Outdoor Research Ascendant Jacket Review

The outdoor research ascendant hoody is a unique insulated jacket that uses polartec alpha direct insulation on the interior giving it a fuzzy and cuddly feel while using a soft shell like material on the exterior.

Outdoor research ascendant jacket review.

We brought the men s ascendant hoody skiing in the coast mountains of british columbia and outdoor research makes the same jacket in a women s version. I was going to wear my or boost but it was too thin and lacked insulation. Unlike most midlayers the outdoor research men s ascendent hooded jacket is an insulated layer that s actually designed for the ascent. The most unique in our review the outdoor research ascendant hoody is a hybrid between an insulated jacket and a softshell combining both to create a niche layer that works well on top of light base layers or underneath a heavier jacket.

Light and highly breathable the outdoor reseach ascendant hoody is hailed by some as the perfect mid layer the ascendant is the first jacket we ve tested to use polartec alpha direct a version of polartec that doesn t require an inner lining to hold it in place saving weight and adding an extra element of comfort. After taking it for a proper adventure i can certainly say that this jacket will be one of my mainstays. If you look at outdoor research s website this jacket sells for almost 100 more. The women s ascendant hoody also retails for 249 but comes in slightly lighter at 10 9 ounces and is available in different colorways at the time of publishing these include black and.

10 10 would buy again. For this race i had pearl izumi tights an off brand thermal windproof baselayer new balance quarter zip mid layer and the outdoor research ascendant. Polartec alpha insulation keeps warm while allowing total air permeability which means the jacket begins to breathe the moment you. This is a specialized layer which for active.

The ascendant was completely soaked but managed to keep my upper body warm for the entire race while not overly warm. It works great as a mid layer in cold weather or an outer layer in cooler temps.