Marmot ROM Softshell Jacket - Men's

Meh, for the money (particularly on sale) it's not a bad shell and has its uses, but I'm not so crazy about this one. I don't really buy into the idea that mixing a windproof but not very breathable material with very breathable but not very windproof panels somehow gives you the best of both worlds. Why not the worst of both worlds? I have found that it breathes pretty well, but the price for that is wind penetration while hanging from ski lifts in cold winds. This jacket makes more sense for touring and other aerobic activities in more wind-protected areas, but I think there are better choices for those applications.

I find that the fit runs quite long and roomy. I'm 6'1" 185 lbs and the Large is all around quite long and loose. Not really a problem as it leaves room for layers and is comfortable enough, but it's probably the roomiest Large of any shell I've ever owned.

I'm normally a firm voice against Windstopper. It doesn't breathe very well and so if you're working up a serious sweat it loses much of its effectiveness. However, this jacket is different. It has breathable m2 side panels on the outside that remedy the breathability issues of Windstopper, and as a result, you get the best of both worlds: windproofness, breathability, and impressive water resistance. This is a true softshell as it has a hood, and will serve for all sorts of pursuits in the backcountry as well as running and athletic activities. It's got a beautiful athletic fit that I love. I'm 5'9" and 145lbs and I like the fit of the small, though I can fit into a medium if I need to. You don't want to layer under this jacket, so get it to fit close, and then you will be able to easily put a warmer belaying jacket or the like over top of it. It's worth every penny. Five Stars. Marmot created a winner!

This is the best jacket I have ever owned. Seriously.

It breathes harder than Carl Lewis sprinting the 100M dash and the cut looks as sexy as Marissa Miller rolling around in a two piece on the beach. Marmot got nasty with this thing. Put it this way, if Arc'Teryx had this jacket, it'd be priced at around $374 instead of $174. Don't think, just add it to your cart and put it on when it gets to your house. Then run around for a long time. You won't need to take it off, ever. The introduction went like this. New Skin, this is Body. Body, New Skin.

You must understand a few things about this jacket before you buy it, or you may be severely disappointed.

First - This is not a standalone winter jacket or a replacement for your knee-length down parka. If you plan on wearing this over a t-shirt to stand around in northern Minnesota, you will wind up severely disappointed and/or dead.

Second - This jacket is not designed with a generic, boxy fit for boxy-shaped bodies. If you're carrying a little extra weight, or you're built like a linebacker, this jacket probably isn't going to fit very well on you. This jacket is designed for folks who are on the long and lean side. They're not kidding when they say the fit is athletic... and by that, I mean that this is the best-fitting, most comfortable soft shell I have ever encountered (on my slim frame, anyway).

What this jacket IS is incredibly, ridiculously versatile. Wear it by itself as a windbreaker in spring and fall, or even on a chilly summer night. Wear it as a light rain jacket in moderately damp conditions. Wear it in winter for aerobic activities like jogging, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or biking. Wear it over a warm mid layer as a perfectly-fitted shell for skiing or boarding. Wear it under a hard shell for that extra bit of comfort and warmth when a hard shell isn't quite enough.

I like what a previous reviewer said about this jacket feeling like a new skin. It's true. The material is soft and supple but strong enough to take a beating. The fit is perfect, with no excess material hanging around the arms and gut like so many other shell jackets. Wearing my normal size, I've still got enough room for a substantial fleece mid layer, but the jacket isn't baggy, boxy, or bulky when I wear it on its own. If you're between sizes and you plan on layering this jacket over something, I'd suggest sizing up. Thanks to the fit and the material, this jacket is substantially more comfortable than nearly any other technical garment I've ever encountered. Additionally, as the name implies, it affords you an incredibly free range of motion for all your outdoor activities.

As I said before, this jacket won't replace a heavy winter parka or a hard shell if you really need them. But for physically active outdoorsmen, this jacket offers great versatility and function in a wide variety of circumstances at an affordable price. Get it, you won't regret it.

Got one of the red ones on sale here last week. First use was a run on a 35 degree evening with misting rain/sleet and wearing only an underarmor l/s baselayer underneath. Once I got warmed up, the jacket was perfect. Protected me from the wind and water...and breathed better than I expected. I'm unsure how the slightly long cut of the jacket will pan out doing other activites..IE climbing, but my first impressions of this jacket are positive, and it will complement my gamma mx softshell which would have been too warm. I went with a medium (5'11" 180 lbs) and it fits well, but doubt I could wear something really heavy underneath. My other Marmot jackets are L for ease of layering.

If 6 stars were available, this softshell would get it! I actually do everything, (winter related), in this bad-boy. The "Recommended Use" on backcountry.com is moderate-aerobic activities in cool temps, however, I've been alpine skiing in the 10's & 20's F., (with a base & mid layer), and it performs great. The hood is probably my favorite feature. The 3 precise adjustment chords on the hood will for sure keep the wind at bay. Even on the ski lift. So don't let this ligh-weight jacket deceive you. It will perform well in alpine mountaineering, snowshoeing, nordic & downhill skiing, hiking, and ice climbing. PLEASE NOTE, HOWEVER, THIS JACKET IS NOT MEANT FOR KICKING IT WITH YOUR BUDDIES AT BASE CAMP. YOU HAVE TO BE IN MOTION TO REAP THE REWARDS OF THE ROM JACKET.

Excellant layering piece. I found the sizing to run a bit large, so I sized down to a small (I'm 5'11", 170lbs), as I only wanted to be able to rock a thin base layer under it. This equates to a nice fitted jacket worn over a tshirt when the weather is moderate, or when I'm running in the lovely Pac NW precip.

I chose this jacket over the MH Dragon, as the Dragon's fit didn't do it for me. I was initially worried about the lack of pit zips, but I'm sold on the m2 sidepanels (in this instance anyway). Excellant visibility with hood up without helmet.

As for the feel, I don't use the work "supple" very often, but running my hands along the soft, tender length of this jacket produces feelings in me I didn't know I had. Seriously, it feels nice. Like, baby kitten nice.

I have always loved products from Marmot. This one is my favorite jacket over my fleece and hard shells. It breathes amazing. It doesn't provide much warmth but neither do most soft shells. Light water resistant and completely wind-proof. Hood fits amazing and sizing is slender and closer to body than most other jackets which is good for keeping wind drafts out.

This jacket is absolutely fantastic. I wouldn't mind at all if I had skin made out of it it's that awesome. Breathes like none other and blocks wind like a wall. It's even pretty waterproof. It's like stealing to get this jacket for such a low price. Stop reading this and buy it!

This is my 'go to' jacket for just about all activites outside. It works well as an active jacket when you want a shield from cold winds, light rain, snow etc. The fit is better than you expect (doesn't ride up) and the hood is excellent. Side pockets stow gloves very easily, small chest pocket fits an MP3 player, and there are no unnecessary gimmicks. Very comfortable. Great soft shell!

For most conditions, this has been the outermost component in my layering system all winter, and it's a superb piece. I sweat fairly heavily, so it comes off for the uptrack, but goes right back on at the top and I dry out quickly while still staying warm.

For lift skiing, I wear it over a merino base and a thin fleece and stay comfortable in temps from 20-35ish without sweating on the down or freezing on the chair. I have a hardshell, but this season in northern Utah hasn't really called for anything but the ROM.

I'm 5'11" 150ish, long and skinny, and the small is a roomy athletic fit. The sleeves could be a touch longer for my orangutan arms, but the rest of the fit is so perfect I find it hard to complain. Range of motion really is unbeatable, even massive yardsales fail to cause bunching or pulling. Reasonable layers fit perfectly, and a light puffy goes underneath if I don't mind a bit of Michelin factor. The hood is excellent over a beanie or ball cap. It's too small for my helmet, but might be okay for someone without a big ol' head.

I haven't seriously tested the durability yet, but the face fabric has held up well to normal tree skiing abrasions and everyday wear with only barely visible fuzzing. The side stretch panels seem vulnerable, but I've been lucky so far. Construction quality is bomber, there are a few seams which could have been more aesthetically sewn, but not enough to take of a star. Probably manufacturing variance.

tl;dr: excellent comfort range, nice athletic fit, typical Marmot quality. A good deal at twice the price. Buy 3 in case they stop making them.

This softshell jacket is freaking awesome even though it uses a hardshell membrane. In the beginning, softshells held a higher priority for breath-ability over waterproofness. The reason being that it doesn't matter how much rain the jacket will shed if the user is soaked from their own sweat. Because of this, I vowed to never own a so called "softshell" that uses the same membrane as a rain jacket (Windstopper uses the same waterproof barrier as Goretex). Unfortunately I tried on this jacket.

I was instantly in love because the fit is INCREDIBLE. It has a great athletic fit and a wonderful range of motion, wait, what does ROM stand for? The hood has the perfect shape; it cinches tight to keep out the elements yet does not hinder one's vision at all. Also I have to give props to Marmot for giving such generous amounts of length to the arms and waste.

As for the material, if you sweat in your rain jacket you will sweat in this coat. I do not use it for any rigorous activities like cycling or trail running because even with the breathable side material it simply doesn't breath good enough.

I am 6'2" and 175 lbs. The large fit perfect with room for an insulating layer underneath. I give this jacket 5 out of 5 because Marmot really paid attention to the details.

I have owned several soft-shell jackets and this is my favorite jacket by far. I was originally worried about how breathable it is without side zips, but my fears were quickly dissolved. The stretchy/breathable side panels are amazing and even more breathable then pit zips as the encompass the entire side and underarms and sleeves.

The Gore-windstopper is increadibly waterproof and had no issue getting wet while running in the rain with this jacket. As most softshells get more water resistant and wind resistant they get less breathable, this jacket scores on a fine balance between the two. Occasionally, if one is doing very high output cardio, one will sweat more then the garment can breath.

Unfortunately there are no such products that I've found that can disperse enough sweat while putting out high output cardio, but this is the closest I've found to such a theoretical garment.

The hood is extremely well built, reminds me of an Arc'teryx type hood. There is also a nice pocket inside the jacket for storing a phone or ipod.

who's taller than me. I was disappointed by how long and baggy around the waist this jacket is. I'm 1.79 cm tall (5.87 ft) and got an M size. I was looking for a softshell with an athletic fit for trail running mostly. This isn't what I was looking for fit-wise at least, I didn't have a chance to try it under rain/ windy conditions so I can't say much else about it.

Just got this from Backcountry.com as an exchange for another windstopper softshell (which I didn't like due to lack of pockets- props to customer service at BC.com!). I must say I'm pretty impressed by this jacket, especially for the price. It's fully featured with a really good hood and pockets galore. I'm 5'8", 170lbs, and the Medium fits me well with plenty of room to layer underneath. So far, I've been using it in 20-35 degree weather, some light precipitation and calm-windy conditions, for running, shoveling snow, and snowshoeing (with a light-midweight baselayer), and for just walking around (cotton T-shirt, midweight fleece). Despite my initial skepticism, the breathable panels just plain work. They breathe VERY well- i don't feel the need for pit zips- but the jacket does a great job of keeping the wind out. My arms and core haven't felt cold when running or when just walking around, but layering and baselayer choice will determine that more than the shell. Highly recommended.

So I just had the chance to use this for the first time for a whole weekend (on Mt. Washington, NH) and I'm really impressed. Cuts the wind really nicely (115 MPH gusts that weekend) and layers really well. I spent the hike up wearing a base layer, my bib pants and this on top. While ice climbing, I put on an extra layer fleece between the base layer and this and it was just perfect!

Hood fits really well ontop of my helmet. So far so good. I bought the blue and it's a really nice color. Fit and cut is a bit baggier than Arc'teryx but is quite a bit nicer than most.

Overall, a great jacket!

I'm fairly tall and lanky (6' and 155lb), so I usually have a hard time finding a nice fit. I got a M and Marmot nailed it (for me at least) with this jacket. The jacket is long enough that I don't get icicles on my treasure trail when I climb in it, nor do I expose my coin slot to drivers on my bike commute to school/work. It has a fairly close fit to my torso, but still enough room for a warmer mid-layer if the mercury drops too low.

The best part about this jacket... It BREATHES! Like crazy. I wore it x country skiing last week and was surprised at how well it regulated temps and dumped excess heat.

So far, great for ski touring, biking, and climbing in cooler/windier conditions.

This is the Super Hero jacket lite. The ROM is similar in some ways to that jacket with but with less heavy duty windstopper on the shoulders, a longer waist, less athletic cut and more stretchy material under the arms.

The ROM is a great multipurpose shell. The windstopper works pretty good and if you have a couple layers on, holds in warmth very well. The ROM isn't a rain shell but it holds up pretty good if it's coming down. There's not much else to say other than the ROM still has the excellent fit and quality most Marmot jackets have.

Got this thing about a month ago and I've taken it out quite a bit. All I can say is that its fricken' awesome and if you are considering it you should definitely buy it. You will not be disappointed.

Best softshell ive ever owned!

Do you want lots of layers underneath. Get your regular size.

Do you want a light layer or two and a trim fit?

Go down a size.

I went down a size from a men's medium ,which normally fits like a glove, and it worked. A superb fit in a very functional jacket.

The jacket is long, even sized down, but that means no coin slot problems and good for the bike.

The hood is not garbage can sized. Very good for the bare head.

This is a great softshell at an even better price point.

First off I wear this sucker year round. The reason is because I have found the perfect layering system to go with it.

Summer:
By itself or with either the Varient Insulated Jacket or a light Whool sweater.

Fall & Winter:
I layer it with the Solar Flair. That whooly Mamoth of a jacket that fits nicely and is almost made for the ROM.

Try them together and you will know what I mean. The cold spots in the Solar Flair are sheltered by the windstopper in the arms.

Although I love this jacket to death!
I know there are other versions of a full windstopper shell by marmot BUT NONE of them have the same hood style as the ROM.

My dream jacket would be a full windstipper ROM with a full side/Pit zip where the zipper is hidden similar to the front chest pocket in design. To maintain conformity to the body I would put that pocket liner all around the torso to add additional warmth for those fall days without increasing weight to any significant amount.

Over all this is a great jacket and i am sure everyone has thier suggestions.

The best thing would be just to change the hood arrangement on the superhero jacket and throw in the pit zips :)

I have had this jacket for 1 year now and find hat is is a pretty nice jacket. The windstopper panels in this jacket work great and the strech side panels let the jacket breath. The jacket is pretty light and sheds light rain well enough. The pockets are all placed well and the hood fits well once adjusted. The jacket preforms quite well for what is described.

But... there are a few issues. The fit is off. I normally wear mediums in life and the medium ROM was way too big, the small fits great though( I'm 5'10" and 175). The stretch side panes and arm panels let too much air in. If you are sideways to the wind, it comes right in and chills you quick. I like this jacket but can't quite find its place my wardrobe. I have a lighter windstopper soft shell that breaths better and is more wind proof for running and climbing and a great lightweight hardshell for full rain and wind protection. This jacket is somewhere in between and mainly gets used for kicking around town.

Held off writing a review until I had a chance to test the jacket out a bit and it certainly di not disappoint. First off, I'm 6'1" and about 200 lbs and the jacket fits absolutely perfectly...length is ideal for me and the athletic cut works well with my physique (broader chest/shoulders, 32 in waist). Performance wise, I wore it snowboarding in sub-20 degree weather with 30 mph winds and the skies outright puking snow and it performed beautifully. I wore a Marmot performance fleece and long-sleeved baselayer underneath and was perfectly comfortable all day. It shed snow like nobody's business and kept the wind out as advertised. I own several Marmot products and they make exceptionally high quality products in my opinion (hence the reason I have so much of their stuff). Bottom line is I would highly recommend the ROM jacket as an extremely versatile piece for just about any condition, with the proper layering of course!

I've been using the ROM for cold weather runs and as a casual jacket for cold to mild temps. Gore WindStopper keeps out the wind and the side panels dump a lot of heat when you need them to. I've worn it running with 1 base layer in 20F and snowy conditions and been warm with the hood on and zipped. I have also ran in windy 50F with a just a t-shirt under. Comfortable in both just by zipping the neck/hood to vent or keep the wind out.
Can't comment on the hood fit over a helmet as I haven't been skiing in it.
I'm 5'9 160lb and got a M. There is a lot of room to put a thick fleece or sweatshirt underneath and the sleeve cuffs can be tightened to length. The M is a bit long but stays under my pack and below my waist when running or moving my arms.
Good water resistance but have not been out in really hard rain to comment beyond that.
There is also 2 front pockets (not as high as I'd like for my pack) and 2 chest (one outside and one inside).
Colors are brighter than they appear online - more of a glowing neon green, but could be good in low light runs.
Overall good jacket for almost any condition.

Gore material works great. Maybe a little too much m2 material in the arm parts, because I do feel a little more wind come through and my arms get cold if I'm not moving. Fit is great, really slim, I sized down because I wanted to use the jacket for all purposes including just cruising around town. I got a S I'm normally a M. 5' 8" 175. Overall the jacket is awesome and is what I wanted.

Overall impressed with the build quality and the feel of the venting panels. Body material feels thinner than my Stoic softshell by a decent margin.Extremely limited field use (walked around outside where it was pretty cold for a bit), but I wouldn't hesitate to depend on this as my layering for a long tour.Fit is much longer than I expected (I wear L in most jackets, 5'11 and 170lbs with proportional chest/torso size). I fit this L to a L Mountain Hardwear 3L lightweight hardshell jacket and it stuck out below the hardshell by easily 3/4 of an inch.I'm exchanging my L for a M and excited to use it more thoroughly in the mountains.