WORK TROUSERS GUIDE

A good pair of work trousers protect the user during the workday, but the best work trousers do so much more than that – they are comfortable, reliable and equipped with all the pockets and functions you need to do your job. Considering how many hours you spend in your work trousers every day it is wise to take some time to research different styles and models before you buy. The best work trousers are like the tools in your toolbox, they last for years and help you perform at the job.

The purpose of work trousers is to ensure that you can do your job safely and smoothly. At some workplaces, work trousers can be required as a part of a company uniform, giving all the employees a coherent look while at the same time strengthening the team spirit. Some work trousers are certified for work in especially challenging weather conditions or hazardous environments, for example high-visibility and flame-retardant trousers. When choosing a pair of work trousers, you need to consider both how and in what environment they are going to be used as well as your personal preferences.

Work trousers are usually equipped with certain pockets and other functions to meet the needs of different professions, like carpenters, fitters, electricians, welders or painters. If you often work on your knees and must have your tools close at hand, you should look for trousers that are equipped with knee pockets for knee pads and either have loose-hanging nail pockets or are compatible with a tool belt. Besides practical pockets, you may need work trousers with reflective tape and fluorescent fabric to increase visibility if you work outdoors in poor weather conditions or near roads. You can often tell which functions a pair of work trousers have from its certifications. Many work trousers are certified for knee protection when used with knee pads and others protect against rain, cold, heat and flame, chemical spills, electric discharge and more.

The times when work trousers all had the same fit and look are long gone and today you can express your personal style from 9 to 5. While many classic styles with regular fit remain popular, they have been joined by a new generation of trousers with a snugger, more contemporary design that often incorporates stretch materials. If having maximum comfort and freedom of movement during the workday is important to you, a model with full stretch or stretch panels is likely a good choice. It is well worth paying attention to the fit when purchasing work trousers, since a pair that fits well will make you more comfortable at work and more likely to keep the trousers until they are worn out.

Work trousers tend to be made of sturdier and more durable materials than regular trousers, since they have to stand up against daily wear and tear and are washed often. If durability is your highest priority, go for trousers made of cotton, polyester or a mixture of the two, called polycotton, and look for reinforcements in materials such as CORDURA® in pockets and other exposed areas. Many contemporary work trousers also feature elastane or nylon to make the fabrics stretchy and more comfortable to wear. For a smaller environmental footprint, it is becoming more common to use recycled materials, like polyester made of PET bottles, in work trousers.

Fristads has made work trousers for nearly 100 years, which means we have had plenty of time to perfect our designs and materials. With several hundred styles in stock, we have trousers for everybody and every body, from lightweight service trousers in 4-way stretch to extra durable trousers with reinforced pockets for tools. To make it easier for you to find your style, we have divided some of our most popular trousers into different concepts – Haverdal, Alnaryd, Tyresta, Skarup, Stiby and Trofta. Once you have found your perfect pair of Fristads work trousers, the concepts make it easy to find matching tops and jackets in the same style.

To see detailed descriptions of the features of our work trousers side by side, we recommend that you use the comparison function in our web shop. Comparing our work trousers is easy, just follow these steps:
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1. Go to our work trousers page.
2. Check the little box in the top-left corner that says “Compare” on each of the trousers that you are interested in. You can choose to compare up to four trousers at a time.
3. Click the big black button that says “Compare.”

Our work trousers for the building and construction segment fall into one of three main concepts, not including high-visibility trousers. Haverdal is based on our popular LWS trousers, which are made of lightweight, 4-way stretch material and have all the basic functions and pockets you need. Alnaryd is our broadest concept, revolving around our reliable, classic CYD work trousers and combining heavy-duty materials with flexible stretch for maximum mobility. Tyresta is our top-of-the-line range, based on our full-stretch STP trousers and characterised by advanced materials and the highest comfort we can offer.

Skarup is our versatile and broad concept for workers in service and industry, featuring easily profiled trousers in many different colours. Several of our Skarup trousers also work well for craftsmen.

We have divided our high-visibility trousers into two main concepts. Stiby is our concept for lightweight high-visibility trousers with stretch comfort and Trofta is our environmentally declared concept featuring lightweight, durable work trousers with full stretch and sewn reflective tape for optimal freedom of movement.   

In 2019, Fristads introduced the first work trousers with an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) in the world. An EPD is a standard that can be used to assess every aspect of the life cycle of a garment from an environmental perspective, from the choice of design and material to the production and delivery of the finished product. Today, we have trousers with an EPD in most of our major product segments and are constantly adding more. As a part of our ongoing sustainability work, we are also replacing the conventionally produced material in our work trousers with alternatives that have a smaller impact on the environment, for example recycled polyester. No material is switched out until it has been thoroughly tested to safeguard the quality, since durability and longevity are key to reducing the environmental impact of a garment in the long run.

We believe that every professional deserves durable clothes that protect the user and come with a functional design as well as a comfortable fit. That is why we launched our first workwear for women over 40 years ago and why we have a wide range of women’s workwear today. Check out our workwear trousers for women and find your favourite..