Carhartt Men's Twill Work Jacket (J293)

Now that spring has arrived it will soon be time to put the winter jacket away and haul out a lighter weight, cooler wearing jacket.

The Carhartt Men's Twill Work Jacket (J293) is a mid-weight, quilt lined jacket designed for the rigors of the work place, yet stylish enough for casual wear.

The J293 comes in five sizes from Small all the way to Extra Extra Large. As with most work clothing you're limited to the four standby colours - Khaki, Navy, Dark Gray, and Black.

Similar to the mid-weight B316 Double-Knee Work Pant we reviewed a short while ago, the J293 is constructed of 8.5 ounce twill (diagonal weave) fabric that is 65% polyester and 35% cotton.

Twill (diagonal weave) fabric - 65% polyester, 35% cotton with main triple stitching

Polyester is a manufactured (synthetic) fabric that is long wearing, resistant to mildew and abrasion, quick drying and resistant to wrinkling and shrinking. Nice features, but few people admit to liking this material. Cotton, on the other hand, is a natural fabric. It adds breathability and some moisture absorption to clothing, and looks and feels better than polyester. Which is why the 65/30 blend found in the J293 jacket is quite widely used in work clothing.

One thing to note is that polyester/cotton blend fabrics tend to have a 'stiff' feel to them until after you've washed them a few times.

100% quilted nylon lining

The lining is 100% quilted nylon. This synthetic fabric is very durable (it's the same stuff used to make seatbelts); abrasion, mold, and moisture resistant; and, it retains heat well. The lining is also fairly thin, so it doesn't add much weight to the J293, nor does it make the jacket appear overly bulky.

Metal wrist closure and single stitching on the wrist cuffs

The main seams are triple stitched, which is what you want for maximum strength. However, the wrist cuff seams are single stitched. I've noticed on other jackets I've owned that cuffs regularly fray because of constant friction against work surfaces. I would have liked to see at least double stitching here.

The double metal closures at the wrist are appreciated, particularly if you sometimes wear a hoodie or sweater under the jacket, or want to tuck gloves under the cuffs.

Pleated bi-swing back gives a more comfortable fit

The pleated bi-swing back is a nice feature that makes for easier arm movement when you're raising your arms above your head, or carrying large objects. You'll appreciate this feature if you're particularly thick chested.

Two side slant pockets

There are three pockets on the J293 - two side slant pockets, and one pocket on the inside left breast. They are a generous size, but lack closures, which I find useful for securing keys, wallet, cell phone and the like.

Brass zipper and pull

I really don't know if there is much difference in durability between metal and plastic composite zippers, but I like the look and feel of brass.

A 'Large' size on a Big Mike

Big Mike has been wearing a Large size J293 for a couple of weeks now. While he finds it a tad tight across the chest, he finds that it fits well at the back - due to the pleated bi-swing.

The Carhartt J293 looks to be a very durable jacket that field and emergency services technicians, general contractors, paramedics, search & rescue personnel, couriers and the like will find light in weight and comfortably warm on cool spring mornings and late eveings. It offers low maintenance, is water and wrinkle resistant, and has a stain repellant finish that will help maintain it's good looks.

Reviewed March 2012