I picked this up for my wife last winter, and she really likes it as a layering fleece when skiing, particularly the thin, form fitting hood which she wears under her helmet. Zipped up, it looks like an ice-skate racing suit, but really soft. Even though the thermal pro has a nice pile with a hard face that maybe doesn't look so techy, the contrasting nylon around all the pockets make it clear this ain't no sweater. Also, she always goes for her hooded cloudveil softshell for casual use over this, as she thinks it looks better, and it's wind and water proof. She said her only complaint is that it could be a bit longer, at least a drop tail. She give it a 4 out of 5 for what she uses it for, strictly layering fleece.

I've had this vest for a couple of years now, and even though I had to pay I think more like $250 to be an early adopter, it was worth every penny. This is by far my favorite piece of gear. I wear it all the time, running, mountain biking, snowboarding, cruising around town - it never fails. I tend to overheat, so a softshell vest is perfect for me, I especially like that has the thinner material on the back for breathablity. I've worn this on a 30 min run in the pouring rain and was shocked that I was bone dry underneath. It's a perfect mid layer when I'm boarding (to about 10-15F), or outwear on spring days. I just washed it for maybe the first time in 4-5 years and that was only b/c I had to wash some other shells, it never stunk or lost it's weatherproofing, and has only barely started to not look brand new. Love this vest, it converted me to arc'teryx and I haven't looked back since!