Workwear. The stuff you see on the tired guy with mud on his boots at the gas station, the stuff that is designed to protect its wearer first and foremost. Two giants in this space are Carhartt and Dickies. People swear by each and typically stay pretty loyal to their brand of choice. Like Ford and Chevy, people are willing to fight for their favorite brand. So which is the jacket for you?
If you’re shopping for a good work jacket it may appear that the Carhartt Active Jac and the Dickies Rigid Duck Jacket are nearly identical. They look very similar: they both have a hood, they both have two hand warmer pockets, two internal pockets, ribbed hem, and cuffs, but the Dickies one costs about $35 less.
Most of the time it’s easy to see why a product costs more- either it’s made of different materials, or maybe one is made in the USA and the other in China, but with these two work jackets the difference isn’t so clear.
Engineered For high warmth in severely cold conditions.
Made in Mexico vs. Made in China
The Carhartt Active Jac and Dickies Rigid Duck jackets are made from 100% cotton duck with quilted nylon insulation. The Carhartt is made in Mexico, the Dickies is made in China.
Sleeves
The first thing that I noticed when I put on the Carhartt was the sleeves. At first glance these sleeves don’t look like they’re rib-knit, but under a strip of Cordura, there is in fact a hidden rib-knit cuff to keep the wind out. Dickies has exposed ribbed knit cuffs and they’re a little bit finer gauge, the Carhartt on the other hand is a little bit more course.
The elbows of the Carhartt Active Jac are articulated while the Dickies are cut straight. This can help with movement, but also cuts down on the bulky look of the jacket.
Zippers
The zippers on both are approximately the game gauge, and I’d guess that they’re both made by YKK. The Carhartt zipper-pull can articulate 360 degrees without binding thanks to a proprietary design. This means you can add a bit of leather or paracord and not worry about snapping it off. The Dickies on the other hand features a squared-off zipper-pull which doesn’t articulate.
Storm Flap
The Dickies jacket does not feature a storm flap (that’s the little piece of material behind the zipper) but the Carhartt does. This may not sound like a big deal until you’re working in cold and windy conditions. The air that can travel right through a zipper is enough to give you a chill.
Drawstring
The Dickies hood has a traditional braided cotton exterior drawstring while Carhartt’s is braided nylon, and internal. This small detail keeps the string from getting caught in rotating tools or equipment and is a major safety upgrade.
Material and Seam Stitch
The Carhartt shell material is 12oz. 100% cotton duck, and Dickies is lighter 10oz. 100% cotton duck. Every seam on the Carhartt is triple stitched, but on the Dickies the seams are only double stitched. The difference this will make for you will really depend on how hard you are on your work jacket.
Pockets
The hand warmer pockets of the Carhartt are lined in soft fleece, and the Dickies are simply the backside of the duck material.
Both jackets have two internal pockets. Dickies has two identical big pockets with Velcro closures. The Carhartt has a similar pocket to this on the right and on the left is a zippered pocket, which is cool because if you want to put something small inside like ear protection or keys, they’ll stay secure. The Carhartt handwarmer pockets also have a reinforced bottom, so keeping hand tools inside them won’t be an issue. There’s also a hidden slot for a pen or pencil at the top of Carhartt’s right pocket.
Final Thoughts
While the Carhartt does carry a $35 premium over the Dickies, all these little features add up to a much more refined and functional work jacket. If your budget is water-tight and you simply need something tough and warm, Dickies will serve you well. For me though, the additional features, better build quality, and heavier material of the Carhartt are totally worth the price.
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