News, reviews and tools we use!
How to Use the Milwaukee M12 Heated Jacket
Hey everyone, today we’re looking at the Milwaukee M12 Heated Jacket. I’ll go over all of the different functions.
About the M12 Heated Jacket
The M12 heated jacket comes with a 3.0 battery, an adapter and a charging cable. You can plug your jacket into the adapter to run it and keep yourself warm. You can also plug your phone and other items in through the USB port. Put the battery in, look at the power meter on top and press the button to see how charged it is.
If you plug this into a USB port, you can charge the battery without a Milwaukee charger.
You could also plug it into a USB port, charge your battery, and run your phone off the bottom to charge everything simultaneously. A little light will shine while the jacket is charging. Keep the cord in your pocket just in case.
Pockets
On the front there’s a nice inside pocket large enough for a cell phone, notepad, or anything else you need. There are no pockets on the left but there is an extremely deep pocket inside on the right. You could easily fit a large cell phone or extra battery in there. The inside has a nice liner and there are more deep pockets on the sides. These pockets are also heated. The battery pouch goes in the back, zipping down to reveal the cord. If you’re driving and have your battery plugged in the back, you can easily pull it forward and put it in the front pocket. It might be better to have it in the front if you’ve got on a big tool belt or something like that. I’ve just been pulling it up slightly higher so that my tool belt fits underneath, and it hasn’t been a problem.
When driving, I pull it forward, and it seems fine. When I got this jacket, my biggest concern was, would the battery bug me? Because it’s not exactly small. It’s something big in your pocket that I thought might get in the way, but I have found that it doesn’t bug me at all.
Other Functions & How to Use
The zipper on the front is very easy to do up with gloves on and I like the fit of this jacket. It’s very comfortable, and it’s super warm. I don’t always run the heat, and it still helps to cut that wind. Hold down the M12 button to turn it on, and it will go red – straight into hot mode. You’ll feel the heat right across the chest and back.
Press it a second time to go to medium, which is white. One more push turns on the coolest mode, blue – just a little bit of heat to help cut that chill.
To turn the heat on in the pockets, press the two-hands button on the chest until it goes red. It works quite well but mainly heats up on the outside. I do wish it heated up on the inside of the pocket on the palm. However, overall, the jacket heats up fast. You feel the heat right away, in the pockets too.
There is velcro on the front if you want the fit to be tight. I leave it loose because it allows my gloves to fit underneath. Mine is a large — I’m about 6’1″ and it fits nicely. It’s easy to extend my arms. I don’t feel any tightness in the chest. The jacket also has drawstrings to cinch up the bottom. I haven’t used the function yet but it’s nice to have.
It’s kind of like a tech jacket, you can hear the material when you move, which bugs Tiffany. Not me though! And I love how durable it is.
The M12 Hoodie
I’ve paired my jacket with the M12 Hoodie. We have also reviewed that so make sure to check it out. The hoodie paired with the jacket keeps me super warm. You can plug both batteries in; I wish it had a function to carry one battery and connect the two, but wearing the hoodie underneath this jacket, I almost don’t even need to turn it on. The jacket is very well insulated and cuts the wind amazingly.
I’m super happy with the overall performance. I go through jackets like crazy. I’m always looking for form-fitting jackets because I don’t like bulky jackets for construction. Typically, when I’m working construction outside, I’m framing and not doing finishing work, and I want to be as compressed as possible so that I don’t catch on studs or nails.
Battery Life
According to the stats on the back of the box, the battery will last for 12 hours on low, six hours on medium, and three hours on high, and I’d say that’s pretty accurate. Overall, I give this jacket two thumbs up, especially if you pair it with the hoodie, then you’re set. And the price point is great!
Check it out at these locations: https://homedepot.sjv.io/kjV6z0, https://amzn.to/32F8bMc and Canada https://amzn.to/3eu4Fa7
Prefer to watch on video? Check out our full review: