My wife and I both upgraded from Galaxy S2 Skyrockets to note 8s. The S2 was rather small compared to the Note 8, for sure.
But the thing is, just to be able to carry the S2 in a pants pocket with a protective case installed, I started wearing cargo pants years ago. So when I got the Note 8, I didn't need to make any change.
No smart phone, in a protective case, really fits comfortably and safely into a jeans pocket for me. And other stuff in the limited pocket volume I get with "normal" pants is likely to scratch a phone or even crack a screen when I squat down or maneuver to work on various equipment. Very high stresses could often be placed on something the size of any smart phone if I have it in a pants pocket during a normal day for me.
Now if you wear baggier dress pants and work in an environment where you never need to bend or move as much, things could easily be different.
I initially tried using the belt clip holster gadget that came with the Otter Box I had on my S2, but almost immediately, I bumped the phone while walking down a normal stairwell, and it launched out of the holster, bounced off of a concrete wall, hit the next landing down, and then cartwheeled down the next flight of stairs.
That simultaneously convinced me of the value of the clunky Otter Box case and convinced me of the uselessness, for me, of that belt holster attachment. The phone, with the big case, needed to go in a pocket. So cargo pants it was, and has been ever since then.
I like having the phone alone in its own pocket. That has worked well for me, and upgrading to the Note 8 hasn't required any changes for me.
Another guy at work does use one of the belt clip holster gadgets, and presumably has had no problems with it. So that option might work for you, too. So you might look into both of those options.