Product Review: Rak Wear – Fire, EMS, and Police Apparel

I was recently asked to conduct a review of Rak Wear apparel. They let me pick 3 t-shirts to review.
After careful review of their various colors and styles, I chose the The Final Tribute, Firefighter, and Rescue (Vintage style). They also threw in two each of two of their stickers. Visit Rak Wear online for everything they have to offer!

Women's sizes available as well!

Follow Rak Wear on Twitter (@RakWear) and join their Facebook page!

My first reaction to the shirts from looking at their website was that they seem to have very large graphics yet they didn’t seem to be over the top. I then awaited the arrival of the shirts.

Once I received the shipment of shirts I instantly thought that they were too big. My shirt size is in between a large and extra large depending on the shirt. So there I was thinking that by picking large I had screwed up. I was wrong. Once I threw the first shirt on, I realized that the shirts actually fit very well. I guess my estimation was wrong by looking at them.

The Shirts

This picture shows the hem label, the tag that comes with each new shirt, the tag printed in the neck line, and the design of the firefighter shirt

The shirts are made in the USA! From previous reviews, you should know that this is one of the first things I look at with any product. I try to purchase US made products whenever possible.

The shirts are pre-shrunk. This means that you don’t have to worry about them fitting once and never fitting again after washing. However, I will say that they seemed to have shrunk just a bit after washing. They still fit very well, but might have shrunk just a tad.

The shirts are 100% cotton…and very comfortable.

The shirts are tagless. The tag is printed in the inside of the back just under the collar. No need to worry about a tag itching you throughout the day. There is a small hem label attached to the left hand side on the bottom of the shirt with the Rak Wear logo.

The Designs

As I mentioned before, I picked out and received the The Final Tribute, Firefighter, and Rescue (Vintage style) shirts. There are plenty of other designs available in men’s and women’s sizes. And no, the pictures below are NOT of yours truly!

The Final Tribute

The Final Tribute

This style is offered in x-small up to 2xl. The shirt is white with a large print on the front. The print on the shirt is that of a bagpiper and motorcade. The shirt pays homage to Fallen Brothers although it is not necessarily for Fire, EMS, or Police and could be worn and meant for one or all. Of all the styles, this is the one I thought I would dislike. I decided on picking it anyways. It just seemed as though the bagpiper was a little too much right in the center of the design.

Once I had this shirt on, the realization was that it isn’t over the top. However, I can imagine how someone who does not like design printed t-shirts would have a problem with this one. All in all, the design and what it stands for is very well done.You can view more information and order The Final Tribute shirt here.

Firefighter

Firefighter

This style is offered in x-small up to 2xl. The shirt is a dark grey with a large print on the front and is also available in the vintage style. The print on the front of the shirt is a close up of a firefighter (above the shoulders) wearing SCBA, a traditional style helmet, and holding an axe. As terrible as I have seen some designs on shirts, Rak Wear really pulls this one off. The colors and design really pop. I love the color of the t-shirt and the colors in the design. This shirt will probably see some wear.

Thankfully this was not put on a navy blue shirt! As for the design goes, it is very interesting at how detailed it is even though it is somewhat abstract.You can view more information and order the Firefighter shirt here.

Rescue

Rescue (Vintage style)

This style is offered in x-small up to 2xl in mens and x-small to 3xl in womens. The shirt is a vintage style brown with a large print on the front. This shirt is also available in the normal (brown) style. Ok, I went out on a limb with this one because I rarely put my hands on extrication tools. We don’t have them at my station and I don’t see them used that often. That being said, I decided to pick this one as my third shirt.

The design is a firefighter or rescue worker with a “salad bowl”/ non-traditional style helmet holding a set of cutters. The design is cool because it actually has dimension. The problem is that where he is aiming seems as though he is about to “cut” an important appendage. It isn’t that big of a deal, I just found it amusing! You can view more information and order Rescue shirt here.

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