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FA design V1 Fleece and Subsonic Jacket Review
Last time I was in Calgary I decided I really needed a better jacket, both for just walking around and for snowboarding.
I decided to buy one of the prototype FA Design Subsonic jackets and V1 fleece. I have a Black jacket with green shoulders.
I've worn them in many different weather conditions now and I feel ready to write a proper review.
Wear: Daily wear is pretty comfortable, the fleece is warm without being excessively so, the jacket is light and has held up nicely over the last 5 months of wear, it still looks new.
Water resistance: I've worn the jacket in the middle of a Vancouver downpour. I also wore it while snowboarding, sitting and lying down on mushy snow. The water resistance of the jacket is excellent, The outside layer of the jacket does seem to soak up some water but the inside layer keeps it out and I have always been dry. The zipper pockets are also all waterproof and my items have never gotten wet.
Cold Resistance: The jacket itself is not warm enough for wearing alone, that's why you require an inner fleece layer. In the cold at -20 the fleece was sufficient, but just barely, I had to wear a long sleeve sweater underneath to feel comfortable. Luckily since the fleece can be swapped for whatever you want, you can wear a warmer fleece for colder times and lighter one when it's warmer or when doing physical activity, like snowboarding.
Breathability: The jacket and fleece both are very breathable. Wearing them while doing snowboarding and sweating I never felt overly wet, it was slightly damp but it evaporated quickly and I didn't feel clammy and cold because of it.
wind resistance: The jacket, thanks to it's waterproof zippers is excellent at keeping the wind out. I could feel the wind pushing against me both while standing around and while sitting on the chair lift but never encountered issues with it getting through the material.
Overall: I really like the jacket, it has some great design touches such as the shape of the cuffs where to top side is longer and covers your hand while the bottom is shorter so the sleeves don't get in the way. Laser welded seams so it's thin, light and truly water resistant. The area where your face touches the jacket is very soft and so far has resisted abrasion. The hood is adjustable 3 ways and fits well, it also has a reinforced flap on the front that sticks out a bit to keep the rain out of your face. The only thing I miss are pockets for my hands, the pockets are higher up at chest level, it's a bad habit anyway so it could be considered a plus. It lives up to it's list of technical specifications and more. The fleece is pretty good too, though in my opinion not as good as the jacket. However it is very lightweight and comfortable. It also did not cause me to accumulate static as some fleece jackets have in the past. As casual wear it's good but for real cold days it's a bit too light. Overall it's a good fleece and since it's made to work with the jacket you can't go wrong.
I decided to buy one of the prototype FA Design Subsonic jackets and V1 fleece. I have a Black jacket with green shoulders.
I've worn them in many different weather conditions now and I feel ready to write a proper review.
Wear: Daily wear is pretty comfortable, the fleece is warm without being excessively so, the jacket is light and has held up nicely over the last 5 months of wear, it still looks new.
Water resistance: I've worn the jacket in the middle of a Vancouver downpour. I also wore it while snowboarding, sitting and lying down on mushy snow. The water resistance of the jacket is excellent, The outside layer of the jacket does seem to soak up some water but the inside layer keeps it out and I have always been dry. The zipper pockets are also all waterproof and my items have never gotten wet.
Cold Resistance: The jacket itself is not warm enough for wearing alone, that's why you require an inner fleece layer. In the cold at -20 the fleece was sufficient, but just barely, I had to wear a long sleeve sweater underneath to feel comfortable. Luckily since the fleece can be swapped for whatever you want, you can wear a warmer fleece for colder times and lighter one when it's warmer or when doing physical activity, like snowboarding.
Breathability: The jacket and fleece both are very breathable. Wearing them while doing snowboarding and sweating I never felt overly wet, it was slightly damp but it evaporated quickly and I didn't feel clammy and cold because of it.
wind resistance: The jacket, thanks to it's waterproof zippers is excellent at keeping the wind out. I could feel the wind pushing against me both while standing around and while sitting on the chair lift but never encountered issues with it getting through the material.
Overall: I really like the jacket, it has some great design touches such as the shape of the cuffs where to top side is longer and covers your hand while the bottom is shorter so the sleeves don't get in the way. Laser welded seams so it's thin, light and truly water resistant. The area where your face touches the jacket is very soft and so far has resisted abrasion. The hood is adjustable 3 ways and fits well, it also has a reinforced flap on the front that sticks out a bit to keep the rain out of your face. The only thing I miss are pockets for my hands, the pockets are higher up at chest level, it's a bad habit anyway so it could be considered a plus. It lives up to it's list of technical specifications and more. The fleece is pretty good too, though in my opinion not as good as the jacket. However it is very lightweight and comfortable. It also did not cause me to accumulate static as some fleece jackets have in the past. As casual wear it's good but for real cold days it's a bit too light. Overall it's a good fleece and since it's made to work with the jacket you can't go wrong.
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