4.02 · Three Reviews, One Jacket

Three Reviews, One Jacket
Hooded rain jacket, charcoal: three customer reviews from an online store. The reviewers are fictional.

4/5 stars · “Dry on every field visit” · Ana R.

I study agroindustrial engineering, and in the rainy season I wear this jacket on field visits to greenhouses and dairy farms. In July, I spent two hours in heavy rain at a strawberry farm, and my shirt stayed completely dry. The hood is big enough to go over a cap, and the straps on the cuffs stop water from running down my sleeves. My phone goes in the zip pocket on the chest, and it’s never gotten wet.

Now the problem. The cotton lining in the hood feels soft, and I prefer natural fibers to plastic on my neck. But cotton holds water. After a wet morning, I hung the jacket up at six in the evening, and the hood was still damp the next day. That’s why I’m giving it four stars, not five. It isn’t cheap, but after twelve visits it still looks new, so for me it’s worth the money.

2/5 stars · “Great in the rain, bad on a bike” · Tom H.

I’m an engineering physics student, and I cycle six kilometers to campus. To be fair, the jacket keeps the rain out, and the zip pocket is handy for keys. The cuff straps are good too: when they’re closed, the sleeves don’t flap in the wind.

However, this isn’t a cycling jacket. It’s long and heavy, and the fabric doesn’t breathe, so after ten minutes of pedaling I’m wetter from sweat than I’d be from the rain. Worse, the charcoal color is almost invisible at night, and there isn’t a single reflective strip. Reflective strips send the light from car headlights back toward the driver, so the driver sees you sooner. I now wear a safety vest over it. The store says a new version with reflective strips will be launched next year. It’s probably fine for walking, but at this price I expected more.

5/5 stars · “Love it!” · Sofía L.

Love this jacket! It looks amazing with everything, the color is so elegant, and the lining is super cozy. It’s totally waterproof and perfect for Querétaro, perfect for everything, really. Instead of carrying an umbrella, I just put the hood up. Worth every peso!

One tip from a nanotechnology engineering student: the outside is treated with a water-repellent coating, so rain forms little drops and rolls off. Coatings like this wear off slowly with washing, so follow the care label and don’t use fabric softener. Best purchase of the year!