Finally, the ground is not frozen solid. Construction workers in the snowy-rainy places are ramping up their schedules to make the most of the coming summer. It’s money-making time, even if April showers intend to grow May flowers.
The toughest part of getting to summertime is making it through the spring. For construction workers who barely survive the winter with little money coming in, there’s no time to whine about a little rain. There’s no time to whine about heavy rain either. So long as there’s no lightning, it’s game on at most construction sites.
For this reason, we bring you the best options for rain gear available now. Whether you’re an executive only visiting worksites or you’re working on the from lines, slogging through the muck to get the job done, we have you covered.
These are your best options.
(Ladies, scan to the end for rainwear designed specifically for you if you’d prefer.)
Executive Rainwear
Leadership comes from the front, not from an office. If you’re an architect or contractor, you know you have to stay close to projects.
Your presence on the site sends the right message. It says you care, but also that you’re not too important to get a little wet or even dirty. It matters more than you can imagine to your team to see you in the trenches with them provided you don’t get in the way.
Most rain days you will get by with a simple jacket, like the Charles River New Englander Rain Jacket. It covers more of your body than most casual rain jackets, including the seat of your pants.
Don’t assume this is some flimsy parka, though. It carries Charles River’s reputation for excellence. The shell is 100 percent polyurethane, heat-sealed at all the seams so it won’t blow out, but still vented and lined for comfort.
If it starts raining really hard, this jacket comes with a hood, which zips all the way to your chin. Seven color options range from conservative black to flashier red or yellow options too.
For days that are rainier than a few showers, you might want to cover your legs. We suggest the Charles River New Englander Rain Pant for executives. Like the jacket above, it’s 100 percent polyurethane and heat-sealed.
The cut is loose enough to fit over your slacks, and the bottom cinch closed to block water from bouncing up your pant leg if you need it.
The two combined make a sharp combination for a rainy day and should last you for several seasons with normal usage.
Get the rain jacket executives wear with confidence.
Residential Construction
If your work demands a little more of you than checking plans and glad-handing the help (just teasing, execs… I’m sitting at a desk right now) the Carhartt Mens Shoreline Jacket makes a nice shell.
It’s a 7.3-ounce nylon oxford shell, durable, and waterproof as all get out. Better than that, it breathes so you don’t have to feel like you’re wrapped in Saran wrap.
There’s nothing dry or comfortable about rain gear that doesn’t breathe. The Carhartt fit is comfortable, but tapered, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice style for comfort and quality.
If you need it, the jacket comes with a removable hood and draws closed at all the openings if it really starts to pour. Like any good Carhartt jacket, this bad boy comes riddled with pockets to stash all your gear.
Need more pockets or more coverage? Add Carhartt’s Waterproof Breathable Shoreline Pant to the mix.
In almost every way they reflect the craftsmanship and design of the Shoreline jacket but in a pair of pants. Carhartt was kind enough to make two lengths of these pants, regular and long because people come in different sizes.
And, tough? Heck yeah.
The front of the legs is a double layer of protection designed to work with knee pads if you need it. You’ll have to work at to ruin these pants.
Non-residential Construction
Hairy work, industrial or otherwise non-residential demands rain gear that’s a little tougher than what you might need working on a two-story residence. For this, Carhartt makes their Surrey line of rain gear, the Surrey Coat, and the Surrey Bib Overall.
Like a pea coat or leather-bound book, these rain garments carry a timeless look. Updated for this generation, the Surrey coat looks like something your grandpa would have worn, except Grandpa’s version would have been heavy rubber or something less mobile.
The Carhartt one is half-millimeter polyester-backed PVC fabric. It’s breathable and waterproof but tough as anything on the market.
Carhartt had to electronically weld the seams like the jacket was intended for Iron Man or something. Good luck blowing out the elbows or any other part of this jacket.
The bib overalls are built the same way, reinforced at the seams, and in the seat. The shoulder straps are thick and adjustable.
Like Shoreline pants, they come in two different lengths too. And, in case you need or desire more, both the jacket and the pants come in three different color options.
Wear a rainwear classic to work this year like a boss.
Road Construction
For the most demanding work conditions, where vehicles scream by at 80 miles per hour, and where heat and electricity can threaten your safety as much as the cars, one has to shop Bulwark FR workwear.
Nobody has more reputation in flame resistant workwear than Bulwark. Thankfully, they also manufacture some of the best hi-visibility workwear on the planet too.
Sure, Carhartt makes some good hi-vis gear too, but this is where Bulwark shines just a little brighter than their venerable competitor.
Bulwark throws the whole kit and caboodle at their Hi-Visibility Flame-Resistant Rain Bib Overalls and Hi-Vis Flame-Resistant Rain Jacket. The only way these garments could protect you more is if they lit up with LEDs and came with kevlar linings.
Visible, yes, but nothing on this list is tougher than these two garments.
Both the jacket and the pants brag 10-ounce FR polyurethane on a knit FR-treated cotton, which is water repellant too.
[Big inhale] They both meet ASTM F1891-12 Arc and Flame Resistant Rainwear Specifications, and qualify as ASTM F2733-09 Flame Resistant Rainwear for Protection Against Flame Hazards Specifications… AND they ’re both Arc Rated for ATPV 19.0 calories per square centimeter and EBT 28 calories per square centimeter.
If all of that read like Greek to you, then you don’t need this much protection.
These garments are visible from every direction, covered in reflective striping to cover 360 degrees of protection. Bulwark was kind enough to bake breathability into the mix of these garments too.
Go to work with Bulwark Hi-vis protection this season.
Women in Construction
If you’re not currently working with women on your job site, you will in time. Up until recently, if women wanted to find rainwear that held up to labors of construction, they had to buy men’s extra small.
That can work, but men’s wear isn’t cut like women’s wear, and it’s not necessary for the ladies to sacrifice like that.
Ladies, the Charles River Women’s New Englander Rain Jacket is a good example of technology meets women’s cut and style. It’s as tough as the version made for men, but made to fit a woman.
The New Englander comes in fun colors like mint, coral, and violet for everyday use, but it also comes in more conservative colors for the executive.
Constructed of 3.98-ounce polyester polyurethane, this jacket is no slouch on the worksite either. Like any contender on this list it features heat-sealed seams, so you don’t have to make excuses. You can get dirty too.
This jacket is waterproof, but it breathes, so it’s comfortable too. Comfort and dirt… Who could ask for anything more?
Pick out your favorite color New Englander rain jacket.
There is something for everyone in the All Seasons Uniforms catalog. Hopefully, you’ve found this guide helpful.
The bottom line: Consider where you will most likely work this rainy season and shop accordingly.
If you still have questions, then we want to talk to you. The team at All Seasons Uniforms is happy to help you find the right rain gear for your work situation and budget. We’re pros at this stuff because it’s all that we do.
Contact us today.
About the Author
Nick Warrick
Nick Warrick is the Sales Manager at All Seasons Uniforms. With over 15 years of experience in the work uniform business, he has worked with hundreds of clients across 20 different industries. Holding bachelor’s degrees in both Business Administration and Information Technology, Nick revamped the company’s online presence, offering its customers a new uniform shopping experience.