Summer on a building site in Ireland is its own kind of test. The sun finally shows up, the temperature climbs, and you are still legally required to wear your hi vis. The standard heavy gear that felt grand in February now feels like a sauna by ten in the morning. The good news is you do not have to choose between staying visible and staying comfortable. You just need the right layers for the season.
Here is how we kit out construction and engineering crews across Munster when the weather warms up, and why we still tell lads to keep a few warmer pieces in the van.
Start with a lightweight base
The single biggest comfort upgrade for summer is dropping down to a short sleeve top. A hi vis short sleeve tee keeps you compliant and lets your arms breathe, which makes a real difference across a long day in the heat. They are also the easiest piece to brand, so they double as a tidy uniform that puts your company name on every site you work.
If you want something a small step smarter for client facing work or site visits, a hi vis polo shirt gives you the same lightweight feel with a collar. Plenty of our trade customers run polos for supervisors and tees for the wider crew. It looks sharp and it costs very little to set up.
Let the vest do the heavy lifting
When it is properly warm, the lightest way to stay seen is a vest worn over a tee. Our hi vis vest range runs from the lighter two band waistcoats right up to executive and zipped styles, so you can match the visibility class your site demands without piling on extra layers.
A vest over a short sleeve tee is about as cool as you can work while staying compliant, and it is an easy combination to roll out across a whole crew at a sensible price.
Do not pack the bombers and sweatshirts away just yet
Now, anyone who has worked an Irish summer knows the weather does not read the calendar. You can start the morning in glorious sunshine and be standing in a downpour by lunch. That is exactly why we never tell customers to fully retire their warmer gear in June.
Keep a hi vis sweatshirt or hoodie in the van for the cold snaps and early starts. For wind and the inevitable shower, a hi vis bomber or bodywarmer earns its place all year round. And if you want one piece that handles a bit of everything, a hi vis softshell is hard to beat for the in between days, which in Ireland is most of them.
The smart play is layering. Light base for the heat, a warmer layer ready to pull on when the weather turns. That way your crew is comfortable and compliant no matter what the day throws at them.
Your branding stays sharp on every layer
Whatever you choose, we decorate it in house here in Limerick. Embroidery, screen print, DTF and heat transfer all give you a clean, durable finish that holds up to the wear and washing that workwear takes. Tee, polo, vest or bomber, your logo looks the same across the lot, which keeps your crews looking like one team on site.
Kitting out your crew for summer
We are a family run business and we have been decorating workwear for Irish trade since 1994, so we know what holds up on a site and what does not. If you are sorting summer kit for your team, send us your sizes and your logo and we will put a quote together for you.
Get in touch through the contact page or give us a call. We are happy to talk through the right mix of lightweight and warmer gear for the work you do.
