Pearl Izumi Men's Elite Softshell Jacket

An effort trying to keep this short and sweet with such a great product. When I shook it out of the packaging it felt like scuba suit material. I was worried about that, as I didn't want to sweat in a bag. But how they used some scuba like material and made it into proper biking gear, was very high tech. Good armpit vents to keep you from sweating, nice flexible material down the inside of the arms so it breathes again and stretches to fit snug, not binding; chest pocket is a must, which this has, on all bike shirts and jackets, as we all now carry cellphones; great extra arm length that cuffs my gloves without having to wrestle with them to fit over or under them.It would be a five star product if; it had pockets down below as well as having the chest pocket. Can never have enough. The tail could have been a bit longer and the back of neck a bit higher, to keep out the cold. Also the armpit vents could have been a bit smaller, as you can feel initially the chill of headwinds a bit much.That said, I am 6 feet tall, 210, footballer sized, and the X-large fit great, snug but in a good way. I usually ride three to seven days a week if I can. I wore this product in the coldest weather, purposely, minus 8 celsius. Felt like I never left the indoors. I had on a no name long sleeved undershirt and a compression long sleeve underneath, wore a balaclava and gloves over my biking gloves, that's it.I'd recommend it to anyone out in the windy cold, and best with some Pearl Izumi bib tights. Fits like a good suit.

I've had this jacket since Nov 2011 and use it to commute to work, around 11 miles each way. I bike in the wee hours of the morning, pretty much the coldest time of the day. I've used this jacket in temps below freezing. On days in the upper 30's I've found a 200 wool base layer to work well, in colder weather I've added a 150 layer. I'm 5'11" and 155 lbs, and both layers fit fine under a Medium jacket.I was surprised at how well it blocks the wind while venting perspiration. It can get a little coolish in the stretchy areas on the backs of the arms, but the base layer seems to take care of this in cold weather. It fits well for the most part, sleeve length is great, neck closure is great. It also appears to be well made and the zippers works well.I have only three small complaints. The feed-thru for headphones is pretty small, if you have something like the Shure E2Cs with a thick adaptor for the short cord, it won't fit through. Also, the reflective areas on the sleeves seem to be in the wrong place (inside of the forearm rather than outside), maybe the thought was for oncoming traffic? A bigger complaint is that even though I don't ride on the drop bars much, the front of the jacket still tends to bunch up. Seems I have to fold the bottom front up a couple of inches. It may soften up over time though.Overall a good purchase, I do like this jacket.

I purchased this thinking I'd be out on my bike in the cold winter of middle NY but snow and ice has curbed my appetite for now. My first test of this jacket was in a snow & freezing rain storm. The temp went down to 29F and I was outside for about 2 hrs. shoveling wearing a sleeveless layer and a long sleeve base layer on top and this jacket. I stayed warm and dry despite the ice rain.I also tried this jacket as an additional layer under my insulated ski jacket on a 25F snow day. Again I was outside for over 2 hrs. and this layer made my already excellent ski jacket bomb proof.This jacket is not limited to cycling or running outdoors. It's not exactly something you'd use casually but I'd cross country/downhill ski or go hiking with it....anything outdoors in the cold and yeah, I will eventuall ride with it....:)It it true to the sizing chart. I'm 6'1", 180lbs, 43" chest, 32-34" pants size. It fits me comfortably, not tight or loose. Just enough space to fit a couple of base layers if needed.I give it 4 stars for great performance but I wish it had another chest pocket. The rear pocket is larger than the chest pocket but not easy to access, especially if you're riding. I keep my cellphone and drivers license in the chest pocket but would like to keep small snacks in another accessible pocket for use while riding. A rider would have to stop to access the rear pocket.

I ordered my regular size (medium) of this jacket. And technically it fits... but it's extremely tight. At first, I thought this was a really bad thing, but I'm thinking now it might just be how this jacket is supposed to fit. It makes sense to be more aerodynamic. (and to make less contact with warmth-stealing wind) I just accepted the tightness and started wearing thermal layers underneath. It's next to impossible to get a hoodie or anything thick under this thing.The material is rather thin... and when the temp dips below 32F, you really can't just use it alone to help keep you warm. It does a good job of shielding you from wind, but if the surrounding air is too cold you'll definitely need to have a thick base layer underneath. Just don't overdo it, or you'll be drenched in sweat when you arrive at your destination.Also, as others have said, it bothers me a little how short the front of this jacket is. It comes down to my belt, and my t-shirts always stick out the bottom. (I tuck them in) The shortness doesn't really affect the warmth though, because you'll be covered just fine once you're bending over on your bike.My winter gear consists of these things: this jacket, Terra Plana Helix base layers (top and bottom), tube socks to tuck base layer into, skull cap, ski goggles (the best thing ever for keeping cold air out of your eyes), a Buff headwear piece wrapped into a balaclava, and some nice thick gloves. (and of course jeans, t-shirt, and a helmet)

Bought this for my partner for xmas, firstly Koo bikes your service was brilliant ordered it one day and it turned up the next even with all the xmas delivery issues going on.......well done!! this is a fantastic jacket really well made and does exactly what it supposed to do my partner loves it, as for the sizing i think its on the generous side he is 6ft and 44" chest with a long back and arms and a Large fits him brilliantly. he has worn it on a cold muddy wet mountain bike ride and it kept him warm and dry - he loves it so im happy :)five star product

Got this in a medium because the small size was £40 more. I am a 36-38 chest and the fit is decent, the small would probably fit perfectly, but I wasn't willing to pay more.I use this with a single base layer for days when temperatures are above 5 degrees C and it's perfect for my 6 mile commute to work (one way, but it has been fine for longer journeys too). I need an additional layer for days where temperatures are below 5 degrees C, or will drop further. There are some reflective stripes which are a handy detail too. The rear pocket could be a bit more easily accessible. Perhaps use a larger zip for it? That is the reason for 4 stars. If they could make the rear pocket more accessible then I'd give it 5 stars.Pearl Izumi make some great stuff. I've got a pair of their gloves that I use year round, and they've held up for nearly four years now. The jacket quality seems great, and I reckon this one too will hold up quite well. I'd not be happy if this jacket didn't last me at least as long!

Bought for my daily cycle ride to and from work, I'm delighted with this jacket. Some reviewers have mentioned its slim fit. Well.....let's just say I am not slim and leave it at that shall we ? Nonetheless it fits nicely. As to its weatherproofing abilities: it is windproof and showerproof (it won't protect you in a downpour though), keeps you warm in chilly weather, though you'll need an extra layer or two in freezing conditions, but is breathable in warmer conditions so you won't overheat easily. I'm really very impressed.

This is a brilliant jacket. On the coldest day, all you need to wear underneath the jacket is a single layer jersey. Wear several layers and you will cook. Very good quality and and comfortable.

Die Jacke ist perfekt, wenn man an kälteren Tagen auf dem Fahrrad unterwegs ist. Hab sie jetzt mehrere Male bei bis zu -5°C angehabt und kann nicht klagen. Sie hält angenehm warm, ohne das man überhitzt, ist winddicht und hält auch Regen zuverlässig ab. Die Ärmel und das Rückenteil sind angenehm lang, sodass man sie auch auf dem Rennrad problemlos tragen kann und man keine Angst haben muss, dass sie bspw. hinten hochrutscht. Die Brusttasche ist sehr praktisch und die Tasche auf dem Rücken ist angenehm groß und nützlicherweise unterteilt. Ich persönlich find auch die Farben sehr schick, das ist aber Geschmackssache. Von mir gibts eine klare Kaufempfehlung!