Kimmyt
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Intended purpose: I bought this jacket with the intent of it being a layering piece. I figured I would wear it as a true jacket only in the spring when it got warmer. Unfortunately, I never got around to buying a hardshell to wear over it before I went out West this year. So I figured I would just make do and use it as a top layer jacket instead of using it to layer with.
Thoughts on fit: I got a size Small. In most hardshells (TNF, REI brand, Marmot) I am a XS. In most softshells or baselayers I am a S (i am told many companies size their outer layers differently than their baselayers, baselayers supposing to fit more snugly and such). The first thing I noted was that this jacket is very flattering. It makes me look like a girl, without being terribly constricting and uncomfortable. It seems to be short in the torso, which is ok for me since I have almost a nonexistent torso to begin with. Also, I have well-built shoulders and upper arms, and this jacket gave my muscles plenty of room. I have noticed a problem with some jackets that are too tight in the arms and shoulders for me. I am somewhat small-chested, and noticed that there was some extra room in the chest, but not enough to look funny. Anyway, the only thing I noted that I didn't like about fit was the Neck and Sleeve Cuffs. The neck seemed a bit small, it doesn't cut circulation or inhibit breathing when worn along, but it does not leave enough room to tuck my chin in when it gets a bit cold. In this way the fit is very similar to a baselayer. Also, the sleeve cuffs are very tight and tapered. I noted from reading reviews that several people did not like this aspect of the jacket. It makes putting on and removing a bit difficult, but once you have it on the seal is almost watertight, without being uncomfortable. If someone has bulky wrists this might be a problem. I did not find that it hindered my movement in any way.
Materials: The weight of this jacket is very nice. It is not lightweight, which makes it a suitable jacket for wearing in very cold weather (lighter weight softshells always make make me feel cold and I have to incorporate alot more layers to stay warm). It has a nice fleecy inner lining that is comfortable against your skin, and the material is very flexible without being paper-thin. The material of the jacket is very waterproof, I took numerous spills into deeper snow on this, and found that I didn't get too wet. What dampness there was dried quickly, due to breathability. I did not notice that it was ultra-breathable, but for a low cardio activity like DH skiing it was very suitable for my needs.
Features: I wasn't such a big fan of the pockets on this jacket, as they are napoleon-esque in style and therefore too high to use to warm my hands on the ocassion I wished to do so. Also, they did not have much room to store things, and being located where they were (on my boobs) they looked funny when I shoved things in them. But, as I mentioned there was enough extra room in the chest area to allow for storage of various goods like throat lozenges, chapstick and tissues.
Performance: This jacket outperformed my best hopes. It was, quite simply, amazing! I used it all week, in all kinds of conditions. In high wind it acted as a windwall, and I noted that as I skiied fast I felt the wind on all parts of my body except for my core. In cold, damp temps (particularly higher on the mt in cloud cover) I still felt warm (note that I put on an extra layer this day due to cold forecast). In the sun I didn't get overheated or too sweaty. All in all, it acted exactly as a outer layer should act, allowing me to do my thing without any discomfort or hindrances. In fact, it was so comfortable and low in bulk that most of the time I felt like I was just skiing in a good sweater. The only thing I noted as a drawback was that with many layers under it on the coldest days, I felt somewhat like a stuffed sausage, particularly around the neck and hips where the jacket fit the snuggest. However, I'll still be using it as my main jacket in the future!
FYI underneath the jacket I wore: lightweight caprilene shirt, midweight Icebreaker shirt, microfleece vest. On the very coldest day I added an additional very tight-fitting lightweight caprilene shirt.
FINAL VERDICT ****1/2 out of ***** stars! This thing rocked my world!
Thoughts on fit: I got a size Small. In most hardshells (TNF, REI brand, Marmot) I am a XS. In most softshells or baselayers I am a S (i am told many companies size their outer layers differently than their baselayers, baselayers supposing to fit more snugly and such). The first thing I noted was that this jacket is very flattering. It makes me look like a girl, without being terribly constricting and uncomfortable. It seems to be short in the torso, which is ok for me since I have almost a nonexistent torso to begin with. Also, I have well-built shoulders and upper arms, and this jacket gave my muscles plenty of room. I have noticed a problem with some jackets that are too tight in the arms and shoulders for me. I am somewhat small-chested, and noticed that there was some extra room in the chest, but not enough to look funny. Anyway, the only thing I noted that I didn't like about fit was the Neck and Sleeve Cuffs. The neck seemed a bit small, it doesn't cut circulation or inhibit breathing when worn along, but it does not leave enough room to tuck my chin in when it gets a bit cold. In this way the fit is very similar to a baselayer. Also, the sleeve cuffs are very tight and tapered. I noted from reading reviews that several people did not like this aspect of the jacket. It makes putting on and removing a bit difficult, but once you have it on the seal is almost watertight, without being uncomfortable. If someone has bulky wrists this might be a problem. I did not find that it hindered my movement in any way.
Materials: The weight of this jacket is very nice. It is not lightweight, which makes it a suitable jacket for wearing in very cold weather (lighter weight softshells always make make me feel cold and I have to incorporate alot more layers to stay warm). It has a nice fleecy inner lining that is comfortable against your skin, and the material is very flexible without being paper-thin. The material of the jacket is very waterproof, I took numerous spills into deeper snow on this, and found that I didn't get too wet. What dampness there was dried quickly, due to breathability. I did not notice that it was ultra-breathable, but for a low cardio activity like DH skiing it was very suitable for my needs.
Features: I wasn't such a big fan of the pockets on this jacket, as they are napoleon-esque in style and therefore too high to use to warm my hands on the ocassion I wished to do so. Also, they did not have much room to store things, and being located where they were (on my boobs) they looked funny when I shoved things in them. But, as I mentioned there was enough extra room in the chest area to allow for storage of various goods like throat lozenges, chapstick and tissues.
Performance: This jacket outperformed my best hopes. It was, quite simply, amazing! I used it all week, in all kinds of conditions. In high wind it acted as a windwall, and I noted that as I skiied fast I felt the wind on all parts of my body except for my core. In cold, damp temps (particularly higher on the mt in cloud cover) I still felt warm (note that I put on an extra layer this day due to cold forecast). In the sun I didn't get overheated or too sweaty. All in all, it acted exactly as a outer layer should act, allowing me to do my thing without any discomfort or hindrances. In fact, it was so comfortable and low in bulk that most of the time I felt like I was just skiing in a good sweater. The only thing I noted as a drawback was that with many layers under it on the coldest days, I felt somewhat like a stuffed sausage, particularly around the neck and hips where the jacket fit the snuggest. However, I'll still be using it as my main jacket in the future!
FYI underneath the jacket I wore: lightweight caprilene shirt, midweight Icebreaker shirt, microfleece vest. On the very coldest day I added an additional very tight-fitting lightweight caprilene shirt.
FINAL VERDICT ****1/2 out of ***** stars! This thing rocked my world!
