Mens Jacket Shopping Tips
Knowing the type of Jacket you want for your weekend or day trip expedition is the first step. Being able to easily locate the perfect Mens Jacket is another. Regardless if you are looking for a Waterproof and Breathable jacket or a simple lightweight and packable Mens jacket to have with you just in case, here you will find refinements to tune your search in the direction that best suits you.
Types of Jackets
We don’t need to tell you that that the word jacket is quite vague and can mean many different things for different people. Here we have a few different types to choose from including fleeces, Soft Shells and your run of the mill jackets. Knowing what makes each one fall under their category is where we will take you now.
Fleece Jackets
Fleece is a soft, lightweight, warm and a comfortable fabric. It is hydrophobic, holding less than 1% of its weight in water, and in fact retains much of its insulating properties even when wet doesn’t hurt. Also, that makes it quite useful when used in jackets worn during strenuous physical activity.
Soft Shell Jackets
This type of Mens jacket works just as well as a stand-alone for the fall season or as an additional layer for colder temps. They are typically worn as a wind barrier, because of their water resistant/proof abilities; they are very lightweight and also are great insulators.
How to Find Your Measurements
Sleeve: With your arms in a slightly bent position, measure from the centre of the back of your neck, along the length of your arm, to the wrist
Chest: Measure around your chest, holding the measuring tape under your armpits
Waist: Measure around your waist at the narrowest part
Hip: Measure around your hips at the widest part
What are waterproof ratings?
0mm to 1000mm: Water resistant, not waterproof. Most soft shell Mens jackets are in this category.
1000mm to 5000mm: Waterproof, just not under pressure (sitting on or leaning against wet surfaces). This includes some soft shell jackets and lower end ski and snowboard wear.
5000mm to 15000mm: Completely, without a doubt waterproof unless it involves sitting for an extended amount of time or being submerged in water.
15000mm to 30000mm: No questions, no exceptions. This is mega waterproof.
35000mm +: This is not something you were wearing typically, unless it’s some old fashioned rubber galoshes.
What are breathability ratings?
This is usually noted in grams (the number of grams of water vapor that can pass through a square meter of fabric over the course of 24 hours to be exact). This can be anything from condensation to sweat: as they form inside of the jacket, they turn into water vapor and then pass through the pores, cooling you down faster. The higher the breathability rating, the fewer vapors you can expect to build up inside your jacket. However, many jackets now come with vents to help with this as well.
