If your job is related to working outdoors or dealing with warehouse operations like operating a forklift, staying safe and well-protected is paramount for your well-being. Having the right workwear is crucial to staying safe and warm regardless of the weather conditions under which you’re working.
Personal protective gear covers a large selection of clothing and footwear including hi-visibility workwear, and all of them are designed to provide you with high durability and safety during manual and heavy labour. When compared to normal clothing, heavy-duty workwear is more durable since it’s made from materials resistant to factors such as water, abrasions and punctures.
Speaking of clothing, the work hoodie is among the most popular outer clothing pieces. Work hoodies are perfect for providing an additional layer of warmth while not compromising your personal style. However, when shopping for one, you make sure it doesn’t fail to meet the standard regulations. This is paramount for all types of workwear and not just this one.
What Regulations Should It Meet?
Ideally, all types of safety workwear should be hi-visibility to provide you with the needed safety, especially when working under dark and gloomy weather conditions. Hi-visibility clothing is mainly used by road and rail workers, warehouse and construction workers and by truck drivers. However, everybody who wants to improve their protection can wear hi-visibility clothes. This will result in fewer injuries and better productivity.
Choosing hi-vis clothing pieces from a trusted and reputable brand and supplier can provide you with peace of mind that they won’t fail to meet the strict Australian safety standards. This goes for any type of protective workwear.
Types of Workwear Hoodies to Choose from
As with everything else, these protective clothing pieces come in a range of materials, sizes, designs and features. However, the thing that you should have in mind is to choose a comfortable, safe and durable work hoodie to keep you protected under different circumstances. The chosen piece should be functional and convenient for use daily, which is why you should carefully consider all options available on the market before making the choice.
Half Zip-Up
Half-zip designs are great for those of you who aren’t a fan of full zip-ups but still want to be able to adjust the upper part at different weather temperatures and conditions. Given the fact that they’re designed as workwear clothing pieces, aside from providing you with the needed protection and durability, they won’t compromise functionality as well.
Depending on your needs, you can opt for one that has chest pockets, a large front pocket and even sleeve pockets. Having extra pockets is perfect for storing some smaller items like pens, notepads, flashlights, mobile phones, etc.
Full Zip-Up
These hoodies are perfect for those transitional weather periods, especially for spring and autumn. They’re ideal as you can quickly take them on and off depending on the temperatures. They can also be worn over t-shirts, shirts or any other mid-layer.
Just like the half-zipped models, these can also feature several pockets, one on the chest, one on the sleeves and one on the sides for ease of convenience. The type and model you choose should depend on your personal needs and nothing else.
Pullover
A pullover hoodie is perfect for a warmer, more relaxed and hassle-free look. Just like any other model, this one can also have pockets, especially large kangaroo pockets which are great for keeping larger things as well, like tools for instance. Having no zipper at all means that these clothing pieces are meant to stay on you and keep you warm which makes them the perfect option for the colder time of the year.
Materials
Regardless of the type and style of hoodie you plan to invest in, all of them can be made from different materials. Depending on the season and weather conditions, you can choose from cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester and cotton/polyester/nylon combination, and fleece. Out of all of them, cotton/polyester and cotton/polyester/nylon material combos seem to be the most durable and abrasion-resistant combination which makes them the ideal option for this purpose.
You can also choose from a large selection of colours where hi-visibility colours are essential when working outdoors. Just make sure that the chosen hi-vis colours meet strict standards to avoid colour fading after several washes. Depending on the weather conditions, you can also look for water-resistant hoodies to keep you dry under rainy conditions. Usually, they’re made from a nylon/polyester outer layer and an inside lining of fleece or cotton/polyester combo for added warmth.
