# Ultrabreeze vs Pigeon Mountain Ventilated



## Steve_G (Apr 24, 2011)

I cannot answer about the Ultrabreeze, but I have a Betterbee and just purchased for the wife a Pigeon Mountain and other than cost I find no difference in the quality of the two suits. The Betterbee was made in India and no label can be found as to where the Pigeon Mountain was made.

Hope it helps.

Steve_G


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## okbees (Nov 3, 2010)

SNL....I am wondering the same thing....hope someone post on here an answer. I did purchase the PM solid jacket for myself, and compared it to my wife's Dadant...and there were a few things I found different, but nothing that would keep me from buying it again.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Just to be clear, the Ultrabreeze jacket is $163 for any size, and the full suit is: $259 any size. I saw the Pigeon Mountain website, but their product description is very weak. Could be a great product, but you certainly couldn't tell from their description. 

No doubt on the quality and service of the Ultrabreeze stuff - hard to beat.


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## brac (Sep 30, 2009)

Ultrabreeze, is a great product from a great folks, made in USA, and they stand behind it. Hard to beat at any price.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I doubt they are the same. The reason the Ultra breeze is expensive is it's basically three suits, all mesh, which is how it is stingproof and ventilated. The quality (beyond the three suits) is that it has heavy duty brass zippers and a well thought out design. I don't see how anyone could make an equivalent suit for $96.


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## summers nectar (Dec 30, 2010)

I got the wife an Ultra Breeze this summer after she was stung multiple times. any time she went to the hives it was always the same. now after getting the Ultra breeze NO stings, no more problems with heat. If i can just get her to leave MY bees alone? 
I will have my suit before spring for sure, with that comfort and no stings, the price is worth it. If I can get the same suit somewhere else cheaper--dont care. 
Great product, great company, loyal customer.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

brac said:


> Ultrabreeze, is a great product from a great folks, made in USA, and they stand behind it. Hard to beat at any price.


I got my half suit, or jacket, a cpl days ago. The first thing I noticed was how heavy it seems to be. Heavier than other examples when soaking wet. 

Then I noticed the zippers. All metal zippers. Where other makes are nylon(?) or something. I'm wondering how the Ultrabreeze zippers will hold up to getting wet. are they going to rust or snag?

Cuffs are pretty tight. Even unvelcroed. Maybe they'll loosen up some w/ wear.

I haven't tested it out in the bee yard yet. That's next week when it's time to take off the rest of this years boxes.


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## brac (Sep 30, 2009)

Mark, will the brass zippers rust? Your kidding, right?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I'm wondering how the Ultrabreeze zippers will hold up to getting wet. are they going to rust or snag?

They are solid brass. Brass does not rust. If you get them sweaty enough they may turn a bit green... sort of like the Statue of Liberty...


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I was up at 5 AM yesterday and today. Guess I wasn't thinking. The brass zipper on my Jeans have always worked, even wet.

Yawn. Time for bed.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I have had my Ultrabreeze jacket for a few weeks now. I find the zippers balky to start, and easily catch the fabric. They should use a larger gauge zipper. Nylon suits catch a lot less. I wonder if a bit of lubricant on the zipper might help with it's difficulty to start. It is also so heavy I wonder if it will help on hot days, when the is no BREEZE.


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## Frontyard Beekeeper (Aug 3, 2011)

Try a little beeswax on that zipper. Works wonders and i bet you have some.


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## indypartridge (Nov 18, 2004)

Steve_G said:


> I have a Betterbee and just purchased for the wife a Pigeon Mountain and other than cost I find no difference





okbees said:


> I did purchase the PM solid jacket for myself, and compared it to my wife's Dadant.


I haven't seen the Pigeon Mtn, but if it's comparable to the ones sold by Betterbee and Dadant, then it's *not* comparable to the UltraBreeze. I bought my UltraBreeze after looking at Betterbee, Dadant, Mann Lake, etc. Very different, worth the price, and worth waiting for.



odfrank said:


> I have had my Ultrabreeze jacket for a few weeks now ... It is also so heavy I wonder if it will help on hot days, when the is no BREEZE.


Our summer was brutally hot this year, and I found it helped immensely.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

I've been wondering the same thing myself. The Pigeon Mountain ventilated jacket that's being referred to is here: http://www.pigeonmountaintrading.com/Category/1-22636-ventilated-bee-wear.aspx

Matt


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## bullitt02797 (Aug 11, 2011)

odfrank said:


> It is also so heavy I wonder if it will help on hot days, when the is no BREEZE.


This was the first thing I noticed about my UltraBreeze Jacket. It was incredibly heavy when I took it out of the box. I felt a little uneasy as it was 103F and no breeze the day I got it. I put it on and walked outside. I was amazed at how cool I was. 

I have spent a lot of $ this year on my bees. Mostly digging, landscaping, and planting for next season; which gets expensive real quick. But the $170 I spent on this Jacket was the best expense I have had so far. I will be getting a second one for visitors who want to see the bees up close but are afraid of getting stung.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Does anyone have a Pigeon Mountain suit and if so.........your thoughts & comments.........


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## brac (Sep 30, 2009)

that pic makes it look like a copy of the ultrabreeze. So who owns one?


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## jtow (Mar 30, 2011)

I just got my PM $33 jacket today. Good quality, 100% cotton (heavy), metal zippers. Made in India. I'm impressed. Will be hot in the summer is the only downside. Will eventually need to get their ventilated jacket or the Ultrabreeze.


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## toekneepea (Jul 7, 2010)

Michael Bush said:


> I doubt they are the same. The reason the Ultra breeze is expensive is it's basically three suits, all mesh, which is how it is stingproof and ventilated. The quality (beyond the three suits) is that it has heavy duty brass zippers and a well thought out design. *I don't see how anyone could make an equivalent suit for $96.*


Cheap Chinese knock-off is my guess.

Tony P.


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## clgs (Aug 6, 2008)

I have the Ultrabreeze full suit. Do not have the PM, but have owned an other heavy cotton suit. Cotton coveralls or 
jackets are very hot. Though the Ultrabreeze "feels" heavy - it is as cool as can be in the heat - It is made from 3 layers of mesh, not solid fabric. Your movements create a slight breeze on a still day. Yet the bees can not sting. The zippers did stick a bit, but a little wax or lubricant helped cure that. On the full suit having the zips on the legs is great - can get in and out with my boots on. If you want to be cool, use the full suit so you can have bare legs (with shorts on, or not depending on how remote the yards are .) If you just have the jacket you'll need long pants to get the same protection. Honestly, nothing compares, worth the money.


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## CentralPAguy (Feb 8, 2009)

I have an ultrabreeze jacket and I love it. My zipper sometimes sticks, but I put on some beeswax -- The only problem that I have experienced is that on my jacket sleeves is that the Velcro strip that is sewn into the sleeve to make the elastic tighter around the wrist completely separated from the jacket on the one sleeve and is just barely hanging on the second sleeve. I don't know if they still have Velcro around the sleeves or not.

If there is an improvement to the ultrabreeze hood, I would prefer a hood that turns with my head. With the current design, my head turns in the hood.

I would never go back to the heavy cotten jackets as this keeps you safe and ventilated.


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## Joseph Clemens (Feb 12, 2005)

I'll stick with shorts and T-shirt. Even then I can only do a couple of hours at a time in our heat here, before needing a break to cool-off.


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## KevinR (Apr 30, 2010)

I have a full ultrabreeze suit and I'd venture that it's the best money that I've spent on the beekeeping adventure..

I'd probably go with a jacket and jeans next time... But, I could go commando in the full suit without fear of being stung.

Only complaint I have, is that I'm a rough on gear and the external material on the ultrabreese seems a little wimpy.. 

But.... I haven't torn it yet.


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Pigeon Mtn has recently added more information to their product description for the ventilated suit. Check out:

http://www.pigeonmountaintrading.com/Category/1-22636-ventilated-bee-wear.aspx


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## toekneepea (Jul 7, 2010)

Sure looks like a knock-off. Nowhere does it state "Made in the USA" - so I stand by my original post: A cheap Chinese (or foreign made) forgery.

Is a $50 difference in price (for a jacket) worth screwing your fellow Americans who came up with the original design? Or American laborers who make the original?

Tony P.


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## clgs (Aug 6, 2008)

Cut and pasted from the Pigeon Mountain product description:

"Because we make our own Pigeon Mountain BrandTM products -- we weave the fabric, extrude our own synthetic fabrics, do our own sewing, and market our product directly to you -- we can guarantee the quality of the product that you receive."

Extrude and weave their own fabrics???? Really?? Funny the web site doesn't show any major textile producing facilities. Do they think we're stupid? 

However, the up close photo of the fabric does very much look like Ultrabreeze Material. Maybe they buy from the same vendor, or have a special deal, or have found someone to produce it. I don't know. But competition sometimes does lead to lower cost quality goods. And sometimes you can't believe what you read.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

On their site the have an email address. I sent them an email to see where they are made. I told that they were implying that they were made in the US, and I would like to know if they are. Doubt that I will get a response, but we'll see. It would be nice if they are US made but I seriously doubt it. I'm going to buy the UltraBreeze, or I should say my wife is for a Christmas present.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I pulled a ton of honey today in my new Ultrabreeze jacket. For $179. they can't make a pocket which holds a hive tool? What did they think I would put in it? My tissue paper? My Epipen? Am I missing somethng? Is there a hive tool pocket hidden there somewhere? Guess I can only use my shorty hive tool with that jacket.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Is there a hive tool pocket hidden there somewhere? 

It's in the back pocket of your jeans.


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

I like the Ultrabreeze. But it is very heavy and gets heavier when you really start sweating in it. 90 something and high humidity I find the suit is slightly cooler but gets better if you have a breeze. The less clothes your wear underneath the cooler you get. A t-shirt is really too hot in high humidity. No shirt and your skin can breathe with a breeze.

I purchased my early spring and have used it a lot. I also use it doing cutouts and I have done plenty of them. 

I feel their are some shortcomings with the mesh. Don't know how you would get around it but my suit is full of holes from little pulls by anything that is caught by the mesh. If you wash it without zipping up all of the zippers the mesh can get torn during washing. I just recently took the plastic braces out of the veil when washing for the second time. Didn't realize it but when I put one of them back in the second time one of them somehow went through the top of the mesh. That is probably how a bee got inside my suit and into my ear. An experience I don't want to have again.

I really need a new suit but I can't afford another one at their prices. Will try to patch this one up during the winter. You will not get stung while in this suit unless you leave something open. I purchased a medium and maybe should have purchased a large. 5'7" 175 pounds. Isn't long enough to go all the way down to cover my ankles. Have gotten a lot of sting there while working bees w/o smoke. Knowing the suit will keep me safe it's easy to forget that my ankles are left unprotected by the suit.

Would I purchase another one? Probably, if I could figure out how to minimize the snags. Would like to see some kind of guarantee w/ the suit. Even if it was 90 days. I am proud to purchase a "Made in the USA product" made by a bunch of nice people.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Michael Bush said:


> It's in the back pocket of your jeans.


I get tired of cleaning the propolis off of my credit cards and drivers license.


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## Daniel palmer (Jul 23, 2011)

are the hive bodies from pigeon mountain really from rossman? Did they just up the prices and stick a new cover on it?
I have been there an i picked up a catalog and it looks just like the rossman catalog.


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## Quail Hunter (Sep 26, 2011)

I purchased a Pigeon Mountain ventilated suit, am very pleased with it. A friend has an Ultra Breeze, compared quality, both look to be very well made. They are not the made the same way and are obviously made at different factories. Also have another friend whom has a Better, when we compared to the Pigeon Mountain, found them to be identical far as we can tell, both have a tag in them which says made in India. Pigeon Mountain is about 50 miles from my location, I spoke with the people there when I bought my ventilated suit recently, asked about the very low price? They noted that the owner also owns U S Vinyl Corporation which has fabric making operations and sewing operations in Asia, Europe and Mexico, that the ventilated suits are being sewn in India, parts such as fabrics, brass zippers, etc. come from various countries. The store also pointed out that their suits are backed by a 100% money back guarntee if the customer is not satisfied for any reason. At the price Pigeon Mountain is selling and with the quality being excellent, I will buy the Pigeon Mountain product. Everyone will have to make their own decisions what they prefer to buy. This is the best evaluation I can provide having compared all three suits. Quail Hunter


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## Quail Hunter (Sep 26, 2011)

I can provide some info here.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

If everyone would kindly send me $20 (or more) once I have enough money to purchase both suits, I'll write write a detailed report!


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## AstroBee (Jan 3, 2003)

Quail Hunter,

Better?? What suit are you talking about? Can you provide a link?



Quail Hunter said:


> Also have another friend whom has a Better, when we compared to the Pigeon Mountain, found them to be identical far


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

I figured he was talking about Betterbee but I don't see a ventilated suit currently offered there.

Ed


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## clgs (Aug 6, 2008)

Thank you Quail Hunter. Very thorough review with full answers to questions.


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## Quail Hunter (Sep 26, 2011)

Friend of mine has a ventilated bee suit, he called it a Better, do not know where he got it? It looks identical to the one Pigeon Mountain is selling. Will find out for sure? Said he paid over $200.00 for it.


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## Quail Hunter (Sep 26, 2011)

Do not know but will find out, he just called it Better, looked exactly like the one I got at Pigeon Mountain except is used and pretty dirty. It had a tag in the neck says Made In India, the one I bought from Pigeon Mountain has a tag says made in India also.


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## valleyman (Nov 24, 2009)

Mr. Cook,

Thank you for contacting Pigeon Mountain Trading Company.

Please rest assured that PMTC is not trying to imply in any way any product is made anywhere other than where it is. We are wholly owned by U.S. Vinyl Corporation which has operations in the Americas, Asia and Europe. We weave or extrude most of our own fabrics, do our own sewing/fabrication, and no matter what country we are working in, all things are done to U S specifications. Most of our bee wear is currently being sewn in India from fabrics made in various countries including the USA and each piece of clothing will have a tag in the neck which designates the country it was final fabricated in. There is no intent to hide or disguise where we make any of our PMTC brand products. We are very proud of the quality of all our products sold under the PMTC Brand and offer a 100% money back guarantee to our customers if they are not in any way fully satisfied with any of our products upon receiving them.

I hope this addresses any issues you might have and answers your inquiry but please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Thank you again for contacting us.
Randy Cumbee
General Manager
Pigeon Mountain Trading Company



-----Original Message-----
From: bcook [mailto:[email protected]]
Sent: Mon 9/26/2011 8:54 PM
To: Pigeon Mountain Trading Company
Subject: Contact PMTC

Where are the ventilated beesuits and jackets made. You imply that that
they are made in the USA, but don't ever say that. If they are made in
the USA then you will get lots of sales of them. If they are made
elsewhere you need to say so, or you are going to make some unhappy
because they believe they are made here from the way you state the product description. 
Thank you, Brent Cook

I recieved this email from Pigeon Mountain, at least they did reply, and now we can make an informed choice. Good luck!! 
Brent


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## beehonest (Nov 3, 2011)

I have the pigeon mountain breathable. I love it, great quality! Don't hesitate


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