Stoic Welder Lo Softshell - Men's - 2009 BCS

This is a great all around softshell Jacket. It beads off the water pretty well in a light drizzle but won't last long in a downpour but it's a softshell afterall so that shouldn't be expected. It is very comfortable and holds its own in cold weather. For the price it is pretty much unbeatable.

This is a really nice jacket. It's extremely well made, and it will hold up for a long time. The idea of welded seams is nice, and once you break in the jacket the seams soften up and function well, adding to it's weather resistance. Powershield performs just as well as usual, blocking about 99% of wind and beading water well in light rain. My only problems with this jacket are some design flaws. The hood is helmet compatible, which means that while it is fully adjustable it will never properly fit you without a helmet. This is stupid because your helmet doesn't need to stay warm, and your head stays warmer the closer the hood is to it, thus they should fit the hood. My only other design qualms are that the pockets aren't raised so you can't use them with a pack on, and that it doesn't have hook-and-loop closures on the wrists, so unless you're wearing gloves the sleeves fall down your wrists. As far as fit goes, it's athletic, so consider sizing up if you like a loose fitting jacket. I am 5'9" and 160lbs and the medium fits very comfortably, but only with room for a baselayer. The big hood is annoying, but I've found that when you're not wearing the hood up, it serves quite well as a neck gaiter, which I do like. I still can't understand why they aren't raised to function overtop of a hip belt.

If you're willing to forego the conventional layering system, wearing just this jacket without any kind of layers underneath this is the best clothing system I've ever used. I've worn it while moving down to 10 degrees, and because it's windproof, you're super comfortable. It is also great when wet, drying fast and keeping you warm. This jacket saved me in the Presidential range recently, as we got caught in a rainstorm followed immediately by a snowstorm, and everything froze. It dried off very quickly, and as long as it was in direct contact with my skin, it was warm even while wet.The huge hood fits over any helmet, but it doesn't compress very well when you're not wearing one, which is frustrating. Other than the hood, the pockets, and the cuffs, this is a great jacket, and one that I'll use until it doesn't fit me anymore, because it's built to last.

Bought this on SAC for the amazing price of $80.00, and I have to say, it has performed in every way imaginable, with a few quirks. I bought it in June, 2011, so I decided I wouldn't review it until it spent a season ice climbing, snow shoeing, and XC skiing in it. Those activities have come and gone in the Adirondacks, and i must say I was impressed with the performance. It held the wind at bay while belaying in -4 temps, and breathed well while exerting myself in 32 degree ski tours. The hood is perfect to fit over a climbing helmet, though it does droop a bit without. The Napoleon pocket is clutch for granola bars or sunglasses, and the sleeves are long enough for my 6' 4", 200 lb frame (ordered a Large.)

Two minor gripes: The hand pockets are too low for harness/hip belt wear, and the bungees that tighten the hood are too light, and awkwardly placed inside the hood with a strange place holder that makes it weird to get a perfectly custom fit.

I still think this deserves the full 5 stars because of its performance, style, and how cheap I got it. If BC fixes the two minor flaws, this will definitely be up there as a top hooded softshell.

I like this softshell quite a bit.

The good:
It's comfy, breathes well, and holds up well to snow, wind, and light rain. I like the wrist pocket (I keep my chapstick there). Hood is very good--fits my helmet and cinches down tight if riding without. Everyone burns differently but I've been comfy touring in just this and a superlight merino layer down to the teens.
Durability seems good so far.

The "it depends":
Fit. This may or may not fit how you want it to. I'm in a medium (5'8" with an athletic build) and it's pretty snug. I can just barely fit a MH monkeyman fleece underneath for COLD resort days. A large would be way too long.

The bad:
My biggest gripe is the lack of pit zips. If it had pit zips I'd give it 5 stars. It breathes well but nothing replaces pit zips.

MInor gripes:
Pockets aren't usable without disconnecting hip-belt. Not the end of the world.
Wrist openings are a little snug.
No pocket for skins.

I like this softshell quite a bit.

The good:
It's comfy, breathes well, and holds up well to snow, wind, and light rain. I like the wrist pocket (I keep my chapstick there). Hood is very good--fits my helmet and cinches down tight if riding without. Everyone burns differently but I've been comfy touring in just this and a superlight merino layer down to the teens.
Durability seems good so far.

The "it depends":
Fit. This may or may not fit how you want it to. I'm in a medium (5'8" with an athletic build) and it's pretty snug. I can just barely fit a MH monkeyman fleece underneath for COLD resort days. A large would be way too long.

The bad:
My biggest gripe is the lack of pit zips. If it had pit zips I'd give it 5 stars. It breathes well but nothing replaces pit zips.

MInor gripes:
Pockets aren't usable without disconnecting hip-belt. Not the end of the world.
Wrist openings are a little snug.
No pocket for skins.

I really do like this jacket, and I think it's one of the better looking shells on the market. The two down sides I found are it's not as warm as I hoped, but if you layer up you'll be fine. The other thing was it's not that highly water resistant. After a few hours in wet snow it did soak through to my skin. But that was your typical north-east wet snow. But if your in cold dry snow this is the bomb...

Let me just say first off I love the jacket. I'm 6' 145 lbs (so, skinny) and the small fits perfect and the sleeves are the perfect length. Most other jackets I get are too short in the sleeves for my body build. It blocks wind, rain beads off perfectly, and looks great. I had one of my friends tell me he loved this jacket more than any man has ever loved another article of clothing, and he hasn't even worn it! The only drawback is that the hood is bizarrely deep for the jacket, and so the brim covers up half your vision if you put it on without a hat underneath. As far as I can tell, there is no way to adjust this, but when wearing a hat, it fits fine. Great jacket overall!

I was worried about the fit from some of the other reviews, but I dig it. I'm 6' and 168 lbs. and I went with a medium just like all my other pieces. I'm not planning on layering much with it but I can get a NTS layer and a power stretch 100 weight fleece or my atom lt jacket under just fine. The weight is fine and it's low bulk packs well and with it being the power shield fabric you know it's going to hold it's own in various condition. I love the look, style, high collar, big functional hood, and seam patterning. Only thing negative at this moment is the draw cord in the hem...... kinda weak and not as elastic as others.

Really. The only major complaint i have is that BC.com didn't screw up the order and send me two. I have used this jacket for the second half of the ski season and it has preformed exceptionally in a wide range of conditions. Some things to remember tho:

LAYERING! I'm really surprised how many people say they get cold in this jacket and then go one to say, all i had was a cotton t-shirt on under it. I haven't been cold once while wearing this, but i normally have 1-2 base layers on.

FIT: I got an XL. I'm 210 pounds and 6'1'' This was a perfect size for me. It doesn't feel like a tent but i still can get a Sherpa fleece on underneath it with a thinner base layer as well. I have even thrown it on over my regular hoody and it somehow fit quite comfortably. The only thing that took some getting used to was the cuffs. They are small, meaning they are just bigger that my wrists. This could be a make or break for some people. I like it. it isn't constricting, but it keeps heat in and snow out.

Ok thats a lot of crap. really if you need a softie, this is a great one. If its on sac you would be stupid not to get it.

Got this a couple weeks ago on S&C, been trying it out ever since. Gone on a couple hikes, but have been wearing it mostly around campus. It's kind of chilly in anything below 20F, but once you get moving, the temp doesn't really matter, and when you start to heat up, the pit zips come into play. It's impressively wind-resistant, and water-resistant to keep off the heavy spring rain last week. The jacket is super light weight, soft, and durable, and it fits great. I'm about 6'1" and 145lb, and the cut is pretty snug. I can fit maybe one or two thin-ish layers underneath. People have complained about the hood being large, but I have a freakishly long neck, so it's perfect for me, plus it makes me look like Altaïr from Assassin's Creed. The hood is also wide enough to almost completely shield my face from wind, which is a plus, and you can cinch the hood down when it's crappy out. The jacket comes down past my waist, which has been nice the few occasions that I've been able to ride a bike, and the sleeves almost come down to my knuckles, but I'm totally alright with that. The fuzzy inside is also crazy soft, which is great. But, this jacket is pricey. I would make sure you snag it on Steep and Cheap if it's up, it's a steal.

TL;DR: I love this jacket. All-purpose light jacket.

Like other people, I'm not one to write reviews for products, but this jacket is an exception. In reading the other reviews, I wondered if they would be misleading but have found so far that I agree completely.

This jacket is awesome! I've never owned a nice softshell jacket, but I've seen friends with jackets by North Face and other brands and this one seems to be just as good. I've poured water on my sleeves and it just beads and falls off. Can't wait to use it in the snow tomorrow.

It fits quite nicely. I'm almost 6' 1" and 160 lbs and the large feels good. The sleeves are plenty long enough and the hood functions great. It's definitely more of an athletic fit (which I like); the sleeves are more tight than other jackets I've worn, but I can still wear a couple of long sleeve layers underneath.

All-in-all it's a great product and I'm glad I bought it. If your looking for light weight outdoor jacket, I would highly recommend it.

Great quality jacket but beware of the fit. I'm 6' 150lbs and the medium fits nicely. I like the trim fit, but I'm rail thin and this thing is tight. Read: bigger guys need not apply. Also, much more substantial than a shell. The jacket is thin but the lining is deceivingly warm. I'd say throw it on over a t and you're good in anything above 40F. I would imagine most people are buying this jacket for its technical qualities and not aesthetics, but I can't resist mentioning how cool this thing looks. I get stopped on the street all the time by people asking me where I got it.

Pretty awesome jacket - light, stretchy, comfy, feel no wind, pretty water-resistant (not waterproof), great athletic cut.

Two issues so far after a few months of wearing:

1. Zippers zip up to close, so after some vigorous activity some of them kind of open a little bit. Why can't zippers close down?!

2. After 1 wash, some of the welds have created sharp edges/points inside that irritate my forearms. I think I can live with it, but it's a little annoying. We'll see what happens after a few more washes...

Well just got the coat today, and it looks cool but... Here is why it only 3 stars, the material in the tech specs say its made from Polartec power shield, I could not for the life of me find any tags or eblems on the coat that could verify this so typeo on B.C. Now the fit/cut of the Medium in the torso of the coat was almost perfect to wear alone or layer up underneath. The sleaves on the otherhand were way small and im a skinny guy, and had a hard time fitting a TNF TKA100 fleece underneath it. Seemed to me like you could only be comfy with a t-shirt or base layer wich was disapointing to me considering the body of the coat fit so well. So bottom line the coat would be damn near perfect if the sleaves were a bit baggier cut to match the body.

Just got the jacket in the mail. I'm 5'8" a fairly muscular 195lb and the L fits very well. I can fit a 170g merino baselayer and 260g midlayer underneath and feel like I have great unrestricted mobility. I wore it out in -20C yesterday with just a 170 weight merino t-shirt and it was a little cold and probably wouldn't do that again. Because of the athletic cut ie can't layer too much, I'd say the jacket is probably good up to -15C comfortably. The color is not quite black: it's more of a dark gray with hint of green according to one of my assistants. It does look great but have to say it's more carbon-ish than black.

This is a really great jacket if you are built right. Size up regardless, and then size up twice if you're still not sure.

I put it through some pretty good tests before finally returning it, it regulates heat and moisture very well, sheds water so well that the back of your jeans will be soaked in a rain storm, and breaths well when you get hot on the mountain. The material is as soft and stretchy as a cotton hoody but as strong as a full blown shell

It stretches out about a 1/3rd of a size after you wear it a few times, I ended up returning it because the fit just wasn't right. I'm a perfect large in TNF and this was in an XL was very slim and long comparatively. Still looking for a jacket with the same performance and price....nothing so far

Well made jacket - I'm impressed with the finish on it - seams are welded cleanly, the fleece lining is nice and soft (but very, very thin) and the zippers close with very little effort. The fit IS TIGHT (especially mid torso), I have a Small AK Burton shell (3L), which typically run slim and this is far tighter. At 5'8" 135, I can fit a medium weight merino base layer underneath the small welder and that's it. Good wind resistance and the hood is sweet (although haven't tested flying down the mountain yet).

When I first got the jacket I was impressed. I am a big stoic fan and have a sleeping bag, shirts, pants, jackets, etc.. I got the XL because everyone said it is small but turns out a Large would have been perfect. I usually wear a L in other brands and this is the same sizing. I live in Ky and walk a little bit from the parking lot to school, Sometimes I ride a motor cycle also, it rains like cats and dogs here and the jacket just didn't hold up. It leaked through the seams just from a 10 min walk in heavy rain. Also there is not wrist adjustments , not a big deal but it adds up. I am about 6 ft and 170 lbs, get a size large and you will be able to layer easily and be warm, avoid heavy rain, and the jacket is extremely light. The lightest I have every had the privilege of holding

I am 5'10" 180 lbs and got the xl because I enjoy layering and reading the other reviews on the slim fit of the jacket I thought it would be a better choice. Jacket came today and fit exactly like a Large jacket fits in the other brands out there (ie Arcteryx, North Face, Oakley etc). I like the look and feel but I thought this was a ski jacket and when I am in waist deep powder in the backcountry I like to keep the powder up my nose, and not down my pants. I have not tried it out yet but am interested in seeing what happens with the material in a blizzard hiking for 2 hrs to get the freshies. I will update this later, when I put it to the test

My Main issue is with the stretch and cut around the wrists. The taping is a little uncomfortable next to skin. This is solved with long underwear. my forearms are tight to the fabric and my wrists are loose. This needs a way to tighten the wrists. Think rock climbing wear you need to reach in to your chalk bag. It can get annoy. Also annoying when your cooking. the somewhat loose wrists can get in the way.

Also a little hard to layer because of the micro fleecy lining.
All that said it is useful and I like to abuse it because i got it so cheap. I holds up well. hood is nice. nice cut outside the wrists. uncomfortable to zip all the way to neck when not wearing hood. hard to look up when not wearing helmet under hood.

My Main issue is with the stretch and cut around the wrists. The taping is a little uncomfortable next to skin. This is solved with long underwear. my forearms are tight to the fabric and my wrists are loose. This needs a way to tighten the wrists. Think rock climbing wear you need to reach in to your chalk bag. It can get annoy. Also annoying when your cooking. the somewhat loose wrists can get in the way.

Also a little hard to layer because of the micro fleecy lining.
All that said it is useful and I like to abuse it because i got it so cheap. I holds up well. hood is nice. nice cut outside the wrists. uncomfortable to zip all the way to neck when not wearing hood. hard to look up when not wearing helmet under hood.

I am 5'9" and weigh 145. I bought a medium.

I wore in South Lake Tahoe 4 days skiing recently and it was excellent. It was snowing at times and was in a lot of powder other days, and had no issues with wetness. It was also fairly windy and the wind did not penetrate.

I see many reviews don't like the fit but I found it to be excellent. I wore a base-layer, a thermal, and a sweater under the jacket and was not restricted at all. The sleeves are snug but it is a non-factor. It is snug around around the shoulders but again a non-factor. Once you are on mountain you do not notice.The hood stinks.

I will certainly buy a stoic hi-welder if I came across one.

First off, I don't like to give 5 stars to anything, so with that said, this jacket is highly rated. I have been wanting to try a softshell for a couple of years, and when I saw this on SAC for 99 bucks, with good reviews, I bit the bullet. I am completely happy that I did. The fit on the jacket is excellent. I am 6'2" 165 lbs. and the body and sleeves are actually long enough! That is a rare find for me. The fuzzy fleece lining is ultra soft (my 5 yr. old loves it!) and is about as warm as a 300 weight fleece. Add the wind blocking nature of the material, and you have a great combination of warmth, wind block, breathability, and low bulk. The hood is a good fit with adjustability, although I have not tried it with a helmet. So far I have used this jacket in temps from 0-40 during dog walks, snowshoeing, bicycle commuting, and sledding with the kids, and have been happy with the level of insulation. I just discovered the pit-zips on it the other day, and they are well designed too, with a span of mesh across the hole so that just the right amount of air gets in.

You know that a jacket is good when you look for look for opportunities to wear it. It's a bonus when you get caught by a downpour while on a long walk...not a drop through it! Its quiet, comfy, breathes great, so far water and wind resistant, sporty and functional. The XL fits my 6'2" 200lb athletic frame perfectly. One thing I did notice is that the cuffs are pretty fitted so it's a bit hard to get off if you have big hands. Not much of a problem to be honest, it is worth the trade off of having a snug fit so that wind or snow doesn't sneak up your sleeves! Best 99 bucks I ever spent!

I've a number of other Stoic products, which have all excelled in performance. I got the Welder Lo at a great price on SteapandCheap, and it looked the part, fitted well etc... However after a 30 minute walk in a moderate rain shower, the Highly water-resistant rating failed, multiple leaks at welded seams, shoulders, hood, wrists etc...

Great Jacket. Looks awesome! The hood has plently of room for the helmet but not too much mobility once you have it up. Fitting is the hardest part on this coat. I am 5'6 160lbs athletic build. 40" shoulders and a 30" waist. I am normally a Small-Medium guy but I had to get the large so I put a layer or two underneath and still move my arms.

I've hade this softshell for a few months but wanted to try it out in the cold before reviewing. So far it's worked very well, with a few minor flaws.

Materials, Construction, Insulation:
The materials used are great and the construction is very solid; this things breathes very well (just as expected) and is totally fine in all but heavy rain. I think the amount of lining is just right: I usually just wear a merino baselayer underneath and I'm good, unless it gets very cold or I'm not moving much, in which case I have to add another layer--a heavier base works to a decent amount below freezing, and a lightweight fleece down to well below as long as I'm moving.

Fit: (I'm 6', 185, own a Large)
The fit is definitely snug, which is great, but I've found that this does not hamper the ability to layer that much. When very cold, and around camp or taking a break, a light weight down puffer on top is perfect. When I wear this in the city (Boston and Montreal), and I'm not moving too much, I've managed to fit a midweight fleece and a not-too-compact down vest underneath. This definitely makes one look a little round, but it's not that bad.

There are a few minor cons to the Welder Lo.

1) My main issue is definitely the cinch cords and cord locks--they are terrible. Especially the ones in the hood. The cord material seems WAY too loose, so you have to pull very far to get any significant cinching, and the cord lock in the back of the hood simply does not depress making it impossible loosen. I called BC about this and they said that this isn't just a fluke, all of the jackets have crappy locks in the back of the hood. Basically, this means you can't adjust that cinch on the go--not a huge deal but kind of annoying.

2) It's a little on the heavy side and the sleeves are a little tight, especially in the wrists. Other have mentioned this but its not a serious issue, just a minor discomfort sometimes.

3) No pit zips. Don' get me wrong, the jacket breathes very well, but I've used this for some intense trek's and having PZ's would definitely help to dump heat and moisture.

Overall, a fantastic product (really, 4.5 stars) that hasn't disappointed in any significant way. Change the cinch cords and locks, throw in some pit zips and I will marry this thing.

Nice product, but European sizing is a lot different than US sizing. XXL is more like a XL at best, and the arms are very skinny. It was hard to get my hands through the cuffs.

i Gave this jacket 4 stars for the fit. im 6'3 and 210 lbs and the xxl fits good sleeves are a` little long. But the best thing about this jacket is the hood fits over my bike helmet for my commute to work and its really warm.

this jacket is extremely narrow cut, Im 192cm tall, 120 kgs, and this jacket in XXL is very tight around the shoulders and upper back, almost to the point of not being usable,

so if youre built, a bit overweight or just plain big, this might not be for you.

mine works for me if I limit layers to just a merino shirt, and the material and detail is excellent.

I wanted to like this, I really did. In the end the fit wasn't acceptable.

I'm 5'9" 170 lbs, 42" you know what. The medium fit nicely... too nicely. You could see the muscles in my back when I bent forward. Enough for a baselayer and MAYBE a thin merino layer. The hood fit like it should.

The Large sleeves were too long and the hood had to be cinched (many drawstrings.. nice!) way down to be useable, and then it looked goofy and often the wind would blow it into my field of vision. The neck was overly wide. Everything above my shoulders would have fit great with a helmet on. The Torso was too roomy. It would be OK for casual wear, but too loose for athletic pursuits and bunched up when I sat down.

The torso is cut proportionally larger than the sleeves. The sleeves have a wicked taper to them, and no adjustable cuffs. It is impressively water repellent, good for quick squalls. Easy to stay warm walking in only this and a baselayer down to about 30, below that you need more layers or more exertion. The metal color does look amazing in person.

I wish it fit properly and Stoic would change/fix their garment cuts.

I bought this jacket for my husband, it is very stylish, he gets a lot of compliments. It is great quality, totally waterproof. Only things to watch out are the black is not really black is more like a dark grey and it runs a little small, so size up when getting one, but apart from these things it is an awesome jacket. Another thing is that it's not super warm so when using it in a really cold day wear a sweater underneath.

TRON

I am a huge Stoic fan and I own a lot of Stoic jackets. I wear this one a lot in the fall and spring as it is light but has a thin fleece lining. It looks freaking awesome too!

I just bought the Metal/Metal/Metal/Deep... I'm not certain, but this one seems like it's one of the models from last year (basing that on the fit and color), which is what I wanted. I am 5'11" 180 with an athletic build and the medium fits perfect. It's more of an athletic slim fit so if you're wanting to layer underneath make sure you size up with that one. If you're wanting to wear the cuff around your gloves, this jacket isn't a good choice, you'd be better off with the bombshell jacket, it's got the adjustable cuff on it. Aside from that, this jacket is awesome, the zippers are smooth and work great (chest pocket sticks a little), and it's a good strong shell.

I bought this in metal/metal/metal/deep for my husband as an early Christmas present, and after a few days of wearing it every day he loves it. It does seem like it runs a little small like the other reviewers have reported. He is 6'1" and 190 with broad shoulders and an athletic build. He usually wears a large and this XL is pretty close fitting in the shoulders and chest, so he can only fit a thin shirt underneath. Even though the fit is close though he can still move all around easily, and the overall length and sleeve length are nice and long. This jacket looks really good and repels water very well. It's the perfect casual jacket and he's also planning on wearing it as a spring ski jacket, but I would go up a size if you need to layer underneath since it's not insulated at all.

Love this Jacket. Great protection from the elements and very comfy. It is sized a little snug so if you are borderline I would size up. Use it solo in the spring/fall and works well as a mid layer under a shell in the colder months.

Love this jacket. I am not a very big guy and had to size up to an XXL. It does have a smaller fit to it and as my east coast park roots need me to have something a bit bigger. Used it the past 3 days at the bird and it was sick.

Love this jacket. I am not a very big guy and had to size up to an XXL. It does have a smaller fit to it and as my east coast park roots need me to have something a bit bigger. Used it the past 3 days at the bird and it was sick.