Men's Work Trousers

Our work trousers are built for trades that spend the day kneeling, climbing and carrying — knee pad pockets, multi-pocket cargo storage and reinforced stitching where trousers usually give way. Available 30" to 42" waist in three leg lengths. Free UK delivery on orders over £35.

Choosing work trousers for men — by trade

The right pair depends less on brand than on what you carry and how much time you spend on your knees. Use this as a starting point.

If you work across trades, the most useful single buy in any range of mens work trousers is a black cargo pair with knee pad pockets. It reads as neutral on any site and the pockets sit empty until you need them.

Knee pad pockets — what to check before you buy

This is the feature that separates work trousers from cargo trousers, and it is the one most buyers get wrong. Four things matter.

The pad has to sit on the kneecap, not above it

Kneel down in the trousers before you commit. A pad that sits even a few centimetres high leaves the bottom of your kneecap on the floor, which defeats the point. Pocket height is set by the leg length, so ordering the wrong inseam is the usual cause — not the trousers.

Check whether the pockets load from the top or the bottom

Top-loading pockets are quicker to fill and empty, but pads can ride up during the day. Bottom-loading pockets hold position better and are worth the extra fiddle if you kneel for hours rather than minutes.

Measure your pads against the pocket

Most UK knee pads run around 150–160 mm wide. Pads wider than the pocket will not seat flat, and a pad that will not seat flat slides. Check the pocket dimensions on the product page before buying pads separately.

Pads are usually sold separately

Trousers with knee pad pockets rarely include the pads. If you kneel professionally rather than occasionally, look for pads certified to EN 14404, the European standard for knee protection at work.

Work trousers sizing — waist, leg and fit

Our work trousers men’s sizing runs on nominal waist, 30" to 42", with three leg lengths in every waist size. Every figure below is the finished garment measured flat, in centimetres — not a body measurement — so compare it against a pair you already own rather than against yourself.

Leg lengths

Every waist size is available in all three lengths, which is not always the case with workwear — many ranges only offer regular at the smallest and largest waists.

How to use it. The garment waist runs about 3 cm above the nominal size — a 30" pair measures 79 cm flat, giving roughly an inch of ease over a 76 cm body waist. Order your usual jeans waist and that ease is already built in.

Get the leg length right before anything else. On work trousers the inseam sets where the knee pad pocket lands. A regular leg on a short inseam pushes the pad above the kneecap, and no amount of adjusting the waist fixes it.

The back rise is 10 cm deeper than the front across every size. That is what keeps the waistband up when you crouch, rather than gaping at the back.

The hem stays at 27.5 cm on all seven sizes. So the leg opening is generous on a 30" and closer-cut on a 42". If you take a larger waist and wear rigger boots, check that figure before you order.

Between sizes? Size up. They sit over a belt and get worn kneeling and climbing, so the waist needs give that jeans do not.

Fabrics and construction in men’s workwear trousers

Most workwear trousers fail in one of four places: the knee, the crotch seam, the pocket corners, or the hem. Construction matters more than fabric weight.

Poly-cotton blends are the site standard. Polyester carries the abrasion resistance and dries fast; cotton carries the breathability and stops the fabric feeling plastic in heat.

Stretch panels at the knee and crotch are the single biggest comfort upgrade for anyone climbing ladders or working at height. They also reduce the strain on the crotch seam, which is where cheap trousers split first.

Reinforced stitching along the load-bearing seams is what you notice in month four, not week one. Look for it at the pocket corners and the crotch.

Multi-pocket layout. Cargo pockets on the thigh, back pockets with flaps, a rule pocket and a phone pocket sized for a modern handset. Holster pockets are worth having if you carry fixings all day and hate belt pouches.

Our range covers different fabrics for different jobs. Check the individual product page for the exact composition before you order.

Caring for your workwear trousers

Take the knee pads out before washing — they hold water, they batter the drum, and they come out of a hot wash misshapen. Wash at 30–40°C, inside out, with pockets emptied and flaps closed.

Skip the fabric softener; it coats the fibres and reduces breathability over time. Line dry where you can. Tumble drying on high is what shrinks a blend and tightens a waistband that fitted perfectly in June.

Repair small seam splits early. A ten-minute fix at a pocket corner adds a season.

Working through a hot summer? Our work shorts use the same waist sizing and the same multi-pocket layout, so you can order your usual size without measuring again.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between work trousers and cargo trousers?

Work trousers are built around kneeling and load. They add knee pad pockets, reinforced stitching at stress points, and heavier fabric at the knee. Cargo trousers borrow the pocket layout but not the construction, and they fail at the knee and crotch under site use.

Are work trousers the same as work pants?

Yes. Work pants is the American term for the same garment, and plenty of UK shoppers search for men’s pants for work rather than trousers. Everything on this page applies to both — the sizing, the knee pad guidance and the fabric notes are the same.

What size work trousers should I buy?

Order your usual jeans waist — the garment waist already runs about 3 cm above nominal, so a 30" pair measures 79 cm flat. Then choose your leg length: short 29", regular 31" or long 33".

Do your work trousers come with knee pads?

The pockets are built in; the pads are bought separately. That is standard across UK workwear, and it lets you choose the pad density that suits your trade.

What leg lengths do you offer?

Short (29 in / 73 cm), regular (31 in / 79 cm) and long (33 in / 83 cm) — in every waist size from 30" to 42".

Do you sell women’s work trousers?

Not currently. Our range is men’s sizing, 30" to 42" waist.

How long should a pair of work trousers last?

On daily site use, expect a season to two seasons from a well-made pair. Cheap single-stitched trousers typically go at the crotch seam or the knee within a few months.