REI Co-op  First Chair GTX Jacket - Men's

Took this jacket to a trip to Alaska over the summer. It wasn’t super cold, but rainy and windy at times. The jacket if very well insulated, and it will keep you nice and warm in very cold weather. It’s not extremely heavy, and it will work on a ski trip over the winter. Has 6 zipped pockets in the front, 2 about the chest, 2 regular for the hands, and 2 on the sleeve. It also has 2 zipped vents, that you can open to allow air in. It has 1 big pouch on the inside, for your gloves or scarf. The sleeves are Velcro, so you can tighten them around your wrist. This jacket, will work great not only with skiers and snowboarders, but also for someone who likes to hike or climb.

Material: Nicely waterproof and breathable. GTX is the way to go for sure. Exterior: I also really like how the knit-type DWR fabric feels and looks. Also no issues with the DWR so far. One small spot near the right of the cuff wets out easily, but that's minor, given the location. You can pull the drawstrings down to tighten the hood, which is a nice touch, especially with gloves, however it is not intuitive at first. The back of the hood is hard to tighten with skigloves on, which is not a big deal The bottom zipper works great with a harness. Also practical for bathrooms All the zippers have nice thick sticks attached to them so it is easy to operate with gloves. The two chest pockets is a nice feature for snacks and other items. They're big enough to fit enough snacks for the whole day and a neck gaiter. The cuffs are easy to operate, with a nice thick tab for gloved hand. They fit nicely on top of the ski gloves. Pits zips are nice although I feel they could be lower down the torso. Very easy to zip up and down, which is usually an issue with other jackets. Bottom hem is nicely adjustable but also hard to adjust with gloves on, which isn't much of a problem, since this isn't something you adjust often. Interior: Nice large interior mesh pocket will fit skins or ski gloves. It is very nice to be able to "put away" the snowskirt by buttoning it to the jacket, but it is not entirely removable, which could be a nice feature to make the jacket more multiuse Snowskirt itself seems to provide a good seal and is very comfortable. The jacket fabric is very comfortable in the neck/chin area. And it goes high enough to protect from the wind. The hood fits nicely over my ski helmet. There is a mystery buttom hole type stitch inside the jacket next to the zipper in the top left area, that I can't figure the use of. The hood visor is rigid enough to keep stuff away from goggles Jacket doesn't have inner thumb loops to fully insulate against elements. not a huge deal since the sleeve hems adjust nicely over gloves, but snow could get up there. Layering/fit: The fit is loose enough to layer. I can fit baselayer, midlayer, puffy, and it's not restrictive. Yet it doesn't feel huge if there is only a baselayer underneath. Recco: I don't think this jacket has Recco, a bit of a bummer for an otherwise fantastic jacket

This is my first REI brand jacket and I am very impressed with the quality and the thought that went into it. The snow skirt is adjustable to make sure it's tight and keeps the snow out and there are plenty of pockets inside and out. Plus an inside pocket for your phone that zips up but has an opening to allow headphones to be used with the chord inside the jacket so it doesn't get caught on anything. I also like that the zippers and hood adjusters are hidden to create a streamlined look to the jacket. If you're looking to wear it on its own then remember it fits big to allow for wearing jackets and layers underneath on the slopes.

I was super excited to see the attention to detail on this jacket. And the fit, spot on; not to baggy and not too tight. Whether you are a backcountry skier, freeheel touring nut or hitting the lines at the resort this jacket has everything you need to have a great day in the snow. Let's start with the extra wide and articulated cuffs which will keep them closed when a little snow gets packed in the velcro. On the left hand is a well positioned and EASILY found zipper toggle for the lift pass pocket. The pit-vents could afford to be a few inches longer along the torso for those warmer days or that skin-up in the sun, but still plenty functional. Gore-Tex remains an industry stalwart in waterproof materials and REI made a wise choice in going with a branded technology. Double chest picked and lower hand pockets allows you plenty of space to store your items in easily accessible pockets. A fully adjustable and articulated hood completes the shell features. Now for the inside features. I have to admit I was a little confused by the adjustable powder skirt with two different snap features to adjust the internal powder skirt. The problem was the extra fabric that is awkwardly in the way with the skirt adjusted to the smallest size, but this is a very minor inconvenience. There is a phone pocket with a headphone wire outlet guide on the left chest. A nice mesh glove pocket on the right when you need to deglove on the lift. Two bungie adjustments to close the lower half from the wind and to secure the powder skirt. Lastly an often over looked, but greatly appreciated fleece lined face protection at the top of the zipper. This jacket has all you need in well positioned places. You will see similar jackets well above the $400 dollar amount, but I would argue what are you getting at that price? The First Chair GTX jacket will easily perform while leaving you with enough money for a weekend lift pass.

I purchased the men's size XL First Chair GTX jacket along with the First Chair GTX bib pants in men's size L short. The construction is excellent and I think the design of the garments was well thought through for its intended use, skiing and/or snowboarding. As for the fit, the pants are perfect, but think the jacket's sleeves are a little long for me- I'm a short barrel chested guy of Irish ancestry who likes the torso fit of the XL and L, but needs a shorter length sleeve/leg. Other than the sleeve length, the cuffs on the jacket were obviously designed to be worn over gloves and/or mittens; the flap design sticks out too much to tuck into a pair of gloves/mittens which is a bit of a negative for me as I wear my gloves that way with a jacket. The pit zips have got to be the easiest to operate of any shell jacket I've ever owned, and there are ample pockets in this jacket. A great value for money.

My old beloved ski jacket needed an upgrade and this jacket has really met my needs. I was skeptical about it's wind protection, but thought I'd try it. I wanted to upgrade to a jacket with a hood that fits over helmets, which this one does. I have worn it 6 days resort skiing and love it. It does stand up to the wind. I had to adjust my base and midlayer strategies for warmth, but that was easy. The coat has lots of little adjustments; the powder skirt has two settings, the bottom has adjustments at each side, collar fits snug, and the wrist cuffs snug up too (I prefer to put my cuffs inside my big gloves). Perhaps my only reservation is with the pit vents, they are nice and large, but they are straight through without any mesh, but then I wonder if that mesh is needed anyway? The pockets are large, and the chest pocket holds my phone with room to spare. I think REI really nailed it with this jacket.

This is a decent GTX jacket. It has plenty of pockets, including a pass pocket on the left forearm. The hood is large and can be adjusted with some cords. It's a high quality no frills jacket. It leaves plenty of room for layers underneath, which you will absolutely need as this is not insulated at all. My primary gripe is with the zippers, which instead of having a large pull to grab, have a very small pull with some cord on it. This is flimsy and very hard to grab with gloves on. Also I seem to have trouble zipping it up every single time. It's hard to get the zipper seated properly in order to zip it up. It would be nice to have the hood either removable or at least be able to roll it up or something, but it's always out. The netting on the inside I use for my gloves when it's potty time, but I wish it was on both sides instead of just the right side. A cinch-able waist would be nice, as well as a removable powder skirt. The velco cuffs can't cinch very tightly, so if you want your glove gauntlets to go over your sleeves, it's going to be tough. These are all minor cons, though, as this is why it costs half the price of comparable name brand GTX shells.

The First Chair GTX is a solid shell. Well-made, decent number of pockets and the jacked doesn't lift when I raise my arms (nor does it bind). I haven't had a chance to use it in a snowstorm but I tested out the waterproofing with a hose - kept even solid streams out, especially at the zipper and hood. I'm 5'11" 175 and a medium works well for me. It's too heavy for active sports like backcountry or warmer ski days but great for those colder downhill days.

Bought for a spring ski trip in April 2022. Used it and loved it. Pulled it out for this season and noticed the DWR was not working as well as last year. Put it in the dryer on medium heat for 20 minutes, didn't work. Purchased Nikwax wash and DWR, didnt make a difference. Just got back from Whistler where we had all conditions, jacket was saturated in <20 minutes every day, REI logo is falling off, lack of taped seams should have been a pass but I thought Id give it a shot..... Durability wise the jacket has held up super great, just wish the DWR would take, already applied it 2x and wont do it again as it is just wasted money. Fit is super comfortable, im 6'1'', 220lbs, broad shoulders and back, ample room to move and layer underneath, not to baggy when worn alone.

Nice fitting all around jacket. Bought for my husband who wears a XXL and this jacket fits true to size. It also has a bit of room if you choose to wear another layer with it. This jacket is the closest I could find that resembles both in fit and function the REI gortex parka of the late 80s early 90s that my dad wore for years. The updated pocket design is functional, still is great at being waterproof in the Portland rain but just wish it had a removable hood. Overall I highly recommend this jacket