A few months ago, this blog broke down the differences between Carhartt and Dickies, two worthy workwear brands. From cut to tradition, we learned that the two brands couldn’t be more different.
Then Carhartt climbed in the ring with Berne and came out after ten rounds with more variety to offer than Berne, but at a higher price point.
It seems we have a thing for Carhartt because, by demand, it’s on the docket again. This time it’s Carhartt versus the Walls brand of workwear.
Found at many of the same workwear outlets, these two brands have different looks and offer different strengths. Workers want to know if their hard-earned money spent on Carhartt is worth it. They want to know if Walls is really Walmart’s own brand of workwear.
It’s not, by the way. Don’t let the Wal-prefix found at Walmart and Walls confuse you.
At the end of the day, good money invested in quality clothes is worth it. What we want to know is how these two brands stand up to the tests… all of them.
How do they perform in comfort metrics, especially fit? How do they take the cold, and what about heat? Also, how do they stand up to the years?
But first, a little background…
Background
Just kidding… Here we go.
A Little Background
Like all the workwear brands found on all the hardest working sites on the planet, Walls and Carhartt both bring rugged histories to the table.
Each has stood the test of time, clawed their way through wars, crawled over borders, demonstrating over-and-over to the whole world that they can take anything. But, they are not roughly the same, not even close according to their fans.
Carhartt remains one of the most venerable brands, as much the logic behind its exaltation as its derision. When Hamilton Carhartt forged the first overalls of the Carhartt brand, it was 1889.
At that time, society was horse-drawn, industrialized, and tough. The hottest ticket in town was the rail so that’s where Hamilton laid down his tracks. He was almost five decades in the business before Walls workwear popped up in Texas.
Although Walls now belongs to the Williamson-Dickie manufacturing company, the same folks who own Dickie’s, the Walls brand predates that transaction.
The first Walls brand of workwear emerged in 1938, crafted by the brand’s namesake, George Walls in Dallas, Texas. Mr. Walls’ first customers were the hard-working folks in the oil and gas industry.
It turned out that George had something special. Demand for his no-nonsense tough coveralls blew through the roof. He was forced to expand, adapt, and grow.
Walls may have started in the fuel mining business, but they’ve made quite a name in the hunting gear industry too.
Fit Comfort Test
The general reaction to Walls’ line of workwear is that they fit “comfy” off the rack. Most of that attribution comes from the textiles used by Walls, but some of it is the cut. Walls’ apparel tends to fit loosely compared to Carhartt’s.
Whereas Carhartt’s jackets can ride when reaching up, even Walls’ short jackets, like the cut & short modern work hooded coat from Walls [pictured on the left above] comes well below the waistline. For this fact alone, many feel the Walls line of jackets is more comfortable.
It’s true, Carhartt tends to be more stiff off the rack, but over time their apparel wears in like any article of clothing. It softens.
As a retort, critics of the Walls brand claim that their softer textiles cause durability issues, but critics of Carhartt counter that all that stiffness doesn’t necessarily equate to a longer life.
[Cue: Eye roll combined with a long sigh.]
The key to understanding fit is to recognize that from design-to-design, any brand can fit slightly better on a given body. One must measure these brands not against the critics or the fact that one has already purchased a particular brand. Each garment must stand up to the personal preference test.
One has to try on these jackets and overalls, move around, reach up and down to know how any item will accommodate a given body. A mirror test simply won’t do.
Do this, give any new garment some time for objective review, and the obvious will become clear. You will know which brand fits you best. You may find that one brand fits better on top, and the other fits better on the bottom.
Do the right thing and wear what fits most comfortably regardless.
Cold Weather Test
On the Walls workwear lineup, they offer their trademarked Zero Zone level of protection. Walls designed these items to take the bitter punishment of a cold gig.
Front zippers block the worst drafts with storm flaps. Sleeves conceal secret storm cuffs crafted from comfortable knits, and the back of Zero Zone wear hugs the waist with elastic.
Every potential egress comes with an additional flap, pocketing or whatever it takes to keep out the cold. Zero Zone wear employs quilted lining designed for wicking away moisture like a boss.
Some Zero Zone wear, like Walls’ Zero Zone duck insulated coverall also comes with a coating of water-repellent finishing. When it comes to fighting the cold, Walls isn’t playing around.
That doesn’t mean Carhartt has been sleeping on the job. Their quilt-lined duck coverall is like the more fitted version of Walls’ coverall. It’s as sharp as it is functional.
The only thing Walls’ coverall has on the one from Carhartt is that the Carhartt version is less likely to stay dry under oppressively wet conditions. That said, no article of clothing — unless we’re talking about a scuba diving dry suit — will keep out the pouring rain.
Moisture aside, both will keep users as warm as a baby duck, but Walls version may fit more buyers comfortably.
Heat Test
Both brands can take the cold, how does each brand hold up against the heat of a smelting pot? Both brands offer flame resistant (FR) workwear, ensuring protection from heat and sometimes electrical arcs risks.
The question for these brands is can they take the heat and stay in the kitchen?
For those who need it, FR workwear cannot fail. It’s one thing for a little cold to seep in, but spikes in heat could cause immediate harm to the wearer. This lack of room for error means that reputation is everything in the heat test.
This is an area where Carhartt shines. While the Walls brand of workwear includes a line of flame-resistant apparel, one they’ve been manufacturing FR workwear for decades, the Carhartt reputation with flame resistance remains unparalleled.
For this reason, All Seasons Uniforms doesn’t carry any of Walls’ workwear for battling the heat. There simply isn’t enough demand for it. Carhartt wins this round without a doubt.
As a testament to this, the Carhartt Flame-Resistant Extremes Arctic Biberall provides both protection from cold, lined with Thinsulate™ and Carhartt’s Wind Fighter™ technology, it also features flame-resistant buckles, suspenders, and panels.
It’s about as close as one can get to Ironman-level protection.
Durability Test
This is the test where determining a winner gets tricky. Ask 100 laborers which last longer, Carhartt or Walls, and 50 will go one way, 50 the other.
Fans of Walls brand often cite that their Walls overalls and jackets last as long as their Carhartt versions, but for a fraction of the cost. Perhaps…
Diehard Carhartt fans will say they know exactly where their extra cash goes when buying Carhartt items, into a garment that lasts three times as long.
These opinions all vary from person to person. One thing’s for sure, Carhartt’s reputation for repairing their garments is as solid as their heritage. In most cases, they’ll repair what they can for free.
What may affect some of the disparity with durability reviews is where the reviewers purchase their workwear. Discount retailers are notorious for selling factory seconds, clothes with minor flaws preventing them from hitting the racks of reputable workwear retailers.
Since there is no way to determine from someone’s review where they bought their goods, the durability test plays out much like the fit comfort test.
Start by buying from a reliable retailer [um, like All Seasons Uniforms?] Make the best decision by considering your budget and work needs, cold and hot conditions especially.
In time you will develop an opinion of your purchase regarding the durability and fit.
One last shameless plug: The great about working with one of those “reliable retailers” out there [ahem] is they have a vested interest in putting you in the right workwear.
Their long-standing reputations count on your happiness. They have return policies so you can send back articles of clothing that don’t fit right or simply don’t work for you. They’ll do anything they can to earn your repeat business.
If you still have questions, contact us. Let the crew at All Seasons Uniforms answer all your questions until you feel confident you’ve got the right purchase in mind. We love helping.
About the Author
Nick Warrick
Nick Warrick is the Sales Manager at All Seasons Uniforms. With over 15 years of experience in the work uniform business, he has worked with hundreds of clients across 20 different industries. Holding bachelor’s degrees in both Business Administration and Information Technology, Nick revamped the company’s online presence, offering its customers a new uniform shopping experience.