How to choose work trousers: the risk decides the model

For most jobs you need sturdy cotton or poly-cotton work trousers with tool pockets and, if you work at floor level, knee pads. If you work near roads or moving vehicles, move up to a high-visibility model (EN ISO 20471); if you use a chainsaw you need certified cut protection (EN ISO 11393); for rain look for EN 343, replaced in 2025 by EN ISO 24232, and for severe cold look for EN 342. Fabrics range from light models for hot weather to heavy or padded ones for winter.

The types

• Classic work trousers: combat, cargo or jogger styles with side pockets and a rule pocket. They suit building sites, workshops and maintenance when there is no specific risk.
• Summer trousers and shorts: light fabrics. Shorts leave your legs free but give no protection: fine in a warehouse or for light gardening, not where there are hot splashes, flying debris or substances that touch the skin.
• High visibility: in light or Winter versions (for winter; some models are padded). They have fluorescent fabric and retroreflective bands, for people working near traffic, in warehouses with forklifts or on road works.
• Chainsaw cut protection: they have a protective layer in the areas exposed to cuts and are designed for loggers, pruners and tree surgeons. The standard provides three designs, A, B and C: design A is intended for professional use, design C for occasional use.
• Rainproof: waterproof trousers for people who stay outdoors in bad weather.
• Winter: designed for the cold, with heavy fabrics, fabrics brushed on the inside, soft shell or padded fabrics.
• Multi-standard: they combine several protections in one garment, for example high visibility plus other standards provided for that model. They are needed when there are two or more risks in the same shift.

How to choose according to the job

A few examples from the collection, with the data from the product page. For hot weather there are the Pantalone Verona, 100% polyester at 105 g/m², with five pockets and zipped leg ventilation, and the Pantalone World Slim FIT, in U-4 fabric (86% nylon, 14% spandex) at 140 g/m², with an elastic waist, triple stitching and a YKK zip. Another light model is the Sky by Neri, in 100% cotton at 150 g/m². For a sportier cut there is the KX3 jogger by Portwest, in Titanmill Pro Stretch fabric (95% polyester, 5% elastane) at 265 g/m².

The Pantaloni Smile model is 60% cotton and 40% polyester at 245 g/m², with a reinforced crotch, triple stitching, an adjustable waist and front, side and rule pockets. For the cold, the Pantalone Padova is classified as a winter model: 92% polyamide and 8% elastane, 230 g/m², with braces, an elastic waist and double-layer knees. Note that fabric weight alone does not tell you whether a garment is warm: the Smile weighs more than the Padova, which is the one classified as a winter model.

High visibility: the class depends on the areas

EN ISO 20471 divides garments into three classes according to the minimum area of fluorescent material, which is seen in daylight, and of retroreflective material, which is seen at night in headlights. The minimums are: class 1, 0.14 m² of fluorescent and 0.10 m² of retroreflective material (or 0.20 m² of material with both properties combined); class 2, 0.50 m² and 0.13 m²; class 3, 0.80 m² and 0.20 m². The areas are measured on the smallest size placed on the market.

A class 3 garment must encircle the torso and have at least long sleeves or long legs with retroreflective bands: this is why trousers alone cannot reach class 3. You get there with a combination, for example class 2 trousers with the jacket, polo shirt or T-shirt specified by the manufacturer. The classes do not simply add up, though: only the combination certified together counts, and it must always be worn together and as the manufacturer prescribes. Which class you need is decided by the risk assessment for your job.

If the manufacturer has set a maximum number of washes, you will find it on the label after the word "max", next to the pictogram. A garment whose yellow or orange has faded, that is dirty or whose bands are damaged no longer signals well enough and must be replaced. Read the product page too: the Pantaloni RAY model, orange, 60% cotton and 40% polyester at 240 g/m², with 3M Scotchlite reflective bands, lists EN ISO 13688:2013 as its standard, which is the one for the general requirements of protective clothing. If your risk assessment document requires an EN ISO 20471 class, ask the AMES technicians to confirm that the model covers it.

Rain, cold, moving parts: the other standards

• EN 343, now EN ISO 24232: protection against rain, snow, fog and ground humidity. In 2025 EN 343 was replaced by EN ISO 24232, so you may find either one on the label. The garment receives two classes from 1 to 4, one for water tightness and one for breathability: the higher the class, the better.
• EN 342: protection against cold for ensembles (jacket and trousers or a one-piece coverall) and garments used in environments at -5 °C or below, where humidity and wind also count. For merely cool environments the standard is EN 14058.
• EN 510: it concerns how the garment is made, to reduce the risk of it getting caught or drawn in by machines and moving parts. It does not cover hazards that have their own standard, such as chainsaws: for those it remains EN ISO 11393.

Fabric abbreviations

• Stretch: elastic fabric for easier movement; on product pages you also find it under the brand name, such as B-FIT STRETCH by Diadora Utility, made with elastomeric yarns.
• RIPSTOP: a weave reinforced at regular intervals, with the typical grid effect, that stops tears from spreading.
• WR (water-repellent finish): a surface treatment that makes water run off. It is not a rain certification and loses effectiveness with washing: for rain, EN 343 or EN ISO 24232 is what counts.
• Sanforised: cotton that has undergone controlled shrinkage during production, so it shrinks little with use and washing.
• Reflective bands, 3M Scotchlite: retroreflective material that sends headlight beams back towards their source, that is, towards the driver.

The features to check

• Material and fabric weight: in the collection you will find 100% cotton (also sanforised), 60/40 and 35/65 poly-cotton, polyester, polyamide with elastane, nylon with spandex and soft shell. Cotton is cooler and more comfortable; polyester dries faster and keeps its shape better. Among the models mentioned here, weights range from the 105 g/m² of the Verona to the 320 g/m² of the Pantalone Maastricht (35% cotton, 65% polyester). Weight tells you how light a garment is, but not on its own whether it is warm: also look at the fabric and whether the model is listed as a winter one.
• Knee pads: if you work at floor level, look for knee pad pockets, as on the Pantalone Tomtor (soft shell, 100% polyester with Cofratex membrane, 200 g/m²). Knee protection has its own standard, EN 14404, now split into several parts: EN 14404-3 certifies the combination of a specific knee pad with the trousers designed for it. The pocket alone does not protect: use the knee pad specified by the manufacturer for that model.
• Reinforcements: check crotch, knees and pocket bottoms: these are the points where a thin garment gives way first. A reinforced crotch and triple stitching, found on many models, make the difference after a season.
• Chainsaw class: it indicates the chain speed used in the laboratory test: class 1 at 20 m/s, class 2 at 24 m/s, class 3 at 28 m/s. Choose the class according to the chainsaw you use. The label must show the chainsaw pictogram, the design (A, B or C), the class and the warning that a damaged garment must be withdrawn from use.
• Sizes: depending on the brand they are in letters or numbers; the Sky by Neri, for example, goes from S to XXXL. Check the size chart of the model: measurements are not the same from one brand to another.
• Washing: follow the garment label for temperature and number of washes. For high-visibility garments also read the manufacturer's instructions: some rule out fabric softener and ironing the reflective bands.

Common mistakes

• Keeping a worn high-visibility garment in use: if the reflective bands are damaged or the colour has faded, the garment no longer signals well enough and must be replaced.
• Adding two garments together to move up a class: a jacket and trousers reach a higher class only if they are certified together as a combination.
• Thinking that any sturdy trousers are cut-resistant: they are only if they show EN ISO 11393, the design and the class.
• Choosing the size while standing: also try the garment crouching and with bent knees, because it must not pull or expose your back. A size that is too big, on the other hand, can make the hem catch.
• Mending chainsaw trousers after a cut: if the chain has cut the fabric, the garment must be withdrawn from use and replaced, as its label must state.
• Loading the pockets with heavy tools: light fabric gives way where the pocket is attached. A tool belt is better.
• Choosing a single model for every season: heavy trousers in summer or light ones in winter make work more tiring and push people to take them off.

Frequently asked questions

Which work trousers are best for a building site?

Sturdy cotton or poly-cotton trousers, with tool pockets, reinforcements at the wear points and knee pad pockets. If the site is on a road, add high visibility.

Which trousers are coolest in summer?

Light ones, such as the Verona at 105 g/m² or the Sky at 150 g/m², in cotton or in a synthetic fabric that dries quickly. Avoid heavy fabrics and those that do not breathe.

Do you need cut-resistant trousers to use a chainsaw?

Yes. Look for EN ISO 11393 and choose the class suited to the chain speed of your chainsaw: 20, 24 or 28 m/s for classes 1, 2 and 3. Design A is intended for professional use, design C for occasional use.

How can I tell if high-visibility trousers comply with the standard?

The label must show the EN ISO 20471 pictogram with the class. The reflective bands must be intact and clean: when they wear out, the garment must be replaced.

Are water-repellent trousers rainproof?

Not necessarily. A water-repellent finish makes water run off, but it is not a certification: if you have to stay outside in the rain, look for EN 343 or EN ISO 24232 with its classes on the label.

How often should work trousers be replaced?

When they are torn, when the reflective bands are damaged or the colour has faded, when you have exceeded the maximum number of washes shown on the label and, for chainsaw trousers, after any cut.

You will find the models in the trousers collection: if you want a quote for a team, a model with a standard you do not see online or advice on the right standard, ask the AMES technicians.