Tool Box Buzz

Timberland PRO^® Workwear

There’s no doubt that you’ve heard of Timberland, especially if you’re from New England. They set the standard 40+ years ago that made the brand synonymous with rugged boots and shoes. In 1999 they launched Timberland PRO^®, a line of great-looking, durable, safety work boots for the professional tradesmen. And, most recently, in August they introduced a line of industrial workwear. The Tool Box Buzz team has been testing some of these products, and today we’re going to share our findings with you.

Since creating their first waterproof leather boot in the 1970’s, Timberland has continued to innovate. The Timberland PRO^® line of safety footwear offers technology that not only improves comfort, but helps workers stand up to anything they encounter on the jobsite. And, if you live in New England, you know the weather is unpredictable and unforgiving. Whether you need a work boot that’s waterproof, insulated, lightweight, slip or abrasion-resistant—you name it—Timberland PRO^® has the footwear solution you need to stay safe and perform your best. It’s no surprise that the brand decided to build upon this momentum and offer workwear, now serving the industrial consumer from head to toe. Timberland PRO^® asked us to test some of their products on the jobsite for a few weeks and our shared opinion is clear: this is great gear. And, here’s why…

The Line

This new line of Timberland PRO^® workwear brings to market a full range of styles, including lighter-weight products like base layers, work shirts and mid-layers. These items are key to helping professional tradesmen and DIYers stay comfortable and protected from the highly variable conditions of working outside. Regardless of whether the product is a soft base layer or a rugged jacket, Timberland PRO^® ensures its garments are always “Built to the Highest Standard.”

There’s one problem with these head-to-toe systems: the technical language can get confusing and overwhelming. Timberland PRO^® has a good solution for this: the hangtags summarize features and benefits using simple iconography to help you identify the important technologies and characteristics of each product. For instance, in looking at the Baluster Insulated Canvas Work Jacket, I checked the label and read: “Durable Water Repellant.” Simple enough, no fancy jargon needed.

The Technology

Timberland PRO^® workwear features nine different technologies to help users find the gear that will work best for them. This includes three types of waterproofing technologies to help you balance your needs, comfort, and performance. Timberland PRO^® also highlights insulated products with a snowflake icon to ensure you can easily determine the gear you’ll want for cold environments. Also, many of their garments are built with an anti-odor fabric “to help stop the growth of odor-causing bacteria,” which not only you, but your co-workers can appreciate.

Understory Fleece Shirt

I am extremely impressed with the Understory Fleece Shirt. This is a solid base layer that is made with pill-resistant fleece and lined with 100% smooth-faced polyester. The stitching is reinforced throughout, and it features a heavy-duty zipper and convenient thumb holes to make the adding and/or removing of layers easy and comfortable.

The back of the fleece drops low to help keep it tucked and minimize exposure to the elements. And, did I mention it’s super comfortable? I can see this being worn every day from the first chill of fall to the cool days of early spring. It’s a wardrobe staple for sure.

Soffit Fleece Pullover

The Soffit Fleece Pullover is a great addition to your wardrobe as a mid-layer option. The ¾-zip fleece pullover features a stand-up collar and textured exterior face to confront jobsite abuses. There is a chest pocket with hook and loop closure, and the zipper is oversized for easy operation when wearing gloves. This extra layer between the base and outerwear is easily added or removed to keep you comfortable while you increase and decrease your activity level on the job.

Baluster Insulated Canvas Work Jacket

The Baluster Insulated Canvas Work Jacket is a heavy-duty offering from Timberland PRO^® that is your quintessential outerwear layer on a worksite. Constructed with a 12-ounce cotton canvas exterior, lined with 80g/100g zoned insulation and treated with a water-repellent finish, this jacket does it all. And, the heavy cotton exterior is tough enough to handle scratching up against unwelcoming surfaces. The jacket features two of your classic front lower pockets—always open for gloves, materials, or fasteners—and has two extra zippered exterior chest pockets to securely hold wallets, keys, or any other important jobsite items. The interior of the jacket also has a pocket with a hook and loop closure to safeguard your more sensitive items.

The sleeves have an elastic-like ribbed knit at the wrist that makes tucking in your gloves easy, an important feature to help prevent skin exposure to weather, debris, and cold temperatures. The exterior sleeve has a slit which allows you to adjust the heavy duty snap buttons to one of two sizes on the sleeve.

Overall, this jacket is simple and rugged. All the fabrics are double, triple, or quadruple stitched and zippers are heavy duty with oversized pulls to make operation easy even with gloved hands. The jacket has an oversized loop for easily hanging on any impromptu jobsite hook, which is a thoughtful feature.

Overlay Canvas Work Pant

These work pants are 100% Cotton Canvas reinforced in all the most vulnerable areas to ensure they last. When it comes to work pants, no one is trying to make a fashion statement. We get dirty as we climb, kneel, and crawl during our work day, and we need pants that are durable and keep us comfortable.

The Timberland PRO^® Overlay Canvas Work Pants feature a knee overlay, pocket binding, and reinforced back hem to prolong the life of the pant. The crotch gusset ensures you won’t rip your pants in the most embarrassing of places and provides that freedom of movement we all need. What we want from a heavy duty pant is not style, but function, and Timberland PRO has designed just that—a functional, long lasting work pant.

Boondock 6″ Waterproof Work Boot

The Timberland PRO^® Boondock 6″ Waterproof work boot definitely deserves the “PRO” label. These boots are built tough to get the job done. I can only imagine the man wearing the boot would quit before the boot itself failed, even in the toughest conditions. One look at this shoe and you recognize the quality and craftsmanship that went into its design and construction.

One simple feature that highlights the quality and design of this boot is the top lacing hardware. You can choose to loop the laces at the top of the boot or hook them based on your preference. The hardware itself is double riveted to the boot and is composed of a heavy duty composite or metal. These high quality materials and thoughtful design features repeat themselves all over this boot.

The composite safety toe is wrapped in abrasion-resistant Ever-Guard^TM leather that is quadruple stitched to the boot. The heel is also protected by the Ever-Guard^TM leather and is riveted to the back of the shoe, where you’ll notice an orange label proudly advertising the boot’s Anti-Fatigue Technology. You can see the soft gray material that rests between the bottom of the shoe and the sole. High-performing work boots like the Boondock have some similarities to running shoes and provide the user a level of unexpected comfort in a work boot.

This boot is designed with so many reinforcements. For example, the leather of the boot itself is waterproof and the inside is lined with a waterproof membrane. This shoe is obviously a boot built for extreme conditions, perfect for guys exposed to the elements in rugged conditions. If you need a heavy duty boot that can take a beating day-in and day-out but keep your feet protected, dry and comfortable, the Timberland PRO^® Boondock is a great choice.

Let me skip all the technology and just say this: I want a boot that works. I want a boot that protects my feet, that keeps me warm, and that will last. Finally, I want a boot that doesn’t leave me tired – the demands of the job are enough. This Timberland PRO^® work boot has delivered in every single case. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

If you’re familiar with Timberland PRO® work boots, my comments above probably don’t come as a surprise to you. And now with the brand’s release of its workwear line, you really can start from the ground up to outfit yourself and your crew with quality gear that is “Built to the Highest Standards”.

Trust the PROs

Our crew has been wearing this gear for a few weeks now and have remarked on the quality construction, thoughtful design details, ease of movement and overall comfort. These clothes are easy to work in. Mobility and durability are two of the most important considerations when purchasing clothing for yourself or for your crew. If you’re going to wear it on the job, it better not slow you down. And, if you’re going to buy it for the jobsite, it better last a long while, because as it turns out, most construction workers aren’t really into “shopping”.

My final takeaways are that Timberland PRO^® workwear is quality, jobsite-ready clothing that will keep you comfortable and protected. With an ample offering of base layer and mid-layers, outerwear and work pants, as well as accessories and an already established work boot collection, Timberland PRO^® is now a complete one-stop-shop for all the gear you need to get the job done.

Visit www.timberlandpro.com to learn more or to find a retailer closest to you.

Timberland, the Timberland logo, Timberland PRO, the PRO logo, and Ever-Guard are trademarks of TBL Licensing LLC or its affiliates. © 2015 TBL Licensing LLC. All rights reserved.

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