The 1620 Shop Pant has set out to break our pattern of working in cheap, uncomfortable, disposable workwear. For its premium price, the Shop Pant promises unmatched comfort and durability with stretchable, abrasion-resistant fabrics. I put on my pants like everyone else—but let’s see if I’m much more comfortable when I work.
Pros
- Significant stretchability in all the typically tight pant areas
- Extremely breathable fabric for a cooler feel
- Angled back pockets are easy to access
- Remarkably durable material stays clean and abrasion-free
Cons
- The super-premium price will discourage some from ever buying these pants and those that do from pushing the pants to their limits to keep them in good shape
1620 Shop Pant Performance
Get a Leg Up
The premise of the 1620 Shop Pant makes sense. Make a tougher and more comfortable pant that lasts four or five times as long as a cheap pant and Pros will pay four or five times as much. Is that accurate? It won’t be for everyone but, after wearing these pants in the shop and for some medium-duty service work, I think 1620 is onto something.
The 1620 Shop Pant is remarkably stretchable. It stretches in all the areas where my cheap work pants and jeans restrict movement. The secret sauce of the stretchability seems to be the 91% Durastretch Nylon and 9% Spandex with a gusseted crotch.
The fit, which 1620 describes as modern, is true to size as far as I can tell. I purposefully ordered the pants a bit smaller to encourage myself to eat healthily. I’m making some progress, but I still wish the waistband was a little more stretchable. That’s not a huge deal. If you order your actual size, you’ll get an accurately fitting pant!
Take a Deep Breath
Of all the abilities of the 1620 Shop Pant, it’s breathability is my favorite. The pant breathes better than any pant I’ve ever worn. I had the perfect testing ground for this review: a workshop with no AC—only fans—in Florida during the summer months. The superior comfort of cooler pants alone was nearly enough to convince me the Shop Pant deserved its price.
The deep back pockets angle for easy access. The watch and mobile device pockets are also amply-sized and easy to reach.
1620 Shop Pant Reporting for Duty
As the name implies, the Shop Pant is spec’d for light-to-medium-duty tasks. It isn’t for the heaviest types of work. 1620 has other pants for those jobs.
Even so, I’d be willing to bet the 1620 Shop Pant can handle anything you throw at it better than most others. But here’s the thing: if you pay the premium price, you will probably be reluctant to really put them in harm’s way. That’s the irony of this expensive tough-as-nails, abrasion-resistant, water-repellent fabric.
If you can get over that mental block like I eventually did, you’ll find the Shop Pant will remain clean and tear-free no matter what you do. Still, I wouldn’t ask them to crawl underneath a mobile home as if I was back in my old service work days. I’d save that for 1620’s heavier-duty Pants.
Price
It’s no surprise a wide price range exists in the work pants category. The $198 1620 Shop Pant outpaces the field in price by a wide margin.
- Dickies Flex Tough – $29
- Walls 832 Move It $40
- Walls Ditch Digger $45
- Truewerk T2 $79
- Truewerk G2 $124 (discontinued)
- 1620 Shop Pant: $198
The Bottom Line
There’s no doubt the 1620 Shop Pant is a superior work pant for light-to-medium-duty shop tasks. It breathes, stretches, wicks, and stays remarkably abrasion-free and clean after several weeks of tough use. I believe it will last as long or longer than multiple pairs of other work pants or jeans. That helps me understand how it commands its premium price. Still, it’ll be a hard sell for a lot of Pros, but that’s characteristic of premium products. For those who fork over the $198, they will find their work productivity, comfort, and mobility significantly improved.
Check out the 1620 website for more info and to order your own pair.
1620 Shop Pant Specifications
- Model: Shop Pant
- Key material: DuraStretch Nylon
- 7 oz 4-way stretch Twill
- Double weave softshell construction
- Water repellent finish
- Proprietary core spun yarn technology
- Lifetime guarantee
- Price: $198
