Which work pants have no plastic in the pocketing, the thread, the fly or the reinforcements?
Short answer: we can't find a plastic-free work pant we can verify. Every candidate we checked had a plastic part beyond a small seal, or one we could not confirm. The list below says which.
No pair of work pants is on this list yet. We checked Imperfects' Courier Pant OG Fit in Craft Canvas: 100% organic cotton canvas with a brass tack fly and a brass rear buckle, all by the maker's word. It stays off because Imperfects never says what the sewing thread or the pocket bags are, and workwear thread is polyester more often than not. The waistband interfacing and the labels are unstated too, and the pants ship in a zip lock bag.
Side by side
Every work pant we checked, and what kept each one off the list. The full evidence for each is one click away.
| Rank | Photo | Materials | Packaging | Price seen | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Checked, not listed | |||||
 | Imperfects Courier Pant OG Fit in Craft Canvas Cannot tell | ||||
| 100% organic cotton nail head canvas, 10oz, brass | reusable zip lock bag | Not linked | A major part is unverified | ||
Where plastic hides in work pants
Duck canvas and twill are cotton. Everything added to make the pants survive is not. Pocket bags are polyester-cotton. Thread is heavy polyester or bonded nylon, run triple-stitched along every seam that carries load. Zipper flies run polyester tape with metal or nylon teeth. Knee panels are Cordura nylon, knee-pad pockets take a foam insert, and a hammer loop is nylon webbing. Gusset and stretch panels are elastane. Flame-resistant and water-repellent finishes are polymer or fluorochemical coatings on the cloth. Rivets and tack buttons are brass or steel, which is fine.
What to check before you buy
- Fabric: 100% cotton canvas, duck or twill, with no stretch or polyester?
- Pocket bags: cotton twill, or polyester-cotton?
- Thread: 100% cotton, or polyester and bonded nylon?
- Fly: tack or metal buttons, or a zipper with the tape named?
- Rivets and buttons: solid brass, copper or steel, or painted?
- Reinforcements: doubled cotton, or nylon panels, foam knee pads and nylon webbing loops?
- Treatment: none or a named wax, or a water-repellent or flame-resistant finish?
Know of one?
If you make or own a work pants with no plastic in it, including the seal, tell us: chairman@amaterio.com. Send the maker's page and what the seal is made of. We vet every tip and publish the ones that hold up, with credit.
Checked and not listed
- Imperfects Courier Pant OG Fit in Craft Canvas
Cannot tellThe cloth is 100% organic cotton canvas and the hardware is brass, which is a good start. A pair of pants is also thread, pocket bags and a waistband, and Imperfects doesn't name any of those. Workwear thread is polyester more often than not, so these stay off the list until the maker says.