I'll echo what has been said time and again on various review sites. The zippers are horrid! To start the jacket, it takes SEVERAL attempts to start the jacket. Secondly from so much give and take with the zipper, the material is starting to fray to the point of eventual tear at the end where the covered it with some thin tape on the left end. The zipper size is also really small. I remind that this is a deep cold jacket where most likely you're wearing gloves. Simple zipper issues should never happen on such a jacket. My Canada Goose Parka thick big zipper assembly is day and night better! The only other issues I have is the down on the sleeves moves to the back (especially in the shoulder areas), so you're ALWAYS futzing about to MOVE the down (which is a pain) over the naked two pieces of nylon in the front--in frigid cold, you have no insulation to shield you unless you inspect your jacket regularly. In addition, each sector is inconsistent with the amount of fill--the bottom areas had markedly less fill on mine. Another issue is that the jacket is too short in the front--one or two inches would make a world of difference. Since this jacket uses waterproof material they should tape the seams--it really isn't waterproof and is false advertising. I'm returning the jacket and will keep looking...

While I agree that this is a good windbreaker and the fleecy lining is insulative, the "advertised" stretch (**nothing** like a softshell like Powerstretch, etc) and fit are not great at all. I'm 6'4" (normal proportions, athletic fit) and the XL sleeves are too short. The back is constrictive/tight (despite the extremely limited" stretch") and the sleeves ride up when bending elbows while jogging (i.e. no raglan sleeves). Also the fact that the fleece is non-bonded to the nylon jacket makes for long sleeve T's to ride up/shift underneath against the fleece. IF you can forgive all these shortcomings or have exact dimensions for this jacket, then the jacket does its thing, but in the universe of jackets, this is a BAD, overhyped option. I went with a Pearl Izumi award winning wind shell (with more pockets, GREAT fit) and just add a power stretch lining for more warmth versatility. I also have an award winning Windstopper N2S wind blocker for runs (better fit, stretchier, more rain proof).

My wife is *skinny* and the narrow waist rides high up over the belly button and extremely TIGHT--leaving a good indentation in the skin.

This Icebreaker product is a dissappointing failure in fit (as others have mentioned here already).

My 5'5" wife sized up to the Medium. It's a little longer than necessary but doable and the waist fits better. We're still contemplating on whether just to go another route with the merino underwear....

I own last years model of the Shift (the one with the pocket on the sleeve).

In comparison, this year's Shift verison has markedly DEGRADED. Last year's model was perfect. Solid construction and function. This year's Shift **LACKS** the zipper wind flap(!!) and the cuffs are really WIDE(!!). Since Power Shield is billed as a wind shield(!) for the elements, having wind pass thru the zipper or wide cuff is sacrilegious. Secondly the length has been markedly shortened in the the front especially....less material, but the price is still the same?!! Thirdly, it lacks the pockets of last year's shift--no sleeve pocket, mp3 port, internal front pocket (and you still pay the same?!). Fourthly, the build quality is ***really AMATEURISH***....the shockingly horrendous un-parallel stitch line(!!) and bundled sew quality throughout maybe would be expected as a factory seconds product made in China but not for a product made in Canada! Fifthly, the sleeve panels are really goofy (no joke)--my arms look like wrinkly accordions from the maladjusted assembled wide panel width (sort of what you see on a puppet with no filling in the arms) and the front forearm panel SINKS(!!) into itself like a DENT ready to collect water....it looks like something a fashion student hurriedly put together in their first semester class--no joke (the stuffed jacket pictures on this website is seriously misleading when you have it at home to personally try on with a base layer long sleeve and actually use it in the elements). I hope Backcountry ***SERIOUSLY REEVALUATES** this model and comes out with a better version next year (like the 'good ole days'...or better). What a disappointment!

I'll echo what has been said earlier.

Compared to the Gore-tex jackets I own from other famous makes, the length is ***tooooo short****

It won't even cover underlayers on the front side. The back side droops down a little more, but still barely acceptable in the back. The front length is a total deal breaker!!

The jacket is also rather snug and won't accept too heavy a layer(s) underneath.

The sleeve length is barely long enough and the sleeve SHOULD BE ***ARTICULATED*** for full range of motion.

I would have liked to have seen pit-zips and an inner pocket for stuff....especially at this price. The wrist closure should also be elasticized with the strap.

The jacket material is a mild weather weight and the material, I believe, is a thin 20 denier weight.......not for heavy duty mountain activities.

The blue color is a royal blue, so keep that in mind.

Had the length (body, sleeve) been competitively longer and with articulated sleeves, I'd give it a 4* rating. With the other imporvements I mentioned, 5*.

At this price, it should be much better!...

It reminds me of Primaloft insulation in that the warmth/weight quotient is HIGH. It's definitely warmer than my NF Redpoint....no surprise as this jacket has 200g of insulation vs 100g and also has 150g in the sleeves.

I wore this in Tahoe in about 13F with no cold in the least! I could easily go below 0 with this jacket with just a long sleeve merino base or two underneath. As a test, I pressed dry ice on one side to test its insulation. My hand never felt uncomfortable (just like the primaloft of my Redpoint jacket). I've also placed my body in the snow and stayed dry and warm.

The only negative is that the zipper catches sometimes on the side material and the zipper also is somewhat hard to connect at the bottom. Minor annoyances vs its upside.

Material is tough. I snagged it HARD(!!) on my shredded skis. I truly thought I punctured it, but NO(!), it held--the puncture point is barely noticeable. Great ripstop!

I also like the upper fleece neckline and fleeced shoulders. Makes it cozier when putting on. The spandexy sleeve gaskets are also great but is more effy when it goes over a thick sleeve. It would be great to have velcro sleeves also to block out the elements further.