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There is nothing out there that clearly explains the difference between umpire pants. Looking for a pant that is going to last, and keep me cool, or as cools as possible when wearing gear. How does Smitty, Davis Pro, Davis light weight and Davis V2 match up?

And my favorite solution in the many times this happens? Find some nice, dry dirt, pour it on the plate and rub it off with the sole of my shoe. It's not like a ball with that wet paint has bounced and stained my brand new plate pants before...

No, those pants were never sold retail. That fabric is 120 gsm, so what we'd consider ultra-lightweight - they wont hold a crease.

Were the pants you sent me the ones that won't hold a crease? They are extremely light, but won't hold a crease. My mother in law had a press and she couldn't get them to hold a crease. I ironed them and couldn't get them to hold a crease.

@DerekGDS will we be able to order the college pants on the website?

I need new plate pants. Bad. The sun and catcher's masks/buckets (when the F2 in front of my discards their mask/bucket, I like to pick it up and knock off the dirt. Knocking them against the buckles of my leg guards has burnished the fabric in several areas). I decided (with some questions answered and fears assuaged by @DerekGDS) to get the BFX Pro pants. I opted for the flat front straight fit, because I'm not as skinny as some. (I'm still in shape, though--because pear is a shape!) The pants arrived in a pretty nice (still plastic) outer bag. It's a nice shift from the crinkly plastic with the adhesive strip that have become the norm. I noticed the tag showing it's 100% polyester (vs the Smitty pants, which are 92% poly, 8% lycra) and I especially like they're not made in China (YMMV). Once removed from the bag, the pants have a similar feel to the Smitty pants. It's not until I compared the feel next to each other I noticed the GD pants actually feel a bit smoother than the Smitty pants. Inside the waistband, the GD pants have a rubberized shirt stay band that feels like it will work better than the wider, but less "tacky," strip on the inside of the Smitty pants. The zipper and fly button are basically indistinguishable from the Smitty pants. The stretch of the pants, despite having 0% lycra, seems very similar to the Smitty pants. When I put them on and crouched as if I was in the slot, the fabric didn't feel noticeably different than the Smitty pants the GD pants are replacing. The GD website says the pockets are shallow to help retrieve items from the pockets, so I was expecting very shallow pockets (maybe 2 or 3 inches deep). In reality, the pockets are normal sized and appear to only be an inch shallower than the pockets on my Smitty pants (first photo below is the pocket on the Smittys; second--sorry about the focus--is the GDs). In the photos, the wrinkle on the center/top right is the tip of my fingers. Comparing the Smitty pants (got them out of the laundry pile for this photo--I don't wear them wrinkly) without a belt in them one can see how terribly faded they are) and the GD pants side by side, they're very similar. I like the clean design cues of the GD pants (the lack of a button loop, the wider belt loop, the monochromatic GD tag). Overall, I really like the GD BFX Pro pants though I haven't had them hemmed or worn them for a game. The price was a bit more than other offerings (including those from GD) but with the elimination of lycra from the fabric blend (as well as me using the back of my leg to knock dirt from F2s' masks/buckets) I expect to get better use out of the GD pants. If you're on the fence about getting these, I'd tell you to get them. I likely haven't answered all the of the questions you may have; let me know what comments I can address. Note: I was not compensated for this review.

Take them to a tailor and have them put a permanent crease in them. I do this on all of my pants. Also, get pant hangers and hang them from the bottom cuff to help them keep the wrinkles out until it is time to pack or put them in the car.

It is my understanding that the MLB guys are wearing the Smitty poly spandex pants. I always thought it was odd they don’t have a heavier cold weather option. I know when it’s cold here in the spring or fall I reach for my Honig’s polywools or the Davis Fechheimer polywools

The GDS Bayou Bloomers? The GDS Swamp Slacks? We know nothing of humidity here in the desert. 🌵 All we ask is that our umpire pants don’t fade… ☀️ … … … as fast as 1 season. 🥵

I haven't worn the Davis BFX Pro pants yet (got them after the season was over), but I'm looking forward to wearing them. I posted my first impressions in this thread here, if it helps any.

I'm thinking about getting a second set of pants. My first set are the Smittys. Does anyone know how the GD 94X Pants compare to them (fabric, cut, etc)? I'm not sure, if I want to get the Smittys again. While I really like the fabric of them (super light and breathable), I'm not the biggest fan of the cut (base pants are too lose, seat of them is also a bit too lose imo) and I also had some (minor) quality issues with them right from the start.

Back to the belt. I like it. Does it support and energize? I don’t know. My back has felt pretty good this whole season. I will say that the past two weekends, I’ve done multiple plates and the back has felt real good even right after the games. Cinching up the belt tight does feel like it’s supporting the lower back a bit. It gets an A++ for keeping your pants where they started and your shirt tucked for the entire game. Thats a big plus. Yeah, it’s pricey, but equipment is a tax deduction. I recommend it for anyone as long as it doesn’t break the budget.

This will be my first umpire season. I found 3 Smitty pants from facebook marketplace. The seller marked the pants himself; 2 being plate pants, 1 base pants. Trying on the base pants, they too seem to be wide/baggy in the legs. I'm thinking these might be combo pants instead of the specific base pants. The tag looks to say SM289 which doesn't seem to bring up anything Smitty product related. Is there a way to tell if these are combo or base pants?

As an equipment scholarship recipient from Battlefields to Ballfields, my pants were given to me. They served me well, but it's now time to retire them (base and plate pants--no combos for me, thanks!) and test the waters with other vendors and product lines.

They’re responsive to those people who… let’s say… put a value on their opinions, feedback, and needs being responded to. And, with the volume they produce, there are incentivized discounts and dividends to be had. To their credit, when poly-spandex became the latest trend, they made a very solid set of pants. They didn’t fade towards purple (like Davis polyesters did), were cut just generous enough to be athletic and accommodate different body types, and weren’t diaphanously thin (like the first batches of Honig’s were).

I will never understand all the love for Smitty products, especially these poly spandex pants.

A little heft and increased durability are indeed the reasons. There were concerns about abrasions and snagging with leg guards and the panel was added to increase the durability. We have people who "like" one of our series of pants but wont wear them or their coordinator wont let them because they simply do not exactly match Smitty's shade. This seems to come primarily from the upper levels of amateur play.

The “NCAA shade” isn’t an actual, quantifiable color value. All that TPTB want (expect, direct, demand) are pants – and indeed, all uniform items – that are clean, wrinkle-free, not faded, and… here’s the big issue… are representative of the time, preparation, and attention that comes with such a “prestigious assignment”. I once heard a college coordinator imbue to the group via Zoom call – “Guys, I got you a 15 dollar per game raise, the least you can do is buy new pants.” They don’t want you wearing the same pants you wore on a 4-game tournament spread on a fall-ball weekend; they want you wearing pants (and hats, and shirts, and shoes, etc.) that appear as if the game they’ve assigned you to is the best-funded and most important game on the docket.

I just bought the 2" model from Core Energy ($80 shipped with the code above from Chris). I highly recommend this belt. It fits great, stretches with you and it keeps me tucked in. I didn't have to adjust my pants at all during a 9-inning Legion game. I kept reaching out of habit before realizing I didn't need to do it.

I don't have a picture, but discovered yesterday--by accident--that the pants have a second layer under the polyester between the knee and ankle. The seamstress that's hemming them noticed it as she was setting the hem height and wondered why there's a second type of fabric on the lower leg. I didn't notice that on my first check of them, but it'll be interesting to see if the pants don't ride up as much after squatting, or if they're more durable--or both.

Do SSK Plate Pants have a reinforced stitch in the seat? I ask because I see several pairs of SSK Pants for sale but it’s difficult to tell from pictures whether the pants are plate or bases.

Time for new pants. I gather, and am good with, charcoal being the preferred style. But am curious about people's views on 1) Plate vs Combo pants for the plate. I've always thought the wide wide wide plate pants and mad mad mad mad and have gone with combo as my plate pants. 2) Pleated vs flat front. I think flat looks cleaner but see mostly pleated for sale and in use.

You’re correct the tag in my set of Davis Fechheimer “mlb style” pants say Honduras.

No. To the best of my knowledge Dominican Republic and Honduras are the only two locations those pants were made because it is tariff free.

I swear the tag on the Davis Fechheimer “pro pants” a few years ago said they were made in Thailand. No?