Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp
Having spent most of my 30-year building career dealing with the harsh winters of the Northeast, I was more than excited to review Milwaukee’s heated jacket. I don’t think I was anticipating the UPS driver any other time more than this, given how cold last year’s winter was.
Milwaukee offers two types of heated jackets, Toughshell and Gridiorn, as well a heated Hoodie. I chose the Toughshell. I had seen a few guys out in the field wearing one these jackets and word was I would be happy to get my hands on one. The day my new M12 Heated Jacket Kit arrived, winter temps of below freezing were already settling in.
The Toughshell is made of a stretch polyester. While it is more like a softshell, unlike the Gridiron, which is ripstop duck cotton, the Toughshell is reported to be five times more durable than a standard softshell.
One of the reasons I chose more of a softshell jacket is that I am constantly on the move, in and out of my truck. The Toughshell gives me that flexibility to be comfortable, while it also stands up to the rigors of the job and the elements.
The kit includes the jacket, one M12 Redlithium 2.0 battery pack, a battery holder with 2.1A USB port, and an M12 lithium-ion battery charger. After charging the battery pack, which takes less than an hour, I popped it in the battery holder. The holder not only has an LED charge readout, it also features a USB charging port, but more about that in a minute. The battery pack then plugs into a zip pocket in the left rear side of the jacket.
My first thought after putting the jacket on was that this was one comfortable jacket, heated or not. While it felt like I was putting on a rugged winter jacket, it also was lightweight and extremely flexible. The stretch polyester is form-fitting right away; no wear-in time needed. It was kind of like putting a glove on. It takes about two minutes to get up to full temperature, but within a minute, it is noticeably warm, which is nice if you’re getting into a cold truck at the beginning or end of the day.
With the jacket on, out into the elements I went. There was a combination of sleet and snow on the first day of my wearing it. Right away, I noticed the moisture just shed right off. The carbon fiber heating elements are controlled by a simple push-button display on the right just above the pocket. There are two circuits, one for body core and one for the pockets. Each one has three levels of power. I fired up both circuits full power going for all the gusto right out the door. Well, it didn’t take long to realize it wasn’t cold enough for that. I backed it down from red (full power) to white (medium power). It offered plenty of warmth, especially once I started moving around on the jobsite.
Back to the power pack. As I said above, the battery holder has a built-in USB port, but it doesn’t stop there. Milwaukee put a nifty secret tunnel, so-to-speak, from the battery pocket up to the breast pocket that allows you to charge your smartphone right within the confines of the jacket. How cool is that?
Pros:
– Extremely comfortable
– Flexible and durable (I’ve caught it on building materials and thought it would rip instantly only to find not even a shred of stitching or mark at all).
– Capably sheds water and moisture
– Did I say warm?
Cons:
– I was hard-pressed to get a full eight hours out of the battery pack with non-stop use; I’m not sure what the conditions are that would provide that much runtime – my guess is, if it were on low. I found that on full-tilt, you get about an hour out of a fully-charged 2-Ah battery. I will say that I don’t work outside all day long; I’m typically outside in short spurts running crews, so I turn it on and off throughout the day.
– The location of the battery pocket was the only other hangup for me. I’m not sure where else it could be, but I notice every time I get in my truck with the jacket on, the battery pack gets snagged on the either the door pillar or the edge of the seat. Not a deal-breaker, but it’s something to be aware of when you’re getting in and out of your truck.
SPECS:
Battery Type M12, 12V Lithium-Ion
Color Black, gray, or red
Outer Material Toughshell stretch polyester
Inner Material Brushed Tricot
Hooded No
Insulated Yes
Weather Resistant Wind/water resistant
Heat Elements Core Zone: R Chest, L Chest, Back
Heat Settings (3) Heat settings: high, medium, low
Washing Washer and dryer safe
Heated Gear Warranty 1 Year
Cost: $150 includes: (1) 201B M12™ Heated Jacket, (1) M12™ Battery Holder with 2.1A USB Charger
This article originally appeared in Tools of the Trade.