This article originally appeared on the TOOLS OF THE TRADE website.
I haven’t tried any battery-operated clothing items yet.
My outdoor building activities keep me plenty active and layers of long johns and shirts and jackets have served me well. Just outside Philadelphia, my climate is bona fide wintry but nowhere near Minneapolis, Vermont, or other points north.
Also, I am cheap. And cordless clothing isn’t.
Nevertheless, much like the Internet and cordless trucks (check out the latest, called Workhorse), it looks like heated gear is here to stay and Milwaukee has been on top of this trend for a while. Its clothing line is built on the brand’s M12 mini-battery system.
Were I a project manager or in and out of the truck all day for client meetings or crew management, being able to keep my body at a single temperature—as opposed to all of them—sounds kind of awesome. You need a fully-featured garment to deliver that and Milwaukee’s looks like it’s built for speed.
The Milwaukee Toughshell uses carbon-fiber heating elements (no wonder it costs $250) to keep your core temp up, heating the chest, back, and front hand pockets in three heat settings.
The 202-21 and 202-20 have a Quick-Heat function that Milwaukee says allows users to feel heat up to three times faster than previous models.
Made from stretch polyester, it reportedly delivers five times longer life than previous soft-shell jackets, along with wind and water resistance to “survive the elements.”
Other Stuff
- Eight-hour runtime on the included M12 battery (I’m guessing that’s on the Low setting)
- Three outer pockets, one inner, one for the battery
- Adjustable cuffs and drop tail extended back
- Sizes Small to 3X
- Red (202-20) or Black (202-21)
- Battery included
- “Compact Charger and Power Source” 48-59-1201—aka USB charger—included
