Steal this jacket

By jamienewma2107305 Ranked #715 - Men's Jackets November 24, 2008

I got this jacket for $80 from Backcountry as part of a special promotion, and I feel like I stole it. I bought it because, as advertised, it appeared to satisfy my five non-negotiable winter jacket requirements (1) it was black; (2) it had a hood; (3) it had handwarmer pockets; (4) it covered my butt; and (5) it has no readily discernible logos.

I was not disappointed. The jacket is very warm -- I've worn it in windy, twenty degree weather with nothing but a thermal t-shirt underneath, and it's been comfortable. The hood keeps my shaved head warm, and its design, combined with the faux-fur, does a decent job of protecting my face from the wind. It looks great, seems very well-made, and some silly decorative embroidery on the sleeves is all but invisible.

It also has a few cool features that were not advertised. The large exterior pockets are secured by small magnets (as is the wind flap that covers the zipper). You can get into the pockets without having to fumble with a zipper. The sleeves have built-in stretchy thing-ees, which keep snow and wind from creeping up your arms.

Is it perfect? Well, no. It's not quite long enough to cover my butt when I'm seated. The zipper can be a bit fussy -- it has to be perfectly aligned at the bottom to work, and that's hard to do with gloves on. It would be nice to have some fleecy stuff up inside near the chin for when the jacket's zipped up all the way. It's a tiny bit pouffy at the belly (which maybe could be a good thing if you're a bit chubby). And I certainly could live without the embroidery, and the fake-Army insignia patch on one arm.

Still, I can safely say I've never had a better winter jacket at any price. And while I'm certainly happy I got it $80, I'd also say that it's easily worth the current asking price.

View Details: Oakley Annorak 4.izzo Jacket - Men's

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