best jacket type ?

[cdanderson]

I want...or think I want

an inspectors jacket - cotton with zip front - zip on hood & veil, the older kind has a hat and I would prefer the hood. I cant seem to find one like this.

I notice many are nylon. Other than personal preference is cotton or nylon the more preferred fabric .

thanks
charlotte

[kawayanan]

I can't really compare it to anything else (this is the only jacket I have had since I just started this year), but I have liked the one I got from BetterBee. (http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1605) It is cotton (I think), has a zippered front, and a zip in veil (no hat). It was not to costly, and has been nice so far.

Kawayanan

[beewhisper]

Hi Kawayanan !
I Have One From Mann Lake.i Like It O.k. It Is Convenient But It Does Have Some Draw Backs.first It Is Hot.second It Is A Little Hard To Get Zipped Properly,and If You Dont The Bees Will Let You Know.the Price Is Right Though At 45.00.good Luck!
Beewhisper

[drobbins]

I have 1 from Brushy Mountain I really like
the veil is attached to a wide brimmed hat that keeps it away from your neck
my beekeeping buddy has a full suit with one of those free standing veils and when he leans forward it lays against the back of his neck and the girls can get him, I like the wide brimmed hat
it was called a "Pollinators Jacket" but I don't see it on their website
might look at the catalog

Dave

[odfrank]

I agree with the Betterbee Jacket. Stay away from the Sheriff type veils.
(http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1605)

[Ravenseye]

I've got the Betterbee Jacket as well. Love it.

[cdanderson]

Thank you all. I do have a full suit but I wanted a jacket for times when I feel a bit more confident.

I dont like the idea of the standard hat because I always have a ponytail and ponytails and hats just dont mix well

Yes my full suit with the dome hood had a "soft" spot where the back of the hood would bend in towards your neck. So I used some of my redneck hillbilly engineering and installed a piece of 1" ID plastic tubing up the back of the hood for about 6 inches with needle and thread. Looks stupid (its on the inside though) but works good

[cdanderson]

I like the looks of that Better Bee jacket but the picture in the ad is awful and I cant see what the veil really looks like.

[Aisha]

I'll toss my hat in the ring for the betterbee jacket too. I really like the quick zip on veil.

One thing of note is that if your head is small (like mine) you have to wear a hat underneath the hood to keep it from slipping around.

[Jeffzhear]

Alexander Veil from Dadant for about 15 bucks works for me. Easy on, easy off, inexpensive, quick tie down and quick to get off... I can reach up under quick to wipe sweat off my face. I can also quickly get saliva on my finger to mask a sting site...

[Michael Bush]

When it's hot I wear the Golden Bee Products suit. When it's cool or I'm doing a quick inspection, I have a jacket from www.beeworks.com that's nylon and very nice and much better quality material than the Mann Lake one I have.

[cdanderson]

Is nylon alot hotter than cotton ?

[spunky]

I can't really compare it to anything else (this is the only jacket I have had since I just started this year), but I have liked the one I got from BetterBee. (http://www.betterbee.com/products.asp?dept=1605) It is cotton (I think), has a zippered front, and a zip in veil (no hat). It was not to costly, and has been nice so far.

Kawayanan

I have this one also, and like it alot, that being said ; I am going to sew a 75 cent piece of elastic on the hat so it stays put on windy days.

[honeyman46408]

MOST of the time I use this.
http://bugbaffler.com/
It is quick over the head-doesnt take a lot room and you can unzip the head cover.

[kawayanan]

As a couple people mentioned, the picture of the BetterBee jacket isn't all that good. It is a little hard to see what the veil looks like. The veil zips onto the jacket, and has two built in wire hoops. The upper hoop forms the "brim" of what would be the hat. The lower hoop keeps the mesh of the veil hanging vertically. Here is a picture I took when I got it.

As other people also mentioned, it can slip around a little. I usually only notice it slipping if I bend over completely (I sometimes stick my head under my hive trying to look up through the screened bottom). I usually wear a baseball cap under it and that seems to help keep it in place.

Kawayanan

[cdanderson]

thank you so much...that photo is helpful

[Michael Bush]

I have not found nylon any hotter or cooler than cotton. The bees cling to the nylon a LOT less than the cotton. I like the English style hood.

[cdanderson]

Thank you Michael.. I like those English hoods also.

[JC]

I want...or think I want

an inspectors jacket - cotton with zip front - zip on hood & veil, the older kind has a hat and I would prefer the hood. I cant seem to find one like this.

I notice many are nylon. Other than personal preference is cotton or nylon the more preferred fabric .

thanks
charlotte

I have 2 nylon bee jackets and 1 cotton bee jacket from Walter Kelley. I like both cotton and nylon jackets. I use a cotton bee jacket when it is cool, and I use a nylon bee jacket when it is really hot. I no longer use just a bee veil, unless I am mowing around the bees.

[odfrank]

I have a Mann Lake suit with an English hood and I occasionally got stung on the chin. I have read the same complaint in this board. Also, the veil visibility is poor. The veil zippers on in a strange way, so that is impossible to zip on once the suit has been put on, and flops around in conveniently if you don't want it over your head. I replaced it for these reasons.