Outdoor Research  Aspire 3L Jacket - Women's

Purchased for an early summer trip to Iceland. It kept me completely dry in the rain and behind waterfalls. Also really blocked the wind. Base layers needed for warmth, this is just a shell. Love the side zippers and pit zips, and the chest pocket was super handy. Don’t love the hood cinch design, it’s tough to loosen it up again and it leaves a tiny open space on either side of my face by my temples. But for the most part it serves its purpose. Overall I’m a big fan of this jacket and am glad I splurged. Will also come in handy on summer rainy days in New England.

Wonderful jacket for my trip to Iceland in February. It kept me warm and dry in pouring rain, behind waterfalls, in snow, sleet and gale force wind. It looked great in pictures and layered well with a wool base layer and the matching OR hoodie. It’s also been great for warmer days skiing. The vents are so versatile.

Great features and extremely breathable jacket. I purchased the prior Gortex model Aspire II GORE-TEX Jacket - Women's but could not review it before it was discontinued. The newer model is not GoreTex but I wanted to write a review on the features because the jacket is the same except for the material now. First of all, I love the chest pocket for storing my winter bladder hose so the nozzle does not freeze. And the slide zippers are great for getting into my pockets of my pants when my waist pack is on. The hood is super easy to adjust with the elastic toggle in the back. This is my goTo winter jacket for snowshoing in really cold weather like it was this week at Methow Valley where we were in 7 degree temps during the day. I got the 2X inspite of my only needing an XL or a 1X. it was the last jacket left and I am glad to have it. Lots of room for layering

I bought this rain jacket on short notice for a trip to rainy (but lovely) Oregon. It did in fact rain and the weather was cold and this jacket kept me warm and dry. It also provided an excellent wind break on the days when it was windy but not actually raining. I was told that this jacket would not start flaking because it is made with a different material than those that flake. So I'm counting on that being the case. (If it starts flaking I will be very unhappy) The jacket has nice pockets for stuffing hands and other items in, fits well over a thick sweater and looks very stylish as well. Style is not my main concern, but I'm happy about having a nice look.

When this jacket gets wet, it looks like it has measles. Very odd

Like another reviewer mentioned, the jacket gets strange bubbles in the outer layer fabric when it gets wet. I reached out to OR customer service and they mentioned this is a known defect and told me to return the jacket. This was really disappointing as I like other OR products, but this jacket is poorly manufactured! I have seen several comments online stating this issue so I am surprised that defective items from this line are still being sold, especially when the defect is known to the manufacturer and being sold at trusted retailers like REI.

I bought this jacket about a month ago, and I was really excited because the GORTEX version always kept my coworkers dry and warm. I was disappointed when it wetted out on its second wear in a moderate drizzle. It also snags on prickly vegetation, which then just completely absorbs water instead of repelling it. I know rain jackets are meant to keep you warm and not necessarily dry, but I’d expect to be dry for at least and hour or so.

Based on the reviews, I'm excited to hike in the rain in this jacket! My 19 year old Gore-Tex jacket finally gave way and I was sodden for several days on the Cotswold Way. I spent evenings researching jackets and was able to snag this one during the Memorial Day weekend sale. I was torn between the Small and Medium so I ordered both. I'm 5'5" and weight 127. The small felt really tight especially when I threw a lightweight down underneath. My only complaint about the medium is that the arms seem unusually long .. and I have very long arms.

I was so excited about this jacket — I love the idea of full torso-length ventilation zips, chest pocket, 3L tech, and more. However, the fit of this jacket was tight over my bust (32D). I didn’t experience this with Patagonia or REI rain jackets. I think this may be due to pattern limitations. Both of the brands that fit without issue have a side panel (aka two side seams), whereas the full torso-length zips in this OR model necessitate a single side-seam. I tried a size up in store but found it was huge on me.

I bought this to replace “rain jacket” from another major brand that soaked my shoulders and upper torso in a 90 minute hike. This jacket actually held up in a downpour and I was quite comfortable. It doesn’t pack down as well as some other jackets but I also found that I didn’t get that clammy chill factor from one inside either. OR products do seem to run smaller but they are well made. My only complaint for this jacket was the lighter color on the bottom half stains easily. I got it muddy this fall and had to scrub and let it soak to get the mud stains out of the lighter section.