Outdoor Research

Helium AscentShell Jacket - Men's

Great jacket so far

Just got it but happy with it so far. Fit perfectly. I'm 6ft6in, pretty slim, and long arms. The XL fit me perfectly. Very lights and seems to breathe a little better than the marmot jacket its replacing. Looking forward to using it in the alpine this spring/summer/fall..

Helium AscentShell

Jacket seems well built but fits a little snug. my biggest issue is that it does not pack/zip easily into left hand pocket. This was a primary feature that I was looking for when purchasing and have been very disappointed in this feature.

Pocket seam weld came undone

Maybe I just bought a dud, but one of the side pocket welds came undone resulting in a big old hole. This was my first OR purchase, but at this price point first impressions are important and this will probably be my last purchase. It's getting dropped off in the mail for a return today. The purchase was an accident anyway with laggy response times on the website's mobile view which resulted in accidentally clicking "Pay Now" when I went to clear a pop over that disappeared after the page fully loaded. I was impressed with how light it was, but unfortunately I didn't get to test actually test it before the seam came undone.

Great jacket

Lightweight, windproof, haven't been able to test waterproofing / durability yet

Perfect Lightweight Rain Jacket

Of course it needs to be waterproof. I was also looking for functionality. Love the inner and outer pockets. The hood adjustment and drawcords were both easy to use. My large jacket has enough room for fleece or a vest underneath.

Runs very large

Familiarity:

I returned this product before using it

Size Bought:

L

I bought an L for my husband, the size he wears for Patagonia and it was very big for him. The texture is unusual, very light.

Nice jacket - light weight.

Nice jacket. The zipper is a little stiff and got stuck. It'll likely need a little breaking in.

Amazing Light Shell

Miracle! I don't know how a shell so light and so breathable can be waterproof and windproof, but here we are. I was hesitant to buy it without pitzips. But, this thing really does breathe. It also packs down super small to throw in your pack if not needing a shell. I love to use it layered with a vigor grid fleece on coldish days, add a merino base on colder days and on very cold days or non-active days switch the fleece with a shadow insulated Anorak.

Incredible jacket

I'm upgrading from the original foray jacket that I've had for several years. This jacket seems overbuilt which means it's gonna get pulled out for use way more often. The foray is durable but on some endeavors I would be hesitant to use it. This one seems like it's bulletproof. The only caveat I can see is no ventilation (I.e., pit zips, pocket vents, etc.) but it does claim to be very air permeable. Also a bit on the big side but I expect that because most hard shells leave room to layer underneath

Dreamy and techy, but thin for harsh conditions

This is a remarkable shell but it's not quite 5 stars for me. It's amazing when you feel how it's working as you generate heat. Somehow allocating what stays and what goes to create a nice bubble. Inside pockets are wonderful, love the headphones slip. It's somehow roomy without being baggy, really makes for ease of movement which is great. Zippers are terrific. Definitely light beyond belief, very motivating to put on and get moving. But the catch. In ~20F with about 30 mph gusts of wind, and pretty consistent went between gusts, this shell looses that impressive function. Heat gets lost pretty easily and I developed a bit of a cold sweat while xc skiing in these conditions. This definitely wouldn't be enough with a mid and a base under it in that wind in single digits. It's techy, it's innovative, but thin is still thin. You could plan for it and layer up more underneath, but if I'm investing in a shell I'd actually rather have a bit more bulk and barrier to buffer the harsh days. I'll probably explore putting heavier layers underneath this one, but if you're like me you've already got a heavy jacket for that function and are trying not to overlap garments (shell for active/sweat, jackets for moderate/low activity). Techy is great but I could do with more of a balance and take a little more thickness. I got an Ascent shell in 2019 from OR, loved it so much (still do!) that I went for this one to balance out the wear and tear. The 2019 version was more rugged so I'll still be keeping it on the regular. Last little nitpick on this one is the sinch cords, they seem a bit thin. If they were a nice bulky, thick cord I'd trust myself with pulling them more recklessly with gloves on. If I want to take good care of 'em I feel like I'll have to go through the trouble of taking off my gloves to adjust 'em. Don't regret buying, I'm just lucky I have something else to accompany it for my style. I'm 5' 11" 160lb, slim/athletic build.