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Buyers Guides
- HOW TO USE COMFORT RATINGS
- BUYERS GUIDE: INSULATED WORK GLOVES
- BUYERS GUIDE: COLD WEATHER WORK BOOTS
- BUYERS GUIDE TO PAC BOOTS
- BUYERS GUIDE TO BASE LAYERS
- BUYERS GUIDE: PANTS OR BIB OVERALLS?
- BUYERS GUIDE: COVERALLS OR BIB OVERALLS?
- BUYERS GUIDE TO GLOVE DIPS & COATINGS
- LATEX vs. NITRILE COATED: WHICH IS THE RIGHT GLOVE?
- WHAT KIND OF WORK GLOVES ARE RIGHT FOR MY JOB?
- HAND PROTECTION THAT KEEPS PRODUCTIVITY HIGH
- THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF HAND PROTECTION
- VITACOMFORT: A NEW LEVEL OF COMFORT & SAFETY
- WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A WINTER WORK COAT
- WHY IS SYNTHETIC INSULATION BETTER?
- AIRBLAZE INSULATION DELIVERS MORE WARMTH WITH LESS WEIGHT
- WARMPLUS GRAPHENE LINING MAKES WARMER WORK GEAR
- DON'T COMPROMISE PROTECTION FOR PERFORMANCE
- WHY SOFTSHELL JACKETS ARE PERFECT FOR WORKING IN THE COLD
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Best Practices
- COLD TIPS
- HOW TO USE GLOVE LINERS
- THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF HAND PROTECTION
- PROPER FOOT CARE FOR WORKING IN THE COLD
- HOW TO PREVENT SLIPS, TRIPS & FALLS
- HOW TO CHOOSE HIGH-VISIBILITY WORKWEAR
- HOW TO LAYER WITHOUT OVERHEATING
- HOW OVERDRESSING HURTS PRODUCTIVITY
- HOW TO DRESS FOR WORKING IN THE COLD
- HOW TO DRESS FOR WORKING IN DIFFERENT TEMPERATURES
- HOW TO STAY SAFE & WARM WHILE WORKING OUTSIDE IN THE WINTER
- HOW TO STAY WARM WORKING WITH PRODUCE
- PREPARING FOR TEMPERATURE SWINGS
- THE SCIENCE OF STAYING WARM
- HOODS OR HATS: WHICH ONE IS SAFER?
- HOW DRIVERS & TRANSPORTATION WORKERS STAY DRY
- PERSONAL PROTECTIVE GEAR EVERY DRIVER NEEDS
- CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN LOW TEMPERATURES AS A DRIVER
- PROTECT YOUR TRUCK DRIVERS WITH HIGH-VISIBILITY WORKWEAR
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Industry Knowledge
- TRADESHOWS & EVENTS
- KEY TERMS & DEFINITIONS
- BEST CLOTHING FOR MAINTENANCE STAFF IN FOOD PROCESSING
- HOW DO I STAY WARM WHILE WORKING IN MEAT PROCESSING?
- HOW TO STAY WARM IN A COLD STORAGE FREEZER
- 5 IMPORTANT PIECES OF CLOTHING FOR COLD STORAGE WORKERS
- GEAR THAT DRIVES PEAK PRODUCTION AS A FORKLIFT DRIVER
- CHALLENGES OF WORKING IN LOW-TEMPERATURE INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS
- PROTECTING PERISHABLES IN FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTION
- TEMPERATURE CONTROL UNDER FSMA
- BEST HIGH-VISIBILITY JACKETS FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
- COLD WEATHER SAFETY CHECKLIST FOR CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
- TOWER CLIMBER'S GUIDE TO WORKING OUTSIDE IN WINTER
- UTILITY WORKER'S GUIDE TO KEEPING WARM IN WINTER
- HOW TO IMPROVE DRIVER RETENTION AND RECRUITING
- THE IMPACT OF PROPER ERGONOMICS ON DRIVER WELLNESS
- QUALITY WON'T BE COMPROMISED
- WHY IRON-TUFF IS THE MOST ICONIC COLD WEATHER CLOTHING
- WHY ALL WORKERS NEED HIGH-VISIBILITY WORKWEAR
- HOW TO SAFE IN LOW VISIBILITY & HIGH TRAFFIC CONDITIONS
- THE REAL COST OF HIGH EMPLOYEE TURNOVER
- HOW DOES PPE AFFECT YOUR BOTTOM LINE?
- MEDICAL COSTS OF PREVENTABLE INJURIES
- Use & Care
A UTILITY WORKER'S GUIDE TO KEEPING WARM IN WINTER
For most people, “keeping the lights on” means going to work so you can pay your bills. For utility workers, it can mean going to work in sub-freezing temperatures with howling winds so you can keep other folks’ lights on—and their heat and their water and their internet. (All non-utility workers reading this, please take a minute to consider how bad-ass that is.)
When you’re out in conditions like that, it’s essential to have extreme cold weather gear for your body.
Keeping your arms and legs warm without limiting your range of motion is particularly important since these body parts are often working the hardest to get the job done. A great set of winter utility work clothes is the perfect place to start —and with over 70 years of experience in engineering cold-weather comfort, RefrigiWear has the secrets you need for full-body warmth this winter.
How to Keep Your Arms Warm in Cold Weather
Finding the perfect cold weather gear for your upper body starts with knowing your measurements. It’s especially important for the arms to fit right, or else they can cause a lot of uncomfortable bunching in other areas. Start by following the advice in the RefrigiWear Size Chart to measure your arms, chest and waist, and then match up your measurements with our size charts.
When it comes to building your ideal warmth combo, start with thermal base layers that provide warmth and all the stretch you need for heavy-duty utilities work. For the next layer, we’ve got tons of options for sweatshirts and fleeces with flexible insulation like the Extreme Hybrid Sweatshirt with built-in Performance-Flex panels at the elbows to keep your arms moving freely.
Ready to top off your outfit with a rugged winter jacket? Our Extreme, PolarForce® and Softshell collections are full of our most advanced options for keeping warm. These collections includes ultra-warm and great-looking jackets for men, including the Extreme Softshell Jacket that can keep you protected from the cold down to an insane minus 60 degrees.
Looking for a more classic style? The Iron-Tuff® Jackoat™ is built to last day after day on the toughest jobs. There’s a reason Iron-Tuff® gear has been one of the most iconic names in winter workwear for decades.
How to Keep Your Legs Warm in Cold Weather
A great fit in the legs is just as important as the one in the arms, so get started by getting your waist and inseam measurements and matching them up with the size chart. Remember not to hold your breath when measuring your waist, and if you’re between sizes, choose the next size up.
A great base layer can be a game-changer for leg warmth, but you need the perfect blend of flexibility and insulation. For lower-body base layers, you can’t go wrong with our thermal base layer bottoms.
Insulated bib overalls like our Insulated Softshell Bib Overalls, also available in high-visibility lime or orange for jobs that require it, are among our most popular options for lower-body insulation layers to keep your legs warm. Their design leaves your upper body free to twist and flex, and they’re easy to pair with your favorite jacket or other upper-body protection for a custom fit that’s all yours.
Looking for insulated pants only? Our Insulated Softshell Pants or PolarForce® Pants with a built-in belt and Performance-Flex at the knees could be just what you need, giving you a comfortable fit, serious cold protection, and the durability to keep going on the hard jobs.
Total Protection from the Cold
Here’s a little secret for keeping warm—the warmer the rest of your body is, the warmer your arms and legs will stay. By keeping every part of your body warm, including fingers and toes, your body won’t have to work as hard to keep itself warm. It will have more blood supply to circulate and more heat to go around.
So make sure you’ve always got great winter work gloves and winter work boots ready when it’s time to go brave the storm. RefrigiWear even offers easy-to-use guides to choosing work gloves and work boots to help you make the best choice for your needs.
If your definition of keeping the lights on is a little more extreme than most people’s, RefrigiWear has the gear for you. Make sure to check out our Cold Tips for more expert knowledge on the best ways to stay warm on the job, including a guide to layering and tips on how to use the RefrigiWear Comfort Rating system.