I Tried Amazon’s $20 Workwear Jeans—Here’s How They Hold Up After a Year of Testing

6 min readAmazon’s denim collection dropped last October, and it’s still going strong.Every piece from the Amazon Essentials line is priced under $50, making it a legitimate budget-friendly option with some flair. I tested out a couple of workwear-inspired pieces last year—here’s how they’ve held up after 10 months.Amazon isn’t the first retailer that comes to mind when you’re shopping for denim. Well, I should rephrase that—Amazon isn’t the first retailer that comes to mind when it comes to producing its own denim line. That’s a key distinction.It’s easy to find some household names in denim on the mega e-tailer—Wrangler, Levi’s, and Dickies are a few. But Amazon-branded jeans? That’s where some folks may draw the line, especially if they’re using them for yardwork. We have some pretty high standards when it comes to workwear, and I’ve tested plenty of it myself. This still piqued my interest.For a little context: Last fall, Amazon announced it was making a full foray into denim. Its in-house apparel brand, Amazon Essentials, actually has its own dedicated denim section, and it’s been live for almost a year. This is significant for one key reason: every item is under $50.Tim KohutShank button closure, complete with Amazon Essentials branding.There was a bit of a caveat—the brand seemed to take a more casual, lifestyle approach to denim. Gen Z influencers Kate Barlett and Luca Mornet were pegged as the faces of the launch, and I, admittedly, have never heard either of those names in my life. (Update: I still have no idea who they are.) This only made me more skeptical.But the budget-friendly line was still pretty impressive. From relaxed-fit, casual jeans to denim jackets to carpenter jeans, there was a little bit of everything. I decided on a couple of workwear items—the Amazon Essentials Rigid Relaxed-Fit Workwear Carpenter Jeans and the Amazon Essentials Low Stretch Regular-Fit Denim Jacket. I rocked my Amazon-branded Canadian Tuxedo to get a feel for how it might hold up in more strenuous settings, and the results were mixed (the jacket was legitimately a pleasant surprise). Denim, though, is built to be broken in, and we’re almost a full year out. I decided to revisit this piece as we inch closer to the fall. Here are some of my findings 10 months later.Shop Amazon’s Denim CollectionAmazon Essentials Carpenter Jeans ReviewI thought the $25 carpenter jeans would be the ideal litmus test. As the line’s primary workwear option (at least, according to the listing), it seemed like a relative no-brainer for Pop Mech. I decided to go with the vintage blue, for no reason other than that I already own a ton of dark and medium-wash jeans.Tim KohutAmazon’s carpenter jeans at a glance.Out of the package, the jeans were admittedly a little stiff. This was to be expected, though. They’re listed as “rigid-relaxed fit,” which sounds like an oxymoron but ultimately made sense—a good pair of workwear pants should be roomy enough for bending and squatting, but hold its shape enough under duress. Plus, the non-stretch, heavyweight fabric is designed to break in for a personalized fit and maintain shape after multiple washes. This was evident after one laundry cycle. They were still a little stiff, though, especially when bending down to tie my boots. Kneeling was the safer option, and at the time I wasn’t so sure they would’ve held up during something more labor-intensive.My primary gripe with the pants wasn’t necessarily the stiffness as much as the lack of room at the crotch. There wasn’t a ton of flexibility there, and I had a bit of a sinking feeling that additional squatting or bending could be a recipe for disaster. This may have been partially my fault; I was in between sizes, and I think I would have benefited from going up a size. I find this to be the case with a lot of Amazon Essentials apparel—many of their items run small.As for the pockets, I was actually pleasantly surprised. Based on the price and simple design, I was expecting minimal storage space. Instead, they were substantial and deep enough to fit an array of small accessories. There was also a secondary coin pocket perfect for pens, pencils, and, well, miscellaneous change. I think my favorite was the cargo/utility pocket on the right leg, which was large enough to hold my phone or a couple of small tools.My stance has changed almost a year later, and my initial inklings were correct: I should have sized up. I’ve lost some weight since then, and I’m down a size. There’s a lot more room to breathe, and they’re a lot more flexible after several additional washes. The $25 jeans have also held up well, all things considered. There’s minimal fading (although they’re a lighter wash, so it’s hard to quantify), and they’ve maintained their shape well. I don’t love the idea of spending big on pants I’m going to dirty up, anyway, so Amazon definitely came in clutch in this regard.Amazon Essentials Denim Jacket ReviewThe collection also includes some denim shirts, but I went straight for the heavy-duty outerwear version. This time, wisely sized up for layering. The jacket was also fairly reasonable at just $40. Similar Wrangler jackets are typically between $60 and $100.Tim KohutThe chest pocket is surprisingly deep.My first impressions of the jacket were far more favorable. I went with the tinted light wash, which turned out to be a little darker than I expected. It worked out, though, as it complemented the carpenter jeans well. I’ve owned brand-name denim jackets (not naming any names here!), and the washes were barely discernible.It was also surprisingly comfortable off the rip. The heavyweight, low-stretch denim wasn’t nearly as rigid as the jeans, either. I was happy I wised up and sized up.Tim KohutLarge pockets in the lining for extra knick-knacks.I was also a big fan of the shorter lining. The trucker-style fit, combined with the sturdy but seemingly already-broken-in denim, made for a pretty versatile fall piece. Plentiful storage earned the jacket a few extra bonus points: Buttoned chest-flap pockets, angled welt pockets, and hidden compartments in the lining give it some serious workwear chops. The jacket is a no-nonsense blend of form and function, and I was genuinely impressed.My glowing review holds up a year later. It’s even comfier after some more breaking in, and it hasn’t shown noticeable signs of wear. At least, unwanted wear; you want it to look lived-in to some degree. I’ve also tested out a couple of jean jackets since, which gives me a little more of a point of reference. I love Tecova’s Denim Trucker, which is about three times the price—when it’s on sale. That’s probably my favorite jean jacket in my arsenal, but the Amazon Essentials one can definitely hang. It’s a similar wash, boasts a similar trucker cut, and is dense enough for more practical outdoor use. I don’t feel comfortable doing yardwork in a $165 jean jacket, so the Amazon Essentials one is the perfect alternative. And if I were a betting man, you probably couldn’t tell the two apart when they’re lying side by side.Final ThoughtsI first wore the jacket and jeans to the office, and a few of my co-workers were legitimately impressed. The jacket was unsurprisingly a fan favorite, and one of my more style-savvy colleagues, Reviews Editor Danny Perez (who, for context, was even more skeptical of the collection than I was), was also impressed by the wash.While the jeans may not have checked all of the boxes from a workwear perspective, at least at first, they grew on me—almost quite literally. They felt a lot better after a few more trips to the laundromat, and losing a few pounds proved my initial theory correct. If you’re in between sizes, I’d definitely consider sizing up, especially if you prefer more room around the crotch. I’m still a fan of the deep pockets and, all things considered, still think they’re a great piece of casual workwear. I’d still opt to shell out a bit more for Wrangler or Dickie’s for the more labor-intensive jobs, but Amazon’s jeans weren’t too shabby. And the price tags speak for themselves.More Workwear We RecommendHuckberry Flannel-Lined Waxed Trucker JacketFilson Tin Cloth CruiserCarhartt Bartlett JacketDickies Men’s Denim Bib OverallBerne Cobblestone Washed BibTim Kohut is the Deals and Trends Editor for Popular Mechanics, Men’s Health, Best Products, and Runner's World. He has extensive product review and gear coverage expertise, particularly in tech, home, auto, and health. Tim was previously the Deputy Commerce Editor of The Drive and a Commerce Editor at BGR. He’s also overseen gear coverage and strategy at Popular Science, Bob Vila, Outdoor Life, and Field and Stream. He has a strong affinity for cats, Batman, and early 90’s Nicolas Cage films, in that order.