I haven't yet put this jacket through the wringer, but I bought it for some specific purposes, and thus far it has lived up to my expectations.



I bought this jacket specifically for ice climbing and ski touring. I have a hard shell that I love, but there are many occasions in the alpine that I prefer a softshell for. Since it breathes much better than GoreTex, this jacket is great for those days where is isn't super wet, and you're going to be working hard, putting in a lot of miles, or a lot of vert.



This jacket fits very true to size. I am a bit over 5'9 and I usually wear a medium in everything. I purchased a medium jacket, and it fits me perfectly. I can fit a baselayer and an average puffy under it easily. The fit is slim, but it provides plenty of range of motion for axe-swinging, pillow-dropping, or cliff-hucking. The jacket hits mid to low hip for me, a comfortable length.



I purchased the Nightshade, which appears a little different in person than in the photos. It is a little darker. To give you an idea, its actually almost impossible to see the BD logo. From afar, it almost looks black.



I would describe this softshell material as "medium" thickness as far as softshell materials go. It does stop wind fairly well, and the NanoSphere DWR technology keeps you dry (within reason).



The sleeves have a really high quality velcro, so that you can cinch them up before you slide gloves on. There is also a cinch cord around the waist so you can prevent spindrifts or powder from surprising you from below. The one feature this coat IS missing is a chest pocket. This is a down-grade in my opinion, from last season's model. The men's jacket still has this pocket, which I find frustrating. This jacket is designed for climbing, so I have no idea why BD decided to forgo that feature this year. We all know its silly to try to get into lower hip pockets with a harness on. Hopefully BD brings this feature back in 2017.



BD always uses high quality materials, so I presume this jacket will withstand the test of time and the outdoors.



Overall, I really like this jacket and am very happy with my purchase. I would definitely recommend this jacket to any alpine sports enthusiasts. Whether you're heading out to climb rock or ice, ride fat-bikes, or ski-tour, this multi-purpose jacket will serve you well.