Enlightened Equipment Men's Torrid Hooded Jacket

Ultra warm synthetic jacket that rivals down in warmth, weight, and bulk.

My experience with synthetic insulated jackets has been quite mixed. They've tended to be relatively heavy, bulky, and not all that warm compared to a down filled equivalent. That has all changed with the Torrid hooded jacket from Enlightened Equipment.

This has almost replaced my Montbell U.L. down parka—almost the same weight, bulk, and warmth, plus much easier to launder.

It's insulated with Climashield Apex non-woven, continuous filament batting, 2oz/yd2. Baffles and extra stitching are not needed to hold the insulation in place so there are no cold spots. Both the outer shell and lining are 10 denier nylon which is silky soft and pliable. Enlightened Equipment's website states it's intentionally "oversized" about a half size. Mine is size M which is the same for every one of my jackets and parkas, and it fits just as good—no bagginess.

Two dimensions worth noting are the sleeve length is a good inch longer than any other comparable jackets, and the hem length is a good two inches longer than other jackets. The hood is wonderfully designed as it is NOT "hood compatible." It cradles your head like a glove and doesn't hang over your eyes blocking your vision.

You can custom order the shell and lining fabrics: 19 shell options, 14 lining options. All the same price as the three off-the-shelf options: $200.

I chose to not model it for you as I would probably detract from the pic. Plus we're all built differently so what would it usefully show. I did however overlay three of my other jackets on it as you might have personal experience with the fit of these brands. All are aligned at the bottom hem.

I absolutely won't wear down if I'm likely to sweat—pretty much just when I'm on trail. Perfect for camp though. The Torrid I will happily wear on trail because I can throw it in the wash with all my other synthetics.

Background

Four-season backpacking for more then 40 years. I absolutely love Montbell down clothing. The Torrid is challenging my thinking.