Helly Hansen Duro Softshell Jacket - Men's

I have this jacket and used it extensively this spring. I really enjoyed it around town until I got caught in a mild rainstorm. It stayed dry for less then 5 minutes. It really is worthless in wet conditions. It looks great but can't perform with other softshells.

I haven't used this jacket in any rain or anything, but just got back from a hike/trail run session with it and thought I would write a review. I have had the jacket for a few weeks, I haven't had any problems with the rubber popping out of the YKK zippers, this jacket is so lightweight it is amazing, I don't know that it is actually a softshell, since Helly Hansen calls it a windbreaker, but it gets the job done. The elastic zones under the armpit, from what I can tell are to help it breath better, and help it move better. I have no problem moving as much as I need to in this jacket. The green color is awesome, for real. I have no complaints with this jacket. One thing I found to be weird, is that where the hood adjustment cords are, there seems to be a thin layer of poly/cotton which immediately pulled out of the jacket when I washed it once, maybe it was there for packing purposes? I have no idea, it seemed weird, but oh well, it works and doesn't seem to change the jacket at all. I can't think of anything bad to say about this jacket. It was a pretty chilly day on my trail run this morning, splashing through water, and hiking overs some left over snow patches, I didn't get hot and I felt like the jacket has great breathability, however, since it wasn't a hot day it didn't get tested all the way. If you want a softshell quality jacket at a low price, this jacket is awesome!

Overall, a Fabulous Jacket On first sight, the jacket looks a lovely matte black color. The h/h symbol is very sharp, but other than that the jacket is very smooth and simple. The jacket appears very thin. For example, if you hold it up to the light, you can see through it. It is also very stretchy. This was starting to get me worried. So, without a handy rainstorm, I did the best I could and held the jacket's sleeve under the tap. Not to worry! The water did more than bead off, it bounced off! I'm 5'11"� and 145lb, and the medium is perfect in sleeve, chest, waist and length. One surprising thing is that there is a very stretchy diamond shaped panel at the underarm joint. This seems to work well, because my range of movement was almost entirely inhibited, however the panel is white and grey stripes. This just means that then you raise your arms, everyone's eyes focus automatically on your pits. Another thing, Helly Hansen added rubber grip inserts to the YKK zippers, but they pop out very easily. I think I am going to have to just glue them in. The hood is great, generously sized, although it adjusts only on the brim. The waistband elastic is also very simple and easy to adjust one-handed. the wrist closures are great, very long, so you can get e very tight seal even around thin wrists. Overall, if you want sick looks, surprisingly good waterproofing, stylish and simple design, great stretch and an athletic cut, the Duro's for you.