tin Cloth Work Pants (click here to view)
- Dickies Men’s Relaxed Straight Fit Flannel-Lined Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
- Wrangler Authentics Men’s Fleece-Lined Cargo Pants (click here to view)
- Wrangler ATG Men’s Stretch Utility Fleece Lined Work Pants (click here to view)
- Carhartt Men’s Cargo Fleece Lined Ripstop Work Pants (click here to view)
- Wrangler Authentics Men’s Fleece Lined Carpenter Pants (click here to view)
- Duluth Trading Co. DuluthFlex Fire Hose Fleece-Lined Pants (click here to view)
- L.L. Bean Men’s Fleece-Lined Riverton Hiking Pants (click here to view)
- *Over Pants* Berne Bulldozer Washed Duck Quilt-Lined Outer Pants (click here to view)
- *Big & Tall* Kingsize Thermal Lined Cargo Pants (click here to view)
- *Women’s* Carhartt Women’s Original Fit Fleece Lined Crawford Pants (click here to view)
- *Women’s* Eddie Bauer Women’s Polar Fleece-Lined Pants (click here to view)
This list contains a wide variety of winter work pants, from heavy-duty duck cotton canvas insulated work pants to more flexible insulated hiking work pants. Nobody knows the requirements of your job better than you, so you will need to decide what type of pant will best fit your needs.
Many types of winter work pants will have a gusset to help improve comfort and range of motion.
If you want to read about winter work jeans, visit our article about the best flannel lined jeans. Let’s start out this article by quickly discussing the difference between fleece lined work pants and flannel lined work pants so you might have a better idea which one is best for you.
Flannel vs Fleece Lined Pants
What’s the difference between fleece-lined pants and flannel-lined pants? Truth is, there isn’t much of a difference. Both types of pants are going to keep you warm and are suitable for outdoor winter jobs.
If you made me give you my opinion on fleece vs flannel lined work pants, I’d say it comes down to this:
- Fleece-Lined Pants – Warmer. Traps in basically all of your body heat. Isn’t very breathable.
- Flannel-Lined Pants – Warm, but is a bit more breathable than fleece. Not quite as bulky.
Again, that’s just a general definition, and both types of pants are very warm all things considered. I personally like the flannel-lined pants a bit more for active work. Sometimes, even in the cold, I like to have some heat escape and appreciate the breathability.
Wool is another nice option, and it is very good at insulating even when wet. To see options, visit our article about the best wool cargo pants.
Some people feel like fleece is bulkier, but I personally don’t notice much of a difference. I own both and wear both, but prefer flannel. Here’s a look at my flannel vs fleece pants:
It’s not hard to sweat yourself right out of a pair of insulated work pants if you work an active job. And to me, fleece does an awesome job of trapping in heat, but it can be almost too much if you are active on the job.
Obviously, your climate matters too. Some regions need the warmest, and if you want the warmest option, I’d probably lean towards fleece.
And if, for example, you are an equipment operator who sits in the same position all day in sub-freezing temperatures, and you rarely build a sweat, I’d personally go with a pair of fleece-lined pants.
Winter Over Pants
Another winter work pant option you have is to just buy a winter over pant. As I’m sure you already know, “over” pants (also called “outer” pants) fit right over the top of your regular work pants or jeans, so you can easily slip them on and off as needed.
- The Berne pants we recommended in the list above are “over” winter work pants. Click here to view these Berne insulated work pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
Sometimes the thing about winter work pants is it becomes about extremes. If you don’t wear insulated work pants, you feel too cold, if you do, you feel too hot (again, this is why I recommend flannel for some breathability). Obviously, how active your job is greatly impacts this.
One way to combat this problem of two extremes is to just buy a pair of winter over pants, like the Berne pants linked above, and keep them in your work truck. When your legs get too cold, slip them on, and if you get too hot, take them off.
A lot of ski and snow pants are also “over” pants that can be slipped right over the top of your normal pants. You could always consider a pair of those types of pants too, but the outer shell fabric is usually not as durable, and that is why’d I’d recommend sticking with the Berne pants I linked earlier.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the best insulated winter work pants for cold weather jobs so that you can have a better idea what pair of pants will work best for you.
***If you are looking for insulated khakis or chinos for work, visit our article about the best flannel lined chinos.
Best Insulated Winter Work Pants for Cold Weather Jobs
Carhartt Men’s Washed Duck Flannel Lined Winter Work Pants
Carhartt is a trusted name in workwear, and a brand that many workers prefer to wear. The good news for you if you need winter work pants, Carhartt has several options.
If you’ve ever worn Carhartt pants or jackets before, you probably know they use a variety of duck cotton fabrics. Some are stiffer and more firm than others. There are 2 specific types of cotton canvas fabric I want to highlight in this article:
- Firm Duck Cotton – This is going to be a 12-ounce heavyweight cotton canvas. It will feel stiff and firm off the rack, and take time to loosen and break in. The firm material offers more protection on a work site, and more protection from the elements.
- Washed Duck Cotton – This is also a 12-ounce heavyweight cotton, but it is pre-washed to give it more of a broken-in feeling off the rack. This type of cotton won’t feel as stiff, but it also won’t give you as much protection as the firm cotton.
This popular pair of Carhartt winter work pants uses the washed duck cotton, which makes these pants both warm and comfortable. But please understand, these will still have a canvas feel to them – they’re not flimsy. They’re just pre-washed to feel broken-in.
Here’s what these Carhartt Men’s Washed Duck Flannel Lined Work Pants look like:
This is the current price of these Carhartt insulated work pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Again, these pants are made with Carhartt’s pre-washed cotton duck.
These are flannel lined work pants. Yes, these are very warm, but as I discussed earlier, flannel has a little breathability to it that fleece doesn’t. For active jobs, in my opinion, this helps.
These pants have a hammer loop and multiple tool utility pockets. This duck cotton fabric is a heavyweight 12-ounce fabric which itself will help provide some relief from the elements.
Click here to buy these Carhartt flannel lined work pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to fit true to size. I personally did not size up the waist even though they are lined.
Wrangler Riggs Workwear Men’s Ranger Pants
Many are familiar with Wrangler jeans, but Wrangler has a specific line of apparel dedicated to work clothing called Wrangler Riggs Workwear. The Wrangler Riggs Men’s Ranger Pants are very popular cargo ripstop pants for work, and they also come in an insualted version.
Here’s what these Wrangler Riggs Men’s Flannel-Lined Ranger Pants look like (multiple colors available):
This is the current price of these Wrangler winter work pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to fit true to size, and have a relaxed fit.
- Ripstop Fabric – These pants are made with a 100% cotton ripstop fabric to help prevent tears and rips. They also have reinforced knees for long-lasting durability.
- Cargo Pockets – These pants have standard cargo pockets on both legs. They also have very deep front pockets, and have reinforcement on the front right pocket so that it can handle a tape measure clip without wearing out. These also have a hammer loop.
- Roomy Fit – These pants have a relaxed fit that won’t hug tight against your legs. They also have a crotch gusset for easy bending, crouching, and driving.
Overall, these flannel-lined Wrangler Riggs Ranger Pants give you everything you need in a pair of winter cargo pants. They’re tough, roomy, and have plenty of storage from a brand you can trust.
Click here to buy these Wrangler Ranger Pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Again, expect a relaxed fit that runs true to size.
Wrangler Authentics Men’s Fleece-Lined Cargo Pants
The first two options we covered were flannel-lined. These Wrangler pants are fleece lined work pants. As I mentioned earlier, in my experience, fleece traps in more heat, but has less breathability.
I like to recommend fleece for the coldest environments, and for those who sit and operate machinery. Here’s what these Wrangler Authentics Men’s Fleece-Lined Cargo Pants look like (multiple colors available):
This is the current price of these Wrangler fleece lined work pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants are 100% cotton and fit loose in the seat and thigh.
Carhartt Men’s Ripstop Cargo Flannel Lined Work Pants
The first Carhartt pants we covered were not cargo pants, but these are. They use 100% ripstop cotton so they won’t have the duck cotton canvas feel.
Here’s what these Carhartt’s Ripstop Cargo Flannel Lined Work Pants look like (multiple colors available):
This is the current price of these Carhartt winter work pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Expect these pants to fit true to size.
Wrangler Authentics Men’s Fleece Lined Carpenter Pants
We’ve covered a lot of winter cargo pants so far, so these Wrangler Authentics Men’s Fleece Lined Carpenter Pants will give you a nice alternative if you don’t like wearing cargo pants.
Here’s what these Wrangler Authentics Men’s Fleece Lined Carpenter Pants look like:
This is the current price of these Wrangler fleece lined carpenter pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants are made with a cotton/poly fabric blend, and have a hammer loop and side utility pockets.
To read more, visit our article about the best fleece lined carpenter pants.
Berne Men’s Bulldozer Washed Duck Quilt-Lined Outer Pants
These Berne pants are at #9 on our list of best winter work pants, but only because they won’t necessarily be what everyone is looking for. But for some of you, these might be your best option.
These Berne Bulldozer Quilt-Lined Pants are “outer” pants (also known as “over” pants), which means they slip over the top of your normal work jeans or work pants. Here’s what these 
Berne Men’s Bulldozer Washed Duck Quilt-Lined Outer Pants look like:
This is the current price of these Berne outer winter work pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These Berne pants zip to the knees for easy on and off while on the job.
The fabric used on these pants is a heavy duty cotton duck fabric. The lining is a medium-weight quilted taffeta, which is a bit different than other pants on this list. Taffeta is not a breathable fabric, and is very good at trapping heat.
As I mentioned earlier in the article, one issue with insulated work pants for winter is sometimes they can make you too hot. Obvioulsy, for some climates it’s so cold you need the insulated pants, but for other climates, sometimes it’s too cold in your normal work pants, but too hot in insulated work pants.
This is where I like to recommend a pair of over pants, like these Berne Bulldozer pants. Buy these, keep them in your work truck during the winter, and go to them when you need them. If you get too hot while wearing them, just shed them right back off.
Click here to buy these Berne “Outer” pants at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). Order your normal sizing, just expect them to be much bigger sot they can slip over normal clothes.
ATG by Wrangler Men’s Utility Fleece Lined Work Pants
ATG by Wrangler stands for “All Terrain Gear”, and is a line of clothing that Wrangler makes that is geared towards high-performance activewear. These clothes often work well for fishing, hiking, etc, but also function well as work pants for those of you who like a flexible work pant.
I wanted to discuss a pant like this because if you like a flexible hiking pant as your work pant, you don’t always have a lot of winter options. But we included these pants (and a few others) in our list that will work well for you if that is the type of pant you prefer.
Here’s what these ATG by Wrangler Men’s Utility Fleece Lined Work Pants look like:
This is the current price of these Wrangler ATG fleece lined work pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com). These pants have a water-repellent finish.
Again, will these be the warmest pants on this list? No. If you are in an extremely cold enviroment, I’d probably stick with a tougher outer shell fabric.
These pants have a cotton/spandex blend, which makes them flexible and very easy to move around in. They also have a gusseted crotch for extra comfort.
And although this is a flexible fabric, it’s important to note that the fabric used here is a little heavier than your normal hiking pants, making these pants usable in the snow and cold. Click here to buy these Wrangler ATG fleece lined work pants available at Amazon (affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).
Women’s Winter Work Pants for Cold Weather
Unfortunately, there aren’t as many flannel and fleece lined work pants for women as there are for men, but there are a few quality options to consider.
The pants I want to specifically highlight are the Carhartt Women’s Crawford Fleece Lined Work Pants. Here’s what they look like:
Again, for you women who work in the extreme cold, these fleece lined work pants (in my opinion) do a better job at trapping in the heat than flannel lined work pants. So if you need something to help keep you warm, these should do the trick.
These pants are made with a stretch fabric blend, and will be slightly fitted through the hip and thigh. Click here to buy these Carhartt women’s fleece lined work pants at Amazon (paid affiliate link takes you to Amazon.com).