I Tried Radian Jeans, the Denim Pants With ACTUAL Pockets

I'm a jeans and T-shirt kind of gal, but historically, my jeans have had zero pocket capacity.

When I'm lucky, I can put my iPhone 6 in my front or back jeans pocket with the top inch or two poking out. When I'm not, my pockets can be just a couple of inches deep—or even worse, exist as sewn-on flaps of material that merely resemble pockets.

There's a serious need for women's clothing with pockets to actually serve a purpose, which is what enticed me to try Radian Jeans. The company specializes in much-needed jeans with deep, functional pockets. As soon as I heard about Radian, I knew I had to reach out to the company. They were generous enough to send me a pair of their jeans so I could see if they could really be as good as I'd hoped.

The Product

Radian Jeans are all about the pockets. The company sets out to provide cute, comfy denim with practical pocket space for anything you might need to carry around. They're currently available to preorder at $69 plus shipping, but the price will increase to $99 once the jeans are fully in production come this summer. They also have a slightly pricier option to have a pair of jeans tailor-made to fit your body.

(via Radian Jeans)

Radian Jeans are available in light blue, jet black and indigo washes in both skinny and straight fits. Regardless of which jeans you take home, they all boast pockets like you've never seen on women's pants.

(via Radian Jeans)

 

The Experience

Once I received my pair of indigo Radian Jeans, I tried them on basically the second I arrived home. They were a perfect fit around the waist, though they weren't exactly what I expected. Radian jeans are labeled as mid-rise on their website, but they fit me more like low-rise jeans, possibly because I'm a bit curvier in the hip and seat area. I remedied this by wearing shirts with good coverage and found that I loved the way the jeans felt.

Later, I  learned that the pair of jeans I received were not the final product, meaning the rise was up to 1.5 inches lower than what will go out when the jeans start shipping this summer.  The design was also minimalistic, making it easier to pair the versatile jeans with just about any outfit.

I'm also relatively short, so the jeans were slightly long on me. I received a pair with a 30-inch inseam, but in Radian's actual production, they'll also have 28-inch and 32-inch options perfect for shorter or taller girls. Still, for the perfect length, I simply had to roll up the cuffs. It was then that I discovered one fun feature of Radian Jeans: the print on the inside of the cuffs. The vibrant green flower design may not be for everyone, but I thought it added a nice bit of flair to my look.

Look and feel may be important, but my biggest concern was the pockets. For my first test, I decided to see how much they could really carry. My wallet may not be enormous, but never in my life had I been able to comfortably fit into a pants pocket. I thought it'd be the perfect test subject.

I was happy to discover that my wallet easily fit into one of the back pockets of the jeans. I also added a couple of pens and a few tubes of lip balm for good measure to test the capacity and didn't have any problems. My phone also fit all the way into the pocket alongside the wallet—though I realized after it was inserted that I'd have to remove it in order to snap a photo of what I was seeing.

Both back pockets also have a handy flap I could drape over my belongings to prevent anything from falling out as I moved. That added convenience went a long way, particularly when I was actually hauling things around in my back pocket for the first time. Curiosity also led me to take out a ruler and measure the depth of the back pocket. It was an impressive 5.7 inches deep.

For testing the front pockets, I wanted to try something even more ambitious. I had an empty aluminum can on my desk in front of me. Would that fit the bigger front pocket? It did, without a problem.

Next, I had to test the inner pocket. In my experience, the tiny inner pocket on women's jeans can usually hold my pocket change at most, so I doubted that it could accommodate the can. I was wrong, and soon realized that the inner pocket was actually bigger than the outer one, matching the depth of the back pocket at 5.7 inches deep.

It didn't take long to conclude Radian Jeans have some serious pockets, but as I've worn them, I've realized just how handy they are. Because I've grown so reliant on a handbag for carrying around the necessities—my phone, wallet and keys—I feel oddly exposed when I don't have it on me. Being able to comfortably carry those things in my pockets might eventually free me from that mindset. If guys can go around all the time without any kind of bag, why can't I?

 

Bottom Line

If you've always dreamed of owning a pair of women's jeans with pockets that can actually hold things, Radian Jeans might be the answer to your prayers. There's no doubt that they have serious carrying capacity, and they're cute but versatile enough to wear with pretty much anything.

And while these jeans had a pretty low rise on me, I was happy to discover that the final jeans will provide more coverage. In the future, it would be great if they'd also feature high-waisted jeans to accommodate an even bigger variety of body types. For now, Radian Jeans may not be the comfiest or most stylish pair of jeans in my ensemble, but they're a welcome addition. If anything, I hope they're a signal to the industry to do away with teeny-tiny or false pockets, because real pockets mean something. Click HERE to check them out on Indiegogo.

 

If you're jeans-obsessed, click HERE for stylish Instagram captions for every photo of you wearing denim.