While not all jobs allow for shorts onย the job site, if you are so lucky as to be able to wear them in hotย weather, we would suggest checking out the Blaklader Bantam Shortsย with Utility Pockets for sure. There are plenty of work shorts toย choose from, yet few offer the features, pockets, and comfort thatย Blaklader does. We already did our Blaklader Bantam Utility Pocket Pants review, but since I live in the southeastern United States and itย is in the middle of July, the timing was perfect for the arrival ofย the Blaklader Bantam Shorts.
I immediately put them on, and what jumped out at me was that, after a few minutes, I realized that they were as comfortable as one of my work t-shirts that had been washed hundreds of times โ and these came right out of the box! Just likeย the full pants version with their outside utility pockets, theseย shorts also include them, and they are just the right size and in theย correct location so that they quickly become second nature to use.ย There are some pockets behind the utility pockets that also allowย them to be tucked away when not needed. It is hard to find faultsย with the Bantam Shorts since they have pockets in the right placesย and details that make life on the job easier.
Blaklader Bantam Shorts Features
As with the pants version, theย Blaklader Bantam Shorts with Utility Pockets were designed for,ย wellโฆ working. Starting at the waist, there are 7 belt loops, and,ย depending on the belt loop location around the waist, they vary inย width to make sure that your shorts never sag. The fly has a heavy-duty metal zipper, and there is a metal button closure at the waistband. The front utility pockets are made up of two pocket styles: on the left, there are two large pockets, and on the right, there is one large pocket in the back and one divided pocket in the front.
As we mentioned,ย when the utility pockets are not needed, they can be tucked neatlyย into the storage pocket located behind them. Even when the pocketsย are tucked in, they can still be utilized. The idea of the hangingย utility pockets is that you can carry more and still have easy accessย to their contents โ even when kneeling or squatting.
There are two large back pockets as well, and they are lined with DuPont Cordura, which is 10x stronger and more abrasion-resistant than cotton. Inย addition to the extra lining, the utility pockets and the backย pockets have two unique features: the lower edge of the pockets isย not stitched, but folded; and the pockets have angled interiorย corners. These two features make it easy to grab fasteners and small things, because they keep them from getting lost in the corners and seams. And the design also makes it nearly impossible to have aย pocket blowout. You also, obviously, wonโt find room for your Redbacks knee padsย (or any other knee pad for that matter).
On the right-hand side, there is a heavy nylon webย loop for your hammer. The position of this loop puts your hammerย exactly where you would naturally grab it if you are right-handed.ย Left-handers will have to petition Blaklader for a Lefty-friendlyย version. Further down each leg are more specialty pockets. On theย left, there is a phone pocket with a hook and loop flap. If you haveย any kind of smartphone, it will have to live in one of your frontย pockets since it probably wonโt fit in the slim phone pocket that isย provided.
On the right side, there are two smaller pockets that workย well for pencils and screwdrivers. The sizes that we ordered fitย exactly the way we anticipated. Since they come pre-shrunk, we didnโtย experience any shrinkage, even after a few wash and drying cycles.ย These shorts are made of a โlightweightโ 8-oz cotton canvasย material. We found this material to offer a decent amount of breathability and has proven to be comfortable to wear all day long.
Blaklader Bantam Shorts Testing and Use
While pants offer more protection forย your legs, in the southeast (or any warm environment for thatย matter), wearing shorts to work is a fairly common practice. We lovedย the Blaklader Bantam Utility Pocket Pants, so we didnโt offer much resistance when the opportunity came up to try out their shorts.ย With these shorts, I can leave my Iron Dog Tool belt rig in myย truckโs toolbox and just load up my pockets with what is necessary.ย Getting used to the extra utility pockets was really easy and becameย second nature to reach down and simply grab what I needed for myย projects.
While I mentioned it before, the hammer loop is in just theย right spot so that my hammer does not hit me in the calf like it doesย when I sport the other guysโ shorts. Even though this might seem likeย a small item, I find that the actual value of these shorts is that theyย are well thought out and incredibly practical. The front utilityย pockets perfectly accommodated a tape measure with room to spare.
Iย also discovered that I could fit a 1lb box of just about anyย size fastener or nail into just one of the front utility pockets. Theย back pockets were large enough to comfortably fit a 6โณ Speedย Square. The only thing we found lacking is that the cell phone pocketย is too small for any of the smartphones we tried to fit in it. Sinceย just about every contractor now carries these around, rethinking thatย pocket for the realities of larger LCD screen-toting phones would beย a huge improvement.
Conclusion
While Blaklader work clothes might beย new to many of us here in the United States, they actually are aย company that has been making work clothes in Sweden for over 50ย years. Welcome to America โ and thanks for making the trip. Theย Bantam Shorts with Utility Pockets show that they understand whatย todayโs workmen want and need in their work clothes. For our Performance rating, we gave these shorts a 9/10 since they fit comfortably, provided plenty of pockets (except for an adequately sized phone pocket), and performed well out on the job site.
For our Valueย rating, we gave these shorts a perfect 10/10 since they really did aย good job of keeping all our supplies and tools in easy reach withoutย having to wear a tool belt. That alone can be a significant costย savings! You will be hard-pressed to find a less expensiveย alternative that offers the functionality and features that Blakladerย builds right in. Wearing these shorts for a while will make youย realize just how much your โotherโ shorts are missing.
