Humble Bee 512 Beekeeping Smock Review

Protection for beekeepers from bee stings is achieved using various protective clothing. The Humble Bee 512 beekeeping smock is made using poly-cotton to keep it light and strong enough to prevent stings from getting through it. The smock comes with a square veil for the protection of your face and head. Being a smock, it does not cover the lower body from the waist to the legs. At the front of the smock, is the Humble Bee logo that confirms you are getting a quality product from Humble Bee.

About the Humble Bee 512 Beekeeping Smock

The Humble Bee 512 beekeeping smock is made using a blend of cotton and polyester at a ratio of 1:1. The poly-cotton used to make this beekeeping smock is easy on the legs of bees, as they won’t get caught in the suit. Bees lack a foothold on the smock and fly back to the hive without stinging you.

The smock features an elastic waist to prevent bees from entering the smock. It is advised that you wear adequate protection for your lower body such as thick jeans with this smock. Humble Bee has also included elastic in the wrists and added thumb-holds to the sleeves of the smock. The features help make sure that the sleeves stay in place and leave no gaps through which bees can enter through and sting you.

Sizes

There are several sizes of this beekeeping smock available. It comes in 8 sizes ranging from XX-Small to XXX-Large. They make the smock appropriate for both adult and young beekeepers. It is made in a unisex design so that it looks nice on both men and women. Humble Bee has clearly thrown a lot of effort and thought at making this smock. It has 6 pockets spread around the front of the smock. 4 pockets are on the breast and abdomen area. 2 other pockets for smaller hive tools and equipment are on the upper arm areas of the smock. These pockets are enough for all the tools and accessories you might need to bring on a visit to your apiary.

Veil

The Humble Bee 512 beekeeping smock comes with a square veil that gives you great frontal and peripheral vision. It is made with a hat-like top so that the veil sits well on your head. The brims of the hat form a supportive rim for the screen mesh of the veil used in this beekeeping smock. It ensures that the mesh does not come too close to the skin and allow a bee to sting you. The front of the veil has a wide panel of the screen mesh. Smaller pieces of the screen mesh are used at the sides and back. They allow ventilation of the veil so your face remains cool. The overall size and volume of the veil allows for roominess so your hair and eyeglasses can fit under the veil comfortably.

Check Price and Availability of the Humble Bee 512 Beekeeping Smock

Pros and Cons

Pros

• For beginner beekeepers, the smock is also ideal for short visits to the beehive when you are not spending a lot of time at the apiary or when you are doing just a few things at the apiary.
• The Humble Bee 512 beekeeping smock is made using high quality cloth and stitched well. The seams are well made so they do not come apart easily. Pockets on the smock are double stitched and can hold the weight of items you put in them.
• The veil on this beekeeping smock does not come off. It makes the smock one continuous piece of protective clothing. The veil is washable while attached to the smock.
• A carrying case is included with your purchase.

Cons

• Beekeeping smocks do not cover the lower body of beekeepers. While this is common across all types of beekeeping smocks, the Humble Bee 512 beekeeping smock requires you to invest in some heavy clothing that will keep your legs from being stung.
• The hat on the veil of this beekeeping smock is sometimes smaller than the head of the wearer. This is despite the rest of the smock being of the appropriate size. Beekeepers may have to resort to wearing an additional hat under the veil to support the veil or have to keep re-positioning the slipping square veil.
• This smock is not ventilated. In very hot weather, it can get too hot if you are doing a lot of work at the apiary such as lifting stuff and moving around a lot.

Further Thoughts

Humble Bee is a reputable company with many beekeeping products they make and sell. The 512 beekeeping smock is a quality product for your safety as a beekeeper. It is nicely made and a good choice when you are going minimalist with your bee sting protection. The smock is sold in various sizes to fit you well and a sizing chart provided so that you get the exact size of the smock that is suitable for you.

Your purchase of the Humble Bee 512 beekeeping smock is protected to some extent by a warranty that sees you get a full refund if the smock is not satisfactory. Additionally, Humble Bee shares some of its earnings with conservation efforts geared towards higher populations of wild bees.

Conclusion

When it comes to beekeeping protective wear, the three major factors of consideration for beekeepers are: preventing bee stings, seeing clearly and being able to work in the protective clothing. The Humble Bee 512 beekeeping smock delivers good performance on these benchmarks with its strong fabric and excellent craftsmanship. This smock is great for experienced beekeepers that are comfortable working around bees and can keep calm when stung. The smaller sizes might entice you to try the smock on children, but the risk taken would be too much. This is a nice beekeeping smock to have for short inspection visits that do not involve invasive activities on the beehives.

Check Price