Hi all,
first time ive had to invest in these myself but i remember being in coats before and sweating massively. Where do you guys buy yours and what do you choose? I am struggling to find much that specifically says breathable. Whats different from the bog standard coat to a soft shell coat?
Lastly, do you guys normally go for yellow or orange? I know orange is normally for rail use but got a feeling itll hide dirt a bit better
high viz yellow some places wont let you in / on with any other colour .
personally I have a zip up hi viz that fits over a fleece but also have a long length hi viz co\t for when it gets really cold or wet .
Buy cheap and often, they don’t stay clean or scrub up for long. Personally I get a fleece reversible out for this time of year, you’ll get a few months out of it for about a tenner.
nick2008:
high viz yellow some places wont let you in / on with any other colour .
personally I have a zip up hi viz that fits over a fleece but also have a long length hi viz co\t for when it gets really cold or wet .
But Stobarts are never pulled up over it
Breathable is what the zip on the front is for. 
I wouldn’t buy anything too thick, but I would recommend one which is padded in some way as the others are pretty chilly. Personally I wear one that’s elasticated at the waist as they don’t get in the way (and I wear mine most of the day). Separate hi-vis top of sometimes required on some sites I’ve been on as they won’t accept the jacket as the hi-vis (KP snacks being one).
Yellow is pretty much the universal colour and again some places are stupid with the rules. In my experience, if they want an orange one they’ll provide it as virtually no one has them.
Oh and would agree - don’t buy anything expensive as they won’t come clean and will rip quite often.
thanks for the input guys. i just thought orange as it might mask some of the dirt from everyday work. cant believe some sites are so ■■■■ about it. my understanding was it complies fine with the standard.
elniniol999:
thanks for the input guys. i just thought orange as it might mask some of the dirt from everyday work. cant believe some sites are so ■■■■ about it. my understanding was it complies fine with the standard.
Orange was the railways originally and wheelhouse bods it was to do with the tungsten lighting or something
nick2008:
elniniol999:
thanks for the input guys. i just thought orange as it might mask some of the dirt from everyday work. cant believe some sites are so ■■■■ about it. my understanding was it complies fine with the standard.Orange was the railways originally and wheelhouse bods it was to do with the tungsten lighting or something
Orange was because the yellow could be confused for a green light on the railways. Orange is becoming more standard now and doesn’t attract the bugs like yellow. And tends to clean better!
Lidl high viz £1.99 when they have them, buy loads wash and wear for 4 weeks and then bin. 50p a week get value and always new and clean.
Orange does not hide the muck, I bought an orange raincoat thinking this, not only was it grossly filthy by the end of the week, I caught a pocket jumping down from the trailer, ripped the zip clean out. Spent my break sewing it back in to protect my 12 quid investment!
Yeah the bugs thing is a bit of a problem on occasions, mostly those tiny annoying flies that hang around certain times of the year, although I wear mine all year and don’t generally notice them (can’t see them with the muck!).
In my experience at least, large corporate run construction sites tend to be fairly ■■■■ about this kindof thing along with a few large sites where H&S has gone completely insane (Wates construction sites, KP Snacks in Middlesbrough and British Sugar in Newark).
Btw, don’t forget your safety glasses, boots (not rigger type), gloves and any other PPE you can think of despite them not allowing you out of the cab. Boots can usually be orange if you want.
The best-quality and best-looking jacket I’ve seen is this one, but it’s mega expensive, at over £100:
misupplies.co.uk/p-1243-snic … wwodihoDYg
I have a good soft-shell jacket, and because it’s soft, it’s comfortable, and easy to move. A poor-quality hi-vis jacket can be stiff, and it can bunch-up and get in your way when you move. I’d take a soft-shell jacket or fleece, any day over a cheap jacket or coat, unless I were primarily working outside and need the waterproof factor.
Some firms have strange rules with the colours. A distribution centre I go to has orange for managers and drivers, and yellow for warehouse workers. I’m a contractor, so I can wear what I like, and I have a yellow bodywarmer, but I get some funny looks from people when I’m in areas they think I shouldn’t be.