Patagonia Stretch Element Jacket - Men's - 2006 BCS

I have had my Stretch Element Jacket for 2 years now and have been very impressed overall. The water resistant coating has held out very well so far, the hood fits great over a helmet, and it fits, functions, and looks great. My only complaints, other then the hood adjustment system for when you are not wearing a helmet, are related to the durability, or rather lack of durability. The zippers are pretty flimsy and the stitchless construction has come apart on me twice now. Also, the fabric seems to get snagged and stretch out on rocks more than Gore-Tex, which is a problem is rock and alpine climbing on rock. Fortunately, Patagonia is a great company and they have replaced the coat for me twice already due to the stitchless construction failures.

I have never been more completely satisfied with a single piece of gear. This jacket is amazing in nearly any conditions. It has handled massive amounts of powder, sleet, and rain. The venting options (pit zips, core vents/pockets) are priceless as I tend to run very warm. I really like that the hood (helmet compatible) can be rolled down when not in use. I choose this jacket over the Arc'Teryx Alpha SV as the features of this jacket were too good to pass up. I would purchase this jacket again in a second!

Great jacket. Very light, very smooth, very well cut.
The material is stronger than it looks at first sight. The touch is very soft. Great feel.
Also completely wind and waterproof.
The finish (taped seams, details, pockets) is absolutely top grade!
Went snowboarding the last two weeks in alpe d’huez, worked great in all weather conditions. From -20°C and snowstorms to +15°C under the sun or rain.

I had two versions of this coat, an older non-CSS iteration and the newer version here. Both were great I've had the current jacket for about a year now and the DWR coating is still holding up very well. Great shell, pockets are well placed, hood is easy to adjust and fits nicely over a helmet. My only complaint is the pit zips are a little hard to use with one hand.

Although I'm a big Arc’teryx fans, I find that this jacket is a great alternative. The stretch material and the perfect cut make it more than just comfortable. The weight is almost negligible and the new seam technology is worth a closer look. The only minus is that the hood is not as perfectly adjustable as an Arc’teryx one, although it will fit over a helmet very well. Without a helmet it seems to be a little too big in spite of many adjust options. All in all it’s a very nice piece of equipment for a good and safe feeling in the outdoors.