Hi Vis Jackets

Wet Weather First

Rainbird makes up well over half this range, and most of it is built around keeping rain out. Packable anoraks fold down small enough to live in a toolbox until they're wanted; traffic and rain jackets take a heavier beating; long jackets carry the cover further down the leg.

If you only buy one, the packable is the one that actually gets used, because it's the one you have with you when the sky opens.

Bombers, Softshells and Convertibles

Portwest covers the warmer end. Two-in-one bombers and four-in-one jackets separate into a shell and an inner vest or liner, which is three garments' worth of use out of one purchase and genuinely useful in a climate that can't decide what it's doing.

Softshell jackets and coats sit between the two, offering wind resistance and some warmth without the crackle of a hard shell. There are lumberjackets, fleece jackets and even a heated tunnel jacket for cold-store work.

Tape, Colour and What to Check

Only a handful of these jackets carry reflective tape in the title, and the rest rely on the fluoro fabric alone. That's a genuine difference between styles rather than an oversight, so read the individual listing before you order if the tape matters to you.

The colour range is wider here than elsewhere - fluoro orange and fluoro yellow with navy make up most of it, with yellow and black, and fluoro yellow with charcoal as alternatives. Darker lower panels are the sensible pick for a jacket that's going to sit in a ute tray between wears.

Sizing a jacket is different from sizing a shirt. You need room for whatever goes underneath, which in the middle of winter might be a work shirt and a fleece. Most people who buy to their shirt size find the jacket pulls across the shoulders the moment they add a layer, so going one up is the safer call.

Check the sleeve length too - a jacket that rides up when you lift your arms leaves your wrists exposed exactly when you're reaching into something wet.

Cover for Everyone on Site

Zip-front and softshell outer layers appear in the women's hi-vis range on women's patterns, so nobody ends up in a jacket with the sleeves over their knuckles.

Get One in the Ute Before Winter

Jackets are part of the full hi-vis range, available online with free shipping Australia-wide once you're over $175. Size with a jumper underneath in mind - most people who size to a T-shirt regret it by June. If you'd rather check how a two-in-one comes apart before buying, the Parafield showroom has them on the rack. It's the one piece of the kit worth spending a bit more on, because a cheap shell fails on the day you need it most. The rest of the cold-weather kit:

• Hi-Vis Jumpers & Hoodies
• Hi-Vis Vests
• Hi-Vis Shirts
• Waterproof Workwear
• Work Coats & Jackets