The Hi-Vis Hoodie – Anyone that has done any work outside understands the 6 am feeling. Your morning coffee has long since turned to cold and your fingers feel numb as you stare down the eight hour long workday ahead of you. Layering is the solution on a work site, and a good layer can be priceless.
This is why I want to take a moment to discuss the Bisley full zip hooded sweatshirt with sherpa lining sold through PIP. It is a high visibility hoodie, and it is for those who do not have the luxury of ignoring the cold.
What it is
The sweatshirt is a class 3 zip front hoodie, with ANSI Type R requirements. Type R is the roadway designation, and class 3 is the top visibility category meant for individuals working in traffic work zones. So, one gets a warm hoodie that they can wear as their safety gear without having to sacrifice visibility.
Warmth, and easily felt.
The exterior is made of 8.85 oz polyester fleece material, with a 7.96 oz polyester sherpa lining for the extra warmth. Anyone familiar with sherpa lined gear will know what to expect from this hoodie. Soft, but not overly puffy, and the warmth is easily felt without the puffiness and bulkiness of the Michelin Man. The fleece is there to stop the wind from biting, and the liner prevents the loss of the body’s own warmth. What’s more, it is a full zip, which many overlook as something important.
A pullover is fine, until you’re sweating by 10 am and need to cool down without stripping completely to do so. One simply unzips the hoodie halfway, and cools off while continuing to work.
The details
The small features speak of the intended audience of the hoodie.
- Navy bottom and cuffs. The hi-vis orange and yellow are great visibility, but the black bottom and cuffs mean the dirt will be hidden after a week of working on the job. Who hasn’t watched a bright vest turn grey after just a couple shifts?
- Rib cuffs with thumb openings. The cuffs keep the sleeves from riding up, and the thumb holes allow the worker to pull the sleeves over the backs of their hands on cold mornings.
- Reflective tape. 2″ silver reflective tape ensures visibility under the conditions of night or bad weather.
- Pockets. The waist pockets provide storage for gloves, a phone, or a marker which is what one would expect from a work hoodie.
UPF 50+
Another feature that one may not expect from a hoodie during the winter months is a sun protection rating of 50+ UPF. We tend not to think of sun exposure during the cold months, but an eight hour workday outside in the milder temperatures of November and April will see an individual’s fair share of sun exposure. Having an extra layer that is warm, but also blocks the UV rays in the afternoon sun is a welcome addition.
Who it’s for
Who is this hoodie for? According to the item description, it is for “construction, survey crews, utilities, shipyards, railroads, and other work requiring high-visibility.” I would add to this list road maintenance and repair crews, warehouse and yard workers, delivery and logistics workers, airport ground workers, and traffic directors to events as those fall under the category of working outside in the cold, and needing to be seen.
A couple of notes.
No garment is without it’s drawbacks, so I would like to touch on a couple of things to note before buying. buy here this
First off, it is a hoodie. A hooded sweatshirt. Which means the hood can be a safety concern to some extent. Make sure that hoods are not obstructing vision, and that the hood and reflective tape isn’t covering any of the required items by your employer. Some companies have restrictions on hooded hi-vis clothing, so double check with your supervisor.
Secondly, it is warm. Warmth is the intended purpose of a sweatshirt, but if your worksite is one where cold temperatures are a rarity, this is not the sweatshirt for you. It is a cold weather item.
Finally, the price. With my research on different retailers, across different sizes and colors, it seems to average out to roughly $115 to $133 depending on what one is looking for. A nice chunk of change for a sweatshirt, but one has to consider that this is a garment that serves two purposes at once. Not only as the base layer, but as a hi-vis safety piece as well. It’s a lot more cost effective to buy one hoodie, than a hoodie and a hi-vis safety jacket.
Hi-Vis Hoodie Sizes and colors
It is offered in sizes from small to 4XL and colors of hi-vis orange, and hi-vis yellow/green. Washable/reusable, so it can be tossed in with the other work clothes at the laundromat. I would note that it is best to review the care tag first, as normally with reflective garments, washing instructions are important to how long the garment lasts, and if the reflective tape will continue to keep you safe.
The verdict.
The Bisley full zip hooded sweatshirt is not a flashy item, nor does it try to be. It provides warmth, visibility, and hides the dirt you work hard to clean off of your work clothes. If your job requires you to be outside in the cold during the winter months, and the layering you do isn’t quite cutting it, I think one would be doing themselves a disservice not to look into this hoodie. Just make sure that proper sizing is done, as there should be room for a base layer underneath, but the sleeves shouldn’t ride up and get in the way of the work being done.
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