Review of the Smitty Thermal Full Zip Umpire Jacket

Hello, I’m Pete. This is my brother Darryl. . . a little over a year ago Midwest Ump reviewed the Majestic Therma Base Umpire Jacket. What a great jacket! Good fit, great quality, nice price. . .

and this is my other brother Darryl: the Smitty Thermal Full Zip Umpire Jacket.

Dawn at Smitty Apparel sent me a sample of their new thermal umpire jacket. I've mentioned it before on this site, the folks at Smitty are really, really nice people. They also happen to make very high quality officiating apparel!

The measurements of the XL Majestic and the XL Smitty are nearly identical. It is more practical to talk about the differences: the sleeves on the Smitty are ¼ inch longer; the overall length of the Smitty is ½ inch longer (not including the ribbed collar or ribbing at the bottom of the jacket); and the collar of the Smitty is 1/2 “ taller. Both the Smitty and the Majestic weigh exactly the same, 2.1 pounds (using a hanger and a fish scale from Bass Pro. Yep, real scientific-like).

Both jackets are very roomy and easily accommodate a chest protector, but also look good on the bases. Since these jackets are sized to accommodate a CP, it is recommended that you buy a size smaller if you desire a closer fit on the bases. The exterior of both coats is a polyester material that is water resistant, not water proof.  I cannot tell a difference in the material by touch. The interior fabric of the Smitty is 100% polyester fleece. The Majestic is 92% polyester and 8% spandex. The Majestic fleece is a little softer than the Smitty. However, Smitty has sewn in an interior polyester fabric on top of its fleece. This extra layer helps prevent wear and damage to the fleece from your CP.  

The construction quality of both jackets appears excellent. The stitching on both jackets is tight and uniform. There are no frayed edges or loose stitching. Both jackets have one breast pocket for your lineup cards. Neither jacket has hand pockets or an interior pocket.

The Smitty jacket I tested was a plain navy blue, a color required by the NFHS. The Smitty Thermal Full Zip Umpire Jacket is available in a variety in several popular colors including navy with red/white/navy shoulder stripes; black with white stripes; and black with white/powder blue stripes. Unlike the Majestic, there is no logo on the Smitty jacket I tested.

The best price tag on the Majestic Therma Base Jacket is around $80.  The new Smitty Thermal Jacket is being sold for $69.99 by Purchase Officials. I understand that all sizes and styles will be widely available after the first of the year.

Fair or Foul?

They say that "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" (well, Charles Caleb Colton said it first). The Majestic is an amazing coat and the Smitty Thermal Full Zip Umpire Jacket is a carbon copy of it. The Smitty is the same jacket offered at a lower price and available in different colors. So go ahead and call me a Darryl, 'cause  I call the Smitty Thermal Full Zip Umpire Jacket absolutely Fair!

Review of Majestic Therma Base Umpire Jacket

Anyone who truly loves baseball has endured foul weather. We have all played, coached, umpired, or spectated in barely-bearable heat, cold, rain, or snow. Some of us (fortunates) have seen both 110 degree summer days and negative wind chill or ice storms during the same season.

We generally like to forget those games.

The Majestic Therma Base Umpire Jacket is engineered to help umpires battle the frigid cold. Despite the name, there is no mistake that the Majestic Therma Base Umpire Jacket is designed as an umpire coat, not a jacket. It has a fleece lining, and a dense polyester outer shell. It is advertised as water resistant (not water proof).

As an umpire jacket, the Therma Base does not have hand pockets. There is one pocket on the left chest that measures 5.75” deep. That is just enough room to fit my 5.5” long line-up card holder. The Therma Base does not have an interior pocket, something I intend to add with a visit to my local seamstress before the spring season.

The fit is very good. I wore this jacket around in the yard with temperatures in the 30's, and I found that it is very warm and comfortable. There is elastic ribbing around the bottom of the jacket for improved fit. The construction quality appears first-rate. Majestic uses a single running stitch on the exterior polyester, and stronger zig-zag stitching on the interior. (click on the picture at left for a closer view). Everything appears very clean and well-made. Since the Majestic Therma Base is sized to accommodate a CP, it is large through the chest (29" from mid-armpit to mid-armpit). It is recommended that you buy a size smaller if you desire a closer fit on the bases. I weighed the Therma Base Jacket at just under 2 pounds.

The Majestic Therma Base jacket was made for Major League Baseball umpires. Majestic (actually VF Licensed Sports Group) states that it uses the same design and technology as used in the MLB umpire jackets. It is available in navy with red and white stripes, and black with polo blue and white stripes. Majestic tells me that there is no current plans to offer this jacket with white stripes. That is a shame, because this is an excellent coat for working those bitterly cold early college games.

Jim Kirk from Ump-Attire sent me this jacket for review, and I highly recommend making your jacket purchase from Ump-Attire. Jim runs an efficient company. Ump-Attire's communication with the customer is outstanding and orders are filled quickly with lightning-quick delivery. They have a terrific return policy and prices that are at or below the competition - why would you go anywhere else?

The Majestic Therma Base Umpire Jacket is sold by Ump-Attire for $110.00.
***UPDATE*** as of 29DEC10 Ump-Attire is selling the Therma Base for $90

Fair or Foul?
The Majestic Therma Base Umpire Jacket coat is an excellent choice for any umpire working in cold temperatures. It is warm, comfortable, and its quality of construction is impressive. The Majestic Therma Base Umpire Jacket is absolutely fair.

Review of Smitty Official Apparel Umpire Jacket

In umpire parlance “smitty” is a derogatory term which means, among other things, “unprofessional.” For instance, “Look at that umpire with his hat on backwards. He looks smitty!”

A few years ago Smitty Officials Apparel sold umpire clothing that was widely regarded as, well, “smitty.” Times have changed. A couple years ago Smitty decided to revamp its umpire line and switched manufacturers. The result is a clothing line that has received praise from many umpires, including the Midwest Ump reviews.

In response to my request, Smitty sent me a BBS-322 umpire jacket to test. This jacket is black with white trim and open at the bottom (a “tuck-in” jacket). Tuck-in jackets are great for plate work because they do not ride up when you drop into your stance.

After testing Smitty shirts, pants, and now jacket, I find that the cut of Smitty clothing is slimmer than most. The XL jacket measures 28.5” across the chest and 7.25” from collar to shoulder along the seam. By comparison, Honig’s K-17 measures 30” across the chest and 8” down the shoulder seam. Perhaps as a result, the Smitty jacket weighs 14.5 ounces, two ounces lighter than the Honigs. I had no trouble fitting the Smitty jacket over my Wilson Platinum chest protector, and the slimmer cut means less material flapping in the breeze.

Both the Smitty and the Honig’s K-17 are made from 100% polyester with a 100% nylon lining. Smitty advertised that the polyester shell is treated with a weather resistant coating. The white stripes are identical to the Honig’s K-17. In fact, it is nearly impossible to distinguish the Honig’s from the Smitty from a distance. The collar of the Smitty is more substantial than the Honig’s K-17 and the polyester outer layer has a more “finished” appearance. Click on the image to the right for a close up and see what I mean.

Unlike the Honig’s jacket (sold exclusively by Honig’s for $59.95), the Smitty S-322 is available from several online retailers, including:

Ump-Attire for $59.99

S.O.S. Sports for $48.95

Purchase Officials for $45.00

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you haven’t checked out Smitty Official Apparel lately, you are missing out on some of the best umpire apparel on the market. The S-322 umpire jacket is a first-rate jacket and one that I am proud to wear on the field.

As a personal note, I have found dealing with Smitty to be very easy. My emails are replied to quickly which indicates a commitment to customer service and a confidence in their products. I recommend the Smitty company and its umpire apparel. Smitty is not "smitty" at all!