My Walls Rockwall Muscle Back Coat review all started one bright November day (when it happened to still be in the mid 80s here in Central Florida, but I digress) and it went something like this…
Kenny: Hey, you want to review a new coat from Walls? It’s got Kevlar in it!
Me: Dude, did you just just offer me a bulletproof jacket to review?
At that point, I merely grabbed the goods and took off. Not long after, my phone buzzed with a text message saying I should definitely not be trying to shoot myself while wearing the Walls Rockwall Muscle Back Coat just because it has Kevlar blended with the duck cotton. Just as well, ammo is getting harder to find for a decent price anyway.
So I turned around and headed back to the shop instead of out to the range. I know it’s a good thing, but maybe they’ll let me test something that’s actually bulletproof… just once, that’s all I’m asking.
So what good is Kevlar if it doesn’t make the coat bulletproof?
I’m glad you asked – we’ll get to that shortly.
Walls Rockwall Features
The Walls Rockwall is part of the Muscle Back series designed for guys that are tough on their outerwear thanks to the nature of their work. The core of the design is focused on durability and movement. The outer shell is made from a blend of 10 ounce brushed duck cloth with 5% Kevlar. Technically, it’s 75% cotton, 20% polyester, and 5% Kevlar. No, duck cotton is not actually from duck. It’s what we call it after it crossed the pond from our Dutch friends. The closest thing you might be able to compare it to is the design of your denim jeans.
Like a good pair of jeans, duck material is strong, yet softens up over time as you wear and wash it. That’s a good thing, because this member of the Muscle Back family does feel a bit on the stiff side off the rack. Cleaning is easy – just toss it in the washer with like colors in cold water and tumble dry low. You can even use non-chlorine bleach if you need to.
The buzz word around the design is definitely “Kevlar” and it has some tangible benefits when blended with the duck cotton. Kevlar improves the abrasion, cut, and puncture resistance of the material. Where a ripstop style stitching will stop a tear after it starts, Kevlar does more to prevent it from starting in the first place. I don’t know about you, but I have holes in plenty of my workwear thanks to knife tips, nails, saw blades, and whatever else I manage to bump against throughout the day. People say I worship all day long at work – because I’m always wearing my Hole-y clothes.
I have to say, Walls challenged us to put this coat through a torture test and I was mighty tempted. We don’t do destructive testing though, and it would seem an awful waste to tear up a perfectly good winter jacket for the sake of a test. I’ll say this though – it’s February and I haven’t put any holes in yet.
The Walls Rockwall benefits from a durable water repellent finish that will keep you dry while 6 ounces of polyester insulation will keep you warm. Also helping in the warmth department are storm cuffs hidden inside each sleeve that keep the cold from creeping up.
6 exterior pockets are found in 4 locations. Weird, right? The math doesn’t seem to work out on that too well. You get your traditional kangaroo pockets on both sides. They can be secured with very solid metal zipper.
Two chest pockets are actually 4 dual service pockets. On both sides, a smaller pocket is accessible through the top and secured with a snap. Find the zipper to the inside and you have a larger storage space you can access.
On the interior, you have two more pockets. The right side contains a good sized space that secures in the middle with a patch of Velcro. The left side features the same size pocket, but is fully enclosed with a lighter duty metal zipper.
Look, Fit, and Feel
Okay, look, I know I can’t help it, but I really like camo. Maybe it’s because I live in a county where our sheriff tells the media his deputies only fired 618 bullets because they ran out of ammo. Walls taunts me a bit with a sleek midnight black shell on the outside and a Realtree Xtra camo pattern on the inside. Can I switch those around guys?
Walls calls the color “midnight black”, but to me it’s more of a charcoal gray. There’s some texture to the look that makes it a little more interesting than a flat black color.
The Walls Rockwall Coat has a more boxy cut than some of the other jackets we’ve looked at recently. Kenny (who I have modeling for this review since our friends at Tools in Action had some fun with him) and I both liked the Truewerk design that was cut for a more athletic build. Those of us that aren’t as filled out as some can get lost in the bulk at times. However, that space does allow for movement without bunching up on you.
When it comes to the sizing, pay close attention! I normally wear a large – not for the chest, but for the arm and torso length. Hey, I’m a relatively skinny guy. I was swallowed by the large size and even the medium Wall Rockwall feels just a touch big. Not enough to want a small (they only go down to medium on the website), but enough to notice. You’ll definitely want to order a full size down with this one.
We may not get down to single digit temperatures here, but wow, this thing is warm! I’d put it right on par in both warmth and wind resistance to the coat I take for horseback riding in the snow. Walls has also build in room for overhead movement around the sleeves. This is one of a very few jackets that I’ve been able to lift my arms and not pull the jacket up exposing my skin.
Final Thoughts
The Walls Rockwall Muscle Back Coat with Kevlar is exactly what it’s billed to be – a tough, warm jobsite coat that can handle the work you have to do in it. Recommended for the jobsite? Absolutely. Recommended for date night? Not so much. It’s here to work, not impress the ladies. This is a jacket that you’ll want to reach for when the temperatures don’t get out of the 50s as a high. Any warmer than that and you’ll want to go with something lighter and less bulky. It’s a really warm solution for demanding jobsite conditions.
Walls Rockwall Muscle Back Coat with Kevlar Specifications
- Shell Material: 75% cotton, 20% polyester, 5% Kevlar
- Insulation Material: 100% polyester
- Pockets: 6 exterior, 2 interior
- Available Colors: Midnight Black
- Sizes: Medium – XXL
- MSRP: $150.00
- Online: $55.23 – $94.99 (Amazon)
