Atalye Efremova
Puffy vests evoke long-forgotten memories. However, the puffy vest is back and more adaptable than ever thanks to the development of active insulation—so much so that we find ourselves wearing one everywhere from breezy ridgelines in the summer to icy-cold chairlifts in the winter.
Best of all, while they’ve become more adept in the outdoors, they’ve also become more stylish, making them ideal for mountain romping and cruising through the hill valleys. Here are good reasons to get down vest for men this season.
Lightweight
Similarly, there’s no point in taking a jacket with sleeves if you’re not going to use them. Furthermore, wearing a vest instead of a jacket saves a lot of weight. Consider how much money you’ll save if you replace that old heavy fleece jacket.
Multi-Tasking
Tatras keep a puffy insulation layer in our packs no matter the season. We’ll even carry two if the weather is chilly enough. However, we typically want to keep our core warm while on the move without overheating. Here’s where active-insulation puffy vests really shine: They keep you warm and protect you from overheating while you’re moving thanks to their breathable fill and sleeveless fit. When was the last time you complained about your arms being cold after a trek, climb, or bike ride? It’s important to keep the core heated.
Easy to Pack
Choosing an active insulating vest instead of a fleece jacket saves space as well. Vests take up considerably fewer inches in a pack than jackets since they utilize less material and fill—enough that you’ll be able to slip in an extra layer for the next trip or simply downsize your pack.
No Need to Remove
The “action suit,” which consists of a few layers that are rarely removed during physical exercise, has endured over time. An active insulation vest fits wonderfully into this strategy, particularly for cold-weather pursuits: it provides adequate warmth when the pace slows, but its ability to breathe and vent heat is ideal for fast summit pushes.
Fleece has traditionally been the preferred mid-layer material due to its breathability, which provided it an advantage against puffs. However, the introduction of active insulation effectively negated this. Active insulation puffy vests, in particular, are lighter, more packable, wind-resistant, and warmer than their fleece equivalents. Another advantage of puffy vests with active insulation is that they are often less expensive than their full-sleeved counterparts because they utilize less material.
