I am self-employed as step-deck tractor-trailer operator, and the physically demanding nature of the job has me always on the hunt for comfortable, durable and cost effective work clothes. Until now, I have always stuck with Carhartt bib overalls, but recently decided to try out a few other brands. Since my experience is solely with Carhartt bibs, that will be the standard I compare the Dickies to. I have only had the Dickies overalls a few days, so I haven't had a chance to put them through the extreme real-world test of flatbedding, so my rating does not take experienced durability into account, only my initial impression and best guess as to how well these will perform over time. As I do with many of my reviews where durability is important, I plan on updating this in a month or two to reflect what I encountered with the overalls in the field.
These bibs have a much longer actual inseam than my other pairs of Carhartt bibs. In most slacks and jeans and Carhartt bibs, a 30" inseam just touches the floor if I'm barefoot. With these and the other model of Dickies I'm trying out, the pant legs are so long that I could almost sew up the ends and forego socks. The ends of the cuffs terminate under the balls of my feet, when standing barefoot. This isn't an issue with me because I like using a velcro strip to tighten the cuffs around the uppers of my boots to keep dust and bugs out; but I'm sure most people will want to order these a size or two shorter than their normal inseam length.
The overalls pictured in the image on the product page shows a medium to light blue fabric with white vertical lines. The overalls I got are nearly black with white lines. This isn't an issue with me, because I'm not trying to make a fashion statement when I'm loading my trailer, but I'm sure many people will expect to get a product that looks like the image on the product page.
The overall quality of the stitching appears to be decent. The fabric is a little stiff compared to a brand new pair of Carhartts, but it did soften considerably after the initial wash. I'm sure after a few cycles, they will be as comfortable as my other bibs. I think my Carhartts appear to be made with a little bit more exacting standards, but the Dickies don't look bad at all. I do like the wire hook style employed on the Dickies straps better than the spade design favored by Carhartt. While I only wore them around the house for a short time, the Dickies closure design seems like it will be less likely to twist and bind up (nearly impossible, in fact).
In summary, the Dickies bibs are better than a three star product, at least upon initial inspection. I'm forced to give them a three star rating however, because the inseam measurement as well as the fabric color is way off. For me personally, as I have already stated, these negatives are no big deal, but I'm sure they would cause some shoppers to feel the need to return the bibs. I'm hoping these bibs turn out to be as durable as my Carhartts, and I can upgrade the star rating to a 4.
***************************** UPDATE *****************************
I've incorporated these bibs into my work clothes rotation over the last three months and they've become one of my favorite pairs of bibs. Despite having a much longer inseam than advertised, these are definitely now the most comfortable set of bib overalls I own. The zipper works easily and smoothly (unlike some of my Carhartts)and I've found I really like the strap closure system. I do have one reservation left about these bibs. The material seems to be the same as another pair of Dickies bibs I'm trying out and the other pair of Dickies caught on a piece of steel that opened a three inch long rip in the leg. I've caught my Carhartts many times on steel corners and they have never ripped. Still, overall (pun intended) the Dickies bibs are worthy of four stars and I will probably buy more pairs in the future.
Dr. Cephalopod
Tim D.