10 Best Winter Safety Jacket for Workers

Winters can be harsh on workers whose job requires them to be outside during the day or even at night. With temperatures dropping below zero degrees Celsius, workers need to focus on keeping themselves warm and safe at the same time.

The visibility outside can be challenging too during this time, hence, there are specific winter safety jackets that can be worn to meet this requirement.

In our detailed study for search of the best high vis jacket, the one that impressed us the most is the Ergodyne GloWear 8377 High Visibility because of its outstanding features like 2” reflective tapes, both water and wind repellent, PU coated polyester with fleece lining  and thermal insulation to keep you warm and dry in the cold weather. It is also TYPE R, CLASS 3 – 2 ANSI-compliant. The jacket is breathable as well.

Top Safety Jacket Comparison Table

What is a Winter Safety Jacket?

Winter safety jackets also known as high visibility jackets are designed to protect the wearer from the cold weather and keep them safe from any accidents that may occur due to poor visibility in winters.

They are made from materials that are reflective and fluorescent colors that are highly contrasting. This helps in making them visible from a distance as they glow.

These jackets also come in the form of vests for workers to wear during the summers, which is most common. The ones for winters are made of heavy, thick materials, and have an inner thermal lining to help keep the person warm.

Types of Winter Safety Jackets

High visibility or winter safety jackets are categorized into three types and are following the American National Standards Institute or ANSI.

1.) Performance Class 1: They are ideal for people who work in less risky environments such as road workers where the speed limit is not more than 25 miles per hour. These are made with minimum high visibility materials.

2.) Performance Class 2: This second type of high visibility jackets are again for people who work at construction sites on the side of highways or roadways, and towing operators but with a speed limit higher than 25 miles per hour.

Apart from the people working at emergency services and law enforcement agencies also wear this type of jacket. These jackets use a higher level of visibility material compared to Class 1.

3.) Performance Class 3: The Class 3 category of jackets has the highest level of visibility and reflective materials on them.

They are worn by people who work in extremely high-risk environments with minimal visibility. Such as construction workers, frontline workers, police services, etc.

Best HiVis Safety Jackets for Winters and their Features

1.) Utility Pro UHV575 High-Vis Waterproof Bomber Jacket

The Utility Pro High-Vis Waterproof Bomber Jacket is a great find for the winters and other seasons as well. It complies with the OSHA guidelines of being protective and safe workwear.

As far as its visibility is concerned, there is no worry because it comes in a bright yellow shade that can be spotted from miles away. This jacket is made of polyester which makes it very comfortable and light.

It is also very convenient to be worn during several seasons as it has a removable lining, plus a fleece-lined collar feature. It can repel both dirt and water due to its DuPont Teflon fabric protector feature.    

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2.) Carhartt Waterproof High Visibility Class 3 Insulated Sherwood Jacket

Carhartt Waterproof High Visibility Class 3 Insulated Sherwood Jacket is an excellent choice for people working in areas with fast-moving traffic, and those working at law enforcement.

The exterior of this jacket is made of polyester and materials that make it both water-repellent and stain-resistant.

It has a quilted lining and quilt fabric on the inside that keeps the wearer warm throughout. Plus, the sleeves have ergonomic openings and storm cuffs.

There are reflective strips integrated into the design of the jacket that makes it highly visible during poor visibility conditions.

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3.) Pyramex Safety Bomber Jacket

Pyramex Safety Bomber Jacket is made of polyurethane and polyester material. The latter makes it weatherproof. It has a quilted lining that gives you maximum comfort even during the harshest of weather conditions.

The wrist and waist area of the jacket has elastic of supreme quality that gives it the stylish bomber jacket look. There is a 2-inch reflective material integrated into the jacket, resulting in high visibility to the naked eye from quite a distance.

Few other impressive features include – detachable hood, front zipper closure, mic tabs, and pencil pocket.

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4.) New York Hi-Viz Workwear H9012 High Visibility Class 3 Sweatshirt

New York Hi-Viz Workwear is extremely light and comfortable to be worn throughout the day without any worry.

It comes in a lovely bright lime color and 2-inch reflective tapes that help the wearer to be spotted easily from far.

Made of 100 percent polyester that aids in durability and comfort. The inner material is fleece which aids in providing warmth during winters. It is also waterproof and water-repellant, making it ideal for the wet season.

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5.) Ergodyne GloWear 8377 High Visibility Thermal Bomber Jacket

High Visibility Thermal Bomber Jacket by Ergodyne Glowear is a great buy for when it is cold and windy. Its outer shell is made of 300 denier oxford polyester.

It is sturdy and can resist water plus wind due to its PU coating. Comes in two colors – lime and orange, making it highly visible that is further magnified by its 2-inch reflective tapes.

There is lightweight insulation in the jacket that is one of its most impressive features. Plus, an added quilted thermal insulation provides warmth throughout the day while being breathable.

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6.) RefrigiWear Hi-vis Extreme Soft-shell Jacket

RefrigiWear Hi-vis Extreme Soft-Shell Jacket’s outer shell is made from exceptionally supple soft-shell that makes it comparatively more flexible than most other brands.

It has a tremendous ingenious insulation feature and a dual zip system, making it perfect for those cold winter days.

There is a silver twill reflective lining built in the jacket that constructively traps heat and for every square inch, it releases more than 500 grams of insulating power. Other features include breathability and waterproof pockets.     

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7.) Charles River Apparel Men’s Signal Hi-vis Waterproof Jacket

Charles River is a New England based company who created this stylish Hi-vis Waterproof jacket to keep a person warm during winters.

To maximize its visibility, this jacket uses a 3M Scotchlite reflective material. Plus, the stretchable elastic material used in the hems and cuffs aids in keeping the cold out and heat in.

It is made of oxford polyester, making it both water and windproof. There is an anti-pill black fleece lining that keeps you cozy and warm in the cold weather. You can pick from three different colors – lime green, royal blue, and black.   

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8.) Majestic 75-1301 High Visibility Waterproof Winter Bomber Jacket

Majestic High Visibility Waterproof Winter Bomber Jacket is made of polyester, PU coating, and taped seams on the outside to make it waterproof. On the inside, it has a fleece lining that keeps the person warm.

It is extremely stylish and has maintained the bomber jacket design. A very durable jacket to own in the long run.

An elastic ribbed material is used for the wrists and waist that keeps the cold out while maintaining the heat inside. Along with this, another notable feature is its wool head comforter.

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9.) Utility Pro Wear Full-Zip Hooded Soft Shell UHV425 Jacket

Utility Pro Wear are well known for their high-end work gear over the years. They also make premium quality high visibility jackets that are suitable for winters.

The hooded softshell jacket is designed in the form of a sweatshirt with reflective tapes. It uses a DuPont Teflon fabric protector that warrants its durability. There is also a hood that can help protect you from the rain.

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10.) Tingley Rubber J26112 Bomber II Jacket

Tingley Rubber Bomber II Jacket specializes in making protective wear for both women and men. This jacket as the name suggests is designed in the form of a bomber jacket.

The outer shell is made of denier polyester material, and the inside is made of quilted polyester that provides warmth in the cold weather. It is also waterproof.

There is enough reflective material on the jacket and the fluorescent color to make it highly visible.

How to clean/take care of winter safety jacket?

In order to care for your winter safety jackets, follow the simple steps below:

• • • Read the care label instructions given with your hi-vis winter safety jacket to check what detergent to use with the particular fabric
    • If no particular detergent is mentioned, choose a mild detergent with no bleaching agent. Remember harsh detergent will fade the fluorescent color of the jacket
    • Put the jacket in the washer and turn on the normal spin option
    • After washing with the detergent, spin the jacket in normal water to take off any soapy residue
    • Air-dry the jacket by taking it out from the machine and do not put it in the dryer

How to find the right winter safety jacket?

Though there are no particular standards for winter safety jackets, yet they should have the following features to protect you from the various elements of cold as well as hazards of the workplace:

• • • They should be waterproof in order to protect against hypothermia that might occur from wet and cold conditions
    • They should have fleece linings to keep you warm
    • They should have insulated layers in order to prevent the outside cold from entering your body
    • They should have zip closures to trap the heat inside the body and to let out the excess heat in certain cases
    • They should be hooded preferably in order to protect your head from the excess cold
    • They should be made of fluorescent and retro-reflective materials to attract attention of approaching vehicles while working in traffic areas

How to get wrinkles off winter safety jacket?

To get rid of wrinkles from your winter safety jackets, follow the steps given below:

• • • First of all unzip your winter safety jacket and put one half of the jacket on your ironing board
    • Put your iron to the lowest heat settings
    • Do not use steam on the winter safety jackets because of the presence of fleece and waterproof material
    • Place a towel on the area of the jacket that you are going to iron
    • Use your hands to smooth out the towel and ensure there are no folds or wrinkles on the towel
    • Now place the iron on the towel and start ironing in one single direction
    • Repeat the step for the other side of the jacket as well
    • You are done with your wrinkle free winter free winter safety jacket!

Wrapping up

Buying a winter safety jacket is not complicated, to say the least. All you need to be aware of is the inner lining, as that is what will set it apart from a jacket that is appropriate for the summers.

The rest of the safety features to consider remain the same, such as durability, weatherproof, color, reflectiveness, and also its classification.