Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > REI One Jacket > Owner Review by Stacy Brock

REI One Jacket Owner Review

Biographical Information
Name: Stacy Brock
Age: 23
Gender: female
Height: 5' 5" (1.65 m)
Weight: 115 lbs (52 kg)
E-mail: kalrnux@yahooAPOXONSPAM.com
Location: Ashland, Oregon, USA
Date: May 31, 2004
Backpacking Background: I've lived in Oregon all my life, but until recently only took the occasional daytrip or car camping trip. A year ago, I finally decided to get off my rear and play in the great outdoors. I've been a weekend dayhiker since. I enjoy dayhiking and snowshoeing. This season I'm planning weekend backpacking trips and have started to assemble the necessary gear. Having new gear and a trip planned to try it out is like waiting for Christmas, and boy, I am excited!

Most of my hiking is done in Southern Oregon, in terrain ranging from level lakeshore trails to bare rocky lavabeds to steep mountain scrambles. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) is very close to Ashland, and I'd love to thru-hike Oregon sometime in the near future.

Product Information
Manufacturer: REI
Year of Manufacture: 2003
Manufacturer's Web Site: http://www.rei.com
MSRP: $185.00 USD
Listed Weight: 19 oz (539 g)
Delivered Weight: 21 oz (595 g)
Manufacturer's Description:
"One jacket for nearly all conditions! That's the idea behind this windproof, water-resistant, ultra-breathable Polartec Power Shield^® jacket.

• Air Control Technology^® blocks 98% of wind; the remaining 2% is allowed to circulate within the fabric to help keep you from overheating
• Polartec Power Shield is quieter than a traditional waterproof, breathable shell--and it's twice as breathable!
• Abrasion- and water-resistant nylon outer face sheds rain and snow, keeping you dry in all but the heaviest of downpours
• Soft polyester velour fleece inner face traps body heat for warmth
• Four-way stretch allows maximum mobility and comfort
• Two zippered handwarmer pockets and one zippered stash pocket on sleeve holds small essentials
• Adjustable elastic drawcord hem and neck gasket (drawcord inside the Polartec Wind Pro^® neck cuff) seal in warmth
• Soft, comfortable chin guard protects against zipper abrasion
• Cut complements and slims a woman's figure
• This soft shell jacket offers a streamlined design for an active lifestyle--you have to try it to believe the comfort it provides!

Overview
I purchased the REI One Jacket when I was in the market for an all-purpose soft shell that could withstand Southern Oregon's insidious winter drizzle and keep me warm at various activity levels. Judging from the product description, the REI One Jacket was designed to be "one jacket to rule them all." How effectively does the jacket meet this lofty expectation? Very well, actually. The REI One Jacket has become my everyday jacket, and it never sits in my closet when I'm on a trip. My precious, indeed.

Construction
My initial impression upon pulling the REI One Jacket out of its mailing envelope was very favorable. The attention to detail in the construction of the jacket is evident -- the seams are straight and evenly spaced, with no pulled threads or other defects. The jacket has a main zipper from neck to bottom hem, two zippered hand pockets, and a small zippered pocket on the left sleeve. All the zippers on the jacket are YKK zippers. The jacket's collar can be cinched up to prevent drafts by tightening a small cordlock on the collar at the back of the wearer's neck. Two cordlocks, one each at the left and right sides of the jacket at the bottom hem, let the wearer snug the jacket up around the hips. A little flap of felt-like fabric wraps around the top of the main zipper on the left side and is designed to prevent the zipper pull from scratching one's chin while the jacket is zipped up all the way.

The jacket arrived with two hang tags: one for the REI One line of outerwear and one for Polartec^® Power Shield^® fabric. Polartec^® Power Shield^® fabric is a stretchy, tightly woven synthetic fabric that feels a bit like neoprene on the outside. The inside of the jacket feels like soft, thin fleece. The jacket's fabric has a unique "look and feel" that has caused people to stop and ask me what kind of fabric it is, and even if they could touch it!

Fit
I have a slim frame but have found that the medium size REI One Jacket fits me quite well. I tend to run very cold when sitting around, so the fit of a jacket over a few layers is important to me. The jacket is roomy enough to accommodate a lightweight base layer, long sleeve wicking layer, and a thin fleece insulating layer. When I don't need as much insulation, the jacket is cut in such a way to be flattering and not baggy.

Field Test Information
The REI One Jacket is the jacket I wear every day, so it has been worn in a variety of conditions. While in town, the jacket has been subjected to mist, drizzle, downpour and hail in temperatures ranging from 36 F to 74 F (2 C to 23 C). I have also worn the jacket while snowshoeing at Crater Lake, Oregon, USA and various other trails around Southern Oregon. The lowest temperature I encountered while snowshoeing was 22 F (-5 C) at Crater Lake; the typical temperature for the rest of the trips was 46 F (8 C).

Weather Resistance
I have found that the REI One Jacket can keep up in most instances of moderate precipitation. Drizzle and light rain bead up on the durable water repellent (DWR) fabric, and snow tends to rest there until it's brushed off. In a heavy downpour, the jacket withstood the rain for three minutes before I started to feel a slight dampness through the fabric. The Polartec^® Power Shield^® fabric is claimed to block 98% of wind. It's impossible for me to test this claim with any accuracy; however, experience in windy conditions indicates that the jacket blocks a noticeable amount of wind. For even more protection, the neck can been cinched up to block out cold and wind and to keep warmth in. The drawcord is a good feature that works, but the cordlock has a tendency to snag on long hair, even when I've drawn my hair up into a ponytail. This was annoying at first, but I've gotten used to it and it definitely isn't annoying enough to make me regret my purchase.

Breathability and Warmth
During everyday use and low exertion activities, the REI One Jacket breathes about as well as any other street jacket I've ever worn. That is to say, it's difficult to estimate breathability without exertion. Strenuous activities such as snowshoeing are a great chance to test breathability. On my first snowshoeing trip while wearing the REI One Jacket, I quickly overheated and had to open the jacket's main zipper all the way. This trip caused me to rethink my layering system, and on subsequent trips I found that I could wear the jacket over a single long sleeve wicking shirt without any problems with overheating. The full zipper is helpful for regulating temperature, but I would have preferred a pit zip option for even more flexibility. I did feel a bit damp when overheated, but the dampness evaporated quickly once I came to rest.

Durability
I have owned the REI One Jacket for about a year it still looks like new, despite wearing it nearly every day. I tend to treat my "outdoors" clothes with care when it comes to washing them, and I've only washed the jacket in cold water and let it air dry. The jacket feels nearly dry after coming out of the washer and takes only a few hours to dry completely. The inside fleece has pilled a bit from wear but the pilling is not nearly as bad as what I've encountered with my other fleece jackets. The DWR fabric has held up through many washings. Water beads up as well as it did when the jacket was new.

Summary
The REI One Jacket has covered me in many conditions, but like all soft shells, can't replace a waterproof jacket in a downpour or a hard shell in intense conditions. The excellent construction and durability and versatile style makes this jacket stand out from the crowd. For the activities I enjoy and the conditions I usually encounter, the REI One Jacket has been an excellent choice.

Likes:
• Excellent construction and durability
• Blocks wind and repels rain as per my initial expectations
• Goes from street to outdoors while looking -- and performing -- great
• The unique fabric has a "cool factor" that attracts attention like no other jacket I've worn (this could be a con, however, for those who value their personal space!)

Dislikes:
• Neck cordlock can snag on long hair
• Would prefer a Napoleon-style chest pocket (similar to one on the men's REI One Jacket) instead of the pocket on the left sleeve
• No pit zip option

Reviews > Clothing > Jackets > REI One Jacket > Owner Review by Stacy Brock