#OUTDOOR RESEARCH UBERLAYER REVIEW FULL#

Outdoor Research also included low-friction panels of smoother mesh on the shoulders and sleeves to help the jacket most easily over layers. This is a significant advantage over jackets that simply line their interiors with nylon or polyester panels, which don’t perform this function as well as mesh. This mesh liner acts almost like a bellows, mechanically aiding airflow within the jacket as you move in order to keep moisture moving away from your body and into the jacket fabric, where it will (theoretically) be whisked away to evaporate off. The Uberlayer has a leg up on this front because it uses a hung mesh liner throughout most of the jacket. It’s always a challenge to find gear that can deal with the sweat. I am a notorious sweater I heat up slowly, but once I’m warm I am really warm. Let’s start with the Uberlayer’s performance in active, sweaty conditions. These considerations, along with many others, go into fine-tuning the balance in synthetic insulation. And it becomes even more complex when you consider that the face fabric that the insulation is paired with is terribly important – too tightly knit and it won’t breathe, but too loose and the wind will steal away all of your warmth. Synthetic insulation works by trapping pockets of warm air, and if you make the insulation too effective at transferring water vapor you’ll find that the pockets of air don’t stick around long enough to warm up. It has to be said, though, that breathability and warmth will always be a balancing act in synthetic insulation. Polartec Alpha is the pinnacle of lightweight, synthetic insulation for active pursuits. Another bonus – Polartec is made out of recycled plastic bottles. This is a much more desirable situation than what other competing jackets have created, especially when they start to use their own proprietary insulations which often are not as good as what comes from the minds at Polartec and other dedicated brands. The particular variation in the Uberlayer is Polartec’s Hi-Pile Alpha, which means that the insulation is ‘piled’ slightly thicker than the standard, resulting in a warmer jacket. The result was a new polyester-based insulation which Polartec has continued to refine since then. In 2012 Polartec announced that they had been contracted by the US military to produce an insulation that could both breathe well when active and retain heat when sedentary. For one, it features absolutely premium materials – Polartec’s Hi-Pile Alpha insulation is, in many ways, the gold standard for versatile insulation. The Uberlayer is an exciting piece for several reasons. These three fabrics, coupled with some careful tailoring and a few select features, are supposed to provide one of the best and most versatile insulating experiences available. This is 30D stretch nylon, offering excellent range-of-motion in all directions.Its foundation is Polartec’s Hi-Pile Alpha insulation at a weight of 98g/m. The outer nylon shell has a DWR, enabling the Uberlayer to function as an outer layer during light precipitation. Most of the inside of the jacket is hung with a polyester mesh. The Uberlayer is an insulated active jacket suitable for everything from climbing to skiing. 100% nylon 30D stretch woven shell // 100% polyester stretch mesh lining // Polartec® Hi-Pile Alpha Insulation 100% polyester, 98 g/mįirst of all, let’s get the basics on the table.Adjustable wire-brimmed, helmet-compatible halo hood.Interior glide panels applied to lining at shoulder and arms.Two zippered hand pockets and Napoleon pocket.Double-separating center front zipper with storm flap.Highly breathable Polartec Alpha insulation.Outdoor Research Uberlayer Jacket Features:

#OUTDOOR RESEARCH UBERLAYER REVIEW FULL#

The Uberlayer aims to top the heap of the new synthetic wonderjackets, promising the capacity to handle huge ranges of temperatures under a full range of aerobic loads. Most recently, they’ve come out with a creative new jacket called the Uberlayer. Their insulation game is not as well known, though, despite putting out some very innovative products in recent years. Outdoor Research is well known for their shells, which often compete for top honors as some of the best shells in the industry.

Outdoor research uberlayer review