WESTERN RISE AIRLOFT VEST: REVIEW
FOREWORD
First off, let me come clean. Western Rise has quickly risen (pardon the pun) from the brand I was curious about to my top 3 clothing brands ever. What started with a review of the Diversion pants (graciously provided by Western Rise, check out my article) has quickly escalated into buying a bunch of items, supporting KS campaigns, and being very excited to review more gear of this incredible brand.
Today, I’d like to share my thoughts on the latest addition to the Western Rise product line - AirLoft Vest. For those who want to cut to the chase - I love it, but there are a few things to keep in mind.
Read on to find out more.
WHO IT SUITS
Those who value comfort, mobility, and durability of their garments.
Anyone seeking a versatile, modern-looking piece of clothing for ever-changing weather.
Anyone already invested in Western Rise products would appreciate how well it goes with basically all of their product line.
WHO IT DOESN’T
Certainly not cheap, this piece might be outside of the budget for some folks, but considering the numerous use cases and universal look, it easily justifies its price.
ABOUT THE PRODUCT
* PRICE: $189
* COLOR OPTIONS: Black, Navy, Blue Grey
* COMPOSITION:
• Exterior Fabric: 100% Polyester
• Insulation: 40g 3DeFX+™ Polyester
• Interior Fabric: 100% Polyester
Honestly, I’ve never been a vest guy. In all 34 years of my life, I don’t recall ever wearing a vest, even as a kid when all the clothing decisions were made by parents anyway. But after trying the AirLoft Shirt Jacket (check out my review here) and wearing AirLoft Hooded Jacket for months as my main outwear piece I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to review and test the AirLoft vest.
As with all Western Rise products I had a chance to use since I discovered the brand a few years back, the AirLoft vest just fit right in my everyday wardrobe to a point that I wonder how I got by without it all these years :)
While the vest works perfectly fine as a standalone piece what I really appreciate is how it reinforced my wardrobe as a layering piece. My favorite jackets that previously I had to put away for wintertime stay in the rotation much longer thanks to the AirLoft vest. Not to mention my jogging sessions that have become much more pleasant and comfortable thanks to the vest.
Overall, the quality across the board is superb, everything from the stitching and build to the materials and performance is making me enjoy wearing this piece more each day.
ORGANIZATION
Despite the vest being a simple garment, the wizards at Western Rise have gone an extra mile to make it the best vest you could own which also means giving you all the pockets you could possibly need.
There are two deep zippered hand pockets on the sides with wonderful heat shrink zipper pulls.
Interior chest pocket on the left side featuring the same heat shrink zipper puller and quite a generous capacity (I found it to be perfect for my wallet or passport)
Additionally, there is a very cool back pocket that spans almost the entire width of the vest. Originally it was intended to pack the vest onto itself but I prefer to keep my things wrinkle-free (not the fan of ironing, to be honest) so I use this as a utility pocket for anything from a spare mask to an xpac tote I use when doing light grocery shopping. The zipper also has the same puller as the rest of the vest and I found the pocket to be most concealed in the Black version of the AirLoft vest (owning the hooded AirLoft jacket in Olive I can definitely say that the back pocket is more prominent and visible on Olive and Blue/Gray colors thanks to the contrasting black zipper while almost invisible on the Black color).
COMFORT
Similar to its sibling, the Western Rise shirt jacket, the AirLoft vest is super comfortable which is no surprise considering the vest, shirt jacket, and hooded jacket essentially use the same incredible materials. You can expect brilliant:
Temperature regulation. Almost magically the vest adapts its warmth to the conditions I am in, which allows me to wear it in a wide range of temperatures and weather conditions.
The 4-way stretch. This is just a godsend and makes me not want to take the vest off at all. It never limits the range of motion and ensures excellent mobility indoors and outdoors.
Breathable. I have pieces that are great and warm for cold weather but as soon as I am indoors I feel like I am standing beside a furnace and the heat is suffocating. The Airloft vest does not have this curse and the breathability in combination with the aforementioned temperature regulation makes me feel comfortable all day, every day.
If I were to nitpick, I would point out that the main zipper on the vest is a regular one-way zipper. Compared to the hooded jacket that boasts the two-way zipper (allowing you to unzip the garment from the bottom) and buttons that you can keep undone on the shirt jacket I feel it’s a stepdown and I would much prefer the same zipper on the vest as on the hooded jacket.
WHAT’S HOT
Brilliantly designed to work equally well in a wide range of temperatures and fitting perfectly for any age demographic.
4-way stretch, breathability, and temperature regulation make the AirLoft vest one of the most comfortable and versatile items in my wardrobe to date. Rivaled only by other Western Rise pieces.
The modern fit and lack of flashy branding make this vest a go-to garment for everyday use
The thoughtful organization is greatly appreciated and I never felt like I needed more pockets.
WHAT’S NOT
The main zipper is a standard one-way zipper compared to a two-way zipper used on the hooded jacket. In my opinion, the vest would benefit from having the same versatile two-way opening as its older sibling.
VERDICT
Western Rise has done it again and made a garment that will stay in my daily rotation until it disintegrates.
The comfort, usability, and quality of the AirLoft vest are second to none and I can easily recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade their wardrobe.
The asking price of $189 is very reasonable considering that this is the only vest you would need for EDC, all sorts of activities and simply extending the usage of your lighter jackets.
I can only hope that with time Western Rise expands its portfolio for women, so they can experience the joy of using these wonderful products.
