You can't beat the price, got this one for a friend who's not as much of a gear junkie as myself. A windproof highly water resistant shell with brushed fleece lining on inside for half the price of comparable Gore Windstopper / Polartec Power Shield soft shells. This seems to be just as trendy as the Denali these days, making it a great gift for those in college!

Don't forget to check out the Apex Bionic Thermal version. It has high loft soft shag fleece on the inside to get you past the actual winter season without having to layer a hoody/sweatshirt under this one.

Also if you want a truly "soft and malleable" softshell, invest in a jacket made from Gore or Polartec. Backcountry.com search bar is really sophisticated, you can search jackets by material! Search for "gore windstopper" or "polartec power shield" for some of the best softshells out there.. Arcteryx and Patagonia are more pricey but usually worth it...

Search for Denali Wind Pro... for all the reasons you want this guy, but with actual warmth!
You'll look like the next guy, only YOU don't have to be cold to look the part.

I've returned the regular denali in the past as this jacket was not out at the time. I've since moved onto Arcteryx jackets despite their higher price tags due to their fit, construction and choice of only top notch fabrics from Polartec. When I recently discovered a wind resistant version of the Denali stitched from Wind pro and Power shield fabrics, I decided to test it out as casual wear around town when I don't want to look too overly technical with the Arcteryx pieces.Power shield is awesome, its highly water resistant, it blocks ALL wind, and has high loft shag fleece on the inside while remaining soft and malleable. So you've got this as panels.Wind Pro is the most breathable wind resistant fleece from polartec, which has a inconspicuous grid pattern on the outside, and medium loft shaggy fleece on inside. It will let in strong wind gusts, but will keep everyday around town/campus wind chills out, thus you can wear this as a standalone piece unlike the regular Denali which is completely useless outside IMO. So you put these two top notch fabrics together and you have a FUNCTIONAL denali. Fits identical to the reg denali loose and comfy, this is slightly less bulky in thickness and does NOT have elbow panels. Lastly, unlike the regular denali which is classic piling fleece with nylon panels stitch on top, this Wind Pro version is actually made of two different fabrics stitched together, both featuring soft high/med shag fleece on the inside. Highly recommended.

This is one of the best jackets I own, one of my favorite pieces... And I've tried them ALL. This thing weighs nothing, packs down to the size of a rain shell, totally windproof, water resistant, and extremely warm once the primaloft has expanded to full capacity. When it gets really cold, I layer my Arcteryx Hercules jacket under the Kappa Ar and it shields me down to the negatives. It has Gore windstopper shell, fits/looks like a regular soft shell jacket (quite slim), and dosn't swish and swoosh like down jackets with nylon shells. The fact that the insulation is bonded directly onto the shell means this is not quilted, so you don't have to look like the Micheline marsh mellow man. I can't say much more, this has retired many other shell/fleece combo jackets i have... What more can you ask for... an insulated gore windstopper shell that fits like a fleece jacket and weighs a little more than air. My very next jacket is going to be the Kappa SV from arcteryx.

This jacket fits and performs wonderfully.
Lightweight, extremely breathable (you can even wear it indoors), form fitting, and stylish to boot. Warmth level and wind resistance wise, with mild activity (even normal walking), this jacket kept me warm in 40 deg weather with 15mph windchill with a T-shirt underneath. I would advise wearing a windproof shell if just sitting around base camp in such conditions, but paired with any level of aerobic activity you will be warm and not overheating.
A warmer, more windproof (less breathable) alternative would be the Arcteryx Easyrider... But its also bulkier.
5'9, athletic/slim.. Small fits perfectly, sleeves long enough, torso long enough.
Versatility, as it works well as a standalone softshell, but also works as insulating mid layer.

This jacket preferred over the likes of: TNF Summit Series Windstopper Thermal, MHW Alchemy, Patagonia R4.

A very fitted jacket by TNF, the shell is softer than any other Windstopper softshell out there, its almost like a fleece. I actually wanted this for casual wear but I didn't want Apex Bionic, since every 18 year old has one.

You can't beat quality and style of this jacket, down to the immaculate stitching. However, the sizing is really made for active climbing. Tailored fit, the entire jacket fits like a glove, except the sleeves. The sleeves are designed to be long enough to be worn with a base layer, backpack, and activity involving a lot of reaching (climbing). That translates to 2 extra inches of sleeve length compared to many other jackets I own from TNF and MHW.

Since I don't climb frequently enough to justify the hefty price tag, I went with Mountain Hardwear Windstopper soft shells.

It looks really good in person, with a good athletic fit. Not designed to be worn without a shell of some wind blocking ability in my opinion, but neither is the Denali which everyone wears anyway. This provides excellent warmth indoors, and it provides the best insulation you could ask for when paired with a shell (heaviest weight grade Polartec Thermal Pro). I purchased this jacket to layer with one of TNF flight series shells for the fall, and the Sentinel Windstopper for insulation during cold rainy days.

The selling points of this fleece jacket are the Fit and Water resistance. This jacket is NOT windproof nor is it designed for deluges (look for Windstopper Tech by MHW, Patagonia R4, NTF Windwalls or Sentinel jackets if you don't already own a highly technical fleece jacket for windy/blistering cold). You can't have one jacket that does it all, and this Nemesis jacket is designed to give you warmth and water-shedding abilities during those unexpected light showers (NanoSphere shell on shoulders and arms where rain hits with most impact) in the ~50 degree range. It is also a great jacket for around the town, as it looks great, and the fit is perfect. Other technical fleeces I own are windproof/waterproof but they also have long monkey arms, high placed pockets, looser fit for layering (which are all essential in their own rights). I'd highly recommend this Nemesis for the everyday use around town / short hikes, because did I mention that it is the best looking/fitting fleece jacket I own.

This jacket is by far the warmest, softest, most windproof fleece jacket you can own. It won't "do it all" because it's too warm for heavy activity, but when it is blistering cold outside, this is the one to grab. Considering that there are only a handful of truly windproof fleeces out there for Men, this is the only jacket that uses a windbloc laminate sandwiched between two layers of R2 high loft fleece (MHW has the Lynx/Mynx for Women which is similar to the R4). As for sheer warmth, nothing from TNF or MHW will match this jacket. Just keep in mind that like many technical fleeces, this one also comes with pockets placed higher (for backpacking), and it has long monkey arms. Another note is that this jacket is waterproof in a sense that it'll keep water out, but the outer fleece will get wet, so an outer shell is recommended. It fits normal, with room to layer, and I wouldn't recommend sizing down for more technical fit because the torso gets considerably shorter too.

First some specs to help you shop:
For 5'10 150lbs frame, Medium is a bit loose fit, perfect for wearing baselayers underneath
TKA 100 like fleece on outer face, grid lock pattern lining on inside (including arms); this jacket will not cling onto any fabric worn as inner layer, which is good.

So, This is the jacket I grab all the time. Here is why:
It is light in weight, but warm. When worn with just T-shirt, you will never overheat in 50-60 degree+ mild days.
When in 40-50 degree range, I wear this with a thermal shirt/light fleece and it keeps me warm.
Not recommended for below 40, unless you wear heavier fleece under it, which can get a bit bulky (defeating the purpose of light weight jackets).
Side note: if you want something for below 40, I suggest the Patagonia R4, which is Windproof and Ultra Warm.

The pocket openings are regular size, but you can fit a 2 liter bottle in it, as the lining is huge.

A bit stiff when new, but will soften up with more wear, and wash.

About 5'10 150 lbs, lean build here. Ordered a black Medium, was too large on me, gave it to dad. Ordered a small in charcoal grey, fits me perfectly. Both colors are beautiful, and as you may have seen, the Denali is played out, and the reason is that they are GREAT looking jackets. You want this to fit snuggly b/c of the nylon panels, they are stiff, and you don't want to look like a football player with shoulder pads sticking out. Also, this jacket is BULKY, which means you can only layer with a large shell. As a standalone jacket, it is really a fashion piece, a slight gust of wind and I freeze. Bottom line, looks "A+", usability "C-".