Tool Box Buzz

Milwaukee Job Site Clothing Review

There is nothing worse than working in clothes that easily tear, wear out or just do not perform well in the elements. When you work in the elements you tend to choose tools and clothing that can stand up to the harsh environments and test of time.   Once you find a brand, tool or clothing that fits that mold you tend to hold on tight!

My search for rugged clothing never ends. I am always on the lookout for premium clothing that has exceptional durability, comfort, quality of construction, and fit that you can not only feel in the fabric but see the results in the performance of the clothing.

What’s Important?

What aspects are important to the employees who will be wearing these garments? Our ToolBoxBuzz crew and probably most folks in the trades would agree that the following are decent criteria on how to choose quality work clothing.

• Maneuverability
• Abrasion resistance
• Fit and Feel – designed for freedom of movement
• Performance in elements
• Personal Protection Equipment [PPE]
• Comfort

New Milwaukee Job Site Clothing

This Spring, Milwaukee Tool is expanding its lineup of workwear by introducing new work shirts, hoodies, and fitted hats built for on and off the job site.  The Milwaukee job site clothing space has been historically dominated by brands like Duluth, Timberland, and Carhartt, so it’s interesting to me that Milwaukee is looking at this space. They’ve done a great job with their heated gear so we figured we’d check out the new job site clothing.

Milwaukee Job Site Clothing – Heavy Duty Pocket T-Shirts

• $19.99 [short-sleeve]
• $24.99 [long-sleeve]

The Heavy Duty Pocket T-Shirts are made from durable, breathable fabric. Built with a tear and abrasion-resistant 60/40 cotton/poly blend, these t-shirts are super comfortable.

Long-Sleeve

When I first put on the long-sleeve t-shirt I immediately noticed the weight of the material. It was thicker, heavier but not stiff and felt more durable. The shirt runs a bit large and is longer than typical sized shirts which I like that it helps avoid that dreaded “plumbers crack!

The long-sleeve T-shirt is perfect for these transition seasons when it’s cold in the morning but warmer in the afternoon. On first wear, the shirt looked a little like a sail on me but it shrunk just enough to be a great fit now. Now I just need to get a few of these in high viz for the job site.

Short-Sleeve

The short-sleeve shirt runs a bit large and seems designed for bigger guys to get a better fit. The larger shirt sizing actually helps out if there is some shrinkage and to avoid the shirt from pulling out of your pants or revealing the plumber crack. So the take away here is the sizing runs a bit big, which is good, just be aware.

The fabric is great and I appreciate having more color options.  Moisture-wicking fabric and anti-microbial treatment make these t-shirts great for active work conditions. The shirts will be offered in both short and long-sleeves and a wide variety of colors, including:

• Red
• Black
• Heathered gray
• Olive green
• Navy blue
• Hi-vis

Milwaukee WORKSKIN™ Lightweight Performance Shirts

• $29.99 [short sleeve]
• $34.99 [long sleeve]

When I first opened the packaging on my Milwaukee Workskin performance shirt I was skeptical. I figured it was just another moisture-wicking shirt that was the same as all the others. When I put it on I realized that it was completely different. The Milwaukee Workskin features fast wicking sweat zones in the armpit area and also down the center of the back and horizontally across the lower back. These areas are typically sweating nightmare spots for guys and girls in the field, especially with a reflective safety vest on all day as well.

The Workskin helps to better ventilate those key areas and prevent the sweat from collecting and then continuing to run south. Small features like this show me that Milwaukee really thought about the comfort of working people when designing this line. This shirt makes a great base layer that dries fast and stays cool. The guys on my plumbing crew love these shirts, stating that they like the athletic fit, wrinkle-resistant and overall stretch-fit of the fabric, especially when working in awkward positions.

As a remodeler, I’m constantly rubbing up against a forgotten nail or rough sawn studs in a 200-year-old house. As a result, I’m rough on my shirts and would hate to rip the WORKSKIN shirt. For me, the WORKSKIN moisture-wicking fabric is perfect to wear under a sweatshirt or outer layer.  I will definitely be purchasing some of these for me and my crew!

These shirts come in short sleeve and long sleeve will be available in two colors:

• Gray
• Hi-vis

Milwaukee Heavy-Duty Pullover Hoodies $49.99

The Heavy Duty Pullover Hoodies are made from durable, breathable fabric with a tear and abrasion-resistant 75/25 cotton/poly blend. These pullover hoodies have a comfortable fit rib-knit cuffs and waists, the hoodie fabric weight is 450 GSM (grams per square meter). The higher the number, the more weight. So, for instance, the pocket T-shirts are 230 GSM and the hoodies are 450 GSM so the hoodies are thicker and more durable.

This is a very heavyweight sweatshirt, which almost could be considered a lightweight jacket due to how heavy the fabric is. It’s great on a cold morning, but in mild temperatures, it may be too heavy. It has really large pockets which are great especially for putting gloves and other large things in them. One suggested small improvement would be to make the neck bigger. The neck feels constrictive compared to other similar hoodies.

The hoodies will also have a regular fit and will be available in a wide variety of colors:

• Red
• Black
• Heathered Gray
• Navy Blue
• Hi-Vis

Milwaukee Fitted Hat $ 19.99

The Fitted Hat [FLEXFIT] is constructed from a lightweight combination of cotton and polyester with an adjustable flexible band. The one size fits all was super comfortable on my head.  The visor is curved and has a clean, design with 3-1/2” crown depth.  For me, this is a perfect colder weather hat as I typically wear a “mesh-back” trucker-style hat in the warmer months.

The hat will be available in:

• Red
• Black
• Gray

Milwaukee Job Site Clothing – Work Gloves

Milwaukee Demolition Work Gloves $ 22.00

There are two styles of work gloves that I tested out including: Demolition gloves and Impact Demolition gloves. I’ve never been a glove guy, except in cold weather when I only wore gloves to keep my hands warm.

However, I did wear these on a recent two-month gut / remodel project to see how they felt. There are things I like and dislike – but either way, I’m sold on these gloves.  I don’t think I’ll do any demo or framing again without them. Why? No more splinters, cuts, busted up knuckles, and my hands and fingernails are way cleaner at the end of the day. I use to pride myself in having rough working hands, but the reality was I was constantly living with micro-cuts, festering splinters, and tears all in various stages of healing. My hands were sore more then they weren’t.

The gloves have a fingertip, palm and thumb grip material that I like and a fabric material on the backside that is breathable.   Milwaukee uses a material called Armortex to reinforce the grip material. Armortex is a specially selected fabric, that includes Kevlar thread, yielding high tensile strength and superb surface resistance performance. While not “bullet-proof,” this fabric excels in areas of high abrasion areas.

Since we’re talking about the grip material, the grippy palm area is padded. A knuckle protection pad provides ultimate knuckle protection from scrapes and impact without limiting movement. This is an area that is constantly getting banged up, especially when performing demo or rebuilding or sistering floor joists or rafters.

Milwaukee Impact Demolition Work Gloves $29.00

The impact demolition gloves are set up similar, only with much thicker padding in the grip area. Additionally, the rubber on the outer hand protection is much more robust. This outer hand over-mold rubber has a larger coverage area that extends across and protects the metacarpal ligaments. Additional rubber strips extend the outer length of each finger and thumb.

Overall Thoughts On The Milwaukee Gloves

So what was it that I didn’t like about the gloves? As a remodeling contractor, I’m working but am constantly fielding phone calls from the client and other tradespeople. I found the velcro wrist strap holding the glove on incredibly annoying, every time I tried to peel a glove off to deal with a call or text, I had to fumble with the strap.

The gloves have a feature that Milwaukee calls a “Smart Swipe,” allowing you to navigate your phone while wearing the gloves. This is a great idea in theory but is useless in the field, and doesn’t work with the iPhone fingerprint unlock.

It literally took one day of constantly dealing with that Velcro strap before I cut it off. Once the strap was gone, I found I could quickly take off or put on the glove to navigate the phone or reach into a pocket. Problem solved!

The gloves also designed have a webbing pull-loop so you can easily pull them on or attach them to a tool bag for storage.

Size Options

• 48-22-8731 (Medium)
• 48-22-8732 (Large)
• 48-22-8733 (XL)
• 48-22-8734 (2XL)

Milwaukee Tool Clothing – Overall Thoughts

Milwaukee did a nice job with this Milwaukee Job Site Clothing line-up. They focused on maneuverability, performance, durability, and protection. At the end of the days, that’s what we all want!

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