Men’s Black Jackets

3 reviews for Men’s Black Jackets

1. 

   4 out of 5

   Nathan (verified owner) – March 15, 2016

   Altogether I’d say that the Shiver Shield is a really good jacket for cold weather. At zero degrees Fahrenheit and low humidity I was comfortable on a 15 minute walk to class wearing only the Shiver Shield, a heavy wool base layer (top and bottom), blue jeans, a hat, light gloves, wool socks, and uninsulated boots. Although I could feel a line of cold air right down the middle through the zipper; the rest of the coat seemed to be warm enough to make up for it on a short walk. For colder temperatures or longer durations you’re going to want either more layers or a higher activity level to keep warm. With the extra layers I’d say this coat is good down to about -20 F for a low or medium activity level. It didn’t get super cold this year in Fairbanks so I didn’t get to try it at really low temps (like -40F) but I bet it would work great if you’re not out too long. The removable insulated hood is surprisingly warm especially when you cinch it down. Above zero degrees it was really easy to get too hot while wearing the Shiver Shield jacket and layers.

   The jacket has lots of big pockets both inside and out. The hand pockets (behind the velcro pockets on the front) do not keep your hands warm at all, and they’re too small to fit your hands in while wearing gloves.

   The outer shell and front pockets are made of a very thin very soft material. When it was new it reminded me a little bit of velvet. It does not feel like it will be very durable, but I have been snowboarding several times and it doesn’t look any worse for wear; perhaps not quite as soft anymore. The aerogel insulation is made up of a number foam-like panels. These panels are a lot more stiff that I would have liked. They tend to make this relatively thin jacket feel quite bulky and inflexible. Along every seam there is at least a half inch gap between adjacent panels. That includes along the sides, under the arms, around each shoulder, and across the top of the hood. I thought I would lose a lot of heat through the seams, but it never felt cold along the seams only along the zipper like I mentioned before. It is important to note that the insulation is windproof and waterproof but the shell is not. This means water can theoretically leak in, but it was never a problem for me even when I was covered in snow from snowboarding. At least the shell doesn’t absorb water very easily, but snow does tend to stick to the fabric a little. One advantage of aerogel over down insulation that I’d like to point out is that aerogel will keep you warm even when it’s compressed whereas down loses all of its insulation when compressed.

   That’s about everything, it’s a good jacket with just a few minor issues.

2. 

   5 out of 5

   Jonathan Whaley (verified owner) – April 3, 2016

   I really like the jacket and found it to be just the ticket for the South East winters. It really does a great job at blocking out the humidity, dampness, cold, and wind. I agree about the hand pockets behind the front Velcro pockets are too small to fit your hands. I also, do not like the length of the cuffs nor really care for the “Tale”. I found the jacket to be very functional, comfortable, and suitable for cold weather, perfect for cold nature people such as myself that is why I am rating it 5 stars. The jacket does not breath, so be warned.. if you work up a sweat the wetness will stay in with you and you may need to remove the jacket and turn inside out to help it dry out. I would love to get a pair of the pants to go along with the jacket, but they are never in stock in my size when I look. 🙁

3. 

   4 out of 5

   Mark Van Loon (verified owner) – November 25, 2016

   I found the performance to be quite good and the design and features to be lacking. (fyi – I live in the northern rockies and use the basic 3 layer system: wicking base layer, insulating middle layer, outer protective layer. I tested it throughout the winter of ’15/’16 changing my middle layer as conditions dictated)

   I was mainly concerned with the windproof feature and it sure does work for that. Little to no leakage around seams. The panels are pretty stiff but I imagine that improves their efficiency. However, that means that the jacket is not comfortable when driving. The panels do retain body heat quite well but they’re not breathable. If you’re working hard and get sweaty, you might need to strip down and change out some layers.

   I really like the soft knapp. Durability? We’ll see, but so far so good. And it handles snow quite well, altho I’m going to treat it for water repellancy now, before it gets too worn.

   Most of the pockets are ill-designed. The front flap pockets are odd sized and the hand warmer pockets behind them are virtually worthless. Even without gloves I have to do contortions to get my hands into them and then I’m sort of trapped. The outside chest pockets are not square or rectangular so stuff shifts around and gets lost in the bottom area. The sleeve pocket is ok. All the pockets around the back for what? Maybe gear/extra clothing while you’re out and about but you can’t load up and drive anywhere.

   I like the butt flap. It’s just a little extra flap but can really help in windy conditions. And the oversized knit cuffs are quite good.

   But I absolutely hate having the name “Shiver Shield” in Bright orange stitching – BIG on the butt flap, smaller but still intrusive on the arm. And the chest logo – ugh. So far I’ve gone through 2 giant Sharpies trying to tone them down but it’s an ongoing battle. I prefer classic, clean lines and the labels on the inside.

   I’m looking for performance over style and the jacket does perform – especially in stiff winds. I’m out in the mountains most days and it’s doing a good job for me.