When I first tried on my new Milwaukee Heated Gear back in August, the weather was pretty warm, as you may imagine. It was not my first introduction. I wore the M12™ Heated Jacket all of last winter and it kept me very comfortable on its own. The few times I wore anything over it I had to reach in before long and turn off the power.
The line of new work wear was presented at Milwaukee’s New Product Symposium and I was pleased to see some tough-looking items that would stand up to us carrying lumber on our shoulders, climbing between trusses or brushing hard against concrete foundations. The jacket seemed too nice to abuse, but the hoodie and jacket from the M12™ Heated 3in1 Ripstop Jacket Kit and the M12™ Heated Ripstop Vest are meant to take it. I’ve had the opportunity to wear the 3in1 set and the vest and I will say that I like them as much as last year’s jacket. There’s one qualification to this review: It just refuses to get cold here in Massachusetts! It’s January, for crying out loud. We’ve had T-shirt days in December and I often don’t take a coat when leaving the house.
Due to the mild weather, the piece that I’ve worn most is the Ripstop Vest. A vest is good for keeping a warm core while leaving arms unencumbered. If you choose to wear another layer over it, it doesn’t add to the bulk in the sleeves. My XL version is snug compared to the XL Hoodies and Jacket that I have but I like that because it fits nicely under the 3in1 Jacket. The XL Hoodies and Ripstop Jacket are roomier, allowing free movement and extra clothing if advisable. The vest and hoodies have heating coils in the left and right chest and the back. As I mentioned in last winter’s review of the jacket, the heat is not like an electric blanket on high, rather a more subtle warmth but it’s definitely felt and definitely appreciated.
The black hoodie that comes with the 3in1 Jacket Kit is of tough material, much like a jacket in its own right. I like the length and I like the hood, but there’s one annoying detail: the front corner of the collar digs into my neck. Given that I occasionally (ha!) need a shave, that corner snags the stubble to add to the annoyance. The problem can be mitigated by the occasional tug on the front. The pockets and the back let the wind through some, but this is essentially a sweatshirt, not a windbreaker. If you need to keep the wind out, put on the accompanying jacket and you’re just about invulnerable. That brings up a point: The heating coils are close to the inside and close to the outside both, so they lose heat to the outside in spite of the insulation. If you add a layer over the heated garment, it makes a big difference. Exactly why the 3in1 jacket is such a good addition. In spite of these small criticisms, I’m not about to give these up!
The 3in1 Jacket is of 900 Denier Ripstop Nylon, a material well suited to tough working conditions. It has a quilted lining, rivets at stress points, a corduroy collar, an inside phone pocket and a snap closure over the zipper. The wind will not go through this jacket. Although the label inside says M12™ Heated Gear, this piece is not heated, rather it is the part of the set that holds in the heat from the battery-powered hoodie. This is a piece that I have only worn a couple of times because of the mild weather, but when I needed it, I was very pleased.
The M12™ Gray Heated Hoodie is a different animal than the one that comes with the 3in1 kit. It’s much softer, more like a conventional sweatshirt. This makes it my wife’s favorite; she borrows it frequently (permanently). I doubt that it was what Milwaukee had in mind, but we wore the heated gear occasionally in the house during the last couple of weeks while we went through a matched set of pretty bad head colds. It was better than cranking up the heat in the whole house.
It’s a luxury having an assortment of heated items to choose from. Last year’s jacket is still a winner and this year’s pieces have an important improvement: the battery pockets are now big enough to easily hold full-sized 18v batteries with the appropriate power source adapter.
I have way too many jackets as they are provided as company-branded apparel where I work, but most sit on hooks in the hall because the Milwaukee Heated Gear is always my first choice whether I need the power or not. If I decide that I don’t have enough of it, I can always add the many items not included in this review, such as the hand warmer or the different colors available. Realtree® Camo, anyone?
-dvl
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