Sierra Designs BTU ECO Jacket - Men's - 2010 BCS

This jacket is really nice. The fit is athletic, not baggy or bulky. I got a L and am 6' 175 lbs. In the past few days I have worn it on cold weather (20F, 5F wind chill) run/walks with my dogs with a light merino base, breathes well, didn't overheat and steam up. Zippers are all snag free and pockets smartly positioned. Elastic internal cuffs are snug but not restricting. Can stuff into loaf of bread sized ball using hood. Am able to wear my GoLite L Paclite Shell over the BTU for superior protection from moisture. Really like the PVC free seams, weight to warmth, solvent-free lamination. Really wish the hood wasn't fulltime. 5 stars for construction, materials, versatility and price.

However, some clarification on the materials, the Backcountry.com and SD sites list the shell fabric as Tropozone Green 2.5L. Though, the tag on the jacket differs stating the fabric has the 8,000 g/m²/24 hrs breathability attributed to TG 2.5L and the 10,000 mm waterproofness of the Tropozone 2L. Either way, it's a minor thing, loof further into it on SD's Fabric technology page:
http://www.sierradesigns.com/t-MensTechnology.aspx

Further reviews to come - skiing in Utah, ice skating in Wisconsin and some snow-shoe time in the Oregon Cascades over the next few weeks.

I got it because I wanted a warm jacket - and it is! The quality seems OK so far, but some loose threads here and there aren't hugely reassuring. We'll see how it holds up.

This is definitely a quality piece, it is very well made. However I found that the fit, specifically in the collar and cuffs, was off just enough to ruin it for me. The collar is high (which is good) but the diameter is relatively small. This means if you have the coat completely zipped up, but you are NOT wearing the hood (which is my standard for snowboarding... I need the peripheral viability) the top of collar constantly rubs against the underside of your chin. There's barely enough room to stuff a neckie in there to cover your face, again another important piece of winter gear in my opinion. Additionally, I hated the elastic cuffs. Personally, I prefer to wear my gloves on the inside with long open cuffs over them. The elastic cuffs constantly rubbed and chafed the top of hand and palm... the coat already has spandex-like internal cuff collars so why the extra restriction here? The things I hated, other people probably love. That being said, the fit was great otherwise. I'm a wiry 5'7", 150lbs and the Medium was the perfect length (just a bit longer than the top of my jean pockets), baggy enough to have some steez but if you stretch your arms out you don't look like Batman. Lots o' pockets, quality zippers and plenty warm.

This is well build, feels true to size, and materials are awesome. 6' and 185, the large is perfect. I've had to move into XL in many other brands. Right out of the box I knew-- tough outside and super soft, slippery quilting inside. I used this for skiing in MI at 25F and it was a bit warm. At 10F it was great, and at 0F it was perfect. I love the full-time hood, the arms are long enough that they don't ride up, and the red is a cool, unusual color. I since bought two other SD coats and LOVE them. They are built as strong as Cloudveil and Patagonia in my experience but don't seem to be as skinny in the chest.