Cold Fusion Jacket
| Page Type | Gear Review |
|---|---|
| Object Title | Cold Fusion Jacket |
| Manufacturer | BeyondFleece.com |
| Page By | Steve Larson |
| Page Type | Jan 27, 2005 / Jan 21, 2007 |
| Object ID | 1241 |
| Hits | 5767 |
| Vote |
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The Cold Fusion jacket is made from Schoeller's wind and water resistant WB-400 fabric. As with all their products, each jacket is custom made using customer-supplied measurements. They guarantee fit, and provide a lifetime guarantee against defects in workmanship and materials (normal wear and tear excluded). The jacket comes in three colors (as of January 2007), and with a host of options, each of which add to the base price of $169. Ordering is done via the company's web site. |
Steve Larson - Jan 27, 2005 3:05 pm - Voted 3/5
Good, but hasn't kept up with the timesI bought my jacket almost three years ago, and have been using it continuously ever since. Although each jacket is custom made, my order arrived in less than two weeks. The fit is perfect, as one should expect from a custom-made garment. They even understood special comments attached to the order like "please make it long enough in the back to stay under my harness."
Although not completely wind proof, it comes pretty close. I wore it on Mt. Baldy when winds topped 80 mph, and felt almost no cold air getting through. I haven't had the pleasure of wearing it in a downpour (though it's not really intended for that anyway), but it seems to do a pretty good job of shedding light rain and snow.
The stretch fabric is very comfortable for technical climbing of all types. It is about as thick as an expedition-weight long underwear top, but more versatile. So far it has proven to be quite durable. The fabric and seams have withstood their share of abuse without showing signs of undue wear.
The Not-so-Good
Softshells have come a long way since Beyond first entered the market. Despite all of the innovations in materials and design, Beyond has stuck with a relatively limited set of fabrics, and their basic designs haven't changed appreciably. For jackets especially, there are a lot of alternatives that are lighter weight and better designed. The Cold Fusion jacket is still a good product, and the value of their custom tailoring is not to be underestimated, but this is no longer my first choice of gear to pack when I'm heading out into the cold.