Helly Hansen Men's Crew Insulator Jacket Crew Insulator

For use in shoulder seasons and even measured outings in frigid blasts, this jacket just about has it all. It’s thin and featherweight, so when you get where you’re going just crumple and stuff it anywhere. In navy with red piping, it appears about as snappy as something like this can, fits nicely, and overall is a far visual cry from puffy or lesser thin counterparts. It even has such nice touches as oversized hanging straps on both the inside and outside. Yet, there is another feature that makes it loom over nearly any other jacket on today’s market: a silky-smooth, always-works YKK zipper. This is the Bentley of zippers. No more wrestling with cost-accountant zippers like on Bean and other jackets. This fact alone makes the Helly-Hansen jacket almost a must-have. That’s a heap of virtues, but there is one oddity, given the obvious commitment to excellence: As widely stated in other reviews, the sleeves are longer than they should be. I’m tall but slim, so tried Large which had perfect sleeves but was too snug. XL was ideal overall, but the sleeves were an inch or so longer than they should be, although tighter elastic in the sleeves would have helped resolve this. They’re not so long as to get the way, landing about at the knuckles. But it detracts from the overall tailored appearance and feel. Given the jacket’s roster of superlatives, and that perfection is for the gods, I kept it anyway. Thankfully, as it’s become my hands-down favorite for most situations. A real winner.