Stretch Work Trousers

What are stretch work trousers?

Stretch work trousers have an elastic fibre, usually elastane, built into the fabric so the trouser moves with you. Squat to a socket, kneel on a subfloor, step up onto a scaffold board: a rigid trouser pulls at the knee and the seat, a stretch trouser gives a little and lets you get on with it.

There are three ways a work trouser gets its stretch, and they don't wear the same:

• Stretch panels. A rigid trouser with a stretchy gusset or a panel at the crotch or knee. Cheap to make. The seams round the panel are usually the first thing to go.
• Stretch woven through the base fabric. A small percentage of elastane in the whole cloth, so the trouser gives everywhere a little. This is what every Tauro trouser uses, at 2% elastane.
• Full 4-way stretch. Very stretchy synthetic fabric. Comfortable on day one, but it can bag at the knee and tends to wear faster against brick, block and concrete.

What to look for in stretch work trousers

Stretch on the label tells you very little. These are the things that decide whether a pair is still doing its job after six months on the tools.

• Recovery, not just give. Any stretch fabric will stretch. The question is whether it comes back. A trouser that bags at the knee after a week of kneeling has too much stretch, too little recovery, or both.
• Reinforcement where it rubs. Stretch fabric on its own is softer than a rigid canvas. The best stretch work trousers put a tougher fabric over the wear points. Ours use 100% polyamide Cordura on the knees, thighs and back pockets.
• A cut that uses the stretch. Stretch is what makes a slim cut practical. A baggy trouser with stretch in it is still a baggy trouser. A slim leg with stretch keeps fabric off ladder rungs and joist edges without restricting you.
• The waistband. You bend thousands of times a day. A soft-touch elasticated waistband stops the trouser digging in when you're crouched under a sink.
• Pockets that still work when you move. Check the knee pad pockets sit at your knee when you kneel, and the thigh pocket doesn't swing.

We go through the rest of the checklist, from crotch seams to knee pad pockets, in what to know before buying work trousers.

Which Tauro stretch work trouser fits your work

Same slim cut, same 2% elastane and the same soft-touch waistband on all three. The difference is how much kit you carry.

• Outlaw. No holster pockets. 60% cotton, 38% polyester, 2% elastane, which dries quicker and holds its shape wash after wash. Cordura on the knees, thighs and back pockets. Our pick for plasterers, decorators and anyone working in customers' homes.
• Rampage. Our best seller. Same fabric as the Outlaw, plus removable Cordura-reinforced holster pockets for first fix that come off for second fix. Our pick for carpenters, bricklayers and groundworkers.
• Ranger. Our top tier. 98% cotton, 2% elastane, so it's softer and breathes better on long days in a hot loft. Removable holsters, the fullest pocket set we make, and Cordura extended to the holster mounts. Our pick for electricians, plumbers and roofers.

How to choose and size stretch work trousers

Stretch makes a slim trouser comfortable. It doesn't make a small one fit. Measure rather than guess.

• Waist sizes run 30 to 40 inches: 30 is 76cm, 32 is 81cm, 34 is 86cm, 36 is 91cm, 38 is 96cm and 40 is 101cm.
• Every pair has a 32 inch (81.5cm) regular leg, in black.
• Measure round your waist where your work trousers sit, not where your jeans sit.
• Between sizes, coming from loose-fit workwear, or wearing thermals underneath in winter? Size up on the waist.

Our model is 6ft 1in and wears a 34. The full measurements are in the size guide. If the slim cut isn't for you, see how it compares in slim fit vs regular fit work trousers.

Looking after the stretch

Elastane is the part of a stretch trouser that wears out first, and the way you wash it decides how fast. Wash inside out at 30°C with the holsters off. Skip the fabric softener: it coats the fibres and kills the recovery. Air dry rather than tumble, and keep them off a hot radiator. Do that and the stretch lasts as long as the Cordura does.

Try them on site

UK delivery is free by Royal Mail Tracked 48, and every pair comes with a 30-day wear test. Wear them on site, kneel in them, wash them. If they're not right, send them back and the return is free. Not sure which one? Compare all three slim fit work trousers side by side.