It’s only slightly ironic that a guy who lives in Florida is reviewing heated jacket technology, but we do get some cold days here, and the new Milwaukee 3in1 Heated Ripstop Jacket is the sum of its parts. While it’s important that a heated jacket keep you warm in freezing weather, it needs to do more than that. Like any good jacket, we wanted to see if the new Milwaukee Heated Ripstop Jacket fit well and if it had the modern features to make it a top choice for those looking to keep warm on the job site. We’d already reviewed the Milwaukee heated jacket and the Milwaukee M12 heated hoodie, so getting our hands on the third-generation model that combined both technologies and added new features seemed like a great opportunity.
Milwaukee 3in1 Heated Ripstop Jacket Features
Before getting into the fit and wearability of the Milwaukee 3in1 Heated Ripstop Jacket I wanted to give you an idea of some of the features that make this a third-generation product. The biggest advancement in the new jacket is the super-strong outer lining which is made of Ripstop material. Inside is a newly-designed heated hoodie that integrates three carbon fiber heating elements sandwiched between a water repellant polyester shell. If that wasn’t enough, an insulating liner distributes that heat throughout the crucial areas of the chest and back that keep you warm. The Ripstop Shell is also insulated as well as being wind and water resistant. There are a lot of areas with reinforcement, like an outer flap that covers the zipper, and heavy duty pocket edges to protect them from fraying after use.
The Milwaukee heated technology uses the same carbon fiber heating elements in the hoodie that give you three levels of heating to vital core body areas in the chest and upper back. You can get up to 8 hours of run-time on an M12 RedLithium 2.0 battery in the lowest setting—a 33% increase over the first-generation heated jacket technology. In our testing we got over 2 hours and 45 minutes of run-time in High using the same 2.0 Ah M12 battery. Another cool aspect of this jacket is that the M12 battery holder features a handy 2.1A USB port that can simultaneously charge your electronic devices while you wear and use the jacket. That’s sufficient enough to fast charge most smart phones, Kindles, and tablets. There are even reinforced slots for running “stealth cables”. There’s one above the left inside zippered pocket of the outer RipStop jacket that’s perfect for feeding your headphones from your securely-stored smart phone. Another lives just above the battery/power supply so you can feed a USB charging cable to your phone as well. With this setup, you can both listen to music and charge your phone while you’re working (or playing).
Another thing worth noting is that the pocket allocated for the M12 battery and the M12 battery holder with 2.1A USB port is perfect. It doesn’t sag out the back, and your hoodie no longer looks like it has a hernia when you unzip it and wear it open. It’s a great design update that we hope to see in future iterations of Milwaukee hoodies. It also holds the M12 battery and holder comfortably—I barely noticed it was there, and sitting didn’t bring it to my attention either. Milwaukee nailed the placement—removing a major sticking point for battery powered heated clothing.
Milwaukee 3in1 Heated Ripstop Jacket Specs
- Outer Material (jacket): 900 Denier polyester
- Outer Material (Ripstop): 600 Denier polyester
- Outer Material (hoodie): Polyester blend, Abrasion resistant panels
- Inner Material (jacket): Quilted liner
- Pockets (jacket): (4) Outer, (1) Inner zip
- Pockets (hoodie): (2) Outer
- Cuff Type: Rib knit
- Heat elements: Chest L/R, Back, Lower pockets
- Heat Settings: High, medium, low
- Voltage: 12V
- Controller: M12 battery holder
- Run-Time (Core Zone Only): 8hr (low), 4.5hr (medium), 3.25hr (high) w/M12 RedLithium 2.0 battery
- Washing: Washer and dryer safe
- Warranty: 1 year limited
Here’s a quick video of the Milwaukee 3in1 heated Ripstop jacket
Milwaukee 3in1 Heated Ripstop Jacket Use
I really like both the fit and feel of this new heated hoodie—basically the inside portion of the new 3in1 Ripstop heated jacket—and the part of the system that actually provides the active heat. It has a nice look that’s more rugged than some of Milwaukee’s other heated hoodies. It might be the multiple fabric textures. You get some reinforced fabric around the lower arms and front pockets that really sets it apart. The hood is non-removable, but it lays nicely and has a drawstring to cinch it up if desired. The hoodie part of the Milwaukee 3in1 heated Ripstop jacket is what possesses the carbon fiber heating elements. This new hoodie also has a really nice fit which makes the heating all that much more effective. It conformed well to my body shape and offered a lot more contact when heating.
When you add the outer insulated Ripstop jacket into the mix, the Milwaukee 3in1 heated jacket takes on a whole new level of comfort in the cold. Unlike the hoodie or even the heated jacket on its own, the combined warmth is suitable for anything from working all day in sub-zero temperatures to activities like hiking or even skiing. Plus, the jacket can be removed if the day heats up to allow you to wear either the heated hoodie or the outer Ripstop jacket in its own—great for more days with more dynamic weather. It’s this versatility that I really appreciate. Milwaukee designed the system so that you can wear the hoodie, the Ripstop jacket, or both when you want to raise your core temperature actively—while insulating yourself with a really well-made outer jacket that can handle the cold as well as the typical jobsite environment. Is this jacket for everyone? Actually, yes, I really think it might be. I was so pleased with the fit and capabilities of this jacket that I felt as if everything else I owned had suddenly been obsoleted. This jacket provides the comfort, flexibility, and styling to work in just about any scenario I’ll encounter through out the year. Now I just need to travel somewhere it actually freezes to test it out further!
