Milwaukee Tool has announced a new line of Heavy Duty Flex Work Pants, designed with comfort, mobility, and durability in mind.
The new Milwaukee work pants feature a “FREEFLEX” fabric that has a broken-in feel to prevent stiffness and discomfort. FREEFLEX is a 10oz weight fabric made from a lightweight cotton/poly/spandex blend, and also has a brushed lining fabric for “next to skin feel.”
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The pants feature a “unique crotch gusset” for range of motion and built-in stretch that Milwaukee says delivers “unrestricted mobility on the jobsite.”
Milwaukee says that their new work pants are up to 3X more durable against comparable work pants. They also feature triple-stitched seams along higher stress areas where failure is more likely to happen.
In addition to typical front and rear pockets, the Milwaukee work pants also feature special tool pockets for easy access.
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The front pockets have a fold-back design to increase tear resistance and prevent holes. There is a lower rear side pocket to fit hand tools, and a upper front side pocket that’s sized for smaller tools with pocket or belt clips.
The tool pockets do appear to be well-placed for convenient hand tool access.
From the product images, it appears that you only get the tool special pockets on the right side. At this time there’s no word as to whether a lefty version of these pants will also be available, but right-side special pockets tend to be standard. From the images, you also get extra-large and presumably highly tear-resistant belt loops.
Milwaukee adds that the pants are designed with a straight and regular fit.
Colors and Sizes
The pants are available with waist sizes from 30 to 40, and 30, 32, and 34″ lengths.
There are two color options, as shown in the images above, gray and khaki.
- Heavy Duty Flex Work Pants – Gray
- SKU: 701G-XXYY
- Price: $49.97
- Heavy Duty Flex Work Pants – Khaki
- SKU: 701K-XXYY
- Price: $49.97
- Waist (XX): 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40
- Length (YY) 30, 32, 34
The SKU is easy to decipher. For the flex work pants in gray, with say 36-32 sizing, that would be 701G-3632.
Milwaukee recommends that users size up if their measurements fall between sizes.
Features
- Lightweight, broken-in fabric
- Triple-stitched high wear zones
- (2) dedicated durable clip-on tool locations
- 10 oz fabric weight
- Durable and wide belt loops
- Duraflex button
- FREEFLEX knee-to-knee crotch gusset for motion
- Pockets built to work – fold-over stitching to prevent holes
- 68% cotton, 30.5% polyester, 1.5% spandex
- Brushed interior fabric
- (6) total pockets – 2 front, 2 rear, right leg tool pocket, small front utility pocket
- Sculpted rear hem
- YKK zipper
Price: $50
Launching: August 2021
Buy Now via Tool Nut – Gray
Buy Now via Tool Nut – Khaki
Compare: Carhartt via Amazon
Discussion
Surprisingly, the pricing seems to be on-par with competing work pants from Carhartt and other popular work pants brands.
Frankly, the pants look compelling, and I especially like the pocket configurations. I’d give them a try.
Lastly, props to Milwaukee’s product photographers and workwear models. Some of these angles can’t be comfortable to capture for anyone involved.
Luke
ETA?
Stuart
As mentioned in the post, they’re launching in August 2021.
Tool Nut also gives a late-August shipping ETA for preorders.
Luke
Ah, thanks. I think I somehow commented before the links and dates were posted. Pre-ordered!
Chris
I really like the Carhartt “tech’ pants for warm weather but Ive never been a fan of cargo pants. Glad to see these have more sensible pockets.
MicahMc
I’m intrigued! I wonder where one would purchase a pair (or 3) of these? Will they partner with a clothing outlet (I was initially thinking these looked like Duluth Trading Company pants with their flex-pants option), or will they sell these in a big-box store somehow?
I wonder if they have a return policy if the pants fail within the first year or so (similar to Duluth’s “no BS” guarantee)…
Thanks for sharing!
Stuart
I added in a link – Tool Nut has started accepting preorders.
I’d assume the pants will soon be available at all online dealers that carry Milwaukee’s other workwear products and heated gear.
Hilton
I’d prefer to see one or two cargo pockets as they’re invaluable for fasteners and other small items.
Jim Martini
These look comparable to these Carhartts, which I have and wear all the time. I’d give the Milwaukee version a shot, especially if/when they go on sale. Having worn the Carhartts for a couple years now I really like the flexibility and pocket layout. They make them in shorts too.
Carhartt:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BW68P7U
Luke
Those look nice, wish they had an option that tapered to somewhat fit the leg though. Work pants are still just so baggy by default.
Alex
was thinking the exact same thing. i wear dickies skinny straight double knee pants for that reason. i cant stand that most work pants i can fit both legs on one side! dont last as long as the other brands but at least they are half the price as well
fred
They look nice – but its a shame that they are not 100% cotton like the Carhartts. The Polyester content would have made them a no-go for our fabrication and plumbing businesses. If you ever saw a polyester or nylon (blend or worse yet 100%) piece of clothing catch fire from a torch – you would know why.
TonyT
That’s why on board ships, the US Navy is 100% cotton. Oh, and no plastic shoes, either.
Koko The Talking Ape
Yep. The polyester does make them last longer and shrink less. but they won’t work for everybody. At least Carhartt and the others offer all-cotton options.
MT
Same with lab coats. All poly blends. It boggles my mind how hard it is to find 100% cotton lab coats.
Scotty Kilmer
Carhartts seem pretty good.
Myself, I’ve been wearing these to work for the last six months. Three pair of the long pants, two black and one gray, and one each black and gray for the shorts versions. So far pretty good, and my favorite part is the jeans style front pockets so my keys and wallet don’t fall out
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0731MMDHF/ref=twister_B00O4UYXC8
Jared
Look great to me. I like the idea of tough stretch workwear – cuts down on the butt crack exposure and drooping pants when you have your pockets full. Might have to given them a try.
mike
not everyone is a svelte 40 or below
Stuart
If in your shoes, I’d write in to Milwaukee customer service and ask if or when larger sizes will be available. The more people that do that, the greater demand they’ll see for larger sizes.
Kent Skinner
If they make them in any style other than relaxed fit, I’m in.
It’s become almost impossible to find work pants that aren’t super baggy.
Wayne R.
It’s easy to forget how great those slightly stretchy fabrics are until I put on a non-stretchy pair and go to do anything. They’re not Joey’s “eatin’ pants” but I love them.
Leo B.
Will any smaller sizes be available? 28-29 waist size, maybe? These definitely look intriguing! I’d get them as a TrueWerk alternative, I think. With a base layer or long johns these seem like they would be an extremely comfortable pant in cooler weather. It’d be nice if they had knee pad pockets as an option, but that can definitely make a pant bulkier, and a slimmer, slightly stretchy pant for work is not a bad option at all. Thanks for the news!
Jammer
Return policy from toolnut:
“Clothing is not eligible for return, all sales final”
Koko The Talking Ape
Well, that’s a problem. I know what size Carhartts fit me, but this is a new brand in clothing. Without a store with fitting rooms, we have to just go on blind faith.
At least Home Depot doesn’t seem to exclude clothing from their return policy. I returned a pair of DeWalt boots a while back without problem.
Rick
I need a 36″ inseam, so those wont work for me.
Scotty Kilmer
Tops out at 40″ waist (and nothing under 30″), guess they don’t know their customer base very well
Hard pass until Milwaukee gets their head out of their collective rectums
Tim B.
Would actually love to try these…..
…..and then I saw how limited the sizes were. Literally, only under 40″ waist? Guess that’s a no-go for me.
Mike
Blue Ridge from Tractor Supply by far the most comfortable also love their t shirts I’m very picky with my t shirts these so far are my favorite
Nathan
yeah it looks nice but I’m out of their size range and I do already like the carhartts
Pietro
Wondering if any of FREEFLEX was done by Uyghurs’ craftsman. Most of the textiles in PRC are done by less free folks.
Daniel
Yeah they look like a good first attempt. No FR options and they aren’t made in Canada or the US so I probably won’t be buying them. I’ll stick with my Canadian made Big Bill pants (I’m Canadian). I’m not going to reward companies for building products over seas when their competitors pay the extra money to manufacture domestically.
Robert Tripp
Would like to see them in knee length.
Trippy
JoeM
They don’t carry my size. No work pant companies do. When I was in my late teens/early 20’s, I had the most comfortable pair of “Carpenter’s Jeans” I ever wore, but they were from that “Sears King-Size” section, and they never offered them the next year. So, when they wore out, I was out of luck.
I deeply feel sorry for all the guys (and gals for that matter) who are 6’2″+ tall. They have similar problems to me, but for length. Listen, I get that I could stand to lose weight (a lot of it) but tall folks can’t do anything about getting shorter. Human Beings have actually reached a much higher, and larger, average size in the past 30 years. If people want us to lose weight, fine, at least produce work clothing we can wear to burn those calories off… But you’re still going to have to think of people with inseams longer than 34″. Maybe even up to 42″!
As to Milwaukee here… Yeah, I’m gonna echo someone else’s comment… that Brand Patch on the rear pocket has got to go… something classy like a leather/fabric brand plate belt loop at the back would lend significantly more credibility to their commitment to the quality of their designs for pants. Beyond that… I see just a pretty standard Work Pant. Those are remarkably useful designs. I hope it has a hammer loop on the other side, like my old jeans did. That comes in so handy, way beyond just hammers. The fact that they’ve integrated their latest tool designs into specific pocket shapes gives me a good giggle. It’s definitely a good idea, and if I was to make my own pair of jeans (I actually do have some tailoring skills of my own, go figure.) I think I would probably do something very similar for my EDC to integrate into my pants. Bravo to Milwaukee for utilitarian design on that one. I love when companies design things for super efficient use of space, and that nails it.
fred
At least with lab coats their might be some other logic. A drop of acid will not eat a hole in a chemist’s polyester coat. And clinicians/doctors who wear lab coats probably are not doing much welding.
Yadda
I have a pair of the Duluth Firehose pants that look similar. I don’t offer any major test to workpants even on the most strenous weekend activity, but I can offer that I like the pants and they wear well.
John S
Wouldn’t be opposed to trying these out. I’ve had the Duluth flex work pants, though, and they snag on positively everything and tear far too easily. I’d need a guarantee that I’m not going to be out $50 in a matter of weeks.
Mr. X
“The tool pockets do appear to be well-placed for convenient hand tool access.”
Many facilities do not permit tools carried in pockets. This is also common in specific areas of metal grate flooring where a dropped tool can cause injury. I’ve never found it efficient or convenient to carry anything more than a knife or Leatherman in a pocket anyway.
Polyester is a non-starter for many Electrical workers. Even when FR clothing is not specified, 100% cotton is preferred in circumstances where arc-flash is a possibility.
Once again a brand (that I do like) is trying to be all things to all people and counting on fans of that brand to instinctively pay for the privilege of wearing a red (or yellow, blue, green, orange…) label.
Chris
Jesse
Look just like Duluth pants to me. I’ve worn out several pairs of those.
No 36” inseam though, so I’ll never get a shot at them.
No, i don’t often need a ladder…
Andrew Drozd
Same boat here, no love for the long legged here, though I’ve been pretty stoked about my Duluths thus far.
Sebastian
No 36 insane I guess the tall people won’t wear them
Mikedt
Downright cheap compared to Milwaukee’s pricing on other products vs their competition. I do like that little knife pocket on the front.
Joe H
I would like to see a company make something like the Tactical Distributors Carlos Ray pants but made tougher and with larger gussets since the crotches kept blowing out on me at the seams after about half a year on all of them. Lots of useful pockets, good range of motion, looked good. The velcro patch on the back actually worked well for a bit holder case and I liked the double back pockets.
Rx9
I applaud the effort, but will they be sold in any places with fitting rooms? I’ve always thought of clothing sold (other than protective gear) at tool places as kind of awkward.