Most contractors or tradesmen probably don’t think of themselves as athletes in their specific fields. So when I heard the term “industrial athlete” from Truewerk, they had my interest. When we think of any Pro athlete, we know that the gear that they use is not what you pick up at your local discount retailer. Top brands with special performance enhancements are the norm. So what’s this mean for the guy that reads Pro Tool Reviews? It’s time that we step up our game and check out the Truewerk G2 WerkPant to see if they can live up to the needs of today’s industrial athletes.
Truewerk’s original line changed the game for workwear
“Industrial Athletes” – What?
To start, we need to have a mutual understating of what an industrial athlete is. If you pick up a hammer, climb ladders, wear a tool belt or heft around toolboxes or anything else that you have to do to make a living using mental and physical talents to perform jobs that require skills, strength, flexibility, coordination, and endurance – just like an athlete – than we are industrial athletes in fact.
But Truewerk doesn’t use the term lightly as a way to encompass the entire professional pool. Their gear goes against the current trend of workwear that offers plenty of room for the chest and belly and sizes that often make us feel better about ourselves. The entire line takes its design from Pro mountain guides and tactical military clothing – and the fit reflects, well, a more fit user.
So now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can start to get into the game-winning mentality of having the right equipment. We often focus on the hardware that we need to use to do our jobs, but today we are switching gears and going to focus on performance clothing and in particular the Truewerk G2 WerkPant.
Truewerk G2 Werkpant Pockets
When I first got my hands on the Truewerk G2 WerkPant, what got my attention was all the POCKETS! Lots and lots of pockets. Not pockets like cargo pants either (which I hate). There are more than 10 pockets, all strategically located in different places to put things.
My daily pocket dump includes a phone, pocket knife (Gerber US-Assist on this particular day), wallet, loose change, keys and other things like screwdriver bits, pencils & markers. The good news here is that all these don’t have to reside in your front two pockets. You can put them where they make sense so they are easily accessible. The pockets are intelligently designed where they offer space, have the ability to pack more in if needed, and are not so huge or deep that you can’t reach what you put in them.
Just in case you need more flexibility, there are two removable flap-like pockets included (with more pockets) that can be zipper attached and located on the front or the back of the pants at the waistline. The knees also have knee pad pockets that allow for inserting extra foam pads if needed. You’ll need to supply your own knee pads, though.
Check out our review of the Truewerk T2 Werkpant for cool weather
Truewerk G2 Werkpant Materials
The material selection is the next thing that jumped at me. I live and work in Central Florida. That means that even when it’s Spring outside, it’s already reaching 90 degrees and the humidity is off the charts. We get to enjoy about 3 days of what the rest of the country calls Spring. The thought of putting on a pair of cotton canvas carpenter pants like the Carhartt Force or Dickies X-Series is not my idea of comfort in this kind of weather.
The Truewerk G2 WerkPant feels light and almost airy. Don’t take this to mean a cheap feel because that’s not the case here, either. Truewerk combines cotton with Cordura Nylon 6.6 which gives an enhanced level of durability in abrasion and tear resistance. If you’re not familiar with Cordura, it’s time to get educated. This material is making its way into several workwear lines, including Truewerk. It exceeds similar weight cotton canvas/duck fabrics for toughness and is a go-to choice for military and law enforcement.
The good news for those that work with an occasional open flame is that these Werkpants are designed with enough cotton to cause the fabric to burn rather than melt, giving them an advantage over their T2 Werkpants. Not that we want them to catch fire! The black main body of the pants is made of the Cordura material in a rip-stop pattern and the weave provides two-way stretch which makes for more comfort and range of motion. In doing various tasks over the last few weeks, I would have to agree that the pants are among the most comfortable that I’ve experienced so far.
Summer’s on the way – here’s our look at the Truewerk B1 sun hoodie!
The Little Details
After wearing the Truewerk G2 WerkPant for a while, the details started to really come out. I have had them through several wash cycles and they always come out looking tidy and not wrinkly, which helps give me a professional appearance to my clients. Little things make a difference like making the inseam 1 inch longer than what the tag says so that when you are kneeling, climbing, or wearing a safety harness, the pant legs don’t hike up.
The pants come with a generous cut for the thigh and legs but never feel baggy. I also appreciate the articulated knees, which are especially noticeable when kneeling. Never once did I feel like the pants were bunching up or riding up my leg when doing different tasks. On the back of the knees are little strips of 3M prismatic retro-reflective seam piping that help improve day and night visibility. I like the use of quality YKK zippers that are of the appropriate size to provide dependability and easy open/close function.
Final Thoughts
You won’t find the Truewerk G2 WerkPant in your local favorite supply store for now. Truewerk has all its clothing available directly from its website. If you are hesitant to order online without trying them on first, don’t worry – I found that the waist and the length were true to size for me (34X32).
My one small pet peeve is that I am not a big fan of the two-tone look. Maybe it’s my conservative background, but an all-one-color option would have been my pick. Perhaps this will become an option in the future.
So what’s the bottom line?
These cost more than my favorite Perry Ellis dress pants. However, the idea of us being “industrial athletes” and having to have the best performance gear for our job makes for a credible argument to wear them. Being comfortable all day long and having intelligently designed clothes that serve a purpose makes the Truewerk G2 WerkPant an easy decision for me.
TrueWerk G2 Werkpant Key Features
- G270 & G300 WerkFabrics feature Cordura nylon 6.6 blended with cotton for werk-level abrasion resistance, stretch mobility & burn/not-melt performance.
- 10+ pockets including removable trick pockets & knee pad pockets (1x small trick pocket and 1x large trick pocket included. Knee pads not included.)
- 3D fit from 2 way stretch, gusseted inseam & articulated knees
- COATS polycore thread & seam engineering insure ultimate seam strength and performance
- 3M prismatic retro-reflective detailing improves day and night visibility
TrueWerk G2 Werkpant Specifications
- Material: Cotton/Cordura blend
- Pockets: 10+
- Waist Sizes: 30 – 40″
- Lengths: 30 – 34″
- Fit: True to Size
- Price: $79
