Wet Weather Gear NZ: Heavy-Duty Jackets, Bibs and Overtrousers from a Kiwi Brand Since 1966

Milford Sound, Fiordland.

New Zealand weather is hard on rain gear. Cheap jackets and bibs rip, leak at the seams or go stiff in the cold, often within a season, whether you work on a farm, a building site, a boat or in a processing plant.

Stormline started in Southland in 1966. Down there, freezing gales drive the rain sideways into your face, and that is the weather our gear was made for. We are still a family business, now run by the third generation, and we turn 60 this year. The range is made in Europe from heavy commercial PVC, with double-welded seams and a cold rating we have lab tested. This guide covers which gear suits which job, what makes it last, and where to buy it in New Zealand.

Best wet weather gear NZ: our picks at a glance

Most jobs are covered by one of these jacket and bib pairs.

Best wet weather gear by job

The right wet weather gear depends on the work. Farmers need gear that hoses clean and moves on a quad bike, site crews need tough, abrasion-resistant PVC, and anyone working at sea or in a processing plant needs the heaviest PVC and oil resistance.

On the farm

The Stormtex-Air 220G jacket and 664G bib overalls are made from stretch PVC with a PU coating, so they move with you on a quad bike or over a fence. The 664G bib has double-layer PVC on the thighs and knees and stainless steel snaps at the ankle to seal over your gumboots. If you want something lighter on the legs, the 755G overtrousers weigh 700g, have a polyester backing that dries quickly, and snap shut at the hem over your gumboots. See the full farm wet weather gear range.

On building sites and civil jobs

The Stormtex 248G jacket and 669HG bib and brace are 500gsm oil-resistant PVC. The 669HG bib is fully reversible, so when the front wears you can turn it round and keep going. See the commercial wet weather gear range.

At sea and on the wharf

The Crew 211 jacket has been our best-selling jacket for over 30 years. It is 650gsm PVC with a double layer on the stomach and arms, neoprene cuffs and a long back so water runs off. The Crew 654 bib is our number one heavy-duty bib and brace: double-layer 650gsm PVC with knee pads and an elastic waist.

In processing plants, the milking shed and washdown

For meat, seafood and dairy work, a heavy apron does more than a jacket. The 999ST apron is 650gsm oil-resistant PVC, our heaviest apron, with 38mm elastic braces and a back divider. It is 1.2m long by 90cm wide and tested to −25°C, so it stays soft on a cold morning in the shed.

If you want an apron with cross-back straps, the 999HWST is 500gsm oil- and fat-resistant PVC that is resistant to dairy sanitising chemicals and can be power washed. For your forearms, the Stormtex-Air 230 PVC milking sleeves seal at the wrist with a welded latex cuff, while the N001 4mm neoprene sleeves keep your arms warm in a cold shed and the N002 3mm neoprene sleeves are thinner and more flexible.

What makes wet weather gear last

Wet weather gear lasts when the fabric is heavy, the seams are welded and the backing dries fast. Light shells and stitched seams are where cheap gear fails first.

• PVC weight. We list the weight of the PVC on every product, from 340gsm stretch PVC on the Stormtex-Air farm range to 500gsm on the Stormtex range and 650gsm on the Crew gear and the 999ST apron. Heavier PVC takes more abrasion from wire, rope, concrete and boat decks.
• Double-welded seams. Our PVC panels are welded together, not stitched, so there are no needle holes for water to find, even after years of bending and kneeling.
• The backing. Our PVC has a polyester or nylon backing, so it dries quickly. Cotton-backed PVC that gets wet from sweat stays wet.
• Oil resistance. All of the PVC gear in this guide is oil-resistant, which matters around machinery, diesel, fish oil and animal fats.

Southland gales, West Coast rain and South Island frosts: the cold rating

New Zealand wet weather gear has to handle heavy rain and cold mornings. Our PVC is lab tested to stay flexible down to −25°C / −13°F, so a jacket or bib left in the ute overnight is still soft in the morning.

NIWA records 2,000 to 3,000mm of rain a year at low-lying places on the West Coast, and more than 10,000mm a year higher up. In Otago, NIWA notes that frosts and snowfalls happen relatively often each year. Thin, low-grade PVC goes stiff in that kind of cold and starts to crack at the elbows and knees. Our PVC stays soft, so it does not crack.

Jacket, bib or overtrousers?

A bib and brace keeps you drier than overtrousers when you bend, kneel or lift, because it covers your chest and back. Most people who work in the rain all day wear a jacket and a bib.

• Bib and brace: the 664G, 669HG and Crew 654. Best for kneeling, digging, stock work and deck work.
• Overtrousers: the 755G. Lighter and quicker to pull on over gumboots, but they leave your chest and back exposed when you bend.
• Jacket: pick by job from the table above, and pair it with the matching bib for full cover in heavy rain.

Sizing over layers

Order your normal size. Our jackets and bibs are cut with room for a fleece or thermal underneath. On our product pages, the model wearing a size M is 175cm and 76kg. If you are between sizes and wear heavy layers all winter, go up one.

Milking, working a processing line or on the deck? Our guide to heavy-duty PVC milking aprons in NZ compares the 999HWST, 999ST and 999HW aprons and the sleeves to wear with them.

Where to buy wet weather gear in NZ

You can buy Stormline online with prices in NZ dollars, or from stockists around the country. The full list, with addresses and a map, is on our store finder.

Buying for a crew or a business? Contractors, farms, councils and processors can buy on wholesale terms through our wholesale store, or ask us for a quote.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best wet weather gear in NZ for work?

For most outdoor work, a heavy PVC jacket with a bib and brace keeps you driest. Stormline has picks for farms (220G and 664G), building sites (248G and 669HG) and the wettest work at sea (Crew 211 and Crew 654).

Does PVC wet weather gear go stiff in the cold?

Cheap, thin PVC does. Our PVC is lab tested to stay flexible down to −25°C / −13°F, so it stays soft through South Island frosts and after a night in the ute.

Where can I buy Stormline wet weather gear in Dunedin or Southland?

In Otago, Stormline is stocked by New Zealand Marine Logistics in Dunedin and the Port Chalmers Fishermans Co-op. In Southland, try the Stormline Factory Shop in Invercargill, SES Direct online, or the Riverton Fishermans Company in Bluff; the store finder has addresses for every stockist.

Should I buy a bib and brace or overtrousers?

A bib and brace keeps your chest and back dry when you bend or kneel, so it suits all-day work in heavy rain. Overtrousers like the 755G are lighter and quicker to pull on over gumboots, but give less cover.