Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

This jacket is nearly identical to the Patagonia Down Sweater, which I tried on, but I order the Zeus online because it was a better value. The major difference is that the Patagonia jacket is an athletic cut, whereas the Marmot is a Beer Gut cut. There is considerable amount of extra fabric around the stomach. Walking around, I feel like Santa Clause. When you sit down, the jacket creates a large fold in front of you due to the extra material. I've never seen anything like it before. It is not made for a healthy/normal shaped male. I am 6' 180 lbs. I am returning it.

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

An affordable version of the Patagonia Sweater. Don't agree with the first review concerning it having a "beer gut fit". It may have a little more poof in the stomach but it doesn't compromise style.

INCREDIBLY lightweight and compact, which for this price is a major plus. It is also very warm. As long as you keep it dry it would be great for backpacking. Haven't had a chance to take it out for an adventure yet.

It does seem a little more delicate than other down jackets (other than the Patagonia down sweater/jacket) so if you're going to be in an environment where rips and tears are common a North Face might be better. But if you're looking for something fashionable, lightweight, and warm-- you can't go wrong with this jacket for the price.

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

I use this jacket during winter backpacking. Obviously not while hiking, but during breaks or after I've set up camp and am hanging out while not being active. It does run a little large, but that's not a problem for me. I'm wearing this thing when I'm trying to stay warm so I usually am wearing a few other layers under it. There are warmer jackets out there, however you will not find warmer ones for the warmth/weight/price of this jacket. Also, the jacket is stylish and I where it whenever I go "out" during the colder days of winter. Peace.

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

I got this jacket a few weeks ago on sale for a good price. It hasn't gotten too cold yet, but I plan to wear it as my insulating shell for my backpacking trip next weekend when its supposed to get down in the 20's. We'll see how it fares then. But so far, the jacket seems warm, is SUPER lightweight, looks good (which is useful for wearing it around town), and fits well. The first reviewer was right about the little fold in the stomach area when you sit down, but so what? I'm 5'11", 165 lbs. and I'm wearing a medium. In my opinion, giving it 2 out of 5 stars was a little harsh. The sleeves fit perfectly, and the jacket doesn't ride up when I lift my arms. Marmot puts in a little extra material in the underarm area just for that reason, so the jacket moves with me really well without compromising warmth and coverage. Great jacket!

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

This jacket is the second best jacket that I've ever owned, only to my original year REI One jacket. This jacket seems to fit all my outdoor activities perfectly. As a college student in Colorado, it's a great jacket to wear around the campus when the weather gets rough, and has enough of a water resistant finish to keep you plenty warm even in the snow. I wear this often as a ski jacket underneath my ski shell as well. I also recently took this on a three week backpacking trek with me, and the thing couldn't have performed better. It weighs so little, you'd never know it was there, works wonderfully as a pillow when compressed into its own pocket, and is the perfect jacket when that cold storm blows in suddenly at higher altitudes. On a recent summit hike of a 14er, I slipped on a bit of scree and managed to scrape my arm, but there was no damage done to the jacket.

The only downsides I see to this jacket are that it is not waterproof, but only water resistant, and the extra fabric around the gut, but being a short guy at 5'7" this routinely happens to me with other jackets so I wasn't bothered. To me, the pros of this jacket for its price vastly outweigh its cons, and I would say it's one of the best jackets I've ever owned no question.

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

I expected a bit more warmth out of this product. Other than that, the size is great, the material is oh so soft, and it is shockingly lightwt. That said, overall I would still buy it again, but I find I need to use it with a light layer underneath to really feel protected from the weather. Rain resistant and dries quickly.

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

I've got to post a review because this thing is great. I'm 6' 1" used to weigh 220lbs and at that weight I fit into clothes labeled as "athletic cut". I traded hockey skates for a tri suit and now at 195lbs (33" waist) and I am just a regular old large. If I weighted 180 at this height I'd be a slim or a medium. When I sit, I don't get a belly fold in this coat. If I got an XL I probably would but that's because I'd be wearing the wrong size.
So far I have worn it to a surprisingly cold and rainy homecoming game in Athens and when my girlfriend swiped my shell the Zeus actually beaded well and made it through half a game with no noticeable penetration. I wouldn't want to push it in the field but it was stellar there.
Backpacking in Zaleski with some snow on the ground the coat was a great jacket. I just threw it on over my icebreaker and I was cozy in at camp in 30 degree weather. It also threw it in a stuff sack and it made a killer pillow.
I also forgot my boarding shell this weekend but had luckily left my Cloudveil soft shell and this in my car. As an improv, the two worked really well in 30 degree weather even thought the soft shell compressed the Zeus a bit much. It still managed to keep me on the sloped for night skiing.
It compresses down to a Nalgene bottle size and fluffs right back up. I've got just enough room in it to be able to throw it over a non insulated shell. This is nice because I plan on taking it to Rainier/Hood this summer and will just pack this instead of my Mountain Hardware Subzero which was overkill last summer and just doesn't pack down nearly as well as this does. I plan on throwing it over my shell for quick stops and can put it under my shell if the weather takes a significant dive.
I would not plan on wearing this as an outer layer in any place that it might get snagged but as an undershell layer or for standing in an excessively cold ice rink watching your kid's hockey game, you'll have a hard time beating this jacket. Sorry, not too much testing of windproof aspects but I haven't noticed wind cutting through it like my old Sierra Designs puffy.
Basically, I love it. It's just a pit zip away from perfection. Yes, I like pit zips on any and every jacket (OK, not paddling drytops but everything else) but this is a great piece of gear that blows away my Monkey Man fleece in durability, warmth, and especially style and also shelved my Sub-Zero jacket for all but the roughest weather. The Patagonia may be nice too but I have no regrets here.

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

Great lightweight jacket for chilly alpine nights and mornings, or shoulder season camping. The jacket is made from high quality down as advertised, and is both light and compressable as a result. The fabric is also wispy light, which further maximizes the ultralight appeal of this jacket, while down shedding is acceptably low (an occasional feather still pushes through). The angel wing arms also work as advertised, you can raise your arms all the way up without the cuffs riding up your arms, or the bottom of the jacket slipping up your torso.

While deceptively warm, considering how light it is, I don't feel this is a good choice as a dedicated, everyday winter jacket. I don't think it's quite warm enough without a couple layers underneath, and shell on top to handle below freezing temps..

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

I have been a North Face customer since the very early days when they had 4 colors. I just bought this jacket at the store on sale, and I now have a new most favorite brand of jacket in the whole wide world. The warmth vs. weight ratio of this jacket is like nothing I have ever experienced before from any brand of clothing. I commute to downtown in Chicago on mass transportation, and recently the wind chill has been brutally fidgid. With this coat and a couple of decent layers underneath, no problem. Surprisingly even the windchill is not a factor. As an added bonus, a good friend yesterday told me it was "cute", so I am assuming that it is also slimming. My only gripe is the lack of functional pocket storage, which is minor. I am very impressed with Marmot and will now by my outdoor clothing from them as much as possible.

Comments about Marmot Zeus Down Jacket - Men's:

I attain to use this jacket to go hiking up in the Rockies. I got it in the mail today and had it on all day while I was shoveling snow. (We got about 6 inches)Anyways, it was comfortable and unbelivieble warm. (It was -15 with the wind chill)I can't tell you about durabilty yet, but I was plesently surprised. Bottom line, great price for great jacket.