I got this because I had a credit from Helly Hansen as a result of trashing my 7 year old shell. Upon receiving it, I thought it was a bit snug in the armpits at first, but as time went on, I noticed that I liked the fit. Rain resistance was excellent, as expected from a Helly. I also got the pants, so I am dying to try out the system when I go skiing next month. The pants fit is dead-on. which is a big deal for me. I am skinny with long legs, and stuff like this never fits me rights. It is usually too short or too tight. Life is good.

When I got the jacket the first thing I noticed was the slim fit. I usually wear a size small jacket, but needed a medium in this. If you are wearing it in cold weather, maybe size it up more to allow for laying under the shell. After about 6 days of using the jacket, the main zipper broke completely, I was unable to zip it up, as the zipper fell apart. It was -20 celsius plus a strong wind on the mountain top when the zipper let go, that was a very miserable experience. I was told by the Helly Hansen warranty department they never heard of the zipper failing on the elevate.... maybe mine was pushed through quality control? Helly hansen repaired the jacket, installing a new zipper. The new zipper seems to be holding up thus far. The shell is indeed waterproof, and the high collar blocks the wind nicely on the face. The hood is large, and fits nicely over a helmet, but is almost a little large if not wearing one. The draw strings to adjust the hood seem like they could be re-designed to allow for better hood adjustment.

Overall, an OK jacket, but not worth the price.

Was in between 4 and 5 stars, so I rounded up. Again with previous people who rated this jacket, it is a bit tight in the armpits. Semi-slim fit. I got a size small at 5'8", jacket arm length and torso length is good. This jacket has done me well in the cold (-20) and good skiing too. The hood seems to fit well over helmets. Seems a bit tight when fully zipped on my face, but small holes near you nose in the jacket allow you to breath freely, and is a nice feature. My only complaint about the jacket is the zipper on my jacket gets caught on a rubber strip on the inside of the jacket, but could just be my jacket. Otherwise this jacket has kept me warm and dry on the nastiest of days in the Adirondacks, and cool enough on those warm days skiing in Colorado!

wasn't sure how this jacket would be, but the first impressions are excellent.

I'm 6 foot 1, about 175lbs, and the Large is a perfect fit. the fit is slightly slim. some have mentioned its tight in the armpits, I don't really agree. I have wider shoulders and it still seems to fit perfect.

top features:

-taped zippers and pockets
-high rising collar blocks wind
-large adjustable cuffs to go over gloves
-lightweight but burly material

agree with the previous reviewer, it's tight in the armpits (size L, men's).