Introduced in 2017, the Kinetic clothing line by Propper apparel is designed as the next evolution in tactical trousers for professional and civilian use.
The Kinetic pants represent a refreshed approach to popular features found in Propper’s traditional tactical trousers that gives the Kinetic a professional appearance with new materials. Constructed of a 6.5oz polyester ripstop (79% polyester / 21% canvas), the material is made from NEXStretch fabric and treated in Teflon to offer a large degree of abrasion and water resistance be it on the job, at the range, or just as an every-day wear.
At the waist, the Kinetic pants have seven 1.5” wide belt loops (four on the front, three on the back) with an elastic slide adjuster on both sides that adds for an extra 2” in the belt line to both sides. The belt line is secured via a simple pass-through plastic button. At the front-most belt loops is also a tab for sunglasses or badge hook. Inside the belt line, the Kinetic has a single bead of silicone that runs the entire length and acts as a shirt stopper. Inside the inseam, the crotch has a minimal gusset for added flexibility. The fly uses genuine YKK zipper and the shuttle comes with a logoized pull tab.
The “classic” cut of the Kinetic pants offer a wide pant-leg from hip to ankle that maximizes maneuverability. It also has the standard four-pocket layout at the waist (two pockets in the front, two hook-and-loop secured pockets in the back), with the front pockets re-enforced to accommodate clip-on items (such as a pocket knife or flashlight).
Each thigh has a 4” wide low-profile pocket that will fit most modern smartphones or a single rifle magazine. Additionally, each leg of the Kinetic features an internally divided cargo pocket (secured via hook-and-loop). Above each cargo pocket is a single pen pocket. The knee is reinforced with a slot on the interior for adding a knee pad to each leg.
The Kinetic comes in Black, Charcoal (featured), Coyote, Khaki, LAPD Navy, Olive, and Sherriff’s Brown (featured) and is sized between 28 to 56 waist, and 30 to 37 inseam.
Product Evaluation Scores:
- Cost – Average (3/5): Designed as the updated version to Propper’s traditional tacical trousers, the Kinetic has an MSRP of $54.99 and includes a thicker polyester blend (both in percentage and weight) that is impregnated with Teflon to be inexpensive, and provide moderate resistance to abrasion. Some comparable market alternatives would include 5.11’s CDCR Duty Cargo Pants ($52.49) or Stryke ($74.99), Vertx’s Phantom LT 2.0 ($58.95), or Tru-Spec’s 24-7 Pro Flex ($59.99). At its current list price, there are tactical trousers (such as by Crye) that far exceed the Kinetic in terms of cost, as well as some trousers (Condor) that are cheaper. As is, and among those competitors noted, the Kinetic is of median (or average) cost to the consumer for a light tactical pant.
- Comfort – Good (4/5): With a gusset in the crotch and inseam, the NEXStretch’s flexibility for more dynamic body movements (lunges and taking a knee) was greater than the HLX, and not restrictive in the upper thigh and inner groin to any notable degree. The overall material of the Kinetic felt heavier than the HLX pants, and the Kinetic felt more like the “classic” cut. The front pockets had an interior polyester lining on the bottom, and soft fleece on the top and were a nice improvement on comfort over other tactical trousers. The hook-and-loop-secured rear pockets felt nice and would kept the contents in place but the flaps could be easily opened. The inner lining of the low-profile pockets were also lined with fleece; however, it should be noted that the low-profile pocket will accommodate a rifle magazine or cell phone—but not a cell phone in a protective case.
- Durability – Good (4/5): The Kinetic had extensive bartack throughout the pants and reinforced stitching was noted at key stress points to include at the belt loops, and pockets. The machining process for this also left a lot of loose or errant threads along the belt line that had to be removed or burnt. The Teflon application of the material did keep some moisture off (poured water) thanks to its repellent properties, but the long-term application of this treatment could not be tested. It is likely the Teflon will keep some aspects of moisture, such as rain or mud, off for a time, but not if submerged. The YKK zipper slid easily and did not cross-thread. Elsewhere, the plastic threaded button that secures the belt line was of some concern, as it felt flimsy and with its stitching could easily pop off if a gun belt or other item were pressed/pulled against it. From a durability aspect, the only thing recommended to Propper for improvement would to make the belt line button metal and integrated into the material, similar to what is on the HLX. This would make it more duty applicable.
- Functionality – Good (4/5): The Kinetic had many of the more obvious tactical aspects that the HLX did not, specifically, the inclusion of cargo pockets. As noted, there were a number of lose threads in and around the belt loops that was purely aesthetic. Elsewhere, the cargo and rear pockets were secured via hook-and-loop, and were easily opened (something that if grappling could result in spillage of contents). The elastic sliders on the belt line added up to 2” of length to each side, and made it extremely comfortable. It is recommended that consumers consider ordering at, or one size below, their actual pant sizes as Propper seems to run a little on the plus side in measurement, and the elastic sliders accommodated for this. The NEXStretch gusset was wider on the Kinetic than the HLX’s gusset material, and the improvement over flexibility in the upper thigh and crotch was apparent. Minimal areas of recommended improvement on functionality for Propper would be to change out the belt line button for the reasons noted above in the durability section.
- Weight – Average (3/5): Coming in at 1.98 pounds, the Kinetic was very lightweight, something attributed to the polyester and Teflon blend of its materials that balanced abrasion resistance with its NEXStretch flexibility. In comparison, the 5.11’s CDCR Duty Cargo Pants (2 pounds) or Stryke (2 pounds), Vertx’s Phantom LT 2.0 (0.7 pounds), or Tru-Spec’s 24-7 Pro Flex (1.6 pounds) all demonstrate the diversity in weight of tactical trousers, and put the Kinetic’s weighted materials on average within the market.
Overall Rating – Above Average (18/25)
Product Link: https://www.propper.com/mens/pants/tactical-pants/propper-kinetic-pant-mens.html
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