Pearl Izumi Men's Elite Softshell Jacket Review

Look Good - Feel Good with Pearl Izumi Men's Elite Softshell Jacket

You must buy a softshell jacket, if you do a lot of highly aerobic activities like trail running or backcountry touring or get out on very cold days with lots of fluffy snow but minimal slush or rain or want to use your softshell in place of a fleece to layer under a waterproof shell. Softshell is technology for cycling in cold weather with its multiple attributes: a wind and waterproof laminate in-between an outer knit face and fleece inner lining means protection from the wind and wet. ELITE Softshell ensures great protection from wind and water, ELITE Thermal Fleece fabric panels provide superb moisture transfer and warmth Contoured, shaped sleeves adds warmth Full-length zipper enabled internal draft flap garage seals in warmth. 

One back and one chest zippered pocket helps in warmth storing. The cut of the Elite jacket is designed like Pearl's 'Semi-Form Fit.' In other words the upper-torso and upper-sleeves have an anatomic cut that rather than bunching, enable the jacket to move with your body. Towards the bottom of the sleeves and torso, the fit is relaxing, gives you some extra room for a comfortable range of motion. There are two zipped pockets, small one at the back and one on the chest. They'll go a long way to ensure that the contents of those pockets are there for the whole ride. There are reflective panels placed throughout to improve your visibility to motorists in low-light conditions.

Features:

The Elite Softshell features contoured shaped sleeves that are pretty long so your friends won’t tease you about wearing a jacket that is small in size. The jacket features a hybrid shell construction that combines the breathability and stretch of polyester on the underarm and back panels with the wind along with water protection of the fabric on the front and arm panels. Collar tapers from front to back for on bike ergonomics and 360 degree reflectivity are great features of this jacket.

The ELITE Thermal Fleece fabric panels give insulating warmth and superior moisture transfer. Coverage and warmth is produced by contoured, shaped sleeves. The warmth is sealed within the jacket by full-length internal draft flap with zipper garage. It has two zippered pockets, one back and one chest. Collar tapers from front to back for on-bike ergonomics, 360 degree reflectivity and an awesome semi-Form Fit. It is mainly for cold or light rainy weather. Fabrics: Underarm panels are made of 95% polyester and 5% of elastane; the body is 83% polyester and 17% polyurethane, it weighs 367 g/m2, which is pretty lightweight.

Why should one buy it?

It bridges the gap between waterproof hardshells and highly breathable fleeces. It is comparably more breathable than a hardshell. Much more wind and water-resistant than a fleece. Makes for a lighter system as you often don't need any additional insulation.

Pros:

Pearl Izumi introduced the Elite Softshell Jacket to tame even the most chilling training rides in the coldest days. The Elite uses Thermal Fleece panels to store optimal warmth within the jacket and for moisture transfer, so when the outer shell blocks the wind and wet, the jacket provides very high breathability for aerobic activities. Pearl Izumi built the Elite Softshell jacket from a three-layer fabric in order to boost weather protection while still remaining breathable. Generally it is very lightweight, so there is no such problem in wearing it for a long time. It has a great weather resistance with excellent wicking. The jacket can also be used as a mid-layer under your hardshell.

Cons:

There are a few minor cons present for this item. First, it is not completely waterproof. Second, sometimes it is not perfectly windproof. Third, it is not as lightweight as comparable to fleece. And lastly, it is ok with normal temperature, but when it comes to higher temperature and 1.5 hours commute it traps a lot of body moisture inside, which is way more than expected.

Conclusion/Verdict:

Though there are some cons in this jacket regarding it, but, still I believe that it does quite ok in wind proofing job, and keeps the body warm and stretchable fabric is providing a comfortable ride. I’ve used it and though I felt that it stores some body moisture inside and make the body sweaty, but still it is pretty comfortable to wear, so that’s not a big deal. That’s why, after reviewing all the advantages and disadvantages of the softshell jacket, I must include that the disadvantages are pretty minor and thus we must concentrate over the broad range of effective advantages of the softshel jacket. Either way, I will say that it is a good jacket for bike enthusiasts. I am a biker myself and I loved this jacket just the moment when I saw it. Hey, want free shipping and discount? Check here now!