Chainsaw Protective Pants | Classes, Best Types & Buying Guide

Here, our focus is on chainsaw protective pants.

Protective gears are crucial when using specific machinery like chainsaws.

Standard protective equipment used by arborists includes ear plugs or earmuffs, face shields or safety glasses, climbing gloves, high-impact gloves, climbing helmets, cap-style safety helmets, and chainsaw chaps.

Others include chainsaw pants, climbing pants, chainsaw safety boots, and climbing boots.

Each of this equipment serves a crucial need as they enhance safety by reducing the chance of tree-cutting accidents occurring.

With that said, our primary focus will be on one of these; chainsaw safety pants.

What are Chainsaw Protective Pants?

As the name suggests, chainsaw safety pants are designed to limit the likelihood of injuries due to accidents that may arise from chainsaw use.

Almost every line of work has its hazards and requires the use of appropriate safety gear. Now, these pants are designed with a more rigid outer layer.

Beneath the outer layer is multiple fiber layers, which are tough and will resist chainsaw blades from cutting through to get to your leg.

While that is true, the durability of a chainsaw safety pant largely depends on its class. There are different safety classes for these pants, as you’ll learn shortly.

READ: Best Chainsaw Bars

Chainsaw Safety Pant Types and Classes

To fully understand what chainsaw safety pants are about, you’ll need to understand the different types and classes. In other words, knowing what they mean helps you choose better.

First, there are types A and C, while the classes range from 0 to 3.

So, what do these letters and figures mean?

i. Chainsaw Pant Types A & C

You might wonder why type B pants haven’t been mentioned. Well, the reason is simple.

These are pretty similar to type A pants. The only difference is that type B pants tend to have more protective coverage on the left leg.

• Type A

Chainsaw safety pants classified as type A are primarily designed to cover the front of the legs. These are used mainly by professional lumberjacks or trained forest workers.

Chainsaw protective pants in this category allow for ease of movement and comfort at ground level. You’ll mostly find this protective gear being used for heavy tasks.

• Type C

Chain safety pants in this category are mainly designed to offer all-around protection for the legs.

Unlike type A pants, these are suited for tree climbers, professional arborists, or tree surgeons. Type C protective pants for chainsaws can also be used for similar tasks like ground-level tasks.

ii. Chainsaw Protective Pant Classes

A particular classification for chainsaw protective pants is available to help buyers better understand what gear they need.

This particular classification takes into consideration the resistance of the clothing relative to the chain speed of the cutting machine.

As earlier stated, chainsaw pants resistance is classified from 0 to 3.

Pants designated class 0 can withstand chainsaw cutting through the material at 16 meters per second. Class 1 safety pants have the potential to resist cutting at 20 meters per second.

Chainsaw protective pants in the class 2 category can withstand cutting at speeds of 24 meters per second. Those in class 3 can resist cutting at 28 meters per second speeds.

So what’s the best class of pants to get for your safety needs?

While each of these pants serves a specific purpose, not all offer the same level of protection. For essential chainsaw use, consider pants in class 1, as these can hold up for most basic tasks.

However, you can also choose pants of higher classes too.

Shopping Tips for Chainsaw Protective Pants

When shopping for chainsaw protective pants, you’ll do well to look out for certain basic features.

These include breathable & lightweight material, size & fit, maintenance & care, as well as visibility. These features allow you to make better purchase decisions.

Let’s discuss what each of these means.

i. Breathable & Lightweight Material

One of the things you need to consider when buying chainsaw protective clothing is the material it’s made of. Certain materials allow for the circulation of air and are lightweight.

This ensures your health isn’t affected during use, as a breathable material will enhance comfort.

Why are lightweight safety pants essential? You have to understand that these pants are made from heavy material due to their function, which increases the likelihood of them being severe.

Finding pants that aren’t too heavy will help with better movement.

ii. Size & Fit

Size & fit are closely tied to your safety as an arborist or DIY’er.

A chainsaw safety pants shouldn’t be too short or tight. Any of these can result in injury. For example, safety pants that are too tight might make it increasingly likely for the chainsaw to reach your skin.

When you go shopping, you’ll find these safety gear labeled according to size, ranging from L, XL, XXL, etc. Knowledge about your exact measurements is essential to making the right pick.

You can also ask a store attendant for assistance when in need.

iii. Maintenance & Care

Depending on the class or type, chainsaw protective pants may have varying maintenance requirements.

Understanding what these are is crucial to your selection needs. You’ll do well to go with pants whose maintenance requirements aren’t much.

iv. Visibility

Visibility is critical due to the different work conditions encountered by arborists.

Heavily wooded areas can slightly affect visibility; hence the need to choose protective pants with bright colored patches, lines, or panels to help with better visibility.

Best Chainsaw Protective Pants

There are lots of quality chainsaw safety pants to choose from.

These include Rockwood Chainsaw Protective Safety Bib & Brace Pants, Pfanner Hi-Vis Orange Chainsaw Pants, Pfanner Gladiator Extreme Chainsaw Protection Pants, and SIP Protection Progress Arborist Chainsaw pants in Grey.

More quality products include Notch Armorflex Chainsaw Protective Pants, Forrester Chainsaw Safety Chaps with Pocket, and Chainsaw Chaps Apron Wrap 8-Layer for Men/Women Loggers.

These are only a few of the many quality products you can rely on for all your needs.

Providing an overview of chainsaw safety pants with types and classes, you can better shop for these. Consider asking for guidance from a professional if you have any doubts.